The NEW non-paper doll for “on the go” play!
Hello! This is Jennifer Long of Bee Sew Inspired – Modern Rag Doll Designer, Educator, and former professional Ballet dancer. Do you remember playing with paper dolls? When we were young, my sister and I loved collecting, dressing, and acting out elaborate scenes for our paper dolls! They were wonderful because we could take a whole collection of them almost anywhere… in the car, on a picnic, camping, even to church! We had hours and hours of fun… but it sure was disappointing when their heads or hands ripped off.
Sometimes the tabs on their dresses would get overused and not fold over anymore. I am so excited to introduce to you the solution for avoiding the disappointment of ripping, crumpling paper dolls… Felt Dolls! These dolls are constructed completely “in-the-hoop” of your domestic, home embroidery machine!!! They are full of wonderful details and are stabilized so they will never rip or tear! Best of all felt naturally sticks to felt… so you don’t even need anything extra for attaching their clothes!!! Are you ready to enter this world of imagination with me?
Frog Felt Dolls with HeatnBond Interfacing
Beginner Friendly!
These felt dolls don’t require any special skills… they are so easy to make on your home embroidery machine, the children in your life can even help!!! You will need about 1 hour per Felt Doll and Accessory set to complete this project from start to finish!
What You Need:
Embroidery Machine
5×7 hoop or larger
Embroidery Threads
Applique and straight scissors
Stabilizer – Heat n Bond Craft Extra-firm Fusible Interfacing
Beach Frog Embroidery Files and Pattern Use the code “BEACHDAY” to download this ENTIRE set for FREE until May 31, 2021!
Frog Felt Dolls Basic Instructions:
Each Felt Doll or Felt Doll Accessory is made in one complete hooping.
You can download, print, and follow the Embroidery Step Sheet to know when to change colors and trim applique steps. Click HERE to download.
Download the Embroidery Files to use on your home embroidery machine. You will need to have at least a 5×7 hoop on your machine. The files are formatted in (DST, EXP, JEF, PES, VP3 and XXX) to work in all home embroidery machines.
Step 1: Placement Step:
Stitch out step 1 so you know where to place your felt fabric.
Step 2: Tack down Step:
Place Heat n Bond Craft Extra-firm Fusible Interfacing over the entire placement stitch. Press. Spray with Adhesive Basting spray and place the felt over the stitched area and stitch tack down step.
Step 3: Placement Step:
Stitch out step 3 so you know where to place your felt fabric.
Step 4: Tack down Step:
Spray with Adhesive Basting spray and place the accent body felt face up over the entire placement stitch. Using a coordinating thread color, stitch out the tack-down step. Next, trim closely around the outside perimeter of the applique using your applique scissors.
Step 5: Frog Feet Detail Step:
Change to an accent thread color and stitch out the frog feet details.
Step 6: Eye Detail Step:
Change to a black thread color and stitch out the eyelash details.
Step 7: Cheek Detail Step:
Change to a pink thread color and stitch out the cheek details.
Step 8: Nose and Belly Button Detail Step:
Change to a green thread color and stitch out the nose and belly button details.
Step 9: Lips Detail Step:
Change to a pink or red thread color and stitch out the lip details.
Step 10: Bikini Placement Step:
Stitch out step 10 so you know where to place your felt fabric.
Step 11: Bikini Tack down Step:
Using a coordinating thread color, stitch out the bikini tack-down step. Using applique scissors trim closely around the outside perimeter of the applique.
Step 12: Bikini Dots Detail Step:
Change to an accent thread color and stitch out the bikini dot details.
Backing Step: This is the Backing Step or Finishing Step of the Felt Doll Project.
- Remove the hoop from the embroidery machine.
- Flip the hoop over and cover the entire stitched area with Backing Felt (right side of the fabric facing out). Make sure the backing fabric is larger than the stitched area.
- Using SpraynBond Basting Adhesive to tack the fabric to the hoop or stabilizer so the backing does not shift when stitching the final steps.
- Flip the hoop right side up and reattach the hoop to the machine.
- Finish the outline steps. This is called “floating the backing.”
Final Outline Steps:
Using your coordinating body-color threads, stitch out outline steps so all three layers are stitched together.
Remove the Felt Doll from the hoop. Using your straight, sharp scissors, trim evenly around the outside perimeter at 1/8” through all the layers of the Felt Doll.
Your Felt Doll is complete!!! Repeat this process for all the Felt Dolls: Frog and Frogette Doll and Frog and Frogette Accessories. Place your Felt Dolls and Accessories in a little bag and have them in your purse or vehicle for “On the Go” fun anytime!!! This is the first in a series of Felt Doll Embroidery Patterns being released monthly! Make sure you sign up for the FREE Doll Making Newsletter at http://www.beesewinspired.com to be INSPIRED and know when the next patterns will be released!
Beach Frog Embroidery Files and Pattern Use the code “BEACHDAY” to download this ENTIRE set for FREE until May 31, 2021!
Please share your Felt Doll on social media and tag @thermoweb and @beesewinspired. I would love to share and tag you back!
Video Tutorials:
Inspired Doll Making Facebook Group
Join our FREE, private educational FB group where we offer free weekly tutorial videos on all the Bee Sew Inspired Projects. The Frog Felt Doll Tutorial using Benzie Felt and Thermoweb HeatnBond Fusible Interfacing and Basting Adhesive will be LIVE on Wednesday, May 18th. Pattern questions email to [email protected]
Hi Friends! I am so happy you are here. My name is Jennifer Long, and I am a Riley Blake Designs Fabric Designer, Quilt & Doll Pattern Writer, Machine Embroidery Digitizer, and online educator. I am also the founder of the Sew A Story Pattern Club and the Modern Rag Doll Membership.
I am married and a mom to (4) pre-teens / teens and live on a little hobby farm in rural Prairie Canada. I grew up training to be a professional ballet dancer, and later studied Early Childhood Education. I taught ballet and ran my own dance studio all the while sewing and designing costumes for myself and many of my colleagues and students.
I am passionate about all things FABRIC, imagination and design and am so blessed I can share this passion with others.
This journey has inspired me to make a positive difference by designing dolls and quilt patterns and fabric for others to be EMPOWERED to sew themselves! I have designed dolls and quilts for individuals, organizations, companies, designers, authors of children’s books, and international companies for mass production.
What I LOVE the most about creativity is finding INSPIRATION everywhere and, in turn, INSPIRING others to do the same! Thank you for joining me on this creative journey.