Knitting Tutorial: Fawn Woodland School Day Cardigan Doll – Free Knitting Pattern

This sweet woodland school day fawn doll is knitted with a rounded deer head, cream muzzle shaping, rust-brown forehead markings, large ears, buttoned cardigan, striped sleeves, long legs, little Mary Jane shoes, a soft ribbed beanie with pom-pom, and a small sage-green backpack. The finished doll has a cozy handmade look with gentle shaping, visible knit texture, and carefully sewn facial details.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Pattern Overview

This pattern is written in US English knitting terms. The doll is worked in separate knitted pieces, then stuffed and seamed. The main body is cream, the deer face has a rust-brown forehead panel, the cardigan is knitted separately and sewn around the body, and the school accessories are made as removable-look pieces.

The sample is designed to match the image closely: a rounded oversized fawn head, slim cream legs, a slightly flared cardigan, brown shoes with straps, a beige pom-pom hat, and a textured green backpack. Use firm stuffing and small needles so the fabric stays smooth and the shaping holds well.

Finished Size

• Doll height: about 13 inches from top of head to soles of shoes, not including ears.
• Head width: about 4.5 inches across after stuffing.
• Body length: about 5 inches from neck to lower cardigan hem.
• Leg length: about 3.5 inches from body to shoe sole.
• Hat: about 3.75 inches wide when laid flat.
• Backpack: about 2.5 inches tall and 2 inches wide.

Skill Level

Confident beginner to intermediate. You should know how to knit, purl, increase, decrease, work simple ribbing, seam small pieces, pick up stitches, and embroider simple details. The cardigan uses easy shaping and decorative cable-style pocket panels, but the instructions are written row by row.

Gauge

• Doll fabric: 24 stitches and 34 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with sport weight yarn and US 3 needles.
• Accessory fabric: 26 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch with US 2 needles.
• Important: The exact finished shape depends on firm fabric. If your fabric is loose, go down one needle size.

Materials

• Sport weight yarn in warm cream for head, muzzle, body, legs, and cardigan base.
• Sport weight yarn in rust brown for forehead patch, outer ears, shoes, and hooves.
• Sport weight yarn in dark brown for hands and lower shoe contrast.
• Sport weight yarn in black for eyes, nose, and mouth embroidery.
• Sport weight yarn in sage green for cardigan stripes and backpack.
• Sport weight yarn in oatmeal beige for hat, hat trim, and edging.
• Small amounts of pale pink, soft yellow, and muted green for the tiny flower near the ear.
• US 3 double-pointed needles or circular needles for small circumference knitting.
• US 2 needles for accessories and tighter details.
• Fiberfill stuffing.
• Five tiny wooden buttons, about 3/8 inch wide, for the cardigan front.
• One tiny button for the backpack flap.
• Two tiny buckle beads or square embroidery details for the shoe straps.
• Tapestry needle.
• Stitch markers.
• Removable stitch holders or scrap yarn.

Abbreviations

• CO: cast on.
• BO: bind off.
• K: knit.
• P: purl.
• Sts: stitches.
• RS: right side.
• WS: wrong side.
• K2tog: knit 2 stitches together.
• SSK: slip, slip, knit slipped stitches together.
• P2tog: purl 2 stitches together.
• M1R: make 1 right-leaning stitch.
• M1L: make 1 left-leaning stitch.
• St st: stockinette stitch, knit on RS and purl on WS when worked flat.
• Garter stitch: knit every row when worked flat.
• Seed stitch: alternate K1, P1, then work opposite stitches on the next row.

General Notes Before You Start

• Work all doll pieces with small needles to create a dense fabric that hides stuffing.
• Leave long yarn tails on all small pieces. These tails are used for sewing and shaping.
• Stuff the head firmly, but do not overstuff the muzzle area. A smooth rounded head is important for the fawn look.
• The cardigan is knitted flat and sewn around the doll after the body is finished.
• The face markings are created by color placement and embroidery. Keep the rust-brown forehead panel centered.
• When sewing ears, angle them outward slightly so the doll keeps the alert woodland expression shown in the image.

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Main Fawn Head

The head is worked from the lower neck upward. It forms a rounded ball with a cream face and a rust-brown forehead patch. Use cream for the lower head and sides, then introduce rust brown for the centered forehead area.

Head Base

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 12 sts. Divide onto double-pointed needles and join to work in the round.
2. Round 1: K all sts.
3. Round 2: K1, M1L around. You will have 24 sts.
4. Round 3: K all sts.
5. Round 4: K2, M1L around. You will have 36 sts.
6. Round 5: K all sts.
7. Round 6: K3, M1L around. You will have 48 sts.
8. Round 7: K all sts.
9. Round 8: K4, M1L around. You will have 60 sts.
10. Rounds 9 to 16: K all sts in cream.

Rust Forehead Color Panel

The rust panel is a rounded triangular shape centered on the upper front of the head. For this small doll, use stranded knitting if comfortable. If you prefer easier knitting, knit the head in cream and duplicate stitch the rust panel afterward using the same stitch counts.

1. Round 17: K24 cream, K12 rust, K24 cream.
2. Round 18: K23 cream, K14 rust, K23 cream.
3. Round 19: K22 cream, K16 rust, K22 cream.
4. Round 20: K21 cream, K18 rust, K21 cream.
5. Round 21: K20 cream, K20 rust, K20 cream.
6. Round 22: K19 cream, K22 rust, K19 cream.
7. Round 23: K18 cream, K24 rust, K18 cream.
8. Round 24: K18 cream, K24 rust, K18 cream.
9. Round 25: K19 cream, K22 rust, K19 cream.
10. Round 26: K20 cream, K20 rust, K20 cream.
11. Round 27: K21 cream, K18 rust, K21 cream.
12. Round 28: K22 cream, K16 rust, K22 cream.
13. Round 29: K23 cream, K14 rust, K23 cream.
14. Round 30: K24 cream, K12 rust, K24 cream.

Shape Top of Head

1. Round 31: K3, K2tog around. You will have 48 sts.
2. Round 32: K all sts, maintaining the rust panel if it appears on your needles.
3. Round 33: K2, K2tog around. You will have 36 sts.
4. Begin stuffing the head. Shape the front so the rust panel stays centered.
5. Round 34: K all sts.
6. Round 35: K1, K2tog around. You will have 24 sts.
7. Round 36: K all sts.
8. Round 37: K2tog around. You will have 12 sts.
9. Round 38: K2tog around. You will have 6 sts.
10. Cut yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull tight, and secure inside the head.

Muzzle Shaping

The muzzle is a small cream oval sewn onto the lower center of the face. It gives the fawn the soft rounded nose area visible in the image.

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 8 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, M1L, K6, M1R, K1. You will have 10 sts.
5. Row 4: P all sts.
6. Row 5: K1, M1L, K8, M1R, K1. You will have 12 sts.
7. Rows 6 to 10: Work in St st.
8. Row 11: K1, SSK, K6, K2tog, K1. You will have 10 sts.
9. Row 12: P all sts.
10. Row 13: K1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K1. You will have 8 sts.
11. Row 14: P all sts.
12. BO loosely, leaving a long tail.

Place the muzzle on the lower front of the head, centered beneath the rust panel. Sew around the edge, adding a small amount of stuffing before closing. The top of the muzzle should sit just below the eye line, and the bottom should curve toward the neck.

Eyes, Nose, and Mouth

• Eyes: With black yarn, make two oval embroidered eyes over 5 stitches wide and 7 rows tall. Place each eye about 8 stitches from the center of the muzzle and about 4 rows above the nose line.
• Nose: With black yarn, embroider a rounded horizontal oval across the center of the muzzle. Cover an area about 6 stitches wide and 4 rows tall.
• Mouth: Bring black yarn down from the center bottom of the nose for 4 rows. Make one tiny vertical stitch only, as shown in the image.
• Eye shine: Optional. Add one tiny cream stitch on the upper outer edge of each black eye if you want extra brightness.

Fawn Ears

Each ear is made from one rust-brown outer ear and one cream inner ear. The pieces are sewn together, then pinched at the base before attaching to the head.

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Outer Ear, Make 2

1. With rust-brown yarn and US 3 needles, CO 7 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, M1L, K5, M1R, K1. You will have 9 sts.
5. Row 4: P all sts.
6. Row 5: K1, M1L, K7, M1R, K1. You will have 11 sts.
7. Rows 6 to 10: Work in St st.
8. Row 11: K1, SSK, K5, K2tog, K1. You will have 9 sts.
9. Row 12: P all sts.
10. Row 13: K1, SSK, K3, K2tog, K1. You will have 7 sts.
11. Row 14: P all sts.
12. Row 15: K1, SSK, K1, K2tog, K1. You will have 5 sts.
13. Row 16: P all sts.
14. Row 17: SSK, K1, K2tog. You will have 3 sts.
15. Row 18: P3tog. You will have 1 st.
16. Fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Inner Ear, Make 2

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 5 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K1, M1L, K3, M1R, K1. You will have 7 sts.
5. Rows 4 to 8: Work in St st.
6. Row 9: K1, SSK, K1, K2tog, K1. You will have 5 sts.
7. Row 10: P all sts.
8. Row 11: SSK, K1, K2tog. You will have 3 sts.
9. Row 12: P3tog. You will have 1 st.
10. Fasten off, leaving a tail.

Sew one cream inner ear onto each rust outer ear, keeping the cream piece centered and slightly lower than the pointed tip. Fold the lower edge of each finished ear into a shallow cup and stitch through the base to hold the shape.

Attach ears to the head between Rounds 24 and 29, about 17 stitches apart across the top front. Angle the ears outward at about 35 degrees. The rust side faces outward, and the cream inner ear faces forward.

Body

The body is a simple stuffed cream torso. It is mostly hidden by the cardigan, but the shape matters. Make the shoulders narrow and the lower body slightly rounded so the cardigan hangs with a gentle flare.

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 18 sts. Join to work in the round.
2. Round 1: K all sts.
3. Round 2: K2, M1L around. You will have 27 sts.
4. Round 3: K all sts.
5. Round 4: K3, M1L around. You will have 36 sts.
6. Rounds 5 to 16: K all sts.
7. Round 17: K4, K2tog around. You will have 30 sts.
8. Rounds 18 to 22: K all sts.
9. Round 23: K3, K2tog around. You will have 24 sts.
10. Stuff the body firmly, shaping the bottom flat enough for the legs to sit evenly.
11. Round 24: K2, K2tog around. You will have 18 sts.
12. Round 25: K1, K2tog around. You will have 12 sts.
13. Cut yarn and thread through remaining sts. Pull tight and secure.

Sew the body to the bottom of the head. The neck should sit centered beneath the muzzle. Stitch around twice for strength because the head is larger than the body.

Arms

The arms are cream sleeves with dark brown hands showing below the cardigan cuffs. They should be slim and softly rounded.

Arm, Make 2

1. With dark brown yarn and US 3 needles, CO 8 sts. Join to work in the round.
2. Rounds 1 to 5: K all sts.
3. Change to cream yarn.
4. Round 6: K all sts.
5. Round 7: K2, M1L around. You will have 12 sts.
6. Rounds 8 to 24: K all sts.
7. Round 25: K2tog around. You will have 6 sts.
8. Cut yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull tight, and secure.

Stuff the hand lightly and the sleeve very lightly. Flatten the top edge and sew each arm to the upper sides of the body, angled downward. The hands should peek below the cardigan sleeves, just like the image.

Legs

The legs are long, straight, and cream-colored. The shoes are knitted separately and attached around the feet, creating the Mary Jane shape.

Leg, Make 2

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 12 sts. Join to work in the round.
2. Rounds 1 to 24: K all sts.
3. Round 25: K2, M1L around. You will have 18 sts.
4. Rounds 26 to 31: K all sts to form the foot.
5. Round 32: K1, K2tog around. You will have 12 sts.
6. Stuff the leg firmly, keeping it long and straight.
7. Round 33: K2tog around. You will have 6 sts.
8. Cut yarn, thread through sts, pull tight, and secure.

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Sew the legs to the lower body with about 4 stitches between them. The feet should point forward and sit parallel. Take several small stitches at the hip line so the legs hang straight beneath the cardigan.

Brown Mary Jane Shoes

The shoes have cream toes, rust-brown edging, a darker lower sole, and a narrow strap with a tiny buckle detail. Each shoe is built around the knitted foot.

Shoe Sole, Make 2

1. With dark brown yarn and US 3 needles, CO 8 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: K1, M1L, K6, M1R, K1. You will have 10 sts.
4. Rows 3 to 8: K all sts.
5. Row 9: K1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K1. You will have 8 sts.
6. BO, leaving a long tail.

Shoe Upper, Make 2

1. With rust-brown yarn and US 3 needles, CO 18 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 3: K all sts.
3. Row 4: P all sts.
4. Row 5: K6, BO 6 sts for the front opening, K6. Work each side separately for the strap area.
5. Rows 6 to 7: Work 6 sts in St st on the first side, then rejoin yarn and work 6 sts on the second side.
6. BO both side sections.

Sew the dark brown sole to the bottom of each cream foot. Wrap the rust upper around the front and sides of the foot, leaving the cream toe visible through the opening. Sew neatly along the sole edge.

Shoe Strap, Make 2

1. With rust-brown yarn and US 2 needles, CO 12 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: K all sts.
4. BO, leaving a long tail.

Place each strap across the top of the shoe, slightly above the toe opening. Sew one end to each side of the shoe. Add a tiny buckle bead or embroider a small square with beige yarn on the outer side of each strap.

School Day Cardigan

The cardigan is the most visible clothing piece. It is cream with sage-green horizontal stripes, a ribbed button band, a softly flared lower hem, long sleeves, and two decorative cable-style pocket panels. The body is knitted flat from the lower hem upward.

Cardigan Body

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 58 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts for the lower garter hem.
3. Row 5: K all sts.
4. Row 6: P all sts.
5. Row 7: Change to sage green. K all sts.
6. Row 8: P all sts in sage green.
7. Row 9: Change to cream. K all sts.
8. Row 10: P all sts.
9. Rows 11 to 18: Continue in cream St st.
10. Row 19: K8, SSK, K38, K2tog, K8. You will have 56 sts.
11. Row 20: P all sts.
12. Row 21: Change to sage green. K all sts.
13. Row 22: P all sts in sage green.
14. Row 23: Change to cream. K all sts.
15. Row 24: P all sts.
16. Rows 25 to 31: Work in cream St st.
17. Row 32: K7, SSK, K38, K2tog, K7. You will have 54 sts.
18. Row 33: P all sts.
19. Row 34: Change to sage green. K all sts.
20. Row 35: P all sts in sage green.
21. Row 36: Change to cream. K all sts.
22. Row 37: P all sts.

Divide for Fronts and Back

1. Row 38: K13 for right front, BO 4 sts for armhole, K20 for back, BO 4 sts for armhole, K13 for left front.
2. Place the right front and left front on holders. Continue on the 20 back sts first.
3. Back Row 1: P all sts.
4. Back Row 2: K all sts.
5. Back Rows 3 to 10: Work in St st.
6. Back Row 11: BO 5 sts, K10, BO 5 sts. Place center 10 sts on holder for back neck.

Right Front

1. Return 13 right-front sts to needle.
2. Row 1: P all sts.
3. Row 2: K all sts.
4. Row 3: P all sts.
5. Row 4: K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. You will have 12 sts.
6. Row 5: P all sts.
7. Row 6: K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. You will have 11 sts.
8. Rows 7 to 10: Work in St st.
9. Row 11: BO 5 sts at shoulder edge, K6. Place remaining 6 sts on holder for front neck edge.

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Left Front

1. Return 13 left-front sts to needle.
2. Row 1: P all sts.
3. Row 2: K all sts.
4. Row 3: P all sts.
5. Row 4: K1, SSK, K to end. You will have 12 sts.
6. Row 5: P all sts.
7. Row 6: K1, SSK, K to end. You will have 11 sts.
8. Rows 7 to 10: Work in St st.
9. Row 11: BO 5 sts at shoulder edge, K6. Place remaining 6 sts on holder.

Sew the shoulder seams. The cardigan should now have a soft A-line shape, with the lower edge wider than the chest. Do not sew side seams yet if you prefer easier sleeve placement.

Button Bands

1. With cream yarn and US 2 needles, pick up and knit 32 sts evenly along the right front edge.
2. Rows 1 to 5: Work K1, P1 rib.
3. BO in rib.
4. For the left front edge, pick up and knit 32 sts evenly.
5. Row 1: Work K1, P1 rib.
6. Row 2: Rib 4, yarn over, K2tog, rib 5, yarn over, K2tog, rib 5, yarn over, K2tog, rib 5, yarn over, K2tog, rib to end. This makes four buttonholes.
7. Rows 3 to 5: Continue K1, P1 rib.
8. BO in rib.

Sew four small wooden buttons to the opposite band, matching the buttonholes. Place the top button just below the neckline and the lowest button above the green lower stripe.

Cardigan Sleeves, Make 2

1. With cream yarn and US 3 needles, CO 20 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: Work K1, P1 rib.
3. Rows 5 to 8: Work in cream St st.
4. Row 9: Change to sage green. K all sts.
5. Row 10: P all sts in sage green.
6. Row 11: Change to cream. K all sts.
7. Row 12: P all sts.
8. Rows 13 to 18: Work in cream St st.
9. Row 19: Change to sage green. K all sts.
10. Row 20: P all sts in sage green.
11. Row 21: Change to cream. K all sts.
12. Rows 22 to 27: Work in cream St st.
13. Row 28: BO all sts.

Sew each sleeve seam from cuff to underarm. Sew sleeves into the cardigan armholes. The green stripes should sit around the upper arm and near the cuff, matching the school cardigan look in the image.

Decorative Pocket Panels, Make 2

1. With cream yarn and US 2 needles, CO 8 sts.
2. Row 1: K1, P2, K2, P2, K1.
3. Row 2: P1, K2, P2, K2, P1.
4. Row 3: K1, P2, slip next st to cable needle and hold in front, K1, K1 from cable needle, P2, K1.
5. Row 4: P1, K2, P2, K2, P1.
6. Rows 5 to 12: Repeat Rows 1 to 4 twice.
7. BO loosely.

Sew one pocket panel to each lower cardigan front. Place them about 6 rows above the lower green stripe and 5 stitches in from the button band. Stitch around the sides and lower edge, leaving the top edge slightly raised for a pocket effect.

Cardigan Collar Edge

1. With cream yarn and US 2 needles, pick up 26 sts around the neckline, including held front and back neck sts.
2. Rows 1 to 3: Work K1, P1 rib.
3. BO in rib.

The collar should sit close to the neck without folding over too far. In the image, the neckline is neat and slightly raised, so keep this edge firm and tidy.

Beige Pom-Pom Hat

The hat is a separate oatmeal-beige beanie with a folded ribbed brim, a subtle horizontal ridge, and a round pom-pom on top. It rests beside the doll in the image but can also fit lightly over the head between the ears if desired.

1. With oatmeal beige yarn and US 3 needles, CO 48 sts. Join to work in the round.
2. Rounds 1 to 10: Work K2, P2 rib for the folded brim.
3. Round 11: P all sts to create the ridge above the brim.
4. Rounds 12 to 23: K all sts.
5. Round 24: K6, K2tog around. You will have 42 sts.
6. Round 25: K all sts.
7. Round 26: K5, K2tog around. You will have 36 sts.
8. Round 27: K all sts.
9. Round 28: K4, K2tog around. You will have 30 sts.
10. Round 29: K all sts.
11. Round 30: K3, K2tog around. You will have 24 sts.
12. Round 31: K2, K2tog around. You will have 18 sts.
13. Round 32: K1, K2tog around. You will have 12 sts.
14. Round 33: K2tog around. You will have 6 sts.
15. Cut yarn, thread through remaining sts, pull tight, and secure.

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Pom-Pom

• Wrap oatmeal yarn around two fingers about 45 times.
• Tie the center tightly with a long strand.
• Cut the loops and trim into a compact ball about 1 inch wide.
• Sew firmly to the top of the hat.

Fold the brim upward so the ribbing looks thick, matching the soft hat shown beside the doll. Add one loose horizontal strand around the hat just above the brim if you want the raised line to appear more defined.

Sage Green Backpack

The backpack is small, textured, and slightly rounded. It has a front flap, a tiny button, side depth, and two thin shoulder straps. The front panel uses simple knit and purl texture to echo the knitted school bag in the image.

Backpack Front Panel

1. With sage green yarn and US 2 needles, CO 18 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 3: K all sts.
3. Row 4: P all sts.
4. Row 5: K2, P2, K10, P2, K2.
5. Row 6: P2, K2, P10, K2, P2.
6. Row 7: K2, P2, slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold in front, K2, K2 from cable needle, K2, slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back, K2, K2 from cable needle, P2, K2.
7. Row 8: P2, K2, P10, K2, P2.
8. Rows 9 to 18: Repeat Rows 5 to 8, ending with a WS row.
9. Rows 19 to 21: K all sts.
10. BO all sts.

Backpack Back Panel

1. With sage green yarn and US 2 needles, CO 18 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 21: Work in St st, with 2 garter sts at each edge on every row.
3. BO all sts.

Backpack Side Strip

1. With sage green yarn and US 2 needles, CO 6 sts.
2. Work in garter stitch for 44 rows.
3. BO, leaving a long tail.

Sew the side strip around the front panel, then sew the back panel to the other side of the strip. Add a very small amount of stuffing before fully closing so the backpack looks softly padded rather than flat.

Backpack Flap

1. With sage green yarn and US 2 needles, CO 16 sts.
2. Rows 1 to 4: K all sts.
3. Row 5: K1, SSK, K10, K2tog, K1. You will have 14 sts.
4. Row 6: K all sts.
5. Row 7: K1, SSK, K8, K2tog, K1. You will have 12 sts.
6. Row 8: K all sts.
7. Row 9: K1, SSK, K6, K2tog, K1. You will have 10 sts.
8. BO all sts.

Sew the straight edge of the flap to the top back of the backpack so it folds over the front. Sew one tiny button to the center lower edge of the flap.

Backpack Straps and Handle

1. For each shoulder strap, CO 4 sts with sage green yarn and US 2 needles.
2. Work garter stitch for 28 rows.
3. BO and sew one strap to each side of the back panel, curving from top to lower side.
4. For the handle, CO 4 sts and work garter stitch for 12 rows.
5. BO and sew the handle to the top center of the backpack.

Tiny Ear Flower

The small flower near the fawn’s ear gives the doll a sweet woodland-school detail. It is optional, but it helps match the image closely.

Flower Center

1. With soft yellow yarn and US 2 needles, CO 3 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Cut yarn, thread through sts, pull tight, and knot into a small nub.

Petals, Make 4

1. With pale pink yarn and US 2 needles, CO 4 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: K2tog twice. You will have 2 sts.
5. Row 4: P2tog. You will have 1 st.
6. Fasten off.

Leaves, Make 2

1. With muted green yarn and US 2 needles, CO 3 sts.
2. Row 1: K all sts.
3. Row 2: P all sts.
4. Row 3: SSK, K1. You will have 2 sts.
5. Row 4: P2tog. You will have 1 st.
6. Fasten off.

Arrange the petals around the yellow center and sew them together. Add the two leaves behind the flower. Attach the flower near the top of one ear, slightly to the side of the rust forehead panel.

Seaming and Shaping Tips

• Use mattress stitch for visible side seams whenever possible.
• For tiny curved pieces, sew with small whip stitches and keep the yarn tension even.
• Shape the head with your hands while stuffing. The face should be round, not flat.
• When sewing the cardigan onto the doll, do not pull the front bands too tight. The lower hem should flare gently.
• Steam blocking is not recommended for the stuffed doll. Light hand shaping is safer.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

1. Sew the head securely to the body, checking that the muzzle faces forward.
2. Attach ears to the upper sides of the head and angle them outward evenly.
3. Sew arms to the body, then dress the doll in the cardigan.
4. Sew the cardigan closed only at hidden underarm points if you want it to stay in place.
5. Attach legs to the lower body and check that the shoes sit flat.
6. Embroider eyes, nose, and mouth after the head is fully stuffed so the face placement stays accurate.
7. Sew the tiny flower beside one ear for the final woodland detail.
8. Place the hat and backpack beside the doll or secure them lightly with removable stitches.

Care Notes

Spot clean the doll with cool water and a soft cloth. Avoid soaking if wooden buttons, buckle beads, or delicate embroidery have been added. Gently press the cleaned area with a towel and allow the doll to air dry flat.

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• The rust forehead panel is centered and shaped like a rounded triangle.
• The cream muzzle is oval and lightly padded.
• The ears are symmetrical and angled outward.
• The cardigan has sage stripes at the hem, sleeves, and chest.
• The button band sits straight down the front.
• The pocket panels are placed evenly on both cardigan fronts.
• The shoes have visible straps and small buckle details.
• The hat has a folded brim and round pom-pom.
• The backpack has a flap, button, handle, and straps.

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

Store the finished fawn doll in a dry place away from direct sunlight. Long sun exposure can fade the rust-brown forehead, sage cardigan stripes, and green backpack. If the doll is displayed on a shelf, rotate it occasionally so one side does not receive all the light.

To refresh the shape, gently squeeze the stuffed areas back into place with clean hands. Do not pull on the ears, flower, buttons, or backpack straps. These small details are decorative and should be handled carefully.

If the cardigan hem curls after use, smooth it between your fingers and pin it flat overnight without stretching. Keep the doll away from rough hook-and-loop fasteners, sharp jewelry, and pets, because the small knitted stitches can snag.

For long-term storage, wrap the doll loosely in acid-free tissue or a clean cotton cloth. Avoid airtight plastic bags unless the doll is completely dry. A breathable storage box helps preserve the handmade texture and keeps the accessories neat.