Little Swiss Girl

I made this doll as a belated birthday present for a very sweet little girl in my neighborhood. I put a lot of work into it, and although it isn't perfect, I'm proud of this first attempt. The pattern came from Stitched in Time, the book from the lovely writer of Posie Gets Cozy.

I, of course, made things a bit harder for myself and altered the pattern from the directions. Instead of gathering the ends of the arms and legs with a whip stitch, I sewed them closed on the machine, to make them more sturdy for a small girl. The effect is not as smooth-- the feet and hands are a bit square-- so perhaps I should have rounded the ends as I sewed.

The pattern also called for the skirt to be gathered and sewn to the doll, with the ribbon added simply as decoration. I made the skirt interchangeable by making a casing for the drawstring and bringing the ribbon through two buttonholes in the front.

I also felt that the pattern directions were not as clear when it came to adding the hair, but I did my best. In retrospect, I should have almost overstuffed the head, or added the hair before I had sewn on the legs, so I could have added more filling.

However, the expression on the little girl's face when she saw her doll was enough to erase any fears about its appearance.