Towel Doll

Finished doll is 14" tall.

Materials: Three dish towels; 3-inch-diameter foam ball; 2/3 yard of ribbon (neck); 1/3 yard of ribbon (shoes); 1/2 yard of gathered eyelet; Black and white felt and yarn scraps; Carpet thread: large needle; Stiff cardboard: glue; Small basket; Small artificial flowers.

Instruction: To make the legs, roll one towel into a 4-inch-circumference tube; blindstitch overlap.

Thread needle with a doubled length of white yarn; knot ends and loop yarn over the center of the leg tubing, folding into two legs. Push needle and yarn up through the center of the foam ball (head), then through a small white felt circle; pull legs up under the ball. Double-knot the ends on the top of the felt circle to prevent yarn from pulling through the ball.

Center and gather the second towel over the foam ball, smoothing out the folds as much as possible. Tie with yarn beneath the head, making the neck.

For the hood and arms, roll the third towel into a tube as for the legs. Place the tube over the head, allowing the ends to hang down over each side to form arms. Tie carpet thread around the tube at neck. Sew eyelet around the top edge of hood. Tie a ribbon bow around the neck.

Foot: Cut 1 from cardboard and cut 4 from felt

Full size pattern

For hands, cut remaining eyelet into two equal parts. Roll each piece into a 1/2-inch-wide tube and stitch across top: insert and glue into bottom of arm tube.

Glue black yarn around face for hair. Transfer features, above, to face. Sew eyelashes and make two dots for the nose using one strand of black thread; sew mouth with double thread. Glue on tiny black felt circles for eyes.

Trace foot pattern, above, and cut from felt and cardboard; glue felt to both sides of cardboard. Glue bottom of leg to back edge of each foot. Attach the basket of flowers to the end of one arm.