How-Tuesday: Doxie Necklace

julieincharge

Story by julieincharge

Published on Nov 09, 2010 in Make

Photo by Wee Wonderfuls

What happens when you mix classic patterns from the Victoria & Albert Museum, custom printed fabric, and a puppy? Well, my friend, that concoction makes — poof! — this week’s How-Tuesday project, brought to life with the combined forces of Spoonflower, the V&A Pattern Book Series, and artist Hillary Lang.

Who? Hillary Lang is the creator of the blog Wee Wonderfuls, and her new book of the same name.

What? The second installment of the pattern series books from the V&A, London’s renowned decorative arts museum, came out this June, giving the crafting community something to be pretty excited about… Beautifully designed, accessible and informative, they are a treasure trove of ideas for designers, both professional and homespun, and also a collection of desirable gift books. Each tiny tome includes a disc of hi-res images — to be reused, redrawn or reworked as you’d like for personal use and enjoyment. Home decor buffs can create their own custom upholstery fabrics and wallpapers, while DIY fashion designers will love the opportunity to create a stunning new look with a personalized touch, like the Doxie Necklace in today’s how-to post.
 
We thought Etsy members would get a kick out of all four of the latest books (Owen Jones, Novelty Patterns, Secret Garden, and Kimono), so we teamed up with Spoonflower, the site that makes it possible for you to design, print and sell your own fabric designs, to print a small sampling of these patterns using their digital fabric printing technology. The result? Some pretty cute fabric swatches, and one amazing project from Hillary Lang. Check out other ways to print your own fabrics on Spoonflower and have a look at the V&A Pattern Series here. The newest set, Pattern Series III, arrives next spring!

    

Just like a real-life dachshund, Doxie is small in size but big on attitude (much like our beloved Etsy office dog, Dottie). Slightly puffed, tied off with a rickrack leash, and completely hand-sewn, this heartwarming accessory is just the right type of bling for the young girls in your life. Doxie can be finished in just one night, and, trust me, the handwork is very satisfying (and easier than fussing with those tiny corners on the machine). Be prepared, though — as soon as the little girls in the neighborhood see Doxie’s floppy ears and wagging tail, they’ll all be begging for one of their own.

Finished Size
Doxie is 3 1/2″ long.

Pattern Pieces
Download body (A) and ear (B) pattern pieces.

Stitches Used
Backstitch, ladder stitch, whipstitch, French knot, tacking stitch

Materials

  • 6″ x 8″ piece of cotton print for the body — For this project, we’re using a Spoonflower-printed fabric pattern from the book, V&A Patterns: Owen Jones
  • 30″ length 1/4″-wide baby rickrack
  • Matching and coordinating thread
  • Embroidery floss
  • Stuffing

Unless otherwise noted, all seam allowances are 1/4″ and built into the patterns.


Directions:


1. Sew body and ears
With right sides together, fold the 6″ x 8″ scrap of fabric in half, matching up the short sides to get a 6″ x 4″ piece. Trace the body (A), then trace the ear (B) twice on the fabric (see diagram). Hand-sew along the traced lines with a small backstitch, leaving the top edges on the ears open and also leaving a 3/4″ opening on the body’s bottom edge for turning and stuffing (see diagram). Trim the seam allowance to 1/8″ and clip the curves. Turn the ears right side out and finger-press the open top edges 1/8″ to the wrong side.

2. Stuff body
Carefully turn Doxie right side out, using a pin to help fully turn out the small parts.

3. Attach Ears to Body
Pin the ears to the body, using the diagram as a placement guide, and hand-sew the ears in place with a whip stitch.

4. Finishing
Using the diagram as a placement guide, hand-sew French-knot eyes on each side of Doxie’s head and a French-knot nose, burying the thread tails. Wrap a piece of rickrack around the neck for a collar and hand-sew it in place with a tacking stitch. Cut the remaining rickrack into two equal lengths, finger-press under 1/4″ at the end of each length, and hand-sew each folded end in place with a few tacking stitches (see diagram). Then hand-sew one folded edge of rickrack to Doxie’s collar and the other to Doxie’s rear, using the diagram as a placement guide.

Thank you to Hillary Lang and the good folks at Abrams Books & STC Craft sharing this project with us. To get your own fabric printed using V&A patterns, check out Spoonflower.

And, if you make this project, please share a photo with us in the new How-Tuesday Flickr group!

 

 Sewing Projects | More How-Tuesday Posts | Dachshunds on Etsy

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