Progress report and revisiting the ski pyjamas from 2 years ago.

This sleeveless roll neck top is made using 1801. It is perfect for spring or autumn and looks great under a jacket or coat or cardigan for winter.

I have been working steadily on my E-book. Not settled on the title yet but it will be about creating a 4 season wardrobe for your doll from several patterns. It will include what steps to take for choosing fabrics and colours as well as outfit ideas using all the pieces. I'm really excited about this. I just need to make all the items.
I will probably launch it through my newsletter first and add a special offer. Look out for my first
E-Book in the next few months.

I am also working on the first draft of the school dress collection. This is the first design. It looks pretty cute so far but already I am drafting some changes. The collar needs to be a bit narrower and I didn't quite nail the tuck in the bodice. I will be changing it just a bit.

Over the years I haven't quite managed to get the Australian Girl Doll summer items out at the same time as I publish the American Girl Doll winter items. I tend to just make whatever I feel like. If there is some garment that you have always been wanting to make for either doll just let me know and I will have a go at drafting a pattern.

The ski pyjamas that I blogged about more than 2 years ago still look really cute and are quite easy to make using 1801 and 1813. I have just put together a Fashion File for the ski pyjamas that I will publish as soon as I make another set for photos. The Retail Fashion Files that I publish have all the pattern pieces you need so you don't have to go looking through your pattern collection and you don't have to do any alterations. I do it all for you.

You can check out the DIY blog post here.

Happy Sewing,
Val

How to Sew Doll Clothes - Changing a T-shirt Sleeve into a Cap Sleeve.

In the studio Jennifer is trying on her cap sleeve crop top (from doll clothes pattern 1801)

Sometimes it is quite easy to modify your American girl doll clothes patterns. When I created the Collection of Basic Knit Tops for my doll clothes pattern 1801 I included several different sleeve lengths. It was just a matter of working out where the cutting lines should go and drawing in some straight lines.
Of course it is much better if the pattern comes with the lines in the right place so you can get it right first time.

When I started designing doll clothes patterns I wanted to include as many simple drafting variations as possible. Now that I have worked out the best lengths for different sleeves it is easy to include sleeve length variations in all my patterns. I really like the no hem cap sleeve I have used in the Collection of Basic Knit Tops. You can make it yourself from any basic knit sleeve.

How to modify the sleeve of your doll clothes pattern

Print out an extra sleeve piece. Create a cap sleeve from your regular sleeve.

Cut it off with a side seam of just 1/2".

Cut the new sleeve on the fold.

Keep the sleeve folded and the raw edges together at the sleeve head

I love making lots of modifications to my patterns that can be done easily by you. When I think something up I write a tutorial and create a Fashion File that you can download. Just click on Fashion Files in my Labels list in the right side bar to find all my Fashion Files. The Fashion Files are easily applied to my doll clothes patterns but I suppose you could use some of them with other patterns.

Fashion File 5 is one of my favourites.

Happy Sewing,

Val

How To Make Ski Pyjamas for your American Girl Doll

I love creating new doll clothes from the patterns I have. You can save buying lots of new patterns if you want to have a go. 

If making changes to patterns is not your thing you can buy the pattern for these cute ski pyjamas in my Etsy shop. 

I bought a winter nightie from the children's department of K-mart and made my latest version of the ski pyjamas. These ones I made with the new pattern.

You can get the pattern in my Etsy shop

Winter Pyjamas

This is one of the patterns from past months of the VIP Membership 

The pink ski pyjamas are made from a pattern for gathered pull-on trousers and a long sleeve t-shirt pattern. 

You can use this turtleneck pattern from my shop

1801 Module 2

and this trousers pattern

1813 Gathered Pull-ons

I describe what I did to create the ski pyjamas from these 2 patterns.

While drafting new patterns from my basic slopers I find myself thinking about outfits I could make with hardly any changes to the pieces in patterns I have already published.

Sometimes they just need a few tweeks like making a piece shorter or narrower. I have been experimenting a fair bit with ribbing bands and have found that the look of a garment depends so much on getting the bands the right width and tightness.

Here I have have made some cute ski pyjamas for my doll using my T-shirt pattern 1801 Classic Knit Tops and my pull on pants pattern 1813 Gathered Pull-ons.

Top

Using pieces 1, 2 and 4 from 1801 Module 2 and the bands listed below.

Bands:

• Neck band is 1” x 7 1/2”
• Cuff at wrist is 1 1/2” x 4”
• Waist band is 2” x 13 1/2”

Stitch all the seams with a narrow zig zag stitch.

Stitch the shoulder seams.

Put on the neck band.

Put the cuffs on the sleeves.

Put in the sleeves.

Stitch the side seams.

Add the bottom band. Make sure 13 1/2” gives you the right amount of stretch. It depends on your particular ribbing how long you need to make it. You want it to gather up the bodice a bit after you sew it and it tends to all stretch a bit a s you sew. It is probably better to over stretch a bit than to under stretch. Also, the beauty of stitching with just a zig zag rather than a serger means you can unpick to adjust the band if you don’t like the way it sits.

Match the centre of band and bodice.

 I decided to take off another 1/4” at each end making it 13” altogether.

Stretch the band. Hold it with one hand and pin it with the other

This shows how my ribbing just gathers the bodice a bit.

Top stitch close to the seam. I use the little notch in my machine foot to keep it even 1/16" from the seam.

Fold the back facing in 1/2” and stitch in pace.

Add 3 velcro patches to the back.

Pants

Using pieces for the boxer shorts view 4 from 1813 Gathered Pull-ons

• Cuff at ankle is 2” x 4 1/2”

With your boxer pieces taped together.

Fold up the hemline to the short longs length.

Measure 1 1/2” from the join to one side and rule a line down.

Crease along this line then fold it to the join line to make a pleat. Pin the pleat in place.

This makes the PJ pants tighter than boxers but not as tight as leggings.

Cut out two of these narrower pieces. Remember to put a pin on the back edge of each piece.

Put the cuffs on the ankles.

Stitch the inseam of each leg.

Put one leg inside the other so they are right sides together. Stitch the crotch seam from the front to just past the inseam.

If you are using 1/2” elastic fold the casing over 3/4” and stitch close to the edge first then again 1/8” from the fold. 

I didn't overlock the edge this time. I think I like the overlocked edge more, because it adds some firmness to the casing.

Insert the elastic with a safety pin. Stitch across each end. Finish the back seam.

If you are using 1/4” elastic trim off the waist edge by 5/8” first. Fold the casing over a 1/2”. I used 1/4" elastic this time.

Put the legs inside each other again and finish the back seam. Stitch across the open seam to hold it flat at the waist.

You can download a text mainly PDF of this tutorial here. Print it out and keep it with your pattern pieces.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,

Val

Maxi Dress: Fashion File 14 American Girl Doll Clothes

I have lots of knit fabrics to play with now so I started to look at what I could make with my knitfit patterns.

I quickly made up this maxi dress using the tank top pattern pieces from 1801 Knitfit Lucy Classic Skivvy.

I placed them on a double layer of fabric with the front on the fold, with the hems level and the pieces abut 2” apart. I measured 14” from the shoulder and cut straight across for the hem. 

Cut the sides adding just a tiny bit more slope to the side seam angle.

Cut out the rest.

I knew that  1806 Snugfit Elaine Open Neck Blouse had a piece that shaped in at the waist so I used that to shape the waist in the right place on the maxi.

Using a narrow zig zag stitch and stretch needle stitch the shoulder seams. Turn under 1/4” hem on the neck and arm holes. Stitch with a narrow zig zag. Matching thread in the bobbin.

Stitch the side seams with a narrow zig zag.

Turn up a 3/8” hem. I overlocked the hem edge first.

Turn in the back facing and stitch down with  a straight stitch.

Add velcro patches down the back. Three patches set a bit further apart than for a blouse so her bottom doesn’t show in back.

I thought it looked a bit plain so I stitch a little bit of 1/8” elastic down the front to give it some definition.

If you have a free tank top pattern from somewhere you could probably make it into a maxi dress like this. If you purchase my pattern for $2.50 on CRAFTSY or ETSY you get the skivvy/rollneck sweater, the high neck, the t-shirt crew neck the tank top and the crop top as well as long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, short sleeves and cap sleeves. Using Fashion File 12 you can also make a cardigan and using Fashion File 13 you can make a plain hemmed t-shirt.

If you like the look of the red cardigan worn with the maxi dress keep an eye out for the Fashion File on how to make a waterfall cardigan from the skivvy pattern pieces. I just have to get the bottom hem right before I publish it. It is just a matter of drawing two angled lines on the bodice front. So easy. 

By all means pin a picture from this post so you can find it later. It also helps others find my great patterns and design ideas.

Better still, download the fashion file as a PDF and file it with your other doll clothes patterns. I have kept it really short and sweet so it can also be printed out if you prefer to keep it in your hard copy pattern folder. I have included a link to my blog in the PDF so you can find this post again for more details.

Download Fashion File 14

Happy Sewing,

Val

Fashion File 13 A Plain T-shirt

If you have my pattern 1801 Knitfit Lucy Classic Skivvy you can easily make this simple plain t-shirt.

Very versatile for layering or teaming with a skirt or jeans or leggings.

There are so many ways to make a t-shirt and you can nearly make them all with pattern 1801.

Fashion File 13 is the Plain T-shirt. It has hems instead of bands.

You can download it now. It is a one page PDF file with text and two small photos. Print it out and put in with your 1801 pattern pieces. Use the labels on the side bar to find other fashion files.
Find my patterns on Etsy. Just $2.50 USD.

Happy Sewing,

Val