How to Make a Topsy-Turvy Doll

Pam Kravetz embellishes her topsy-turvy doll with shrink plastic, charms and pom-poms.

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Filed under: Sewing, Polymer Clay, How To, Crafts, Materials and Supplies

Pam Kravetz

Pam Kravetz has always had an interest in the arts and took up painting and ceramics early on, although she avoided learning anything too domestic.

Materials and Tools:

fabrics: solid white, floral, food and garden patterns and fabric scraps
embroidery floss: all colors, with tons of black and flesh tones
#12 crewel needles
Nymo beading floss
beading needles
fusible fleece
pillow stuffing
pom-poms on a string
charms, beads and embellishments
black permanent marker
iron and ironing board
toaster oven
polymer clay
hole punch
scissors

Step 1

Steps:

1. To make the two skirts, cut out a floral and a food-themed piece of fabric in a half circle. Cut a half circle on the top of the circle for the waist.

Step 2

2. Trace two pieces of fusible fleece and cut to match the skirts.

Steps 3-4

3. Iron each fusible fleece half circle to each fabric half circle.

4. Whipstitch around the edges of the fleece and floral fabric with embroidery floss. Repeat with the food-themed fabric and fleece piece.

Step 5

5. Sew tiny random stitches all over each of the skirt pieces using coordinating embroidery floss. It beads down the fleece and creates a nice pattern.

Step 6

6. Sew the back seam of the each skirt together using embroidery floss. Repeat with the other skirt piece. Stitch the two skirt pieces together.

Steps 7-8

7. Cut two white and two scrap material pieces in the shape of the face and shoulders. Cut matching fleece pieces. Fuse the fleece to the each white pieces of fabric.

8. Whipstitch around the head and shoulder pieces with black embroidery floss.

Step 9

9. Sew the outline of the face in black embroidery floss. Fill in the lips and cheeks with pink embroidery floss and fill in flesh tones with flesh-colored embroidery floss.

Steps 10-11

10. Repeat with the other head and shoulder pieces.

11. Sew the front of the face/shoulders together with the scrap material piece with black floss and a whipstitch. Leave an opening in the bottom to stuff with polyester filling and fill with stuffing. Sew the rest of the head together. Leave the bottom of the piece open. Repeat with the other head/shoulder combo.

Step 12

12. Cut four bodice pieces using the beaded floral for one, a food fabric for another and two out of scrap fabric. Cut matching fleece pieces. Iron and sew around with matching floss.

Step 13

13. Whipstitch together one front and one back piece together with embroidery floss. Repeat with the other two pieces.

Step 14

14. Leave the arms and neck hole open, as well as the bottom.

Step 15

15. Sew the two bodices together end to end.

Step 16

16. Stuff the bodices with polyester filling. Insert the bodice of the corresponding skirt into the skirt opening and sew the bodice to the skirt. Flip it inside out to make sure it is secure.

Step 17

17. Sew the appropriate head/shoulder into one bodice. Repeat with the other head/shoulder and bodice piece.

Steps 18-19

18. Roll polymer clay into four arms with fingers and nail polish design and two legs with shoes. Poke holes in the clay shapes.

19. Bake the clay pieces in a toaster oven at 275-degrees for 4-5 minutes.

Steps 20-21

20. On the shrink plastic draw squares with the permanent marker. Write sayings on each square like: "I am a Domestic Goddess," "I am a Garden Goddess" etc.

21. Cut around the squares and make a hole with a hole punch and place in the toaster oven for 1-2 minutes.

Step 22

22. Sew in two arms and the set of legs on one side of the doll. Sew the other set of arms on the other side of the doll. The two sides of the doll share one pair of legs.