Holly
18″ Tall
Barbara Willis Cloth Doll
Cloth Doll Workshop

Barbara Willis’s  Mermaid Doll Holly’s Pattern is available in the book Cloth Doll Workshop-which is an invaluable resource for Cloth Doll Makers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barbara Willis’s Holly Doll is part of a trio of dolls–the parts and faces are interchangeable–with adjustments one pattern can make many different cloth dolls.

3 Lower Body Choices- All are interchangeable.

“The basic doll pattern was built around a doll I fittingly named My Marie. My Marie is a lovely rendition of an earlier era with a wide skirt made of French toile fabric. But, if the skirt is narrowed at the hips and hem, you create a totally different look, such as a casual lounge outfit reminiscent of Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s fame, and so this doll is appropriately named Holly. A more drastic narrowing of the lower hem edge of the lower pattern piece transforms this design (with a little bit of stuffing
and a velvet tail) into Shy, a lovely mermaid.” Barbara Willis

Holly’s Color Board

“First, you’ll want to choose the main costume fabric, which will lead you to your ribbon choices, button selections, and embellishment options. So spread out all your selections, and enjoy the emotion and feeling they provide, and then get ready to play dolls!” Barbara Willis

MAKE THE TORSO, ARMS, AND LOWER LEGS
The lounge pants and arms are made from the same cotton print fabric, and the upper torso and peplum are made from the same pink silk

MAKE THE PANTS
1. Fuse the HeatnBond onto the back of the lounge pants fabric. Remove the paper backing and fuse it to the Peltex. Trace the Pants template twice on the right side of the fabric with a purple fade-away marker. Cut out the lounge pants on the line.

Holly’s Peplum
What Is a Peplum?

A peplum is a short, flared ruffle or overskirt attached to the waistline of a garment, such as a blouse, jacket, dress, or skirt. Originating from the ancient Greek word peplos, it is primarily used to accentuate the waist, add volume to the hips, and create an hourglass silhouette. Merriam Webster

2. Fold the peplum fabric with right sides together and position the Peplum template so the fold line on the template is on the fabric fold. Trace the Peplum.

3. Stitch carefully along the lines of the marked peplum. Cut the peplum
leaving a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam allowance. Clip up to the stitching in each
scallop point as shown above. (A)
4. Make a small slash through one side of the peplum just below the waist edge. Turn the peplum right-side out through the opening. Whipstitch the slash closed, and finger-press the scallops smooth.

The Face

Drawing of Holly’s Face

Poppy
Barbara Willis Pattern Available to Purchase
Optional Face Stamp
Holly is an 18″ Doll– about the same size as Barbara Willis’s Poppy Doll–which has an optional stamp to simplify the process of painting the doll’s face.

Barbara Willis Doll Patterns with Face Stamps to Help with Painting Their Faces

The Hair

 

 

 

 

11. Wrap small loops of yarn around your hand several times. Thread another piece of yarn through the loops and tie the loops together. Make several yarn bundles. Trim the loops from the untied ends. Glue the tied end of the bundles to Holly’s head to cover it completely. Trim the yarn the desired length. (E)