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Cloth Doll Heads & Ears

1. Outline head
This type of head is created by cutting a shape out of a double thickness of fabric. 


Often the body and head outline are continuous. Sometimes the head and body pieces are separate and the two sides must be sewn at the neck before the front and back of the doll is sewn together around the edge leaving a gap for turning and stuffing. The face is usually shown on one side of the flat surface looking forwards.

It is also possible to create a continuous outline of the head following the profile of the forehead, mouth, nose & chin.

Shaped heads can also be made with a row of running stitches around the top, which are drawn together once the head is stuffed:
 

2. Ball head
This is simply created using a circle of fabric around which a row of gathering stitches are sewn and inside which a clump of stuffing is enclosed, when the threads are drawn up. Two rows of stitches creates a stronger seam. The stitches are then tied off, knotted securely and neatly trimmed. The ends can then be hidden at the back of the head behind the hair. 
 
  3. Darted head
This type of head produces a three dimensional shape, achieved by inserting darts / sewing across the seam at chin/neck/eye level to produce better shape and dimension. 
4. Gusseted head
This type of head produces a three dimensional shape, achieved by the addition of a gusset between the two side head pieces.
It is also possible to add a gusset to the chin area to provide a better shape to an outline head..

5. Segmented head
This type of head produces a three dimensional shape, achieved by sewing usually three or four sections together.
6. Soft sculpted head
This type of head is achieved by building up the shape using layers of filling. This is then covered by a skin of stretch fabric.
See also doll
skinning.
 
7. Seamed head
This is a clever way of manipulating the bias of the fabric in a 2D profile head, by sewing two rectangles of fabric together, refolding them right angles to the seam, applying the head template across the seam and sewing this before cutting, trimming and clipping.

Ears

1. Outline ears
This type of ear is created from a continuous outline of head and ear cut out of a double thickness of fabric. Once sewn, trimmed and turned, the ears are lightly stuffed and then topstitched just at the top and bottom.

2. Inner seamed ears
The ears are sewn, clipped and turned and lightly stuffed before being inserted at either side of the head. The head outline is then sewn with the ears in position, so that when clipped and turned, the ears will stick out nicely from the sides of the doll head.

3. Separate ears
Here the ears are made separately and hand stitched to the doll head after it has been sewn, turned and stuffed.