The 50s L-seam petticoat pattern for 18” dolls

I love to design and when I started designing petticoats I just kept going. After 5 designs, including the drafting, the sewing and the instruction writing I decided it was time to get back to some dresses. I wouldn't expect you to make all 5 petticoats at once but making a dress and a petticoat at the same time is an easy way to create a beautiful outfit.
You will also find some panties patterns in the pattern library that are easy to make as well.

It's always fun to complete an outfit with underwear and there is no need to use the same old petticoat pattern for every dress you make. I created this petticoat collection to showcase some of the best designs from different eras so you can choose the perfect design to suit the dress you have made.

The 50s L seam petticoat

• Perfect fit for dolls like American Girl Doll or Our Generation Dolls

Don't you hate it when a pattern doesn't fit your doll!

When I create patterns I include enough ease to help them fit a range of doll tummies. This petticoat just fits my vintage Kit with a waist of 11", yet it still looks good on the slimmer dolls. The tapered waist on the bodice pattern pieces make it easy to adjust the waist by just straightening out the side edge before you cut out.

• Full step by step instructions

Do you like instructions that are made for printing out?

Do you like the idea of minimal pages with clear neat diagrams?

Your instruction pages consist of line diagrams with some shading and easy to read 12pt text. This makes them perfect for printing out.

The diagrams clearly depict each step and you will find the right side of the fabric lightly shaded and the linings marked with a simple hash mark to make it obvious what you are looking at. Since the diagrams can be smaller than photos and still show the details, patterns written by me rarely have more than 8 pages.

The clarity of the diagrams and the size of the text make the instruction pages perfect for making into 1/2 page booklets using the booklet button in Adobe Reader.

You can read more about this petticoat and more photos in this blog post

These petticoats will be added to the newsletter pattern vault for subscribers.

See the signup box at the top of the blog.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,
Val

Doll clothes pattern vintage petticoat design to fit American Girl dolls

This little girls' vintage petticoat design from the 50s era is perfect for dolls. I love the flat front panel and gathered side skirts. Without much more effort than a regular gathered skirt petticoat you can create this beautiful petticoat with stand out design features.

You can also make it without the ruffle. Just extend the hemline.

If you intend to sew this one I have written up some details that may be helpful.

Batiste
The best fabric for underwear is batiste. It is a moderately lose weave fabric that has a nice crisp feel to it. The slight stiffness is perfect for holding out dress skirts.

Polycotton
Another fabric I used was polycotton. This closely woven fabric is a bit softer and thinner than quilters 100% cotton and still fits under the dresses I make using my 1804 pattern.
I have started putting a 3/4" facing allowance on my designs so you can easily finish the egde as you please. I have done a single fold hem on this one.

Synthetic Lining
I had some synthetic lining fabric that I thought might be good. It is thin yet still has some body to it. Unfortunately it tends to fray easily and makes a fluffy ball of threads in seconds if you handle it a lot like when you are gathering the ruffle.

If I was to use this fabric again I would overlock the edge and pull up the overlocker thread to gather. You can see where the trim is that it is starting to fray.

I also tried zig zagging over a thin cord but found that the edge got messy as I stitched and I had to move further in than the 1/4" seam allowance. So if you want to zig zag over cord to gather the ruffle for this fabric you will need a wider seam allowance.

Adding trim to the ruffle
Because the ruffle edge is straight you will need to finish the edge to stop it fraying either before you sew on the trim or as you sew on the trim.
Some flat laces could be overlocked on. For other trims it is best to use pinking shears and just shave off the very edge so you don't reduce the seam allowance.

Trim at the neck and arm holes
The stretchiness of the gathered lace trim allowed the hem to turn smoothly. However, whenI used the rick rack I had to put a few snips at the tightest section of the curves to help it lie flat.
The raw edge on the garment and the snipping is not a problem because the curved edges of the neck and arm holes resist fraying.

The rick rack I used measures 1/4" from the crest to the trough so it just fits nicely on my 1/4" seam allowance leaving the little bumps to show when I turn it in.

Length
The length of my pattern finishes about 1/2" above the just on the knee skirt length for dresses I make with my 1804 pattern.
I haven't tried making it shorter or longer but my educated suggestion is that to make it longer you should lengthen the body section by just adding to the bottom edge. You will then have to lengthen the side skirt pattern piece by the same amount. Just make sure you lengthen the hem edge not the side edge. I have labelled the waist edge and the side edge on the pattern pieces.

Fit and resizing

Vintage AGD: I have found that this petticoat fits my plumper vintage Kit Kitridge doll without any changes and the 1804 dress goes over it also without any changes.

 

Our Generation Doll: If you just have an Our Generation Doll you can make a permanent change to the back facing by folding it in 1" and trimming it back to 1/2" when you hem the raw edge.

Both AGD and OGD: If you want the petticoat or 1804 dress to fit both OGD and AGD you can put a wider velcro patch for the hooks only, then you can pull it across further on the thinner OGD.

Australian Girl Doll: I have tried my AGD petticoat on the Australian Girl Doll and even though I haven't included fitting for the Australian Girl Doll you should be able to make a lovely petticoat for her by just adding 3/4" to the bottom of the main pieces and the side skirts so it is longer. This will make it about 1/2" shorter than the 2004 dress pattern. I will probably do up pattern pieces with the extra length soon so if you want Australian Girl pattern pieces you can convo me through your receipt or email valspierssews at gmail dot com with an image of the title page for the free version. Just give a a week or two to sew up one first.

Closure
As with nearly all my garments I have used velcro patches for closure. They don'y get in such a  muddle as the long strips do yet they seam to hold just as well for dressing. I have used my coloured velcro that I got from Allie Express. I cut off a piece just wide enough to fit on the facing.

I hope you enjoy this design. I have a dress or two planned using the same flat front panel design.

Look out for the petticoats as a collection in 2019. Sign up for my newsletter so you will always be kept up to date.

This petticoat is the second in a series of 5 that I am giving away for free in my newsletter.

Happy Sewing and Dress Making
Val

Free Petticoat pattern for 18" dolls and 14" dolls

Since making some petticoats and adding them under my doll dresses I must say the outfits look much prettier. The skirts stand out nicely and look just great.

Being a practical person I am a fan of the half petticoat. 

Full petticoats are more difficult to fit under a dress. It is surprising how much ease disappears from the dress when you put a petticoat under it.

Full petticoats need to be made from special fabric like lawn or batiste so they are not too bulky.

The half petticoat can be swapped on and off without taking the dress off.

It can also be adjusted for length slightly just by moving it up and down the dolls body.

Why my petticoat pattern is worth having!

So you have seen the preview and you're thinking that petticoat looks pretty simple. It should be free. I could make that with one hand behind my back.

Yes, the design concept is simple. Just like a dress but the bodice is cut off.

What makes my pattern worth having is the fact that it takes the guess work out of your sewing.

By getting the pattern you can gayly make petticoats from your nice fabrics and be 99% sure that it will fit and look great. ( I can't control all the variables)

With this pattern you get step by step instructions for a method that works.

No need to think about making it work for the dress patterns you already have. Just line up your dress skirt with the petticoat skirt page before cutting out the petticoat skirt pattern pieces and you can adjust the length easily.  (The waist line of this petticoat sits about 1/4" above the doll label at the narrowest part of the waist)

Here I am using the knee length skirt for the waist level dress in 1804.

There is no need to experiment with strap lengths or skirt fullness. You can see what it will look like from my samples.

This is the knee length high waist dress from 1804. My waist style petticoat with the knee length skirt fits under perfectly.

I have 5 years experience making doll clothes and though I don't know it all yet I can help ease some of the pain when you need to get a cute outfit done fast. You have a much greater chance to "get it right the first time" if you follow a patten.

Happy Sewing,
Val

Doll Clothes Petticoat Pattern with a 50s Look and Some Life Philosophy.

I love designing and one way to share my designs with as many doll dressmakers as possible is to offer them for free sometimes.

My next newsletter is due out in early November 2018 and if you are on my mailing list or join up before I send out the November newsletter you will be able to download the 50s petticoat pattern for free.
It only comes out in this one newsletter. You will not see this pattern for free any where else or at any other time. You must be subscribed to the newsletter before it comes out.

There is no link to the free petticoat pattern on this blog post. If you would like this petticoat pattern for free you   need to be signed up for my newsletter   before November 9th 2018.

The design has princess seams on the bodice. The bodice is shaped in the front and straight across the back and there are ribbon straps.

The skirt is a circle skirt made up of 4 quarter circles. The waist points down in the front and the garment opens all the way down the back with a 1/2" overlap for closure.

This petticoat bodice is lined so if you want the lace trim to stand up properly after stitching the bodice to the lining you will need to fold the ends of the lace at a right angle so it is not caught in the back seam. I will go into more detail on this in my Facebook Group this month. You can Join Here

I used the pattern from Underwear No. 5 to start developing this design. I used the same back pieces and changed the front. I already had some work done on the pointed front with another design but adding the point is very simple. For the skirt you just echo the point for the front skirt.
So if it is so simple to make a new design why do people buy my patterns? The main reason is that doll dressmakers want to make one garment and use their best fabric.

This pink petticoat is my first draft. There are a couple of things I am going to change to make it even better. This is my prototype.
What needs work?

• The front points need to be a bit higher. I have tried to pull it up a bit in front for this photo so you can see it has some wrinkles. I couldn't believe how amazingly better it looked when I raised the bodice by 1/4".
• I am going to deepen the point a bit. I have decided on 1/8" lower.
• I'm happy with this length but I had to cut off an inch from the original skirt.
• I only stitched the strap into the front bodice and sewed it on top for the back. I had to do this so I could judge the length of the strap. Now I know the length and the angle I have to cut it in the back so the next version will have the strap enclosed in front and in back.

I am always analysing why I do things. 

Back in June I posted on my Life Blog about how I hoped other people would see me. 

The following thoughts help me know that what I am doing is in alignment with my life values. I have quite a list of values that are important to me. For example, I strive to be creative, honest, passionate, generous and sincere and self-confident. It is quite empowering to have such strong guidelines. It makes life and business decisions much easier.

A bit of philosophy on why I turned my designing into a business.

I will be making at least two more petticoats while writing and checking the instructions for this design. All my efforts provide value for doll dressmakers. 

• You can be 99% sure the garment will fit and look great. (You should always check the waist of any pattern bodice against your doll first)
• You only have to make one but you won't want to stop at one when you see how versatile each pattern is.
• You can use nice fabric first go.
• You can follow the instructions to get all the steps in the right order. This saves mistakes and unpicking.
• You can be confident the design will look as you expect.

A bit of philosophy on why I do some things for free.

Why am I offering such great designs for free? There are a number of reasons.

• I love helping other doll dressmakers
• I want to spread the word on how great my patterns are.
• I want to promote my newsletter because I love connecting with like minded people.
• I am passionate about designing doll clothes and want to share my skills.
• It helps me grow in self confidence and independence because it helps my business grow.
• All this is part of my grand plan to be happy and successful, share my knowledge and skills and be financially free to continue helping and sharing in all sorts of ways.

I am constantly being inspired by all the wonderful doll dressmakers all over the world. 

I hope you enjoy my patterns.

Cheers,

Val

Free Petticoat Patterns through my Newsletter Valspierssews News

Petticoats are just so sweet. They have a distinctly dolly feel these days because hardly anyone wears petticoats anymore.

The first one in my free collection is a simple vintage looking design.
It is very quick to make.

You can add lots of trims or just a bit. I bought a packet of ready tied bows that are perfect to add to underwear.

I have placed the skirt pieces at the top a the page so you can easily adjust the hem edge before you cut out the pattern pieces. Make pattern pieces for several different dress lengths or customise the length for each dress you make.

Valspierssews dress patterns have just enough ease to fit over the petticoat and still do up.

I have included instructions for two views. One with the finished border edge and one with a lined bodice.

Make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter before 14th August Australian time so you don't miss out. There will be 5 different petticoat patterns. One each month for the rest of this year.

When the second newsletter comes out for that month I will take down the free file and put it in my shop.

You can sign up for my newsletter HERE

Happy Sewing,
Val

Vintage doll clothes petticoat. A 40s design.

The latest in  the Underwear Collection is a cute 40s design. It has curved panels in the front and back and a nice neat flare at the hem.

The instructions are for lace at the neck and armholes but 1/2" bias makes a good facing too.

The hem can be cut at this length or cut up to 1/2" longer. It can be made longer with lace at the hem too if you like. It is perfect for the 20" Australian Girl Doll.

It is also really sweet on the 17" Baby Born doll

It opens all the way down the back and I use velcro patches for ease of dressing.

Batiste is a perfect fabric that is easy to sew and has a nice crisp look about it.

Best of all this petticoat is part of my newsletter offer for October 2018 and will be free to download with the newsletter for a few weeks in October only. Iy then goes into my shop.

Make sure you are signed up for the newsletter. You can click on the link below. There are always great offers.

Join my mailing list today

If you like doll dressmaking you should also join in the discussions on design in my Facebook group.
Click the link to join.

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How to Sew Doll Clothes: Petticoat straps for doll clothes

I am always a bit wary of satin ribbon when I need to secure the ends in a garment.

It tends to fray really easy so you need to allow plenty of overlap into a seam allowance and I like to stitch it more than once in order to secure it and prevent fraying.

When I put the straps in the bodice of my petticoat from Underwear No. 4 view 1 I had a 1/2" extending past the seam line. I cut two straps 5 1/2" long and put little dots a 1/2" in from the ends.

I lined up the dots with the seam line on the bodice where I had my pins to mark the position of the straps and pinned the ends in place.

I then stitched forward, back then forward again to secure the ends in place before adding the lining.
After securing the two fronts of the straps I curved each strap to lie correctly and pinned the back end in place then stitched each back end to secure it.

After enclosing the straps in the lining I trimmed the seam allowance around the bodice but I made sure I didn't cut off the stitching I used to secure the straps originally. This means there are two lots of stitching to prevent fraying of the ribbon if it is played with a lot.

For View 2 which isn't lined I secure the satin ribbon straps by stitching them to the wrong side first then folding the strap up and stitching them again. This also gives me two lots of stitching to keep the ribbon from fraying.

Mark the strap positions on the wrong side.

Place the ribbons right side up if it has different sides. Most satin ribbon is double sided. Make the ends level with the top of the bodice.

Stitch across each end 1/4" in from the end.

Pin the backs of the straps so they will lie flat on the doll and stitch across each end.

Fold the ribbon up and stitch across each end again, close to the top edge.

It is as neat as possible on my very sheer hankie fabric

Add something to cover the ends if you like. I just zig zagged across the bows the same as sewing on buttons.

I preferred my fancy trim for this design.

Happy Sewing,
Val