Make a Christmas Stocking for your Doll

Deck the Halls or Trim the Tree

Grab a free Christmas Stocking Pattern for your doll this Christmas.

It is such fun at this time of the year to create cute accessories for our dolls.

Easy to make with felt

No fraying to worry about and no bulky seams to turn.

Just cut out the pieces and stitch them together.

6 Steps to a cute Stocking

For the heart window design

1. Cut out the heart window
2. Pin and stitch the fabric behind the window
3. Stitch the stocking top on the front stocking
4. Pin the two stocking pieces together with a ribbon loop in between
5. Stitch the top of the stocking together
6. Stitch the bottom of the stocking together.

2 different styles

• View 1 has the little heart window to showcase some Christmas characters or pretty fabric.
• View 2 uses scrap lengths of ribbon for a festive affect.

Ribbon Stocking from my sewing blog

I adapted the ribbon method to decorate my stocking. 

You can use pinking shears to cut out the felt pieces for a nice affect as well as add bows or beads.

It is also easy to make fusible applique motives from decorative fabrics to iron on when your stocking is finished. Just remember to place a cloth over the felt when you use the iron.

Check out my sewing blog post from 2014. 

I made my tree decorations sealed at the top with a bit of plastic filling to give it some weight. You can use rice too.

Free download. Just Print, Sew, Play

Because my next newsletter will be a bit close to Christmas I have posted this design on my blog. I only discovered the stocking on the sewing blog last week when I was looking for some Christmas ideas.

Normally I put my freebies in the Newsletter so make sure you sign up. The form is at the top in the side bar.

I am working on a cute little hobo bag making the instructions and pattern fit my image. It will make a perfect little holiday kids project and only takes a short time to make. The pattern and instructions for the bag will be in my next newsletter out on Friday 22nd December. You may even have time to make it as a Christmas present for your doll.

There are two files for the stocking design:

StockingPatternDec2017

StockingPictorialDec2017

Happy sewing and crafting,

Val

A New Design: 1850 / 2050 Godette Skirt

This new doll clothes pattern is for an elastic waist godette skirt that will fit both the American Girl dolls and the Australian Girl dolls.
This very cute skirt pattern also includes a very cute headband pattern as a bonus.

Once you have cut out the fabric use one of the pattern pieces to mark the dots on each godette inset. I found this was easy if I cut a little hole where the dot is on one of the pattern pieces.
Do the same for each panel piece.

I set my machine to do the merest hint of a zig zag. I even keep my 1/4" foot on. The stitch is not quite 1mm or 1 on my dial. I find this seems to feed the knit better than using straight stitch and I don't have to use the zig zag foot.

Stitch one side of the godette insert to one panel. Stitch the other side of the godette insert to the next panel.

Finally stitch the top part of the two panels together.

Press the seams open. Continue around the skirt to make a complete circle.

The knit fabric doesn't need the seams finished in any way. I didn't do anything with the woven fabric seams either but I would think pinking the edges after stitching would be fine.

Don't be afraid of knits. I got a little pleat because the top layer stretches a bit as you sew.

Who's going to see it once the dress is on the doll?

You can make the skirt a bit shorter by cutting off the seam allowance from the waist edge of the panel pattern piece before cutting out your fabric. The green skirt is the original length. The pink skirt is a 1/4" shorter.

Believe it or not this waistband is some patchwork woven cotton that almost perfectly matches my knit fabric. You can't use the knit fabric for the waistband. Trust me I have tried, more than once, and it just makes a globby stretchy mess.

Look for pattern #1850 / 2050 in my Etsy Shop. 

Happy Sewing,

Val

Snugfit Martha Doll Pull-on Pants almost done and Free Doll Stationery

I have decided that I won't try to finish the instructions for Snugfit Martha before I go away. I don't want to rush it and I don't want to make it a chore. After a week visiting my mum with only my phone for contact to the outside world I will come back and publish the pattern.

I just can't help myself as I make the patterns. I keep thinking of new ways to use the pattern. I had to stop at 5 variations this time though I have got a plain pair of slightly longer long pants on the cutting table. My first sample looks fine but is a 1/2" short for long pants. I have included the short longs and the long longs in the pattern.

So, after the play shorts and the play shorts with cuffs and the knee shorts I have the capri pants and the short longs to show off. The totes I have used as props are made from my Applique Tote Pattern. One of my first patterns and still in the old format so still at $1.50 US at the moment.

Since deciding to put off the shorts publication I have just been playing on the computer. I have made some doll school notebooks. You can download these for free from my Craftsy Shop. If you are not already signed up with Craftsy please go through my affiliate link on the top right - the photography class banner. It is still free for you to sign up but I get a small commission for bringing new members.

Happy Sewing and Paper Crafting,
Val

Brand New Doll

I was so surprised to get my doll parcel today. I didn't realise it was coming express.

Here she is wearing the new Snugfit Martha Flat Front Shorts. Look out for the pattern in my Craftsy shop soon.

Apart from drawing up the knee shorts and capris and long trousers to go with the shorts I have been playing at making doll sized stationery. I read up about paper sizes and have created A4 pages to scale and US Letter pages to scale for the doll.
I bought a commercial license to use all the gorgeous scrapbooking artwork at Pixel Scrapper. You have to register (for free) and they offer lots of great free scrapbooking elements. The personal use licence is only $10 US a month and there is just so much to choose from. I have used some of my downloads to make my doll booklet.
It still doesn't have a cover, but it is going to look so cute. Look out for it as a free download soon.

When I put the cover on you won't see those white edges.

Happy Sewing,
Val

Free Doll Size Pattern Envelopes for American Girl Dolls

I make these envelopes to go with my patterns. I include a normal size envelope to cut out and make to keep your pattern pieces safe and there is an identical doll sized pattern envelope.
You can make some little tissue paper pattern pieces and have a sewing corner in your doll house.

You can follow my Doll Designs blog by email or Click here to go and like my Facebook Page.
Visit my Craftsy Shop for my patterns.
Great Price. Perfect Fit. Easy to Read. Innovative.

I am busy adding to the pattern collections. Even with the small number of patterns I have available you can start to build your own designs. Soon you will be able to choose the sleeve style, neckline, collar shape, skirt shape or bodice shape and combine them to make your own designs.

Here are six doll sized envelopes to download. You cut them out, fold them and sticky tape along the side.

Doll sized pattern envelopes Page 1
Doll sized pattern envelopes Page 2

Happy Sewing,
Val