How To Make Flannel Dolls

1. Prepare tools and materials:

- Flannel/felt fabric

- Sewing thread

- Needle

- Paper

- Scissor

- Glue

- Cotton

- Pen

- Pencil, Eraser (not necessary)

2. Draw your idea!

This step is not necessary but it helps you to imagine how do you want your doll is gonna look like. It keeps you in the way and keeps your goal straight. You may draw as many ideas as they keep popping up in your mind!

3. Make the template

After you decide what you are going to make, draw the template form in a paper. Then cut it using scissor.

4. Print the template in the fabric

Take the fabric with the color that you want. Draw line around your template in the fabric using pen or other dark marker to make the line clearly seen. Then cut it using scissor.

Make it two.

5. Prepare the sewing equipment

Choose the color of the thread you want to use. Make sure the size of the needle fits the thread and the fabric. If it is too small, it will be difficult to insert the thread into the needle hole. If it is too big, it may create a big hole in the fabric, and it's not pretty. And don't forget to tie up the end of the thread.

6. Details by sewing

If you want to make details or ornaments or decorations on your doll by sewing, do it before you "really" start making your doll. It will be very difficult to sew the fabric after the doll is finished.

7. MAKING THE DOLL! Blanket Stitch

Read my previous post to learn how to do blanket stitch. Stitch both sides of your fabric and then leave a few inches to fill your doll with cotton.

8. Prepare the cotton filling

Take a layer of a facial cotton and the tear it up. Tear it several times until it feels smooth, soft, and pillowy. Do it again to another pieces of cotton layer.

9. Fill the doll

Take the torn cotton bit by bit. If it is difficult to fill small parts of the doll (like for this case, the cat ears), you can use pencil or pen or another blunt-end stick to help you push it in. Fill in the cotton as much as possible, only until it feels soft and full enough. If you fill it with too much cotton, your doll will feel rigid and not pillowy. Leave it when it is about 90% full.

10. Done the stitching, done the doll!

You have to leave an enough space in the doll for you to continue stitching the edge of the fabric. After you stitch the whole side of the fabric, tie the thread up tidily, and cut the rest of the thread using scissor. TA-DA! Now you have a puffy doll!

Wait. We haven't done it yet..

11. Finishing

Now you may add any details and decorations on your doll using another flannel/felt fabric. Choose the color you want to use, cut the shape, and glue it to your doll.

DONE!

Isn't that cuteeee? And it does look like my drawn idea in the first place.

You can make it merely as a doll, or maybe key chain, decoration on your bag and stuffs, just be creative with it! :)

Blanket Stitch

This is the most common type of stitches in making felt/flannel crafts.

Step 8-10 is similar to step 11-12. Step 11-12 is the quicker way.

I draw it by myself. Feel free to ask me if you don't understand! :)

Unique and Inspiring

caution: ALL MADE BY FLANNEL :)

Most Common and Simplest Flannel Dolls

Wet Felting

Felting is the process of transforming wool into a dense cloth by bonding and shrinking the fibers together, and turn it into felt-like fabric. Technically, there are three types of felting: wet felting, needle felting, and commercial felting.

Commercial felting is the proccess used to create sheets of felt sold at craft and fabric stores. Needle felting is accomplished by using special needles to help create and embellish fabric. Wet felting is what this post about. With wet felting, you can create a soft, dense cloth using wool. The process uses heat, agitation, and moisture to shrink and bond the fibers of the wool together.

WET FELTING

Step 1:

CHOOSE THE YARN

If the yarn package is not labeled as 'feltable', look for yarns that 100% wool or other animal fibers.

Step 2:

CHOOSE THE FELTING PATTERN

You can either knit or crochet it.

Step 3:

PREPARING FOR FELTING

You can use hand for this step because we only need hot water and agitation for your item to felt properly, but the process will be quicker, easier, and safer if we use a washing machine. It may not be recommended in some sources to use soap, but it could make the felting process goes faster. Some sources may recommend to use baking soda because it can be used to 'improve felting', especially in hard water, but it may hurt the users.

Step 4:

START THE FELTING PROCESS

Put your project in hot water in the washing machine. You can put it as it is or in a pillow case or a mesh bag. You can also put some jeans in the wash because it may speed up the agitation process. Don't put in a towel! You could end up with a mess of lint on your project. Set the washing time for about 10 minutes. Check every 5-10 minutes. If you think you need to felt it more, just put it back again in the wash. Don't let it to drain yet. Once you determine it is done, simply let the washing machine finish running it through the rinse and spin cycles.

Step 5:

DRY YOUR PROJECT

Lay your project down flat on top of the towel. Make sure it is away from bright sunlight and any direct heat, and DO NOT put it in the dryer. While your piece is wet, you will want to take some time to stretch and manipulate it into shape. Make sure your item does get as much air circulating around it as possible, turning it over occasionally might help speed the process. Don't be surprised, however, if your project takes a couple days to dry.

Step 6:

FINISHING YOUR PROJECT

Use sharp scissors to trim off any pilling or longer fibers that were caused by the felting process. Add some decorations and accessories to make it look prettier!

Editted from http://familycrafts.about.com/od/feltingneedlefelting/ss/howtofelt.htm

History of Felt

The word "felt" comes from Latin and originally it meant "to beat."

The history of felt pre-dates Christ and many legends and anecdotes remain.

Two legends about the origin of felt are famous.

One

Long ago, before footwear existed, a monk walked barefoot through the desert, leading a camel. The sand became so hot, however, that he could no longer walk. Not knowing what to do, he suddenly tore off clumps of the camel's hair and wrapped them around his feet. Finally sunset came and the heat subsided. Removing the clumps of camel hair, he noticed that the camel hair on the soles of his feet had become flat and solid. His sweat had added moisture, the sand had added heat, and the action of walking on the camel hair had entangled it, turning it into flat sheets of felt.

Two

There is even a story about the origin of felt associated with the legend of Noah's Ark. Noah, having foreseen the great flood, built an ark. He covered the floor with sheep's wool and loaded it with his family, their household belongings, and livestock for food. However, the weather suddenly turned bad and rainwater came pouring in. Inside were many people and animals moving about; the heat produced from this was almost overwhelming. The water and heat combined with repeated trampling on the wool made become a flat sheet of felt.

Felt seems to have made its appearance in Japan during the Nara period (710 - 794). The earliest record of its presence is the presentation of a felt carpet from China to Shosoin (an ancient imperial treasure storage building located in Nara, Japan). Also, during the Russo-Japanese War (1904 - 5), felt saddle blankets were included on a list of spoils of war, showing its importance in tactical warfare. Even today it is a very important material for the military.

copied from http://www.yoneshima.co.jp/en/rekisi.html

I'll add more stories about the origin of felt as soon as I find another interesting one.

Getting Know About Flannel

..Or about felt.

Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing woolen fibers with a mixture of glue, steam and pressure that mats fibers together. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any color, and made into any shape or size.

Felt is one of the oldest types of fabric in the world. Archaeologists have found several artifacts preserved in land in Siberia dated to around 600 AD. It is believed that nomadic horsemen made clothing, saddles, and shelters from felt because it was strong and helped resist wet and snowy weather.

Many cultures have legends as to the origins of feltmaking. Sumerian legend claims that the secret of feltmaking was discovered by Urnamman of Lagash. The story of Saint Clement and Saint Christopher relates that while fleeing from persecution, the men packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters. At the end of their journey, the movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks (cool!).

Feltmaking is still practised by nomadic people in Central Asia and northern parts of East Asia, where rugs, tents and clothing are regularly made. Some of these are traditional items, such as the classic yurt, while others are designed for the tourist market, such as decorated slippers. In the Western world, felt is widely used as a medium for expression in textile art as well as design, where it has significance as an ecological textile.

Felt has many uses. It can be found everywhere from the automotive industry to craft projects to musical instruments and even in home construction. In the automotive industry, for example, it quiets the vibrations between interior panels and also prevents dirt from entering into small areas. Felt can be cut into any shape and sewn together to create stuffed animals and other objects. Punch holes in the felt, and children can learn to sew the pieces together with a large craft needle. Felt can be found on professional or tournament billiards tables to cover the slate surface. Felt is also used to make hats, like the popular fedoras. Many musical instruments use felt, such as drum cymbal stands, bass drum and timpani mallets and piano hammers. Felt is used extensively in pianos; for example, piano hammers are made of wool felt around a wooden core. The density and springiness of the felt is a major part of what creates a piano's tone. In Ireland, the use of the term felt very commonly refers to a material that does not have a rubberised/synthetic feel.

FELT IS AWESOME~! :D

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felt and http://www.ehow.com/about_5069990_felt-fabric.html