First, a huge thank you to Forsyth County Woman magazine for the charming article highlighting The Ella Zoo and the EllaRoo dolls in the February 2018 issue. I am grateful for the support they have shown me and other local artists.
In addition to finished dolls, we now have an You+Me Doll kits available at the S2dio Design Etsy Shop and local retailers. The kit includes complete instructions but here you can find the instructions with pictures!
EllaRoo Instructions
- Trim Doll Face fabric only along the printed dashed outline.
Do not snip the dotted lines into the corners yet. This will come later.
- Turn the Doll Face fabric over onto your work surface so the wrong-side is facing up. Using a ruler and a pencil, mark a line ¼” from the trimmed edge. This is your stitching line.
You will be able to see the printed doll art through the fabric. The stitching line should fall in the middle of the doll outline.
- Place the Coordinating Calico fabric right-side up on your work surface. Smooth it out flat. Place the Doll Face right-side down on the Coordinating Calico fabric.
Make sure the Doll Face is in the center of the Coordinating Calico fabric, right-sides together, wrong-sides out. - Pin the Doll Face to the Coordinating Calico fabric along stitching line using straight pins. Trim the Coordinating Calico fabric to size using the Doll Face as your pattern.
Do not cut into the Doll Face fabric. Do not snip the dotted lines into corners yet. This will come later.
Although my grandmother taught me to pin perpendicular to the stitching line, I later learned to pin parallel. Either way, all pins should face the same direction. If you choose parallel placement, pin so pressure foot encounters the sharp tip of the pin first.
- Time to Sew! Plan to leave a 2″ opening on one side. Stitch along the Stitching Line around the doll making sure you stop 2″ from the start of your stitching to leave the gap.
- Reinforce stitching at corners. Clip rounded outie curves, notch innie corners, and trim your seam allowance making certain not to cut your stitching!
- Turn the doll right-side out through the opening.
You may need to use a drumstick, chop stick, or other long blunt object to turn the legs, arms, and hair.
- Time to Stuff! Stuff the legs, arms, and hair using your stick to pack the material firmly. Find some great pro tips here.
Clip old clothes and rags (pale colors only) to use as traditional rag doll stuffing or purchase polyfiber filling from a craft store.
- Stuff the rest of the body. Pack the material firmly, shape the doll as you go. Stuff to full capacity.
- Finally, keeping the seam allowance folded into the interior of the doll, hand stitch the opening in the side closed with an invisible stitch, whip stitch or other stitch of your choosing.
The EllaRoo doll was designed in partnership with illustrator Valentina Felce. Please be sure to check out Valentina’s amazing, illustrated art dolls at BlueRaspberry Designs.