Web Of Angels!

When you wish upon a star you can say a little thank you to Angela!  She’s the angel whose job it is to keep the shine on all the stars that make our wishes come true!  She is 13” from halo to toe and can be suspended over a child’s bed or she can be mounted on a stand to adorn a shelf or table.  With a little adaptation she can finally resolve the age old question of what goes on top of the Christmas Tree… A star or an angel?  I’ll have the directions for the Christmas tree topper in the next issue of the Crafty Visions Newsletter.

This pattern will also make a lovely ballerina as she can be made to be En Pointe!

I have included two types of hands: one with tiny individual fingers and for those faint of heart, a simple hand with stitched fingers.

The dress Angela wears is a very simple design with a “Hanky Hem” that shows off her curvaceous legs!  There is only one piece to the pattern so I know you’ll love making it!

I hope that Angela will grace many a room and remind you that stars are for wishing on! Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Diane Lewis
Sisters and Daughters
http://www.sistersanddaughters.com

Materials List
 

• 1/2  yard of fabric for the doll body & wings
• (My version of Angela is made from muslin but she would work well in Doll Skin, Windsor Comfort, robe velour, or SpringMaid Tremode)
• (The wings can be made from any decorative fabric. They require about a 1/4 of fabric)
• Fiberfill stuffing for the body
• Doll Hair
• (I used Dizzy Frizzy Honey color Fuzzy Mohair)
• 1/4 yard Fabric for the dress
• (I used a rayon blouse fabric which has a loose, gauzy, weave and drapes nicely.)
• Decorative cording or trim for the belt on dress.
• 1/8 yard of thin quilt batting for wings
• 2 seven inch squares of Gold Lame’ or other decorative fabric for the star.
• A 2 inch gold loop for the halo
• Wire for attaching the halo

Trace patterns for body on fabric or trace the patterns onto tracing paper and sew on the tracing paper!  The paper will make sewing the curves so much easier because it will slide under the presser foot better than fabric.  These pattern pieces are small so I suggest that you sew the pieces and then cut them out.  This will enable you to work with  a larger  piece rather than trying to manipulate them after they are cut.

Sew legs and carefully trim seam allowances close to the stitch line.  Make sure you leave open the marked space so you can turn them inside out and stuff.  It is really important that you stuff the body parts firmly.  Once legs are stuffed, stitch the opening closed by hand.

Sew the doll body leaving the crotch open for turning and stuffing.  Stuff the neck firmly as it will be used to support the head.  Stitch the crotch closed once stuffing is complete.

Follow the same procedure for the arms.  If you are doing separate fingers, I suggest that you use Fray Check on the stitch line before cutting to ensure that you don’t pop the seams during turning or stuffing.  One thing I have found is that using a very high quality muslin or fabric with a high thread count will make a world of difference in how well the hands turn out.  I use Spring Maid’s Southern Belle muslin as it has a smooth finish and is 200 thread count.  Looser weave fabrics will leave you with frayed fingers and popped seams.

Once all the body parts are sewn, cut, trimmed, stuffed and hand stitched closed, you will begin to hand sew the arms and legs on the body.  You may want to make the doll posable by using a simple thread joint. ( See “Cupid” for instructions in the January/February issue of Crafty Visions Newsletter.)  I have sewn the arms and legs on using a small ladder stitch and fine thread.  To do this you simply pin the parts to the body to make sure you have the pose you want and then begin stitching them onto the torso.

The face can be done either after the head is complete or on the fabric before it is cut.  I have used  “Face Stencils?” to create this face. The template for the face can be found on the pattern page.  I used Berol Prisma Pencils and a black Micron Pen for the face.

To create the head, trace the pattern onto your fabric and sew according to the stitch lines.  Cut out the head and trim close to the stitch line. Turn inside out.  Sew the running stitch around the top of the head. This will be gathered to close the head when you are through.  Anchor the needle in the fabric and proceed to the next step.

The little neck that is sticking out of the bottom of the head is the next thing we are going to tackle.  Using a pencil with an eraser, push the neck back up into the head.  Leave the pencil in place and begin to place stuffing in the “chin.”  By leaving the pencil in the neck you can stuff the head and create a cute chin for the doll.  Once the chin and the rest of the bottom of the head is stuffed, finish stuffing the rest of the head.  Leave the pencil in place!  Once the head is complete you are going to insert the neck on the body into the head and stitch them together.  The pencil assures that you have room left in the head for the neck to slide in.

Once the head is stuffed, pull the running stitch to gather the top of head closed.  Secure with a few stitches.  When you are gathering the head closed be careful about not having gathers in the front of the face.

Now you can slide the pencil out and slide the neck into the cavity.  Stitch the head in place once you have positioned it so that she is looking in the direction you want.

The wings are created very easily by using two layers of fabric and one layer of thin quilt batting.   Either trace the wing outline onto the fabric or trace it onto a piece of tracing paper.  I strongly recommend using the paper method for the wings as the batting must either above or below the double layer of fabric.  There is no sewing machine that enjoys dragging batting through its feed dogs!  I placed the fabric down first, then the batting and then the tracing paper on top.  Stitch around the wing, leaving the opening for the turning of the wing.  Cut out the wing and trim very close to the stitch line.  Trim the point of the wing especially close so you can turn a good point on them.  Using a pair of hemostats, if you have them, reach into the wing in between the two layers of fabric and turn the wing inside out.  Finger press or iron the wing so that the seams lie flat and the wing is ready for quilting.  Trace the quilting pattern onto the wing, ( Or simply use the tracing paper method but be sure to pin the paper in place.)  Quilt the wing.  Finish the wings by hand stitching the openings closed.

The dress is wonderfully simple.  The only time consuming part is hemming all peaks of the skirt and sleeves.  After laying out the pattern and cutting out the dress, I finger pressed about an 1/8 inch around the entire hem line, sleeves and neck opening.  I used a small zig-zag stitch to finish off the edges.  Be sure to leave the two side seams raw as they will be sewn closed after you have done all the hemming.

Once all the peaks and neckline are hemmed, sew the two side seams closed.  Place the dress on the doll and hand stitch the back closed.  Take the decorative cord and wrap it around the dolls waist from the front.  Tie in the back and bring the tails up over the shoulders and criss-cross in the front.  Now take the remaining tails around to the back of the dress and secure closed with a few stitches.

Arrange the fabric of the dress so that is blouses evenly under the belt.  Make sure the tips of the sleeves fall centered on the arms.

The wings are sewn in place on the back of the doll.  They will overlap each other in the center. The wings can be positioned and anchored in place with a few stitches at the sides.

The Star is made by tracing the pattern and sewing on the stitch line.  To make the points of the star pointy, never sew to the end of the point and turn.  It makes a better point if you get to the top of the point, turn the fabric and take two stitches at the point and then turn the fabric to sew down the other side.  Once sewn, carefully trim close to the seams and turn the star inside out.  Be sure to poke out the points carefully!  Stuff the star and sew the opening closed by hand.

Position the star lovingly in her arms and secure to her hands with a few stitches.

It’s time to give Angela a coiffure!  Either sew or hot glue the hair on the doll.

The halo is a 2 inch gold loop that is held in place with a small piece of wire which is sewn in place on the back of the head.

Fishing line can be used to suspend Angela in the air.  It can be easily attached to the ceiling with the aid of a thumb tack.  To build a stand to mount the doll, make a “C” shape out of a piece of sturdy wire. ( See pattern page.)  Drill a small hole in the end of a dowel.  Dip the tail of the wire in some adhesive or hot glue and place it in the hole. A wooden craft plaque is great for the base of a doll stand.  Drill a hole in the wood base the diameter of the dowel.  The “C” will now fit around Angela’s tummy and keep her aloft.

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