Choosing a colour palette for your 18” doll clothes patterns

 

I did some sewing a few weeks back when I got all excited about the beautiful palette of fabrics that I bought. I used an autumn colour palette and matched the fabrics to it but the idea works just as well when you match the colours in a fabric pattern. 

This summer strappy top has all the colours I chose and also has a blue that will work as well.

The colour palette was easy to take to the store and use to match the solid colours on the shelf. Luckily the homespun was all 40% that day.

I took my colour palette from a PDF booklet file that I bought. It is a perfect collection of lots of colour palettes all sorted by several different criteria, such as by season or main colour or various key words. It was not cheap but it is just so much easier to use than looking through Pinterest.

 

You can see how both tops made out of slightly different fabrics go really well with the colours I bought.

I tried out another patterned fabric that I had. This one has all the same colours.

I tried a couple by themselves. This pink one looks great.

This yellow one not so great. The dots seem to go back into the fabric rather than popping they way they do with the pink fabric. I usually put my fabrics together various ways because it is not always obvious what will look best.

I bought this collection of fabrics particularly for Lea. They suit her colouring. The dark colours are not the best for my blonde doll but because I have the pink next to her face rather than the orange she can pull it off.

That shell necklace is one I made a few years ago. I was practicing that sliding knots adjustable string. You can open it enough to get over her head then you slide the knots apart to shorten it. I used a you tube video to learn the knot.

My girls are showing off their dresses in the jungle I made on Canva. I love using Canva to create images. Some of the jungle items are the Pro images but there are lots of free ones too.

More and more I have been using the pinking shears to tidy the seams.

I put my photo of Lea into Canva and gave her a new pendant. This one is turquoise. Turquoise is meant to be the best gemstone for me.

You can find the tiered dress pattern on Etsy. It is perfect for Fall colours or Halloween fabrics or Christmas fabrics like this one below.

Check it out now

I have another hobby! It always feels good to start something new. In my case I am restarting my jewellery making. With everything I know about an Etsy based business I hope to add another string to my bow and start selling bangles and necklaces. This time I am concentrating on gemstones. They are just so beautiful and I love all the mystical properties attributed to the different crystals. I am not a fanatical believer in the metaphysical properties of the gemstones but I think they make great reminders of our affirmations and goals. Each stone is said to enhance particular positive qualities of a person.  I love to journal and I know that writing something down makes it more likely to happen. I think it is the same with the gemstones. Amazonite is associated with self care, self love and emotional balance. Wearing an Amazonite bracelet and knowing what it is associated with I will be reminded to take breaks or not let other people upset me.  I think of the gemstones as my goals and affirmations written in stone. Happy Doll Dressmaking, Val Don’t forget to have a look at the tiered dress pattern. It is perfect for using up small strips of fabric or mixing up patterns and plains. Get the tiered dress pattern There are a couple more things in the freebies folder. One is the envelope for the 18” doll dress pattern. I realised that it was not exactly half size in the file in the shop so I put just the envelope in the newsletter folder. I fixed the file in the Etsy shop so you have the right file if you bought the pattern after Sept 2021. Click the link below to sign up for the newsletter  and also get access to the Newsletter Freebies Vault. Doll Dressmaking Newsletter Freebies Copyright (C) 2021 Valspierssews. All rights reserved.

Doll clothes Summer capsule of perfect patterns for 18" dolls

Do you want to create doll clothes that can go together to make a series of nice outfits?

Do you want a plan that you can use to gradually build a co-ordinating collection for your doll?

Do you want a formula based on types of garments so you can use patterns that already have?

If you say yes to any of these questions then planning and sewing a doll clothes capsule collection is the way to go.

What is a doll clothes capsule?

The idea of a wardrobe capsule for people has been around for a while. If you search for wardrobe capsule on Pinterest and select summer capsule you get something like this:

If you search on Google and select for wardrobe capsule 2021 and click images you get something like this:

You find collections of clothes divided into types of garments and coordinating colours so you can mix and match and create lots of different outfits.

The doll clothes capsule works the same way.

I have used a simple capsule formula that can be repeated so you can build whatever size doll clothes collection you like. You can make separate capsules where only a few items might cross over or you can plan a series of colour coordinated capsules so nearly all the pieces can be mixed and matched.

I have put together a Summer doll clothes capsule based on my simple formula of 3 tops, 2 bottoms, a jacket and a dress. I will also be making an infinity scarf or two and a bag or two to go with it.

I have gotten my inspiration from a fashion vlogger on youtube.

I'll be using the free gathered skirt that has the sewn on elastic casing band and the free tank top pattern.

I decided to use the shirt that has the roll tab sleeves as my third top because I think it will also work nicely as a second jacket and look great layered over the other tops or the dress.

I am offering each garment as a separate pattern so you can just buy what interests you. 

I thought it might be useful to also offer them as a Summer collection so it takes some of the planning out of the creative process. You will find these designs and the combined collection inside the Summer Capsule section in my Etsy shop during Summer 2021.

Summer dress

Summer gathered shorts - still to be published

Summer Strappy top

Summer Tank top - 

free when you get the newsletter

Gathered skirt with a sewn on band - 

free pattern and instructions when you get the newsletter or see instructions on my blog here.

Summer cardigan

1806 Open neck blouse 

(extra layer plus extra top)

I am offering each garment as a separate pattern so you can just buy what interests you. 

I thought it might be useful to also offer them as a Summer collection so it takes some of the planning out of the creative process. You will find these designs and the combined collection inside the Summer Capsule section in my Etsy shop during Summer 2021.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

Doll Clothes Sewing Tips - Bias back neck facing

There is always the opportunity to improve your doll dressmaking skills by looking at how others put the designs together. 

I am so grateful for the many doll dressmakers who post on blogs and on you tube and Facebook about their sewing experiences with doll clothes.

Many times I have thought "What an obvious method, how could I not have seen that?".

So in that spirit I am sharing a simple way to neaten the collar seam on a button down doll blouse.

For years I have resisted this method because I had an unfounded dislike of additional sewing or cutting out of pieces.

The couture appearance of this finish far out weighs the extra few minutes to set it up and I have no explanation to why I have left it so long to use this seam neatening method.

So, what is the finished result? Here are some shirts I made for my Summer doll clothes capsule. 1806 is a perfect second layer for the Summer clothes capsule.

And what do you need to do to get that finish?

About 4 1/2" of bias strip 1 1/8" wide.

Quite simply, you sew on the collar as instructed then you cut a 1 1/8" wide bias strip that extends about 1/2" into the front facings on each side. Fold the strip in half and press it. Centre it on the collar so the raw edges match the raw edges of the neck seam. Stitch it in place and trim the seam. Press it down over the seam allowance and stitch it down.

All this takes about 5 mins.

I haven't tried this folded bias strip on a round neck blouse yet but that is something I will do when I republish my round neck blouse pattern. At present I am redoing the Open Neck Blouse pattern to include the instructions for the bias facing. Look out for the New! version on Etsy.

You can download the instruction page on creating a bias facing with a collar from my Dropbox.

If you are signed up for my newsletter you can also access it as no.20 in the Newsletter Patterns folder.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

3 tips for sewing doll knits

I love sewing with knits. The garments always turn out like miniatures of people clothes rather than just doll clothes. Probably because they usually mimic the same styles as people clothes like t-shirts, sweaters and cardigans.

There is no need to worry about getting your knits to behave while you are sewing. I can count on one hand the number of times the needle plate has eaten the knit and I have have made a lot of knit doll clothes.

I don't even change the needle to a stretch needle unless I am sewing lycra that stretches in all directions. 

There are some simple ways to get your knits to behave. 

• I sew with a a very narrow zigzag that fits in the needle hole of my 1/4" foot. This is just enough to stop the knit wrinkling a lot or getting stuck in the needle plate.

• Press the hems and band seams as you go to make any waves flatten out.

• Folded bands can be controlled by pinning the raw edges together every inch or so. You then gently stretch it as you fit it to the front and pin it in place with the pins already in it.

Here is a video of how I do my neck bands for all my knits. You just have to make sure the length of the band fits the garment edge when being firmly stretch.

It is also important to choose your knits carefully. If you are using people t-shirts you will find that not all t-shirts are made from t-shirt double-knit. You can read more about choosing knits here.

You can find this t-shirt pattern in my Etsy Shop

1874 T-Shirt for boy dolls

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

The 18" Doll Comfy Cardy for a must have outer layer

Easy to sew knit design

If you think you would like to have a go at making a knit garment for your doll then this loose fitting cardigan is perfect for you.

The easy fit means you don't have to worry about getting your seams perfect.

Using double knit T-shirt knit makes finishing seams unnecessary.

The option of using fleecy track suit knit make sewing even easier than T-shirt knit.

The thicker knit needs a wider neck band to keep the proportions looking good. The regular and wider versions of the neck band are included on the neck band pattern piece.

Available now on Etsy

Once you get your confidence you can try this more fitted design. You can read more about this one in this blog post.

Buttonholes

I probably would try to do button holes on the T-shirt knit but the thicker knit was sturdy enough to handle the button holes. I did these ones after sewing on the band but I think it might also work doing them before sewing on the band. This section of the band is not stretched very much so you can pin it in place to work out where your button holes will go then take the band off and do the button holes. I'm thinking of trying this method because the neck band seam is quite bulky and affects the button hole foot.

Forgiving design for more challenging knits

If you want to try some more challenging knits (the ones that unravel when stretched) this is the perfect pattern to use. You can stitch generous 1/4" seams to catch all the knit stitches and the cardigan will still fit and look great.

I made this cream cardigan with a soft single knit. Because it runs easily and is quite soft and stretchy I decided not to attempt buttonholes but I do have some nice brown buttons that I will add one day. I will sew them to the doll's left side for a girl closure.

Part of a Summer doll clothes capsule

This loose cardy is part of my Summer doll clothes capsule for 2021. The dress is also part of the capsule.

You can read more about the dress in this blog post

You will find both the dress and the cardigan in my Etsy shop.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

Classic garments are a must for any doll clothes collection - 18" doll cardigan ideas to get that cute knit look

Now don't block me out when I mention sewing knits!

T-shirt knit is easy to use and it can also be used to make the bands so you don't have to worry about ribbing.

I have added a module to the 1801 Classic knits collection.

This Classic Cardigan is such a fabulous addition to any doll clothes collection.

You can make it from t-shirt knit but I like to use pieces from people cardigans to get a beautiful rib affect on the sleeves and of course the knit from a people cardigan gives the doll cardigan a more miniature cardigan feel rather than just being doll clothes.

Here are a few examples done in different knits.

This first one is made from an old cardigan of mine

The sleeve bands are strips I cut from the bottom band so I could use the hem edge and sewed it in place for the ribbing on the sleeves and around the bottom edge and the neck of my doll cardigan.

This next one I made from regular ribbing. The body, the sleeve bands and the front band are all made from the same ribbing. The bottom edge is hemmed.

This one was made from the largest size of a child's cardigan.

The neck band is made from lengthwise strip of the knit sewn to the inside then folded around the seam allowance and stitch1/4" from the fold. I then carefully trimmed close to the stitching to give a neat band.

The back, front and sleeves fit on one sleeve of the child's cardigan. I used the ribbing on the sleeve as the end of my sleeves.

This one I made from a striped T-shirt if mine. I used navy ribbing folded in half and stitched

right sides together. Then I folded the seam allowance to the inside and top stitched on the outside. It has hemmed sleeves.

The cardigan is one of those perfect pieces for any season. I like to use it as my jacket option when creating seasonal doll clothes capsules.

If you have several dolls with different colouring I suggest 2 cardigans in light colours and you can pair them with other light colours for the blonde pale dolls and with stronger contrasting colours for the dolls with darker hair.

You can read more about making doll clothes capsules in this blog post.

I like to offer those on my mailing list some pattern discounts and free patterns.

Last month I added the free tank top to the Newsletter pattern folder. With the tank top and the Classic Cardigan you are well on the way to building a Summer doll clothes capsule. The one above is comprised of the free infinity scarf, the free chiffon skirt and the free tank top.

You can get the cardigan from my Etsy shop as 1801 Module 3 Cardigan

Join my mailing list for the monthly newsletter and immediate access to the Free Newsletter Pattern Folder on Dropbox.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

Start your new creative endeavour with some of my free patterns for 18" dolls

So why do I publish free patterns?

Mainly because I like to give something to you that has been made with passion and creativity.

Other reasons are:

That some designs are just so simple for me to put together that I don't think it is right to charge for them, or

Some of my wonderful customers have been buying from me for many years and I just like to give them patterns.

Way back when I started designing and selling my patterns I wrote a bit of a manifesto in my About Page on my blog. The doll clothes concept was all about using lots of nice fabrics and satisfying my passion for design. The Sales concept was all about creating the sorts of patterns that I would like to buy and make them great value.

Over the years my prices have increased a little and I have also added some higher priced items to my shop but I still keep a wide range of classic and fun patterns around $5AUD and less because I haven't lost site of why I started designing and sharing them in the first place.

My free patterns are just the same as my paid patterns. They have some photos, step by step instructions with diagrams, full sized computer drawn pattern pieces and usually a file folder page and an envelope.

Just because they are free doesn't mean they have zero value. I create them with the same care for formatting and fit that I approach the paid patterns.

1804 Dress $10.25AUD

Free Hobo Bag

There are lots of ways to use the free patterns. I love making doll clothes capsules with several garments.

This little outfit is made from the free infinity scarf, the free tank top and the free chiffon skirt.

Nos 2, 12 and 15 in the Newsletter folder

If you would like to get instant access to the free Newsletter patterns folder then just click here to add your email to the list.

If you are not into mailing lists then I have been publishing the free patterns on Etsy for just $1.25AUD

There are several up there and I am adding more.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

Start with a summer dress for your 18" doll

You can start with a summer dress but no doll is going to look her best unless she has a perfectly curated series of outfits.

Mix and match just 5 pieces to create 5 different outfits. Add the cardigan and you get 5 more new looks.

Let's Start with the dress.

You are going to love how easy this design is to put together.

No buttons or closures to fiddle with. Just simple 1/4" elastic in the straps and the back.

No need to worry about the fit if your doll is a bit pudgy. The elastic in the back and the high waist skim right over the doll's tummy.

It will look great on your Our Generation 18' doll, also your 17" baby doll and if you have a 20" girl doll like my Australian Girl Doll you will be pleased to know it looks great on her too.

One pattern, 3 different dolls.

Don't get hung up with this being a summer dress. You can add the cardigan and voila, you have a perfect into Fall outfit.

What about that t-shirt under a strappy dress look? I wish I could get away with that. It looks great on the dolls though.

(Little doll owners may need a bit of help getting the elastic back up over the t-shirt)

You can get this pattern from my Etsy Shop

Happy Doll Dressmaking

Val