Rag Doll & Softie Patterns by Oh Sew Dollin

A few suggestions for making rag dolls for small children.

VERY IMPORTANT:
The first and most important step to making toy dolls for children under the age of 13 is to make sure that ALL MATERIALS used in the making of the toy dolls and softies meets the CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) compliance. Consumer Product Safety Commission recognizes that natural fibers (cotton and wool) are safe.

Suggestions:
*I recommend Kona Cotton (solid fabric) if you are making a doll for a small child instead of tea-dying muslin.
*Wash all fabric to remove factory coatings and chemicals before cutting out the doll.
*Use a cute print or striped fabric for the legs instead of painting them.
*Color can be added to the doll's cheeks by blushing them with a child's crayon or by securely sewing wool felt circles to the cheeks.
*Do not add buttons to the clothing.

Options for the eyes:
*Stitched eyes: Stitch with an old fashioned satin stitch using embroidery floss.
*Use a pen or fabric marker: Use a non-toxic fabric pen. Be very careful, most fabric pens will feather on the edges. (Check all labels for conformity to the new safety standards.)
*Safety eyes: There are tiny safety eyes too and they are very cute!. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using these. (Check all labels for conformity to the new safety standards.)
*Painted eyes: If you decide to paint the eyes add a little textile medium to regular craft paint or use fabric paint to make sure the paint will not wash out, non-toxic of course. (Check all labels for conformity to the new safety standards.)
*Whatever you choose it is a good idea to practice first on a scrap piece of fabric.

Washing Instructions:     
If you follow the suggestions above, are careful to detail and construct your doll well it should be perfectly OK to machine wash as described below.
Put the doll in a cotton pillow case and close the end securely with a rubber band or ponytail elastic. Wash in cold water on delicate/hand wash setting with a very short wash cycle. No Bleach! And ALWAYS AIR DRY. Blush on those sweet cheeks can be freshened up if need be with the crayon.