Make Amanda Walker’s super sweet Molly and create a brand-new friend for your little one

What you need...

• Fabric: cotton jersey, beige; Liberty Tana Lawn, Mabelle; gingham, red; muslin, white
  
• Felt, red
  
• Toy filling, polyester
  
• Thread: embroidery, blue; red; beige; machine, white; brown
  
• Embellishments: ribbon, satin red, 3mm; 25mm; trim, lace; elastic, 3mm; popper; buttons, satin, blue, 13mm
  
• Yarn, brown
  
• Cardboard
  
• Sewing machine

instructions

1. Cutting Guide - Use the templates to cut out the following with a 3mm seam allowance:
   
   Beige jersey:
   2 pairs of arms
   1 pair of back body pieces
   1 front body cut on the fold
   2 head pieces
   2 pairs of each of the leg pieces
   Red felt:
   2 x shoes
   2 x soles
   
   Liberty fabric:
   2 x back bodices
   1 pair of sleeves
   13cm x 100cm skirt
   
   White muslin:
   13cm x 100cm underskirt
   
   Red gingham:
   1 front bodice
   9cm x 21cm rectangle

2. Making The Body - 1 Divide the leg pieces into two and stitch together from the top, around the feet and back up. Add darts to the feet, turn the legs to the right side and stuff with filling. Match the back leg seams to
   the centre front ones, then sew across the tops of the legs. Divide the four arms into two and stitch around the edges.
   
   2 Clip into the thumbs, turn out and stuff, then close the openings. Next, stitch the centre back body seams together. Sew the front and back shoulders and across the top of the neck. Take the arms and position them to the side of each shoulder on the front body, then secure. Repeat with the legs, positioning them on the outer edges of the front body.
   
   3 Cross the two arms over one another. Match and sew the back body side seams to the front ones. Turn the body out through the base; the arms will fold out to the sides. Cut a strip of cardboard to the same length as from the neck to the base, then insert into the body, against the back seam and close the gap.
   
   4 Stitch the two head pieces together, leaving the top open, then turn it out and stuff. Fold in the raw edges and close the seam. Hand stitch the head to the front of the neck. The neck should extend up the back of the head. Embroider the eyes using blue thread and the mouth with red. Create a nose by pinching the jersey and stitching a small section so that it’s raised.

3. Doll Outfit - 1 Match the shoulder seams of the front and back bodices together, then repeat on the remaining front and back pieces. Stitch both bodices facing right sides together. Clip around the neck, turn out and press. Sew the sleeves into the armholes, gathering over the tops as you sew. Fold and press 3mm in on each sleeve base and fix a strip of lace to both. Place a length of elastic inside, 5mm above the hem, and sew through, stretching the elastic as you go, so it gathers. Fold the sleeves in half and stitch from the gathered cuff up and down the side seams.
   
   2 Sew a hem to the base of a patterned skirt piece. Add a lace trim to the muslin underskirt edge. Layer both, gather the top of the skirt and pull the threads to gather and match the length of the bodice base. Hem three sides of the apron piece, gather across the top and position it to the centre of the skirt. Pin and sew the skirt and bodice together. Match the back seam of the skirt pieces and stitch, leaving 2cm at the waist. Add a popper to the back neck. Dress the doll and wrap red ribbon around the middle before tying off into a bow.
   
   3 For the doll’s shoes, stitch the darts into the fronts of both and sew the back seams together, then turn to the right side. Stitch the soles to the shoes, then a red bow to each.

4. Molly's Braids - Wind brown wool around card, 35cm wide. Cut through the yarns at one end and machine stitch through the fold line on the other to make a centre parting. Repeat these steps using 8cm wide card
   for a fringe, then sew to the front before adding the main hair. Plait the yarn and trim the ends, then tie red ribbon bows to the ends and the doll’s neck. Secure each plait to the side of the head using a few hidden stitches.