Even if you use the same pattern to cut out both doll arms, they can end up being noticeably different lengths, thicknesses, or curvatures once they are sewn, turned, and stuffed. Small variations in cutting, seam placement, turning, and stuffing can make a significant difference in the final shape. It’s best to treat paired doll limbs as a set from the beginning, tracing and cutting the pieces simultaneously rather than finishing one entirely before moving on to the other.
When tracing the pattern pieces, place both arms or legs on the fabric at the same time and trace or pin them together before cutting. Check that the grainline and seamlines are identical. If the fabric shifts while tracing, the pieces will be different sizes even before you begin sewing. Once the pieces are cut, stack them on top of each other and trim any obvious differences. If the mismatch is significant, it’s often better to retrace the pieces than to try to adjust the shape through stuffing.
Try to sew the two limbs in the same session. Make sure you use the same stitch length and seamline for both. Pay close attention to the curves around the wrists, hands, and ankles. If you notice that one arm has a seam that lies further inside the original pattern line, it will turn out smaller once you turn it right side out. Clip or notch the seam allowances on tight curves to allow the fabric to lay flat. Take extra care when sewing curved areas, as slight changes in curvature can lead to noticeable differences between the two arms.
Turning can also affect the shape of the limbs. When turning narrow doll limbs, be careful not to stretch them out of shape. This is particularly important at the small openings. Use a blunt tool to push the fabric through slowly. Turn both arms right side out before stuffing. Gently smooth the fabric along the seams and check to see if the limbs are the same length and have the same curvature. Check to make sure there aren’t any twisted seams or unturned corners.
The stuffing is where you’ll need to pay the most attention. Even identical sewn pieces can be noticeably different once you add the stuffing. Instead of stuffing one arm completely, then estimating how much stuffing to add to the other, add the stuffing alternately to both arms. Push the stuffing into the same areas of the arms in the same order, and pause to feel the arms. Are they the same thickness? Do they bend at the same angle? If one arm feels harder than the other, go back and remove or redistribute some of the stuffing before closing the turning hole.
Finally, once the limbs are stuffed and ready to attach, hold the pair up against the body and look at them from the front and side. Make sure the hands or feet are at the same level, the seams are on the correct side, and neither limb is twisting outward. You can pin or loosely stitch the limbs to the body to test this before you attach them permanently. While perfect mathematical symmetry isn’t essential in dollmaking, it’s much easier to fix noticeable discrepancies before the limbs are stitched in place and the joints are finished.