Doll Clothes Patterns

Doll clothes patterns that fit perfectly when made in woven fabrics may not fit at all when sewn in knits. Loose and stretchy knit fabrics can be difficult to handle if you don’t know a few important tricks.

1.) When cutting out the doll clothes patterns, first cut the fabric along one of the ribs in the knit. Use this as the grain line when you pin your pattern piece in place, even if it isn’t parallel with the selvage edge. If your knit is very crooked, wash it. Then while it’s wet, pull it into shape or ‘block’ it with your hands and lay it flat to dry.

2.) Use seam tape to prevent the fabric from stretching and to maintain the size of the original doll clothes patterns. See the photo below. Also try not to pull the seams when surging or zigzagging the unfinished seam lines.

3.) Use steam to ‘block’ your knits into shape. Be very careful when using steam on knits. It can either shrink the garment, or restore its shape. Read the rest of this entry »

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Doll clothes patterns are sized for an exact fit. You invest lots of time and money to sew them into great outfits for your American Girl and 18-inch dolls. But, you may be overlooking something very important. Did you launder the fabric before cutting out the pattern pieces? There are several good reasons to pre-wash: Read the rest of this entry »

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Doll clothes patterns can be adjusted before cutting, to ensure a perfect fit for a variety of dolls. You can easily see size differences by comparing the measurements of three popular 18-inch dolls:

1. Madame Alexander ‘Girlz’
2. American Girl Dolls
3. Gotz ‘Precious Day Collection’

The lines drawn on the dolls in the photo above show exactly where to measure your dolls. American Girl dolls have become the standard for the proper fit of doll clothes patterns. But, if you measure first and adjust carefully, your doll clothes and doll accessories can fit most 18-inch dolls. Let’s compare.

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Doll clothes patterns can be confusing when it comes to achieving a proper fit. The first thing I discovered when I started sewing for my American Girl dolls is that not all 18-inch doll bodies are the same size. That means your doll clothes patterns require small adjustments and alterations to fit each doll. So, lets look at several different dolls and compare their body sizes.

The dolls shown in the photo above are (left to right):

1. Lindsey, a Springfield Collection doll
2. Julie, an American Girl doll made in 2008
3. Girlz, a Madame Alexander doll
4. A German doll made by Heidi Ott
5. Kaya, an American Girl doll made in 2002

As a group, these dolls appear to be very similar. However, there are slight differences, even among American Girl dolls that will affect the fit of the doll clothes patterns. Because the 18-inch dolls have cloth bodies that are made by humans in sewing factories, quality control is sometimes an issue. I had to return my first Julie doll to the American Girl store. Her head was not attached halfway between her shoulders, but was mounted closer to one of her arms. Her body looked distorted, especially in a short-sleeved top. My point is… Even among the dolls made by one manufacturer, there are variations in body size. Sometimes seamstresses take larger seams, causing the bodies to be smaller. They may use more or less stuffing, which will change the size of the doll’s waistline. If the doll is not stuffed tightly enough, it will be difficult for her to stand on her own. She’ll need a doll stand, like the one shown in the photo above. Read the rest of this entry »

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