DASH THE REINDEER

Measurement About 15cm high

Gather your supplies

• 23 x 23cm rusty brown wool felt for head, outer ears, body, outer tail and arms

• 20 x 8cm ecru wool felt for inner ears and inner tail

• 12 x 5cm leaf green wool felt for holly leaves

• 2.5 x 26cm light brown wool felt for scarf

• 2 – 1cm red pompoms

• 2 – 3mm black English glass dolls eyes

• Black embroidery thread

• 30cm (12”) white cotton twine for hanging (optional) • Gutermann upholstery thread for attaching eyes

• Long doll-making needle • Fibrefill

• Sewing machine thread to match felt • General sewing supplies

Here’s how NOTES:

• Please read all instructions before beginning.

• Cut out pattern pieces (see page 188) carefully and lay them aside. • A tiny seam allowance is included in all pattern pieces (about 3mm) • Use a good-quality felt

Head

STEP 1 Machine-stitch around head pieces leaving open where indicated at base of head. Leave dart at back of head open at this stage.

STEP 2 Positioning open dart at back of head so edges meet, machinestitch dart from edge to edge. This is the wrong side. Turn right side out, making sure to gently ease out all the curves and the point of the snout. Stuff head and snout firmly with fibrefill.

Face

STEP 1 Mark the placement for eyes with pins. Cut a long piece of upholstery thread and thread it through metal loop at the back of each glass eye. STEP 2 Thread a long doll-making needle with both ends of the thread, push needle through front of face, where pinned. Bring needle out through the fibrefill at the neck. Remove needle from thread.

STEP 3 Thread needle with only 1 length of the loose thread. Push needle up through fibrefill and out of the face right next to 1 side of glass eye. Repeat with remaining loose thread, taking it out next to other side of the eye.

STEP 4 Take the 2 lengths of thread poking out on either side of the eye and tie a triple knot, pulling it tight so knot is hidden behind back of eye.

STEP 5 Thread needle again with

1 of the thread lengths and push needle back in next to the eye and out through fibrefill in the neck. Repeat with the remaining thread.

STEP 6 Tie triple knots in the fibrefill in the neck until eye is secure. Repeat Steps 1-6 for remaining eye.

STEP 7 Using 2 strands of black thread, stitch a few backstitches to make a small triangular nose tip. To complete nose, work a 1cm straight stitch down from nose tip, passing thread through machine stitched seam and fastening off.

Body

STEP 1 Machine-stitch around body pieces, leaving open where indicated at the side.

STEP 2 Turn body right side out through side opening, making sure to gently ease out the little legs. Stuff body until firm with fibrefill, then stitch opening closed.

STEP 3 Make a little hollow in the in the head and push the top of the body inside the head opening quite firmly. Pin to hold head on tight as you stitch it to the body. Stuff a little more fibrefill as you stitch, if necessary, to keep the head firmly on the body.

Arms

STEP 1 Stitch arms right around, leaving open where indicated. Turn right side out and stuff the arms firmly in the ‘hands’ and place less stuffing in the ‘top’ of the arm. Stitch arm openings closed.

STEP 2 Pin arms to each side of body just under the head. Using 2 strands of Gutermann Upholstery Thread and a long doll-making needle, stitch right through 1 arm through the body and out the other side of the other arm; keep going through in this manner several times until the arms are firmly attached. Fasten off.

Ears

STEP 1 Cut 2 ears from ecru felt and

2 from rusty brown felt. Machine-stitch around each ear, leaving open where indicated. Turn right side out.

STEP 2 Close opening, tucking in a tiny raw edge as you stitch.

STEP 3 Bring straight edge of each ear together and stitch along this edge to hold.

STEP 4 Pin ears in place, making sure the ecru side of each ear is facing the front. Stitch the ears in place on the side of head. Tail

STEP 1 Cut 1 tail piece from ecru felt and 1 from rusty brown felt. Make the tail the same way as the ears. Pin it to the back of the body and stitch in place, making sure the tail is facing towards the back.

Holly leaves and berries

STEP 1 Cut 4 leaves from leaf green felt. Pinch end of each leaf and add a few stitches to hold.

STEP 2 Stitch the leaves together in groups of 2 and stitch ends to the back of each ear, making sure they are facing forward and standing up. STEP 3 Stitch a tiny red pompom on top of each ear, just in front of the leaves.

Scarf

STEP 1 Cut a length of light brown wool felt to measure about 2.5 x 26cm. Wrap this scarf around the neck and tie at the front.

Dash the reindeer