Doll Clothes Patterns for Sailor Suits now published

I have published two different designs for the sailor suit.

1840 has a modest V, and gathered sleeves with a straight cuff.

1841 has the low V with a dickie insert, a pleat at the cuff and pointed cuffs.

1840 is probably a bit easier to sew. Fitting the dickie and the sleeves is a bit harder in 1841.

Because this is a Snugfit Design you can use the short sleeves from any other Snugfit pattern to change the style. It would also look good with no sleeves.

I have already worked out that I can make a dress using the bodice from 1804 and just cut the V from 1840 into the dress bodice front and use the sailor collar. I plan to make this up next week. I will probably use the short puffed sleeves from 1810 with the cuffs from the 1840 sailor suit.

There are lots of colour variations for the sailor suit too and you can also use the top with 1813 Gathered Pull-ons to make a boy's outfit.

1841 would look cute with knee length shorts and 1840 would look good with bell bottoms.

Both patterns are in my Etsy Shop.

Happy Sewing,
Val

Progress on the Sailor Suit for 18" Doll: First Fitting

I am working on a vintage style sailor suit for both a boy doll and a girl doll. I have started on the boy suit first.

First Fitting

There will not be much difference in the style for the girl but I thought I might gather the sleeve at the shoulder a bit and of course it will have a pleated skirt.

The first fitting for the top has revealed that I need to make the sleeve 1/4" shorter. This means I have to adjust the cuff to make 1/8" narrower. The stripes are going to be very narrow on the cuff and the collar.

I lined the bodice to finish the neck edge neatly but this is a bit of a bother so I might just settle for turning the seam to the inside on a single bodice layer. The collar and scarf will hide any under stitching. The only ribbon I could find was a bit narrow. I think I will be making a little scarf and attaching it under the collar at the shoulders. This top opens at the back.

The collar is looking OK but I might try to make it a bit wider at the front and across the shoulders. I think I will actually keep this collar and include the wider one as an option.

There are lots of variations on the sailor suit but I have settled on these two images as my guide.

One is from this page on the Royal Family. Scroll down a bit to the Duke of Windsor as a child.

The other is a little boy on a Christmas card.

I might make the hem of the top a bit wider. I plan to gather it with some narrow elastic so there is enough to tuck in the shorts and then blouse it over the waist band.

Other options will be a band at the bottom of the top.
I really like this design.

I probably won't include a pattern for the shorts or the skirt. The shorts can be made using the 1813 gathered pull-ons pattern and the skirt will be the same as my free pleated skirt with a yoke.

Happy Sewing,
Val