I have a lot of fabric that is suitable for doll clothes. I have been buying pieces of fabric with doll clothes in mind for many years. I also have inherited interesting pieces and sewing friends save me large fabric scraps with small prints. When I am ready to sew doll clothes, I can usually go to my fabric collection and find something suitable to use.

I needed an excuse to experiment with the fat quarters, and I decided to write a blog entry about them. I went shopping and bought several fat quarters to play with.

A  fat quarter is one half yard of fabric measured down the selvage. The piece is only half the width of a normal cut of fabric. It is about 22 inches wide instead of the full width of 44 to 45 inches of most fabrics. A fat quarter has a selvage on only one side. It is closer to square shaped than  the long skinny rectangle made by measuring a quarter yard down the selvage of the fabric and leaving it the full width.

I think the almost square shape is easier to handle than the longer rectangular shape. One fat quarter provides enough fabric for several small doll outfits. It is also large enough to use with many of my 14 inch doll clothes patterns. I think that outfits for larger dolls will require more fabric. Fat quarters come in many attractive small patterns in a variety of colors. They are inexpensive and easy to buy because a clerk does not need to cut a length from the bolt.

My main complaint is that so many lovely fabric designs on bolts of fabric are not available in fat quarters. However a quarter yard of fabric cut from a bolt of cloth will work for 6 to 8 inch doll clothes. There are many inexpensive options for the fabrics needed for a small doll’s wardrobe.

fabric for small dolls sewing for small dolls

A Jo Ann Fabric and Crafts store near me had its grand opening today. It is less than a ten minute drive from my house and I had been looking forward to the opening for over a month. I had a lot of fun this afternoon just looking around. One enjoyable discovery was that they carry Soft Dolls and Animals! magazine and they had stocked the current issue with my doll pattern in it. I refrained from pointing the article out to passing strangers, but I was tempted.

I spent a lot of time looking at the quilting fabric. Quilting seems to be the most popular type of sewing right now and it certainly produces some lovely results. The quilting section also provides lots of fabric for doll costuming. It is one hundred per cent cotton with lots of small designs in lovely coordinated colors. Fat quarters (half the width of half a yard of fabric) provide enough fabric for small doll garments. Although I have plenty of fabric now, I am planning on stocking up on fat quarters soon.

fabric for small dolls sewing for small dolls