pirate doll

When Sarah Jane asked me to make something with her nautical fabric, I knew just what I was going to make, a Pirate Doll.  Her fabric is perfect for a swash buckling friend.  The fabrics I used were the navy stripe from  Ahoy There,  the grey anchor fabric from Morning Coral, and the navy anchor fabric from Deep Sea Jewel.

I first made this Pirate Doll for my son Henrik’s fourth Birthday a year ago.  Henrik loves anything to do with swords, skeletons and buried treasure.  If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up he will tell you “a Pirate” (let’s hope not).  I decided to make him a fellow Pirate friend who could search for treasure along with him.  Of course the Pirate had to have a peg leg, a hook, a missing eye, an anchor tattoo and a hairy chest.  I drew a few sketches of what I wanted him to look like and then drew the templates for the doll.  This is a sewing project that is more involved and does take more time, but definitely worth it.  Henrik was so excited when he received his Pirate Doll and and still loves to play with him a year later.

If you would like to make a Pirate Doll here’s what you’ll need:

* polyester batting

* a small square (approximately 18″x18″) of black felt

* a small square (approximately 12″x12″) of brown felt

* 1/4 of a yard of cotton peach, or brown colored flannel for the body and arms

* a small remnant of silver pleather for the hook and buckles

* a fat quarter of stripe fabric for the top (I used Sarah Jane’s navy stripe)

* a fat quarter of fabric or colored felt for the pants (I used Sarah Jane’s grey anchor)

* a small remnant of colored felt for the belt (I used a really pretty orange/red felt that I thrifted)

* a small remnant of a contrasting fabric for the pocket (I used Sarah Jane’s navy anchor)

* small pieces of white, red and pink felt for the Jolly Roger, eye, cheeks, and mouth

* a small piece of red polka dot or red gingham for the nose

* a small piece of wool-like fabric for the hair and mustache

* a small brown or colored button (I like to use the same color as the child’s eye)

1.  Using my template cut out all the pieces, lay them down flat and piece them together.

2.  Sew on the pocket, shirt, and Jolly Roger.

3.  Cut a piece of the cotton flannel for the back of the head.  Sew the hat, hair, and shirt onto the head.

4.  Cut a piece of the cotton flannel the same width of the shirt for the face.  Sew the hat and shirt onto the face.  With the zig zag stitch (keep the stitches very close together) sew on the white part of the eye.  Sew the x for the missing eye.  Hand stitch the button onto the eye.

5.  Sew the buckle onto the belt and the boot.  Sew the belt onto the front and back of the doll, in-between the shirt and shorts.  Attach the boot and peg leg to the pants on the front and back.  Make sure they line up properly.

6.  Sew on the cheeks, nose, mustache, and the eye patch (sew only the top part of the eye patch so that you can lift it and see the missing eye).  With brown thread (or whatever color you use for the hair) hand sew the chest hair.

7.  With the wrong sides together sew the hook and stuff it using a chop stick.  Sew the stump onto the cotton flannel hand, leaving a 1′ space for the hook.  Hand stitch a black anchor on the forearm.  Sew the arms and sleeves right sides together.

8.  Turn the arms right side out and stuff the batting in tightly (you might want to use the end of a wooden spoon to pack it down).  Hand stitch the hook into the black stump.

9.  Pin the two sides right side together and sew leaving openings for the arms and the top of the hat.  Turn inside out.

10.  Stuff the pirate doll.  Hand stitch the hat closed.  Hand stitch the arms into the openings of the body and you’re done!

Henrik had so much fun with the Pirate Doll, playing piggy back, throwing him in the air and telling him Pirate secrets.

You can download the Pirate Doll template here.