Gingermelon's Embroidered Animals: Heirloom animal dolls to sew, embellish and treasure

I know this book has. been out for a while, and I know there are outstanding reviews. So it's hard to add anything to all that. But I had to jump in the pool of happy buyers because it truly is a little work of art! Not only are the characters adorable, but the clothing is SO cute! There are some sorta short-cuts to sewing that at least makes it easier. (VERY important!) I've seen the techniques in Japanese doll sewing books and always wondered why U.S. designers didn't try and make their pieces easier to sew. (At the least for small dolls, although the technique is the same for larger dolls clothes.) It might use up a tad more fabric, but it cuts so much time off the sewing process and keeps you from having your sewing machine eat your fabric. So this way of sewing if worth a ton! I don't know if I'll ever get good enough to embroider the adorable faces. But that's okay. I have to focus on the clothing because really, Shelly is a genius! There's a darling piece that is a raglan sleeve design. Most people string elastic through the collar area, but Shelly created a band instead so the fabric gathers most lovely into the band. It's really pretty and much more professional. Also, the overalls. Specifically the pant leg part. SO much faster and easier. (I won't give it away.) And then a cute top that is all one piece instead of having shoulder seams then trying to pull those thick pieces through. The possibilities for creativity are endless and the frosting on top of the cake is the fact that the pieces are correct as they are. So no increasing with a copier! My only disappointment is there is not a dog included. Lots of other animals like cat, deer, bear, mouse, elephant, fox, deer, lamb, unicorn and lion. But no dog. That's kinda a big deal for us dog lovers. So I'll have to put my creative cap on and come up with a face that looks like a dog. Other than that, the book is perfect and I'm kinda sorry it took me so long to buy it! Good going, Shelly! xx

Like all of Shelly‘s patterns these are absolutely a joy to make and so unique!! Very easy to follow instructions and certainly meant for all sewing levels. If you are a beginner do not be swayed into thinking you can’t accomplish one of these dolls. She makes the pattern so easy to follow and so many pictures to show you how to construct the dolls that you will have no problem if you take your time.I recommend her other books as well “my felt doll’ is awesome as well and GINGERMELON in Etsy also has tons of patterns and everything you need to make these beautiful dolls and their clothes!!I have a binder of gingermelon patterns and have made many and they have all turned out adorable and were very enjoyable to make!

I’m just starting to teach myself to sew and got this book to make adorable animals. The first attempt was rough but that was mainly figuring things out and my own learning curve. The book itself had good directions and excellent pictures. Would definitely recommend for someone with less experience, but might not be as useful for an experienced sewer who wants more patterns or a challenge.

Whether you're a long-time Gingermelon fan or are looking to make your first doll, Shelly's instructions, photos and advice are superb! I'm an experienced doll-maker and still feel that this book is a wonderful find! I especially love how all the little outfits are interchangeable and the embroidery ideas! I embroider doll faces, but am not (yet!) good at embroidering cute designs and always admire them on other people's dolls, so the instructions for that are much appreciated! Can't wait to make a few of these for Christmas and the hardest part will be deciding which ones!!PS: If, like me, you don't want to photocopy the pages for the pattern pieces (I hate breaking the spine of the book and don't have a copier at home), she gives you a website to download them. Unfortunately, the site has changed since the book was published and just forwards to LoveCrafts! I found the updated web site to download the PDF in one of her Instagram posts - look for a post with the book pictured in the photo!

Other purchasers of this book were frustrated by its binding as it made it harder for you to get at the patterns within. I agree it does make it harder and could be replaced with a binding like a notebook so the pages could be spread easier, but it was not impossible. I was able to trace all the patterns throughout the book without breaking the binding. Maybe something that could be fixed in later volumes.

My 9 year old granddaughter and I made the bunny dolls together. It was a wonderful afternoon spent chatting and sewing. We used felt and sewed the dolls by hand. The instructions were easy to follow, and all the dolls in the book are charming and whimsical.

I have literally have zero sewing skills and even I managed to make something awesome. I can't even imagine if you have a bit of knowledge what you can do. Clear instructions. I love that you can mixed and match the clothes. I know I'm gonna get a lot of use put of this! Buy it, seriously. You'll be soooooo happy

Can’t wait to try the patterns!

Adorei. Os bichinhos são lindos e com muita explicação fácil de entender.Os moldes tem um tamanho bom. Pois vão ficar delicados . Ideal para decoração de quarto infantil.

A beautifully presented tutorial and patterns with easy to follow instructions.

Es un muy lindo libro, trae muchos patrones interesantes.Lo único que a mí gusto hace que se vea menos profesional es que los patrones parecen dibujados a mano, pero eso no les resta funcionalidad, solo son preferencias personales.Las fotografías son muy lindas y el papel es de muy buena calidad.

Tolles Buch, super Anleitungen. Sehr gut umsetzbar. Näherfahrungen sind da vom Vorteil, dann versteht sich die Anleitung wie von selbst. Mit hilfreichen Tips auf jeder Seite.

El libro es muy bonito y bien explicado, sin embargo creo que se necesita un poco de experiencia costuril.