*NEW* Church Doll Sampler Roll

I have been hearing about and seeing sweet primitive versions of Church Dolls for several years now. Called Church Dolls because of their soft and simple design, perfect for quietly entertaining little ones during long church services, they are often made of cleverly folded handkerchiefs.

Many are made to look grungy and old, some are cute and fluffy. None have been particularly perfect to make as a toy for my Little Miss. So I set to work nearly two years ago, fashioning a doll and accompanying sampler roll that would be appealing to her bubbly nature, as well as my own design style.

I hope that you find my efforts equally appealing.

Although it may seem a bit intimidating for any but accomplished finishers, I assure you that with time and a little patience, anyone that has learned to use a needle… and I do mean anyone can successfully complete this project.

It didn’t take much arm twisting for me to convince Beccijo of The Enchanted Cupboard to create a tea-set-for-one in a proper size for my little doll. Styled after the Yellowware that we all love, the set is solid wood, and hand-painted. You can browse her shop here. Don’t be afraid to put in a special request for the Heartstring Samplery Tea Set for One. My Little Miss absolutely adores playing with it, and I know that your chosen recipient will too.

I thought that it would be really fun to have an alternate version of this design stitched up like a faded old sampler. Many thanks to the gifted fingers and needle of Christie Mock, my wishes were granted. Look again at the photo at the top of this post to see the "faded" sampler behind the Doll.

Stitch Count: 123 x 210

“Faded” Model stitched on Weeks Dye Works 40ct. Confederate Gray linen

Using the following flosses:

The Gentle Arts 7000 Harvest Basket,7049 Lambswool

Weeks Dye Works 1108 Honeysuckle, 1171 Dove, 1193 Guacamole

Sampler Roll Model stitched on Weeks Dye Works 35ct. Cappuccino linen.

Using the following flosses:

Weeks Dye Works 1121 Straw, 1230 Havana, 1330 Baked Apple, 

2201 Moss, 3960 Teal Frost

Recommended Additional Materials:

Assorted printed Cotton Fabrics for Lining, Pockets, and Flaps of Sampler Roll

4 feet of 1 1/2 inch Bias Trim

Felted Wool piece for a Pocket Flap

a Button

1 yard of good quality Satin Ribbon

Plain Muslin Fabric for Doll Body, Arms & Legs

Printed Cotton and desired Trims for Doll Dress

Acrylic Paints in chosen colors for Doll Hair, Boots, Face

4 lengths of Pipe Cleaner, at least 6 inches long

I made up way too much of the bias trim, so if you plan to use similar colors and want to save yourself the time, I'll make little packets of trim available in my shop, and I'll also throw in a piece of that vintage lace for embellishing the bottom pocket.

As usual, you can find the listing for this, my newest release, in my etsy shop. You can also contact me directly via email if you prefer to bypass PayPal.