Cloth Dolls, Doll Clothes, and Accessories
Welcome to my web site. It is devoted to my interest in doll dressing and making cloth dolls. I create my own patterns for cloth dolls and for doll clothing. I have written articles and books on the subject.
I blog on sewing in general and sewing for dolls in particular. Check my Blog page for sewing hints and thoughts on sewing.
I have designed a number of patterns for cloth dolls. I have also designed clothing that can be worn by commercial dolls as well as by my cloth dolls. The patterns for these are available on the Patterns page. Some are free and others can be purchased.
In addition to magazine articles, I have books on making cloth dolls and sewing for dolls. My newest books are Learn to Sew for Your Doll and Sew a Small Doll and Her Clothing. My first book, Easy-to-Make Storybook Dolls was published by Dover Craft. See the My Books page.
--Sherralyn St. Clair
Here are my small dolls. Check the Patterns page where patterns for the dolls and for the clothes and shoes that they are wearing are available for download.
The outfits also fit a number of small commercial dolls including:
- American Girl Mini
- Correlle
- Amanda Jane
- Vogue's Ginny
- Madam Alexander's Wendy
- Lilian Vernon
- Effanbee's Li'l Innocents
The sundress pattern and my Tools, Tips, and Techniques booklet are free downloads.
The downloads for the other patterns are available for purchase.
You can download this free pattern for a sundress and summer top. It is a simple project and lets you check out your skills and equipment to see how easy it is to sew for small dolls.
You can use your imagination to embellish this A-line dress. The jacket and matching bloomers can be used with other patterns.
Patterns for a gown, smock and two tiered skirt allow you to make a cuddly night time doll or a stylish outfit.
Patterns for T-shirts, skirts, pants and shorts provide a typical kid's wardrobe.
These tiny shoes will add variety and charm to the doll's wardrobe. Patterns for dress shoes, bunny slippers, sneakers and boots are included.
With some previous experience and enjoyment of sewing small things, these dolls with panties, camisoles and sandals are fun to sew. The pattern includes optional details like tiny fingers and toes.
Learn to Sew for Your Doll - A Beginner's Guide to Sewing for an 18" Doll is a tutorial for new sewers.
If you would like to teach a special child how to sew, this book presents a series of skills in a learning sequence that takes the new seamstress from the first use of a sewing machine through making an attractive wardrobe for a doll. The book gives the student a place to start and then builds on the initial skills.
- This book includes instructions and full size patterns for 18" doll clothes.
- Measurements are given in both US and metric units.
- Stitching bookmarks introduces machine sewing and zigzagging.
- Beginning fabric skills are taught with simple projects to sew bed clothes for a doll. While sewing a doll bed cover, pillow, and pillow case the student learns to recognize the right and wrong sides of fabric, and to find the straight of grain, cross grain and bias of fabric. Skills in tearing fabric and cutting along a pulled thread are taught.
- The student then moves on to sew an attractive wardrobe for an 18" doll
- Sundress
- A-line skirt
- Shorts
- Two-tiered skirt
- Smock top
- Nightgown
- Skills taught include
- Pattern reading and cutting
- Machine stitching
- Finishing seams
- Gathering
- Sewing casings
- Topstitching
- Hemming
- Attaching closures
Go to the My Books page for more details on this book. The book is available from Amazon or directly from the publisher Create Space.
For those who prefer their patterns in a traditional book format, Sew a Small Doll and Her Clothing is a collection of the patterns for the mid-sized Florabunda dolls (7.5 inch or 19 cm). The patterns are the same as those available for download on this web site. The instructions have been updated slightly to include more metric measurements and other minor updates.
The book includes full size patterns and detailed sewing instructions for the Florabunda cloth doll and her outfits. The Tools, Tips, and Techniques download from the web site is included as an appendix.
The wardrobe patterns include:
- Ballgown and Classic Dress
- Nightgown, Smock top, and Two-tiered Skirt
- Pants, Shorts, Skirt, and T-Shirt
- A-line Dress, Jacket, and Bloomers
- Shoes, slippers, sandals, sneakers, and boots
Go to the My Books page for more details on this book. The book is available from Amazon or directly from the publisher Create Space.
These are the dolls featured in my first book. Go to the My Books page for more details.
The book is available from Amazon or from Dover Publishing and other fine book sellers.
Dorothy from the wizard of OZ series. Dorothy is shown in her prairie dress one of seven dress and gown patterns for this character from the book.
Mary from the Secret Garden. The book has patterns for seven dresses and coats for this character.
Pollyanna also has patterns for seven dresses and gowns.
Irene is the princess in The Princess and the Goblin.
My patterns for the doll and her clothes appear in the May 2009 issue of Soft Dolls and Animals! magazine.
Here is Princess Irene in her shadow embroidery dress. Patterns for the doll and dress are available on the Patterns page.
Princess Irene in the nightgown from the magazine article.
She can wear Martha Pullen patterns too! Here she is in Martha Pullen's Bin Dress from her 14" Girl Victorian Doll Patterns book.