Want to turn your in-the-hoop dolls into wired and poseable characters? Here are the tutorials and tricks you're looking for.
The process is best described in this video showing you how to make one of the cloth characters in-the-hoop on your embroidery machine.
Materials Used
- stretch knit fabrics for skin and clothing. I love the skin tone knits from A Child’s Dream
- cut-away stablizer – the no show mesh is preferred
- top & bobbin thread – dark color for facial features, other colors to blend with skin and clothing for seams
- stuffing of your choice
- Armature Wire (optional)
- thick wire for body & legs
- thin wire for arms
- needle and strong thread for closing open seams, or fabric glue
- fabric markers & embellishments (optional) I’m using Tulip fabric markers and a white paint pen in the video.
You can give your characters extra “character” by adding stuffing between the stabilizer and top fabric.
I like to give my characters some extra padding on their backside like this gal to the left. You can also add a chest or a beer belly. A bit of gluestick can help keep the stuffing in place.
Want some facial hair? Cut a triangle of fur and glue in place.
The eye color is added with Tulip fabric markers.
The easiest hair style is to use faux-fur while stitching your character in-the-hoop. But there are many other options to explore. Several are demonstrated in the doll hair series here: https://ballyhoocreations.com/2020/05/how-to-make-hair-for-your-cloth-character/
