While Jonny and I made the decision not to kill ourselves trying to make our kids’ Christmas gifts this year, at the last minute I did make one wee little handmade gift for each my girls to fit in their stockings. Julia posted this sweet baby bunting tutorial a few days before Christmas, and I knew I wanted to make a couple. They were the perfect relaxed late evening project. I printed the template, and then copied it at 115% to make dolls that are just under five inches tall.
Then I thought to myself that these dollies really needed a little sleeping bag to be tucked into. And then I thought that the little sleeping bags needed to double as a way to carry the dollies. So I designed a little sleeping pouch with a tab across the top so that a ribbon can be strung through and then tied to make a little necklace.
I obsessed over the fabric, and ended up making the poor choice of a pretty, but flimsy cotton voile. A quilting weight cotton is much more appropriate, so I made a second set for the girls, although they hardly use those because they like the pink flowers on the first ones I made.
Moms everywhere know that if you can go hands free when you are carrying your baby, you can get lots accomplished, such as applying your sticker earrings,
or hiking up your pants on those days when you have chosen to wear big sister’s pajamas that are three sizes too big.
While I learned long ago not to let my kids bring any toys to Mass, I did think that maybe these little dollies would work out, and maybe keep Beatrix quietly occupied for a bit, as she is at a sort of noisy age. Of course I was wrong. I believe that both dollies ended up airborne and in strangers laps during the service. So, they stay home now.
(Oh, Hi Trudy!)
At home though, these are lots of fun and make the perfect accessory. And I am sure there are other children out there who could even handle carrying them to church without throwing them in the air, or making them slide down the pews.
So, if you would like to make these yourself, I linked to Julia’s tutorial above, and tomorrow I will post a tutorial for making the necklace dolly pouches.
Since the tutorial was an afterthought, I sewed a whole new pouch to make it, and then I thought, “why don’t I make a little dolly to go with it?”
“I could make a little matching set and give it away to one of the nice people who reads my blog.”
So, if you would like to win the pouch and dolly pictured here, just leave me a comment and I will randomly choose a winner next week. If you want a second chance to win, just mention and link to the giveaway on your blog or on Facebook, and then leave me a second comment so you will be entered twice.
p.s. the pouch is made from cotton fabric with cotton batting, and the dolly is made with wool blend felt, and stuffed with wool.