by lachulonadolls

Baby Lovie Free Pattern

Even though I have a couple of free tutorials in my head, some of them ready to be posted here, I am so busy I end up not making them. So today is the day I will finally update this page with a new free tutorial. It is very simple, yet very cute. I hope you like it.

I used this pattern to make a lovie for one of my bigger babies, Miera. But I’m sure this can also be used to make a lovie for your real baby. Everything is embroidered and securely sewn to the baby. It can also double as a pacifier holder for the baby.

Now let’s start with the pattern.

Baby Lovie Free Pattern by La Chulona.

BabyLovie2Download

Materials

  1. 4″x 10″ piece of doll skin fabric (Laib Yala, DWE, or any fabric to make Waldorf dolls work well)
  2. 17″ X 8″ of fabric for the body (Cotton gauze, french terry or cotton velour work the best)
  3. Piece of 5″ x 9″ of fabric for the hat
  4. Embroidery needle
  5. Doll making needle at least 3″ long, mine is 5″
  6. Embroidery thread in colors for the eyes, nose, eyebrow
  7. Hand sewing needle and thread.
  8. Stuffing. I have used both polyfill and wool in different occasions.
  9. Airasable pen
  10. Pattern
  11. Scissors
  12. Pins
  13. Sewing Machine
  14. Thread in matching colors to sew in the machine
  15. Measuring tape
  16. Creativity

Making the doll.

This pattern does not have seam allowances because it is meant for you to sew over the marked lines. So make sure when you cut the pattern pieces, you leave enough room for the seam allowance around the marked lines. Look at the photo below for reference.

1. With right sides together mark and cut the front and back sides of the body and head pattern.. Make sure the front of the head has the grain going horizontal and the back of the head has the gran going vertical. Look at the photo above for reference.
2. With matching thread and a small straight stitch (I used a 1.5 stitch) sew on the marked line around the head and sew one more time around the outside of the previous seam. This will give you two seams. You can also just sew with a triple stitch once.
3. Turn right side out with hemostats or tube turners.

4. Stuff the head as firm as you can. I usually use wooden rods to help me push the stuffing as far as I can. I make sure there are no wrinkles on the fabric. Sew the neck close with your favorite stitch. This will go inside the body so it won’t be seen. Set aside.
5. Sew the body on the marked lines with a straight stitch. If the fabric is stretchy use a triple stitch or sew around twice. Cut off the extra fabric preferably with pinking shears, or at least clip the curves.
6. Make sure you clip the sharp corners under the arms. Be careful not to cut the seams though.
7. Turn the body piece right side out.
8. Fold in the neck of the body and insert the head. Pin in place.

9. Starting at the back of the head, hand sew the head in place with regular needle and thread and a ladder stitch. Go over it twice, the second time try to make the stitches as small as possible. Secure the thread in the back and hide the knot and thread inside the body of the doll.

10. With your measuring tape, find the center of the face, mark it with a pin. Also mark with pins the beginning and end of the eyes, the measuring tape will help you make them more symmetrical. Make a dot next to each pin that is marking the eyes. Make sure they are marked the same way on both eyes. Take all the pins off so you don’t poke your fingers.

11. With your erasable fabric marker, make a slightly curved line to connect the the eye dots. Draw some eyebrows if you wish to. You can use your measuring tape to make them symmetric as well.

12. Thread a doll making needle with 2 strands of embroidery floss for the eyes. Insert the needle at one corner of the eye and come out the back. Leave enough thread at the back to make a knot later on, and enough thread at the front to embroider the eye.

13.Change to an embroidery needle. Embroider the eye with a back stitch or stem stitch.

14. At the last stitch come out the back of the head. Try to come as close to the other thread as possible. Make three knots.

15. Hide the knot and threads by threading a needle with all the thread tails. Then insert the needle in one of the holes that the threads are coming out from. Come out another part of the doll, pull firm until the knot goes inside the fabric and cut the thread. Repeat the whole process on the other eye.

16. If you choose to make the eyebrows, thread a needle with the embroidery thread you chose for the eyebrows. Do not make a knot. Insert the needle in one side of the eyebrow and come out the other side. Make a double knot with both ends. Hide the knot the same way you did in the previous step.

17. Take the hat piece fold it in half shorther sides togeher. That will be the back of the hat. With right sides together, sew the back close. Leave both the top and bottom open for now.

18. With right sides together put the hat on the doll’s head and folding the bottom upwards find. a place you would like the hat to be. Pin in place for now.

19. Hold the top of the hat up and place a pin where the head shape ends. I took out the pins holding the hat in place because it was hard to see the pin I wanted you to see. But this should be done with all the pins in place.

20. Take hat off but don’t take the last pin out yet. With a straight stitch close the top of the hat right where you place that last stitch. It should look like a square now. Note that the back part of the hat looks longer than the front. This is how it should look.

21. Turn the hat right side out. Keep the fold to the inside. You can adjust it while putting the hat on the doll’s head. Pin in place and with hand sew to the head with your favorite stitch. I used a whip stitch.

22. Place a pin on each corner of the hat where the head ends.

23. With regular needle and thread. Start with an anchor stitch in one of the sides Try not to go all the way to the edge take a stitch of about an inch. Make sure it does not go to all the way to the other end. Go over that stitch at least three times.

24. Secure the thread with a knot where you end and hide the thread by inserting the needle as close to the knot as possible and coming out somewhere else in the head. Cut the thread close to the fabric while pulling the thread so it will hide inside the doll. Repeat on the other side.
25. Make a knot on each arm.
26. Blush the cheeks with your favorite method. I used a red beeswax crayon.
And that is it! Baby is ready for cuddles!
You can also tie a pacifier with a handle to the arm easily.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I’m more than happy to help. If you make a lovie using this pattern I would love to see it. You can post it on my Facebook page La Chulona Handmade dolls or tag me on IG  @lachulonadollspatternstudio.

You are free to use this pattern to make dolls for sale, I just ask you give me credit for any dolls made with it.

Please, don’t sell the pattern, I think it’s obvious, but hey, you never know. It’s better to make sure I write it down.

If you like this pattern, you may want to check out my pattern shop on Etsy I add new patterns evry couple of months.

You can also now join me on my Patreon channel where we talk about tips, tricks, inspiration, creativity, and more. All about doll making and baby dolls of course.

Read you soon!

Hugs,

Aubrey

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