Thursday, June 30, 2011

personalised doll tutorial




So, here is a really really rough tutorial showing how I made the initial Jackson doll, and now a Connor doll as well. You will need to download the pattern pieces  and then come back and follow the instructions. Imagine making the whole band - and then having a little photo shoot ? I sooooooooooooo need some more hours in my day . I use Matilda's Own Ink jet Printable fabric to print the face and any other accessories you might want. This will only work with an ink jet printer but it just runs through like a piece of paper - super easy. I have to apologise for that scary head but when you ask Mr 16 to let you take a photo of his good self for the blog...well you know its never going to end well. Arrange all the pictures you want and print on regular paper first to check out sizes etc. The printed area of Connor's head is approx 2 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches here.
You will need a piece of fabric about 10 inches square for the shirt and sleeves. Cut from the square a strip measuring 4 inches and put it aside for the arms, cut another 2 inch strip and put it aside for the collar. You should now have a piece left measuring 10 x 4 inches. Cut this into two 5x4 inch squares. These will be the shirt. Create a tiny fold in the centre of one of these squares, this will created the front false overlap for the shirt. Sew in place, close to the edgeCut out two shirt pieces (right sides together). With the right sides together, place the trouser fabric in place and sew in place according to the line on the sewing pattern. Open out and press seam. Repeat for the shirt back.
Place the shirt(and pant) sections right sides together and sew around leaving the bottom open. Stuff firmly (no really, I do mean firmly) and pin closed.
OK time for the head. On the back of your head picture, trace lightly the outline of the head. This will be your sewing line...You can fudge around the hair a bit. Place your head piece right sides together onto a piece of fabric that will become the back of the head. (Unless you are very clever and took a photo of the back of their head as well). Sew around, but make sure you leave a suitable opening at the neck. if you make this too narrow, turning will be a nightmare! Clip your seams carefully and turn the head out the right way.
Stuff the head firmly and pin it in place on the body. Poke the neck of the body up into the head. Sew this in place but don't get too stressed about neatness as the collar will cover this join.
Take your paper collar pattern piece and place in on a folded piece of fabric. Trace the collar onto the fabric and sew directly on the traced line. Cut out the collar outside your sewing lines and clip the little collar notch. Turn collar right sides out through on of the ends and press. You can top stitch the collar on the outer edge if you like. If the collar looks to large , just fold under a little bit from the top before hand sewing it in place over the head and neck join.
To make the arms, we need to sew the arm strip of shirt fabric to a strip of white fabric, along the long edge. After pressing the seam open you might like to top stitch on the shirt fabric. Now place the arm pattern piece on the fabric with the cuff line aligned to the seam. Cut four arms.
Place two of the cut out arms right sides together and sew around leaving a turning gap. Clip around the arm and turn right side out. Stuff and repeat for the other arm. Ladder stitch the turning gaps closed.
Check this out . Does it make sense? This is basically how you do a button joint. Secure your thread (under the arm is good so it wont be seen)then you just go in and out through all the pieces shown a few times.Pull your thread firmly. You will know you have it tight enough when the arms will hold a position if you move them (This is why I said to stuff firmly- we don't want to squish it all into oblivion).
The legs are two simply tubes. Sew them, turn them, and the hand sew them into place, closing the base of the body as you go. After they are in place you can stuff them.
To make the feet you simply sew two pieces of felt together using the pattern piece supplied. Clip , turn and stuff. Hand sew them to the bottom of the legs. Super easy !
In the photo you will see Connor also has some buttons - simply sew them in place. The belt is a strip of vinyl and a small buckle (I think the buckle might be a scrap booking embellishment)


I took one look at the narrow neck of that guitar and realised I would never be able to turn it through, so for the guitar I simply interfaced the guitar to be reasonably stiff and then used Steam-a- seam to adhere it to some felt.
I know this tutorial is really rough , but I figured if I showed every single step we would be here for a month. The scarf is just a bit of knit fabric chopped to length - no sewing at all. You know you could just go on and on with these guys - hats, jackets, bags, friends, pushbikes.......


ooh a plush pushbike.......

32 comments:

  1. Thanks for this Jodie - you must've posted just as I came online. I'm not sure how quickly I'll get around to attempting this, but it is so cool I can hardly stand it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ohh so funny. I see many, many birthday and Christmas gifts approaching.

    Maybe they might make good voodoo dolls too...?

    ReplyDelete
  3. you're like a mad scientist! You've gven birth to himk twice now heehee

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love that printable fabric stuff.
    Only a brain like yours could come up with a genius use for it like this!!
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. the plushbike, can't wait! Great work as always!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh Jodie, I'm sure the boys rock, but you, lady, are the rock star! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I seriously can not handle how amazing this is. It makes me wish I had a teenage boy to sew for! You are a rock star, and this is AMAZING!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful! I'd really like to make one for each of my friends, then turn them loose with some beer and a flipcam, and watch the hilarity ensue. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Squealable 16 yo! I'm mad for his cool shirt and scarf. Fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is such a cool gift..I have no idea where I'd buy that printable fabric from..or the printer to go with it, lol..hmmmm!!! Why isn't there a mini jodie though? I could show her around France..I can see her with a nice glass of wed rine and a piece of camembert watching the sun go down behind the mountains..

    ReplyDelete
  11. ..seriously, make a mini jodie and send it to me and I'll send it to another of your readers and you can travel the wooorrlld!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh I could have fun with this!! How do you think I'll go with a horse and a motorbike as props???

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh my word, that is awesome! I could make whole families!! Thanks for a fantastic tutorial Jodie :o)

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for the tutorial Jodie. I bet you have planted the seed for many a creative person with that tutorial. I suspect we'll see these cuties popping up all over blogland, but they'll all be unique!

    So, when are you moving on to making the band bus and all the groupies? lol

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you so much for this! I just absolutely HAVE to make one for my son when he turns (gulp) 18. He plays bass so like you there was NO WAY I was turning and stuffing that. I planned to take a regular photo (front and back) and laminate them with cardboard between. (Your idea is cuter.)

    Is there no end to your genius? Man I hope not.

    ReplyDelete
  16. He's great, are you making them on mass for his fan club members?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ok, so my eldest daughter (the teacher one) wanted a doll to represent her principal this week, you know, the stick pins in type!! This might just be the way to go..hehe
    Lizzie
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hysterical. I will never in a million years attempt to make one, but I LOVE seeing yours!!! Do the guys just love their doppelgangers?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Awesome! Thanks for posting the tutorial for everyone, possibly the weirdest/coolest thing I seen for a while!

    ReplyDelete
  20. If you don't have an ink jet printer you can use a photocopier and then wet the photocopy with metho and iron onto a piece of fabric. When I worked at a school we made a scarecrow out of the meanest maths teachers face this way.

    ReplyDelete
  21. so hip so imaginative as usual

    ReplyDelete
  22. Your fucking creepy lady why would you make voodoo dolls in our modern day i hope that this just comes back and bites you i bet those boys were really nice young men and you go and torture them without them knowing shame on you!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi, I've featured your site on my round up blog, Dolls: Crafting and Collecting www.allthingsdoll.blogspot.com and Twitter.

    Best Wishes,
    Robyn C.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Laughing too much , not at your fabulous doll but at anonymous !

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow, I see that Anonmo comment up there and it makes me really mad! If you are going to say something nasty gave the guts to say who you are! And I don't see anywhere in your tutorial about it being a voodoo doll. These are so great. I was thinking that my BF would think it's so funny if I made one of myself and gave it to him. I'm just wondering (maybe I missed it) but are the pattern pieces to size?
    Such a great and fun idea!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hilarious! Thanks for sharing this!
    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  27. Fabulous idea Jodie, where do you find them (your ideas that is). Gotta make one for my boys. Perhaps make one for anon too! Great tute. xo

    ReplyDelete

Hellloooooo !!!!