Angelica The Advent AngelCounting down the days until Christmas will be so much fun this year when you create this gorgeous advent angel for the family. Anna Jarman of Bumble Bee Designs has added pockets to her creation that are the perfect size for chocolates and little toys, sure to delight the children. Angelica has been embellished with ricrac, buttons, ribbon, jingle bells and a wonderful rustic wire wreath to give her extra charm.
Materials
1m (1⅛yd) calico (body, base and advent pockets)
30cm (⅜yd) brown stripe print shirt (bodice). See note.
50cm (⅝yd) olive green mottled tone-on-tone print fabric (skirt)
45cm (⅝yd) beige homespun (apron, apron bib and scallop backings)
10cm (⅛yd) red check fabric (apron ties)
Scraps of assorted fabrics in check, star and speckled print fabrics (scallops and wreath ties).
Anna used a combination of white, cream, green and red fabrics.
35cm (14in) square of cotton batting (wings)
13 x 30cm (5 x 12in) polyester batting (wing lining)
DMC Perlé No 5 Cotton in Ultra Dark Coffee Brown (938)
Embroidery needle
70cm (¾yd) of 8mm (⅜in) wide brown ricrac (skirt)
1m (1⅛yd) of 7mm (¼in) wide olive green satin ribbon (bodice)
One 42mm (1¾in) white and gold speckled star button
Two 42mm (1¾in) gold star buttons
One 15mm (⅝in) green button
Two 12mm (½in) beige buttons
Metal wire wreath with a diameter of 10cm (4in)
Three 13mm (½in) gold jingle bells
Fusible numbers (advent pockets) – available from Bumble Bee Designs
3m (3⅜yd) 8 ply wool in beige and white (hair)
Assorted paints and pigment pens (face). Anna used Kaiser Colour acrylic paints in White, Raw Umber and Pale Beige.
Polyester fibre fill
Rice or doll weights
Cosmetic blush
Parisian essence (or gravy browning/kitchen bouquet) and spray bottle
Baking paper
Turning tool (optional) or safety pin
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Thick and thin cardboard and 2B pencil
Water-erasable fabric marking pen and ZIG
Millenium pens in Forest Green and Pure Brown
Machine sewing thread, including thread to match the ricrac
Sewing machine and general sewing supplies
Finished size: 70cm (27½in)
Stitches used: Back stitch, French knot, ladder stitch, running stitch
Note: Please read all instructions before commencing the project. Careful and accurate cutting and sewing is essential to ensure success with this project. The angel’s body and arms are created using the trace, sew then cut method. This means that seam allowances have not been included in the patterns for these shapes, as they are stitched directly on the traced lines. Do not cut them out until they are sewn. The patterns for the doll’s clothing and the doll’s base have 5mm (¼in) seams included. It is recommended that fabrics be 100% cotton, pre-washed and well ironed. Requirements are based on calico 90cm (36in) wide and other cotton fabric 112cm (44in) wide. The requirements for the stripe fabric for the bodice assume that the stripes are printed parallel to the selvedge. If you choose not to use a stripe fabric, then only 20cm (¼yd) is required.
Preparation and cutting
1. To make templates, you will need to print out the shapes from the Homespun web page. To ensure that your patterns are the correct size, check that ‘Page Scaling’ in the Print dialog box is set to ‘None’. You will need to print out four A4 pages for the body and join them together as marked. Similarly, you will need to print out two A4 pages for the apron and wings and join them together. (On some printers, the bottom edge of the apron may not fit on the paper – just draw that section by hand.) For the wings, you will need to print two complete shapes so that you can cut one pair out on the broken line and one pair out on the unbroken line, as indicated.
2. Once you have printed out the patterns, cut them out about !/2in outside the lines. Glue all of the shapes, except the two patterns for the wings, onto the thin cardboard as this will provide you with sturdier templates and your tracings will be more accurate. Cut the cardboard templates out accurately on the lines.
3. Lay the template for the base on the calico and use the fabric marking pen to trace it once. Cut it out on the line. Fold the remaining calico in half, and lay the templates for the body and arm on it, leaving a generous 1cm (½in) between them. Trace the body once and the arms twice.
4. Fold the brown stripe print shirt in half, right sides together, and trace two bodices on the fold. Cut them out on the lines. If you are using stripe fabric, fold the fabric with the long edges matching so that you end up with the stripes running horizontally across the bodice. If you are not using a stripe fabric, lay the fabric right side up on your work surface and fold one short edge over 10¼in. Trace the bodice on the doubled fabric and cut out. Then repeat to fold the remaining fabric in half for the second bodice. (This is the same as the method described in step 6.)
5. From the olive green mottled tone-on-tone fabric cut a rectangle 50cm x 70cm (20 x 27½in) for the skirt.
6. Lay the beige homespun on your work surface right side up. Turn one short edge over by about 9in. Place the template for the apron on the fold, and trace on to the doubled layer of fabric. Cut it out on the traced lines. See diagram 1. Repeat to trace and cut a second apron. Also trace and cut the apron bib once on doubled fabric.
Diagram 1
7. From the red check fabric, cut:
One strip, 1½in across the width of the fabric.
8. Fold the cotton batting in half. Pin the paper pattern for the large wings to it and cut it out.
Assembly
9. Sew around the body and arms on the traced lines using a small stitch, leaving openings where indicated. Cut out each shape ¼in outside the stitched line.
10. With right sides together, pin the base to the angel’s body and sew in place, easing around the curves to avoid tucks. Clip into the curves and turn the body right side out through the opening.
11. Fill the bottom of the angel with rice or doll weights to a height of about 4in. Then stuff the remainder of the angel with fibre fill. Stuff the neck very firmly so that it doesn’t flop or wrinkle. Slip stitch the opening closed.
12. Turn the arms right side out and stuff them firmly to the stuffing line. Turn the raw edges in ¼in and ladder stitch them to the shoulders where marked.
13. Use a fabric marking pen to trace Angelica’s face from the pattern on to her head. As you paint the facial features, allow each coat of paint to dry thoroughly before moving to another colour. Begin by painting the almond shaped whites of the eyes in White. Then use Raw Umber to paint the pupils. Outline the pupils with the ZIG Forest Green pen.
14. To add the upper eyelids, paint the upper line of the eye in Pale Beige. Add the lines for the eyebrows and the line around the whites of the eyes with the ZIG Pure Brown pen. Add five or six curved lashes on the top line of each eye using the same pen.
15. Trace over the lines for the nose and mouth with the ZIG Pure Brown pen, and then fill in the lips and nose. Use the tip of your finger or a cotton wool stick to dab small amounts of cosmetic blush onto the angel’s cheeks and rub gently to give a ‘rosy’ effect.
Clothing
Bodice
16. Match the two bodices, right sides together, and sew along the top of the sleeves, leaving an opening as indicated. Sew from the wrist to the underarm and down to the bottom edge on both sides of the bodice. Clip the corners under the arms and turn the bodice right side out.
17. Fold the sleeve edges under ½in and press. The neck opening is left unhemmed.
Skirt
18. Fold the rectangle cut for the skirt in half, short edges matching and finger press to crease. Unfold the fabric. Using the fabric marking pen, lightly trace the embroidery design from the pattern onto the rectangle matching the centre markings on the design with the crease. A light source such as a window, light box or glass-topped table with a desk lamp placed underneath will help to make the design more visible through the fabric.
19. Work the design using Ultra Dark Coffee Brown (938) in back stitch, adding French knots for the scattered spots. Turn under a ¾in hem along the bottom edge of the skirt rectangle. Cut a 28in length of brown ricrac this long. Turn under ¼in at each end. Pin the ricrac in place so that its bottom edge sits on the fold of the hem. Stitch in place through the centre of the ricrac using matching thread.
20. Fold the skirt in half, right sides together and short edges matching, and stitch the short edges together. Work a row of running stitch 1in from the top of the skirt. Gently pull the thread up to gather the skirt to fit the bottom edge of the bodice. Pin it to the raw edge of the bodice, right sides together.
21. Carefully turn the dress right side out and put it on the angel to check the length. If the skirt is too long, determine by how much it needs to be shortened. Remove the dress from the doll, unpin the skirt from the bodice and trim this much from the waist edge. Repeat step 20. When you are satisfied with the fit, sew the skirt to the bodice.
22. Turn the dress right side out and place it on the angel. Work a running stitch around each of the sleeves about ¾in from the hems. Pull up the stitching tight to gather them around the angel’s arms.
23. Cut two 12in lengths of olive green satin ribbon and tie one around each of the arms, referring to the photograph as a guide. Sew the white and gold star buttons in place on the hem of the skirt, referring to the photograph as a guide.
Apron
24. As you did in step 18, lightly trace the embroidery design from the pattern sheet onto one of the apron bib shapes. Work the design in the same manner as step 19.
25. Pin the two apron bib shapes right sides together and sew around the bib, leaving an opening at the bottom for turning. Turn the bib right side out and press. Put the bib to one side.
26. Lay one of the scraps you have chosen for the scallops on the beige homespun, right sides together. Trace the scallop shape on the wrong side of the fabric scrap. Sew around the scallop on the traced line, leaving the straight edge open. Cut out the scallop ¼in outside the stitched line and snip the curved edge. Turn the scallop right side out.
27. Repeat step 26 to yield 10 scallops in a variety of fabrics. Trim the length of some of the tabs so that you also have a variety of sizes.
28. With right sides together, space the scallops evenly along the bottom edge of one of the apron shapes, matching raw edges. Leave at least ⅜in between the edge of the last scallop and the edge of the apron. See diagram 2. When you are happy with the placement, baste the scallops in place ⅛in from the raw edges.
Diagram 2
29. Pin the two apron shapes right sides together, sandwiching the scallops between them, and sew around three edges, leaving the top edge open. Clip the corners, then turn the apron right side out. Press.
30. Mix together a solution of about 20ml (¾oz) of Parisian essence (or gravy browning/kitchen bouquet) with one litre (4 cups) of water until you achieve your desired colour. You can add more essence if you want a darker colour or alternatively add more water for a lighter look.
31. Place the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the remaining calico to achieve a ‘patchy’ effect. When you are happy with the colour of the fabric, hang it on the line to dry. While it is still slightly damp, iron it with a hot iron to heat set the dye into the fabric.
32. From the dyed calico, cut 25 squares, 2½in. Fray the edges of each square by about ⅛in. Lay them on the front of the apron spacing them evenly, and pin in place. Anna placed four squares in her first row, five squares in the second, third and fourth rows, and six squares in the fifth row. Sew around three sides of each square about ¼in from the raw edges, leaving the tops open to form the pockets.
30. Cut out the fusible numbers. Place a sheet of baking paper in between the iron and the fabric to prevent scorching. Fuse each number in place, keeping the iron flat on the fabric for approximately two minutes to fix the numbers securely. It is important not to remove the backing paper from the numbers until they are completely cool, which will take approximately 30 minutes. If you find that the backing doesn’t come away from the numbers easily, iron them for a little longer.
31. Work a row of running stitch close to the top edge of the apron and pull up to gather slightly. Place the apron bib in the centre of the top edge of the apron, right side facing up and with the raw edge sitting under the top of the apron by about ½in. Baste to hold in it in place.
32. Fold the 1½in strip of red check fabric in half, long edges matching and right sides together. Sew along the raw edge to form a tube. Pin a safety pin to one end and thread the pin back through the tube to turn it right side out. Press flat.
33. Trim a 7in length from the strip. Pin the short ends of this strip behind the top curved edge of the apron bib, referring to the photograph for guidance. Sew the 12mm (½in) beige buttons in place on the front of the bib, stitching through the bib and the ends of the strip to attach the strip to the bib.
34. Fold the remaining length of red check strip in half, short edges matching and crease lightly to mark the centre. Unfold. Place the strip on top of the apron skirt, with one edge matching the raw edge of the apron, and the centre crease matching the centre of the bib. Top stitch close to each edge of the strip to attach it to the apron. Place the apron on the angel, looping the bib strap over the angel’s head. Tie the red check strips into a bow at the back.
Wings
35. Cut one small wing shape from each of the thick cardboard and polyester batting. Using the hot glue gun, glue the polyester batting to the thick cardboard. Place the cardboard between the two cotton batting shapes cut for the large wings. Secure all layers with a few pins, then work a running stitch around the edge of the wings ¼in from the raw edge using Ultra Dark Coffee Brown (938). Glue the wings to the back of the angel, referring to the photograph as a guide.
Finishing
36. Cut two lengths of white wool and three lengths of beige wool all 20in long. Lay the lengths out next to each other on your work surface. Grip all of the wool lengths at the centre and place them on the top of the angel’s head. Pin them in place on the seam line.
37. Using a thread to blend with the wools, work a small stitch slightly to the left of the centre of the angel’s face through the head and around the strands of wool. Repeat to sew a few more stitches so that the wool is securely attached to the angel’s head. Remove the pins. Allow the lengths of wool to curve across the angel’s forehead. Secure them with a few stitches worked in the same manner.
38. To form the ‘buns’ on the side of the angel’s head, gather the strands of wool and twist them five or six times. Allow the twisting to double back on itself and form a loose bun. Manipulate the wool until you are happy with the fullness of the bun. Sew the bun to the angel’s head by stitching through its centre and around the outside edges in a few places. Allow the remaining length of the wool to hang from the bottom of the bun. Repeat to make a bun on the other side of the angel’s head. If you wish, use a little glue to secure the position of the buns and the fringe.
39. Tear three strips of assorted print fabrics, ¾ x 5in. Tie them in bows on the metal wreath. Slip three gold jingle bells onto the wire, pushing them down so that they stay in place.
40. Sew the wreath in place securely, underneath Angelica’s thumb, using strong thread.
40. Fill the pockets with chocolates and other goodies that the kids will love discovering as they count down the days before Christmas Day.
For more information about other delightful designs by Anna Jarman of Bumble Bee Designs, write to 30 Roebourne Avenue, Hadspen Tas 7290, phone (03) 6393 6184 or email bumblebeedesigns@gmail.com
Apron Lower Half
Apron Upper Half
Bodice
Body Section 2 of 4
Body Section 3 of 4
Body Section 4 of 4
Base
Wings
| | |
