A Long-Awaited Library Haul

For the first time in weeks, I was able to schedule a curbside appointment at the local library and pick up books. I got a stack of things I have been waiting for—some of these I've been waiting for more than a year! I'm excited, and I'm excited to share this one with you: “Handmade Animal Dolls” by Melissa Lowry learn more. These are just so incredibly cute.

What Makes This Book Special

There are many things I like about this book. It has adorable projects, lots of illustrations showing you step-by-step how things go together, and full-size templates in the back. This is becoming a make-or-break feature for me because I have so many books that either come with a CD, which is getting harder and harder to use, or—less annoyingly—tell you to enlarge the pattern by a certain percentage. If you have ink in your printer and the ability to do that, that’s fine, but some days you don’t. So, I love that this book has everything ready to go.

Adorable and Simple Patterns

The patterns are just so adorable, and they start with simpler ones. They are all fun little critters. This is Toby; he is a sea turtle. Each one has its own little backstory about which of the other dolls they are friends with. That aspect didn’t appeal to me much, but here’s Stella—she’s cute. They have needle-felted details. I believe her eyes and her spots are needle-felted.

Favorites from the Collection

This is Patrick and Benito. I love Benito. I am seriously tempted to make Benito for my daughter, who is absolutely an adult but also bird-obsessed, so I could justify that. Also, Harry—he’s a hedgehog. I might have some fake fur in my stash that I could use for him. Here is Noah the koala. I love the way Melissa Lowry blends felt and fake fur; these dolls have so much thought put into them.

Moving to More Complex Dolls

Now, we’re moving on to adding details to more complex dolls, starting with Bernadette the whale. If there’s one thing I wish the book included, it’s the finished dimensions of these animals. If you look at the templates in the back, you can figure it out, and it does give you the fabric measurements you need, but it doesn’t give the finished size of the doll.

Leo has an amazing mane, and there are detailed instructions on how to do his mane, turn it, and manage if it's difficult. Penny is a cutie. This book is like a course, giving you lots of inspiration and skills beyond the patterns.

My Must-Make Project: Bailey the Bat

Bailey the bat—I am making a bat! I don’t know what I’ll do with a bat, but I’m making a bat, and I’m trying to figure out how to give my bat a skirt. Emily the reindeer would be a fun addition to your Christmas decorations. For Charlotte, there are tips on how to do the eyes of cats so they don’t look angry. A lot of thought has gone into this book.

The Larger Friends

Then we get to the larger friends, and these are the ones that just capture my imagination. Here’s Oliver, he’s a raccoon, and he has the most amazing little satchel with beautiful topstitching. I’m going to keep saying it: it’s the details that make this such an awesome book. Madeline, Rupert Rabbit—I love the photography. Sasha, she’s a ballerina sloth, and the photography just makes you want to stitch these for your little ones.

None of mine are little anymore, but I can totally make dolls for myself and my sewing room. Olivia the owl—again, she’s made with fake fur to evoke feathers, and she’s just adorable. Nigel has the most amazing mane you’ve ever seen on a stuffed unicorn. To be fair, I haven’t seen many stuffed unicorns, but still.

Templates and Practical Details

Then we get to the templates in the back. The dolls with longer legs have button-jointed arms to make them more poseable, and there’s a whole section on how to do that. If you want to sew animals with clothes, take a look at this book because there’s a lot of inspiration here.

Like I said, I’m going to sew a bat. I don’t know when or out of what, but I’m going to sew a bat. Let me know, have you sewn stuffed animals before? It’s been a long time since I did, but I’ve done it in the past and enjoyed it. These definitely motivate me to want to do it again.

Final Thoughts

*Handmade Animal Dolls* is a newer book, published in 2019, so it should still be easily available. I borrowed this one from the library, but I could see adding it to my sewing room bookshelf.

We have listed many high-quality handmade dolls on our website, hoping to pass on the feeling of hugging a handmade doll.

Thanks for watching. I will be back with more videos soon, and more books I got from the library plus some of my own.

Delve into the Enchanting World of Handmade Dolls

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