How to make doll quilts Part 1

Easy patchwork doll quilt

Before I started designing doll clothes I did quite a lot of patchwork and quilting. I have a lot of patchwork fabrics that are not really suitable for doll clothes so I plan to get some of them out and make doll quilts.
I have started a Pinterest Board to save bed styling ideas that I like. I think the pillows and cushions are an essential part of the whole doll bed thing.
The number of patchwork ideas available for doll quilts is pretty much never ending but I do like the simple squares like the one from the American Doll Quilts book below.

This quilt book shows you how to make some of the quilts children might have made in the 1800s
https://www.shopmartingale.com/american-doll-quilts-ebook.html

Here is one of the quilts from the book. Those fabrics are beautiful.

If you have plenty of hours and you like patchwork and quilting you should spend some time browsing the boards at martingale
https://www.pinterest.com.au/shopmartingale/boards/

The history of doll quilts in America is a whole subject. 

Since sewing was an essential task for women in the 1800s girls were taught to sew from a very early age. Often the first practice piece would be a small quilt for their doll.
In the pioneer era quilting became very popular because of the rise of the textile industry and the availability of inexpensive fabrics.
Many of the quilts from that era are gone because they would have been used until they wore out.
You can read more in this article:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/resources/article-15.html

Until I started researching for this blog post I didn't realise there were actually career opportunities for quilt historians. Around the 1970s women started to take an interest in the women and quilts of historical times and it has grown from there.

Quilt Historians
You can find out more about the quilt historians in this article:
http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/Getting_to_Know_Today's_Quilt_Historians.html

"Today quilt history is a broad and recognized field of professional and personal study and enjoyment. "

Doll quilt designs
You will find lots here on Pinterest
I would love to make a few of these. Look out for the plans on my blog.
Coming up soon I will go through the steps to make my first contemporary quilt. Like this one.

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/575897871098721266/

Make sure you sign into dolldressmaking.teachable.com to have access to my free library and my newsletter.

Get the free plan for a quilt with little squares on Teachable 
(the photo tutorial will go up soon)

Look out for my Doll Dressmaking courses coming up for sale on Teachable in 2019.

Happy Sewing and Doll Dressmaking,
Val

How to Sew Doll Clothes: 18" Bed Sheets

It is so quick and easy to make sheets, a pillow, a pillow slip and a blanket.
I am always testing new patterns and trying the best ways to organise and set goals. This leads to lots of free things in my Newsletter that I don't publish any where else for free. Just fill out the form in the side bar.

For the sheets you need 2 pieces of polycotton plain or print 22" x 26". If you buy 42" wide fabric (110cm) you will need 26" plus a 7" strip for the pillow slip. So that is 33" or about 85cm.

For the contrast strip on the sheet you need a strip 2/1/2" x 22"

Pin the right side of the the strip to the wrong side of the sheet.

Pin the right side of the the strip to the wrong side of the sheet.

Set the seam and press the strip up then press it to the right side of the sheet.

Set the seam and press the strip up then press it to the right side of the sheet.

Open it out and press over 1/4" on the raw edge.

Open it out and press over 1/4" on the raw edge.

Fold it back to the right side and stitch the free edge down.
You can add piping before sewing. Add ribbon or lace after sewing.

Fold it back to the right side and stitch the free edge down.

Press over 1/4" all the way around the 3 raw edges. Then go around again making a double fold hem edge.

Press over 1/4" all the way around the 3 raw edges. Then go around again making a double fold hem edge.

Stitch all the way around with matching thread in the bobbin and needle.

Stitch all the way around with matching thread in the bobbin and needle.

If you like making things for your dolls hop on my mailing list so you won't miss out.

Yes please!

I made two sheets and put a different contrast on each one. I will make a second pillow slip and a more generic blanket that will go with both contrast strips. Though I do like the matching back for the blanket.

I got my pillow, pillow slip and blanket tutorials form HERE. I made 1 small adjustment to the blanket to make sure it fitted over the doll's body nicely. I made the blanket 18" x 24" instead of 22".

Don't get mixed up with which way each goes. The sheets are longest from head to toe. The blanket is longest across the bed.

Happy Sewing and Crafting,

Val

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P.P.S. The bed is my $20 Ikea bed.