Spirit doll

12” soft sculpture doll by Nellie Bass Durand

Download and print

the doll pattern from
Scribd

Transfer the printed

pattern to wax backed
freezer paper. The cut
edges of the doll pat-
tern pieces are the
seamline.

Use a light box or the

light of a window to
position the freezer
paper pattern over the
desired area on the
wrong side of the fab-
ric. -Iron it to the fab-
ric.
-Rough cut at least a
1/2" allowance around
the pattern.

Use the light box to

position the pattern
with the ironed on fab-
ric to a "good" spot on
the right side of the
fabric. Then again rough cut the fabric at least a 1/2" from the paper edge.

-Sew the seam at the edge of the pattern with an open toe foot. Shorten the stitch
length. The seam is stitched all around the pattern piece (do not leave an opening for
turning). Trim close to the pattern with pinking shears. If you don't have pinking shears,
it is necessary to clip into the seam at the curves so they will be smooth when turned
inside out.

1
SPIRIT DOLL BY NELLIE DURAND

The sharp inwardly curved seam

between her feet needs to be
clipped.

To turn the body

inside out, draw a
2" long line in the
middle of her
back to cut an
opening.

Using tweezers is
helpful to grasp
narrows at the
ends to pull them
through the cut.

After the body is

turned right side
out draw a 5"
long line from the
toes upward to
give her two legs.
Stitch a seam
along the line be-
ing sure to se-
cure the thread
ends.

The arms are cut

and sewn with a
closed seam
around the pat-
tern. The slit for
turning is made
at the top in the
area that will be
sewn next to the
2
body.
SPIRIT DOLL BY NELLIE DURAND

The pattern for the head is laid out on the fabric and sewn in the
same manner. Leave an opening in the seam at the chin for the neck
on the body shape to fit into. Cut excess fabric in the shape of a
neck at the opening. The dotted line represents the placement of the
stuffed neck when the head is attached to the body.

Turn all the body pieces right side out. Use a fiber-fill to stuff the
arms, head, and body. The opening of the body is closed with the
ladder stitch. Take a running stitch on alternate sides of the open-
ing. A number of stitches may be made before drawing the seam
shut.
Sew the arms in position with a ladder stitch seam from the center
of the front up over the shoulder to the center of the back. This al-
lows movement of the arms for varying positions.

Tuck the excess "neck" fabric inside the open-

ing of the head.

Position the head over the stuffed neck

on the body and attach with the ladder
stitch.
Use the ladder stitch to attach the head to
the body. I stitched the backside first,
then added more stuffing to puff out the
face before stitching the front closed.
And that's how to make a spirit doll ready to be decorated.