This dance ensemble for AG mini dolls is made from a ladies’ thin sock, elastic, ribbon and tulle fabric.

I adapted the pants pattern from my Pants, Skirt and T-shirt pattern to make leggings.

I made a copy of the pants pattern and cut off the side seam allowances and the fold line for the elastic casing.

Cut the leggings from the foot and toe end of the sock. Follow the pants directions to make the leggings. Use a quarter inch (6 mm) seam but sew the seam with a zigzag stitch. I sewed the elastic casing at the waist and the leg hems by hand, because the sewing machine tended to stretch the sock fabric too much.

The doll’s top is made from the top of the sock, after the leggings have been cut out. Try the sock top on the doll, by having her “step into” the sock top. The cut end of the sock should be pulled up to just below her shoulders. The finished end of the sock should be at her waist. Trim the cut edge of the sock to shape it like a doll’s top. Remember to leave enough of the sock fabric to add a hem. I hemmed the shoulder/neck/ arm opening by hand to prevent the sewing machine from stretching the fabric.

I had to make a seam down the back of the top to make it small enough to fit the doll. Hem the shoulder/neck/arm opening by hand. Add ribbon ties at the shoulders.

For the tutu, cut four 16 inches by 5 inches (41 cm by 12 cm) rectangles of tulle. Stack the tulle rectangles together and fold them lengthwise to make stack of folded rectangles measuring 16 inches by 2.5 inches (41 cm by 6 cm). Make an elastic casing by sewing a seam three eighth inch (1 cm) from the folded edge of the tulle stack. Insert about 5.5inches (14 cm) of one eighth inch (3 mm) wide elastic. Secure the elastic on both sides and then sew the two short sides of the gathered rectangle together to make the tutu back.

For free tips for making an elastic casing download my free Tools, Tips, and Techniques booklet and look on page 9 of the booklet.

You can purchase a download of my pattern Pants, Skirt and T-shirt from the small doll section of my Pattern page. It is the fifth pattern in that section.

If you are only interested in AG mini dolls, the pattern is also in my book, Sewing for Mini Dolls. If you only want mini doll patterns, I think that the book is the best buy. You can find out how to order it from My Books page.

sherralyn Playing with American Girl mini dolls Adapting a pattern, American Girl mini clothes patterns, sewing for small dolls

I made a pair of cool cotton pajamas for my Isabelle mini doll using my free Sundress and Summer Top pattern and the bloomers pattern from my A-line dress pattern. The pattern size for mini dolls is marked with a star.

To make the pajamas more comfortable, I hemmed the pants legs without adding the elastic suggested in the pattern instructions.

You can find the free summer top pattern on my pattern page by clicking here. If you would like to order the A-line dress pattern, you can scroll down to the second pattern below the free pattern on that page.

My down-loadable pattern has three sizes of small doll patterns. If you are only interested in sewing for mini dolls, I think that the better value is my Sewing for Mini Dolls book. The book has all the small doll clothing patterns found on my pattern page, but only in the mini doll size. The book also has shoe patterns, including the bunny slippers that Isabelle is wearing. You can learn how to order Sewing for Mini Dolls by going to My Books page.

If you want to draft your own pants pattern watch the Froggy Stuff video How to Make Doll Pants.

Here is Isabelle wearing her new pajamas:

You can find a free pattern for her Teddy Bear on Florabunda’s Page. Choose Beginning Sewing Projects from the directory and select the stuffed bear pattern. Use the pattern that is marked with a flower.

sherralyn Playing with American Girl mini dolls Accessories for American Girl mini dolls, American Girl mini clothes patterns

I made a new sundress for my mini Isabelle using my free sundress pattern. You can find a free copy of the pattern on my Pattern Page.

The size pattern that fits AG mini dolls is marked with a star. I used a longer piece of wider ribbon than is listed in the pattern instructions. The shoulder bows were easier to tie with the new size ribbon.

You can find a larger pattern for the sundress that fits eighteen inch (46 cm) dolls in my book, Learn to Sew for Your Doll. Learn more about the book and were to buy it on My Books page. Learn to Sew is the third book as you scroll down the page.

Here is mini Isabelle in her new dress.

sherralyn Playing with American Girl mini dolls American Girl mini clothes patterns

I made dogs from pipecleaners for my AG mini using instructions from a video that you can find here.

The video is from “My Froggy Stuff.” “Froggy” is a charming and creative lady with a lot of amazing ideas for doll accessories. After watching the doggy video, you might want to watch more of her doll craft videos.

I used one eighth inch (3 mm) black glass beads for the tan dog’s eyes and both dogs’ noses. Not all of the beads would fit on the pipecleaner, so I used wiggle eyes for the white dog’s eyes. Here is my mini Isabelle with her two new pets.

sherralyn Playing with American Girl mini dolls Accessories for American Girl mini dolls

There is still time to make an Easter basket for your American Girl mini doll. Go to Easy Craft Projects on Florabunda’s Page. Select “Tiny Basket Project” for the basket’s instructions and pattern.

Here is my new mini, Isabelle, with her Easter Basket.

The little chocolate bunny came in a package of five bunnies. They are delicious.

sherralyn Playing with American Girl mini dolls Accessories for American Girl mini dolls

Tech support (husband with the help of younger son) has updated the main page of my website. I really like the new look and I hope that you will check it out. Click  the “Main” button at the top of the page or click here.

sherralyn Uncategorized

Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away. If you are looking for an easy Valentine’s project, don’t forget all the free patterns on Florabunda’s Page on this website. Here is the cat I made for Valentine’s Day last year.

The original pattern used wiggle eyes and a pompom for the nose, but for my Valentine cat I used heart shaped buttons.

The cat sews up in a hurry. There is plenty of time to make it before Valentine’s Day. To download the cat pattern and other easy patterns, click Florabunda’s Page.

sherralyn Free Patterns, hand sewing

One of the details that I enjoyed designing for my Kitty doll pattern was her toes. The current (Feb/Mar 2014) issue of Soft Dolls and Animals! includes an article that I wrote explaining how to add toes to a cloth doll foot pattern. Of course if you want a doll with toes, you can always make Kitty, but if you have another favorite pattern that needs toes, be sure to check out my article. The magazine has lots and lots of great patterns and ideas.

sherralyn Pattern Making Adapting a pattern

During September and October I blogged about a doll I made from my Kitty pattern. I made the doll as a Christmas present for a very young lady.

This month I made a draw string bag from two fabric fat quarters and strips of contrasting fabric to wrap this Kitty doll for Christmas. Here is a photo of  the bag turned wrong side out.

I folded each piece of contrasting fabric in half; sewed the contrasting fabric to the two fat quarters; sewed across the top of each piece of contrasting fabric to form a casing; and then pinned and sewed the two sides together. I started and stopped sewing at the casing openings so that I could insert ribbon drawstrings through the casings.

Here is the doll and her book ready to go inside the gift bag.

The doll is now inside the gift bag and under a Christmas tree, waiting (fairly) patiently for Christmas morning.

sherralyn Christmas Sewing eighteen inch dolls

If you are selling or giving away cloth dolls that you have made, remember to sign and date your dolls. When I sign my dolls, I use an air soluble pen first and then go over the purple ink from the first pen with a permanent ink pen. I sign my dolls in an obscure spot on the back of the doll. I had planned to show you my signature on the Kitty doll that I made recently and discussed in my blog. I posed her for the photo and decided that the pose was too humiliating for poor Kitty. So I put her panties back on and told her that she was soon going to be a Christmas Doll. I hope that she forgave me.

sherralyn Christmas Sewing Making Eighteen Dolls