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Butterick 5729 - Doll Clothes

The fact that I don't sew very much for my younger daughter causes me a bit of guilt.  It shouldn't, but it does.  I don't sew less for her because I like her less, just because she doesn't need new clothes.  She gets all of her sister's hand-me-downs.  Now, someday that will be an issue, but right now she doesn't care.  But, I feel guilty nonetheless.  She really loves baby dolls these days, so in an attempt to assauge some of my guilt, I made this little dress for her (or rather her dolls).

The doll's eyes make it look like I caught her off-guard with the picture.  Yikes.
I nearly abandoned this project twice.  First while finding the pattern pieces.  How in the world can a doll clothes pattern need four full sheets of tissue paper?!? The pattern pieces are tiny!  Well, there are nine different items included in the pattern with very few pieces being used for more than one item.  There are two sizes included - 14-15" doll and 17-18" doll - and each size has it's own pieces.  Finding the pieces I needed took a ridiculously long time.  (I'm having problems with the Butterick site, so no link to the pattern - sorry!)

And then the second time was while finishing the neckline.  The instructions have you finish it with bias tape.  I tried it as instructed, but the tape was way too wide to lay flat without puckering the bodice.  I should have cut a second front and back and used it to line the bodice, but I had already clipped and trimmed the neckline, so there was no going back.  I ended up folding under the bias tape again to make it narrower.  It worked, but could have gone better.  Very putsy stuff just for a doll.


To finish the seams, I stitched a second time in the seam allowance and then trimmed close to that second line of stitching.


I added piping at the waist seam and a band at the hem.  I'm not all that pleased with the sleeve.  They're way too long to be short sleeves.


The bloomers are made from a scrap of white quilting cotton and the dress is same fabric as the shirt I just made.

I'll be entering this in the fair in the "Doll clothes - fabric" category.

The little man's pajamas are almost done.  After that?  I dunno...hmmm....

Comments

  1. Now come on, be honest, did you make it for your daughter, or so you could enter it in the fair? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really cute little doll dress! I have always thought about making doll clothes, but feel the time just isn't worth it for a doll (of course it is really for the little doll owner!). It looks like something from American dolls which would cost $50!

    ReplyDelete
  3. My grandmother used to use scraps to make dresses for my Cabbage Patch Dolls. I had no idea how difficult it was. Thankfully, I loved them and thanked her profusely. Looks like she more than deserved it... as do you!

    ReplyDelete

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