I am in love with this little Ruby Lou Doll! I think every baby needs their first baby doll, so that’s what I want to show off today, in case you missed it as my guest post over at One Little Momma. I made this for my niece who is turning 1 tomorrow – time flies!
– Baby’s First Doll:
This turned out so stinkin’ cute!! I used the Ruby Lou Doll pattern which you can find in the Toy Section of Go To Patterns (affiliate link). The pattern was easy to understand and fun to put together – I liked that I didn’t have to tape together any of the pattern pieces.
So, a few fun things I want to talk about:
–STAMPING – The legs are half “skin” and half “legging” – – I wanted it to look like she was wearing patterned tights, and didn’t have the perfect fabric so I made my own. You’ll want to hand-stamp the fabric before you cut the pieces – it’s just easier that way. I used regular craft paint (mixed two colors) and mixed it with Fabric Medium to make it fabric paint. Then I just stamped it on with the astrik from an alphabet stamp set that I have.
I love how they turned out:
–PERSONALIZED – you’ll want Baby’s First Doll to have a personal touch – I added a name to the back of this doll. You can do it with hand-embroidery or machine embroidery (like me). Again, I suggest doing this before cutting pattern pieces – then you can place and cut the piece out in the right spot.
I put it on the back rear of the dress, kind of like the stamp on a cabbage patch kid.
—PREP – sewing goes so much smoother when you are prepared. Cut all of your pieces out beforehand. Mark the face markings (I forgot this and had to freehand where the eyes went – oops!). It’s a bit of a hassle to take the time to prep instead of jumping right in, but it’ll be worth it.
–STUFFING– I didn’t take a picture of this part, but just know not to skimp on stuffing – you don’t want a flimsy doll. It will look more professional and feel more solid if you take the time to stuff it full, using a stick to poke down into the arms and legs and head.
Here’s my 6 year old holding the doll so you can get a feel for how big it is – I think it is the perfect size for a first doll – easy to hold, but not huge.
I am in love with this little miss Ruby Lou – so cute! Thanks for letting me share her with you.
What a cute, huggable-looking little lady…….Ruby Lou is also cute!!!! 🙂
So so nice, Mandy! I love the stamped leggings!!
AW she’s adorable!!! I need one for my daughter!