Course Overview

Create your own customized art doll with your sewing or embroidery machine. Most of the materials can be found at thrift stores or use your own stash of fabrics or old clothes. The class includes patterns for an intermediate-level art doll for both sewing and embroidery machines. 

Both Fairy and Gremlin Machine Embroidery designs are included.

More patterns can be purchased from www.BallyhooCreations.com

Skills taught in this art doll class:

1. Use your sewing or embroidery machine to sew the pieces of your art doll
2. Use machine embroidery design templates as a sewing pattern
3. Modify a sewing pattern to customize your doll’s size or shape
4. Work with stretch fabrics and tame them under your needle
5. Create a face with stitches or fabric markers
6. Close the seam openings with an invisible stitch
7. Create moving joints for the head, legs, and arms (button joints)
8. Cut, turn, and stuff an art doll for flawless results

This is an intermediate to advanced-level course. If you’ve never sewn a doll before, you might want to start with a beginner-level project such as my Gnome class:

Tools & Materials You’ll need:

A detailed supply list is in your class downloads so you can print it out and check off your supplies. but this gives you an idea of items you might need to shop for:

1. Embroidery machine OR sewing machine for doll seams 
2. If using an embroidery machine, the body, arms, and legs require 5×7” hoop, the head/face requires 4×4” hoop)
3. Embroidery thread (hand or machine) or fabric markers for the face (other options will be discussed)
4. Sharp scissors
5. Hemostats or another tool for turning and stuffing
6. Long doll needle
7. Strong thread for closing seams and jointing the doll
8. (optional) Fabric Glue like Fabri-tac or fabric hot glue
9. 4-5 small buttons for jointing the doll 
10. Fabrics: stretchy or woven, new or upcycled
11. Fiberfill stuffing or the stuffing from an old pillow
12. Sewing machine users will need a Tear-away stabilizer or light interfacing 
13. Embroidery machine users will need a stabilizer, both tear-away and cut-away are suggested

Who is this class for?

People who:

1. know how to sew or use an embroidery machine
2. have already made stuffed toys and want to level up
3. want to turn your original character into a 3-D art doll
4. want to learn techniques for making art dolls
5. Want to get more out of their embroidery machine
6. Enjoy the creative process
7. Love putting old things to new uses

High quality video lessons include contrasting samples so you can easily see how to recreate a jointed and poseable art doll.