Handkerchief Doll

By Judie Fordham

To make the doll, you will need: a man’s large white handkerchief, 1 1/4 yards (1.13 m) 1″ (2.5 cm) wide colored lace or eyelet, a ruler, a needle and thread the same color as the eyelet or lace, scissors, an embroidery needle, pink and blue embroidery thread, stuffing, and 4 pieces of narrow ribbon 10″ (25 cm) long.

1. Sew a row of lace along one edge of the handkerchief. Sew a second row slightly above the first.

2. On the opposite edge of the handkerchief, find the midpoint, then measure in 3 1/2″ (9 cm). Embroider a pink French knot (see illustration) for the doll’s nose. Make two blue French-knot eyes 1/2″ (1.25 cm) above the nose and about 1″ (2.5 cm) apart.

3. Wad up enough stuffing to make a ball 2″ (5 cm) in diameter. To make the doll’s head, place the ball of stuffing under the face you just made, gather the handkerchief tightly around it, and tie it off at the bottom with a piece of double thread. Tie a piece of ribbon into a bow over the double thread to make the neck.

4. Sew two circles of lace around the back of the head for a bonnet.

5. Make arms by rolling the handkerchief at each side of the head and tying in a knot, leaving 1″ (2.5 cm) at each end for hands.

6. Make three bows out of the ribbon and sew them, equal distances apart, above the lace on the skirt.

Doll made by Jeanette Andrews; photos by John Luke