Raurinde, the Puppet Princess – Tutorial

I had a lot fabric left over from the Tent project as well as many other small and quiet large scraps that were already falling out of my scraps container. After thinking for a while I came up with a project which involved buying more fabric and batting, but is also incorporating many of my scraps.
Do you also tend to keep even the smallest scraps with the intention of using it for an applique someday, but when you are making that “someday applique” you cut some new fabric for it making even more scraps?

Meet Raurinde, the Puppet princess. She is a part of that bigger project that I am working on now. Tina did not like her at first and I was feeling awkward, because until now everything that I have made for her got a wow and thank you reaction. After I asked her, she said: “I do not like her because she is not finished yet. She does not have shoes”. I will make her some shoes tomorrow, but today, lets make a Raurinde together.

You will need:
larger scraps of cotton print fabric of your choice
larger scrap of jersey
some ribbon
felt wool yarn for the hair
wiggly eyes or similar -remember for smaller children, you should embroider the eyes
some polyester stuffing
some embroidery thread in red for the mouth
other coordinating threads for sewing
white sock

1. Print and trace the pattern onto your fabrics. Add seam allowance, cut and set aside
2. Take the outer shell first and iron the edges of the arms onto the inside and sew

3. Lay the two cotton fabric pieces right sides together and sew. Attach any embellishments if you like. I attached a ribbon on the bottom and some felt flowers I had on hand. Iron and set aside

4. Lay the two jersey lining pieces right sides together and sew.Notice that I stuffed the tips of the arms. Do not do that. I thought that it was a good idea, but it is uncomfortable / awkward to control the puppet this way

5. Sew the legs, stuff slightly

6. Take the cotton part turned left side facing you and the jersey part right side facing you and insert into each other.

7. Next insert and pin the legs onto the right side of the cotton and between the cotton and the jersey. Pin all around. You are pinning the right side of the cotton to the right side of the jersey. Sew.

8. Pull the jersey part through the neck opening turning the cotton part to the right side. Notice that one of my legs is longer. I pinned it wrong and it slipped out during sewing. Pin twice, sew once:) I corrected this later by opening the seam and sewing it again.

9. Stuff your sock and attach by hand to the jersey part. Put your hand inside of the puppet and work it deeper into the head before attaching. Do not pull the thread too tight as you have to be able to insert your fingers into the puppet later. I found this to be easier to do by keeping some fingers in the puppet as I was sewing. Turn the neck part of the cotton fabric onto the inside and attach with a couple of stitches. I was a bit sloppy with my stitches, so I covered them with a ribbon which I also secured to the main body with a couple of stitches.

10. Follow the instructions for finishing the head from my Sock Doll Bowling Set tutorial.
11. Do not forget to make some shoes before you give it to your thankful child.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I am working on a bigger project. Check back in on Thursday to see what it is. Until then try to figure out what do these things have to do with the “bigger project”. Let me know what you think it is.

1. A 5 minute book with no content

2. A clown applique

3.A cassette or CD player

4. And a sign