Sewing Pattern
Freddie Gumdrop
Dolls
Everyone loves a gingerbread man at Christmas, but this cute little fellow doesn’t need to worry about being eaten! Designed by Amanda Walker, he’s sewn from soft brown plush, with ricrac icing and jolly red buttons, plus a smart scarf to ward off the cold. Broken down into just four simple steps, this is such a quick and easy project that you could whip up a baker’s dozen as festive gifts or even as decorations for your tree.
Essentials
- Fabric: brown plush
- Felt, red
- Ric rac trim, white
- Pom poms, white, two
- Toy eyes, 10mm, two
- Toy filling
- Embroidery thread, black and white
Download and print the templates from sewmag.co.uk. Cut out one pair of gingerbread men and one head gusset from brown plush fabric. From red felt, cut three 2cm diameter discs and a 3cm x 30cm strip; these will become the buttons and the scarf. Take one of the gingerbread men pieces for the front, and mark the eye and mouth positions.
Make a tiny hole for each eye, then pass the eye shanks through from the right side of the fabric, and push on the washers to secure in position. Cut four pieces of ricrac and stitch across the wrists and ankles. Sew the three red felt buttons down the centre of the gingerbread man’s body. Stitch the head gusset to the front head with a 3mm seam allowance, matching the centre head notches.
Place the remaining gingerbread man piece over the other, right sides facing. Pin in place and sew from one side of the back head right around the arms and legs to the opposite side of the head, leaving a 5cm gap in the back of the top head. Clip into the corners of the neck, under the arms and between the legs, then turn right side out. Stuff firmly with filling.
Turn in the raw edges at the top of the back head and gusset and hand slip-stitch the gap closed. Thread a needle with white thread and make a running stitch at the end of the scarf strip. Pull up the thread to gather the end, then sew on a white pom pom. Repeat at the opposite end of the scarf and tie around the gingerbread man’s neck. Back stitch the mouth with black embroidery thread.