I hadn’t bought any doll clothes pattern in quite awhile. I don’t always need to buy patterns, because I enjoy designing my own. However, McCall’s has published some very nice eighteen inch doll clothes patterns recently. I especially liked the fact that the patterns contain some interesting accessories. When Jo Ann Fabric and Crafts put McCall’s patterns on sale last week, I treated myself to several of the new patterns. I usually enjoy reading a good book at bedtime, but a new pattern guide makes a nice change.

After I had read all my new pattern guides, it was time to file my new patterns. When I got my pattern box down, it occurred to me that I could share a pattern organizing trick with you. I got the general idea from one of my husband’s aunts and then changed her system slightly. This trick only works for managing patterns for small things like doll clothes.

I cut out all of the patterns in one pattern envelope and sort them by outfit. I put the pattern pieces for each outfit in a separate small envelope. I label each envelope with the pattern number, the name of the outfit and numbers of the pattern pieces. All the small envelopes go into the pattern envelope with the pattern guide. Here is a favorite Vogue pattern that I had organized several years ago.

I wanted to remove cat and dog patterns from several envelopes, because I am interested in designing my own doll pet patterns. I want to study the techniques for making small stuffed animals. I labeled a brown envelope and pulled the pet patterns from several different pattern envelopes.

I have learned from experience to add an index card to each original pattern envelope to explain what has happened to the missing pattern. Here is my vogue pattern with the dog pattern removed.

getting organized, Patterns from other designers Accessories for American Girl Dolls, Accessories for eighteen inch dolls, eighteen inch doll clothes patterns

Daisy Kingdom makes wonderful fabric. Simplicity Patterns offer Daisy Kingdom patterns. Most of the patterns are  for girls’ clothing. Fifteen or so years ago their girls’ patterns included a matching doll dress. The doll clothes fit the daisy Kingdom doll, Daisy Dolly, which was offered for sale and ready to dress in fabric shops.
I’ve had an undressed Daisy Dolly in my closet for some time. While I was making Dutch Doll miniature quilts, I thought of an idea for finally dressing the doll.
Here is my interpretation of a dress and pinafore pattern by Susan York.

I used the large Dutch Doll on the front panel of the pinafore.

I used the small Dutch Doll Printouts on the pinafore pockets.
Coming next week: How to win a free pdf of the pattern of your choice.

doll quilts, Patterns from other designers Adapting a pattern

Continuing the idea of making a girl and small doll matching dresses, I have found a few girl’s patterns that can match my small doll’s A-line dress pattern. Simplicity 2194 is a girl’s A-line dress. It has suggestions for embellishing the dress that you might copy on the doll’s dress. Amazon offers a book titled Absolutely A-Line by Wendi Gratz that has received fairly good reviews. The pattern and the book both promise dresses that are easy to make.

Simplicity also has a few short jackets included in other girl’s dress patterns. None of the patterns that I looked at are an exact match for the jacket included in my doll’s A-line pattern. The girl’s jacket patterns are more complicated than the A-line dress pattern. My doll’s jacket pattern is an easy pattern. If you are sewing for a young girl, you might want to look at the jacket patterns. A short jacket is an interesting addition to a wardrobe.

I have not tried any of these patterns. The pictures look like a good match for my doll’s A-line dress. Give the little girl in your life a pair of matching dresses for her and her Ginny, Madam Alexander doll, mini American Girl, one of my three cloth dolls, or other favorite small doll.

If you have visited my blog before, you may have noticed my blog’s new look today. My technical support (my husband, as I have said before) has put the finishing touches on my website’s new look. The blog was the last page that he worked on.

blog, Patterns from other designers American Girl mini clothes patterns, Madam Alexander doll clothes patterns, other sewing projects, sewing for small dolls, Vogue Ginny doll clothes patterns

My sister-in-law has inherited stacks of what she calls vintage linens. Earlier this year we looked through some of her stacks to find pieces that I could turn into doll clothing. She found a set of table runners that she liked and asked me to make a doll for her guest room using the pieces. It was suppose to be a birthday doll, but I didn’t finish it until Christmas. I designed the 18” doll. I have not yet developed publishable a pattern for the doll.  The dress and pinafore pattern was designed by Susan York. Her pattern was published in the Fall 1995 edition of Sew Beautiful Magazine. I have used her pattern many times and have always been happy with the result.

The center panel of the pinafore was marked on this piece before it was cut.

Two pinafore pockets were marked on this piece.

Here is the finished doll. She was hiding in the cloth sack that I showed you on December 19.

my patterns, Patterns from other designers