46. Doll Clothes Pattern Club edition

This is sleeve no.2 of the Applied Doll Dressmaking unit 203. Gathered Sleeves along with a cute baby doll top as a practice pattern

Creating something that didn’t exist before is really cool. I never get tired of creating.

Today I am offering a second gathered sleeve to add to the ADD unit 203 Gathered Sleeves. Each sleeve adds to the unit. This sleeve is pages 3, 4 and 5.

It comes with instructions for creating the sleeve and adding it to any garment. I have also included a folded paper pocket design that holds the sleeve pattern pieces so you can keep the pattern with the instructions pages in a folder.

The practice pattern is a cute baby doll top with a square neckline and a yoke bodice. Because it is a top, I had to include some capris pants to finish the outfit. I got the capris pattern from my 1813 trousers pattern. I have included an excerpt of the full pattern with just the capris section and pattern pieces so you can create the same outfit.

While I was making the capris I really wanted to add something a bit fancy. The whole point of sewing the side seams first is so you can add some appliqué or trim to each leg across the side seam. I wanted something simple so I folded my bird fabric on the bias and cut a 1/2” strip. I then cut the strip on the fold to make 2 x 1/2” bias strips. I laid them on the pants leg and did some close zig zag over the edges to hold the strips in place.

The capris instructions ask you to stitch the centre back and centre front seams then create the elastic casing in the round. After making doll clothes for around 10 years I have come to the conclusion that you don’t have to make them the same as people clothes. The dolls don’t feel seams and no kid is going to check the seams of the garment before they put it on their doll. Some purists may cringe but I figure if the outside looks good then the doll and the doll’s owner are happy. (Even if the owner is big like me). Doing the casing and elastic on the flat means you can use the back seam to get the pants on the right way without adding little bows or buttons to the front.

I found the method for adding the ruffle and elastic casing to the sleeve on You Tube. The method is for people clothes but I thought it should work for doll clothes size sleeves too.

I like the way the ruffle trim is gathered separately then added to the sleeve. It creates a nice defining line between the elastic and the ruffle. I didn’t do any fancy hemming on the ruffle either. I just turned up 1/4” and zig zagged with a stitch width just a bit less than 1/4”.

I hope you enjoy this month’s patterns. Each month I make a doll clothes pattern available to my paid subscribers.

Cheers,

Val