The Sixth Grade Skirt pattern is now available for 16 inch ball jointed dolls like A Girl for All Time®. Some of my AGAT patterns may also fit Sasha dolls, depending on the fit.
Find the Sixth Grade Skirt for A Girl for All Time® Dolls in my Etsy Shop.
Make an Easter Outfit for Wellie Wisher Sized Dolls with the Backyard Bibs Sewing Pattern
There is still time to make your Wellie Wishers™ and Glitter Girls® sized dolls a bunny themed outfit for Easter. The Backyard Bibs is quick to sew and lots of fun to mix and match your fabrics with. It’s available in five popular doll sizes in my Etsy Shop.
The Backyard Bibs is a quick and easy sewing pattern for your Wellie Wishers and Glitter Girls sized dolls.
This cute bunny fabric is available at Walmart for just 97 cents per fat quarter. I could easily get two outfits from one piece of fabric. Camille is happy in her bunny dress!
Camille’s pink peasant top was made using the Playtime Peasant Top pattern. You can buy it bundled with the Backyard Bibs pattern HERE.
Make an Easter Outfit for your doll with the Backyard Bibs Sewing Pattern.
Are you sewing something special for the girls and dolls in your life this Easter? Find more ideas in the Inspiration Gallery and find more Easter dresses are HERE and HERE.
The Backyard Bibs PDF Sewing Pattern is a quick and easy sewing project that has lots of options. Before I publish a pattern, I send it to my wonderful testing group to make sure everything is right. Well, Michele A certainly goes above and beyond when she sits down to test. Just sit back adn enjoy the aqua lovlies in their new Backyard Bibs outfits.
See more of Michele’s amazing tests here. All of these outfits also use the Playtime Peasant Top pattern under the bibs. Have fun mixing and matching your accents, fabrics, and pockets! Well done, Michele!!
When an Oh Sew Kat! pattern uses a gathered skirt, it’s very difficult to please everyone by either including large, blank pages of pieces of paper to print and tape together to make a rectangle pattern piece, or to just put measurements and let everyone cut their fabric with a rotary cutter. As a pattern designer, I find it to be about a 50/50 split on what people prefer. Personally, I either rip my fabric, or I use my rotary cutter and quilting rulers (like these: AD: https://amzn.to/2XaHDeC) but if you don’t have one, or prefer to cut around a paper pattern, here is an easy tutorial to make a paper pattern for the gathered skirts if one is not included in the pattern.
Make a paper pattern for a doll skirt with just copy paper, a ruler, and a pencil.
First of all, no graph paper is needed. You can, of course, use graph paper to make an easy paper pattern. Most graph paper is 1/4 inch squares, so simply count and mark off your inches and tape them together. This technique does not use graph paper, but rather standard, 8 1/2 x 11 copy paper and a ruler.
It’s actually really easy to make your own pattern with regular printer paper. Start with the basics of the math. A piece of standard, US printer paper is 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches. If you fold it in half the long way, it’s now 4 1/4 inches wide on each half by 11 inches long. Use this basic concept to make your paper pattern.
Let’s start with an easy example, like a skirt that measures 4 x 20 inches.
Fold your paper in half the long way (hot dog). Cut down the center fold, and then measure over and cut off 1/4th more from the long side of each piece. Each piece now measures 4 x 11 inches. (Use a scrapbooking type paper trimmer if it’s easier for you!)
Tape the short sides together, so they overlap by one inch exactly. The piece will now measure 4 x 20 inches. Ta da! Wasn’t that easy?
To make a skirt that measures 5 inches by 20 inches, you will need two pieces of paper instead of one. Fold down the middle, and then measure over another 3/4th inch from the fold in either direction. Cut on that line (5 inches from one edge. You will not use the other part of that paper). Do the same for the second piece. Overlap the short edges by one inch, for a total of 20 inches by 5 inches.
Let’s try one that is a little harder this time. Let’s make a pattern for a doll skirt that measures 6 x 36 inches.
Fold your paper in half the short way (hamburger). This fold will be at 5 1/2 inches. Measure one half inch from the fold in either direction and cut along this line. You will not need the smaller piece you cut off. Your piece now measures 6 by 8 1/2 inches. Do this 5 times, so you have a total of five pieces.
Overlap each one by one inch and tape them together. The piece will now measure 36 1/2 inches. Measure 1/2 inch of one end and cut it off.
Use basic math to make a paper pattern piece to cut out your doll skirt.
If you like to have a pattern piece when you make a gathered doll skirt, these tips/ideas will work for any size that you need. Simply work with what you know. You know what your copy paper measures, so trim it down and overlap it to make it the desired size. Save it for next time with your other pattern pieces.
When you fold a standard piece of American copy paper in half the long way (hot dog), each side measures 4 1/4 x 11 inches.
When you fold a standard piece of American copy paper in half the short way (hamburger), each side measures 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches.
Now anytime you purchase a PDF pattern that does not include the pattern piece for the gathered skirt, you have an easy way to construct one yourself without having to run out to buy graph paper.
Your Oh Sew Kat! PDF patterns can just be the starting point for so many more outfits to make for your dolls. One advantage of using PDF digital patterns, instead of commercial, tissue patterns, are they are much simpler to print a new copy, and make a few tweaks, to make something a little different than the original pattern design. You can find a long list of easy pattern hacks of Oh Sew Kat! patterns on the Tutorials Page.
Try this fun pattern hack to make a sleeveless blouse for your 18 inch Doll.
This post will show you how to take my popular fall long sleeve blouse pattern, the School Bell Blouse, and make an easy, breezy sleeveless top for warmer weather too! Now you can use this pattern all year long!
See more ways to change up the look of the School Bell Blouse pattern here and here. The School Bell Blouse is available in 3 sizes. This hack will work the same for all three.
To make the School Bell into a sleeveless blouse, you really just need to make one change to the pattern. You can use either View A, the pleated neck top, or View B, the peplum top for this pattern hack.
View A: Make Sleeveless School Bell Blouse with a Pleated Neck.
View A: Pleated Neck Sleeveless Top:
Cut out the front and back for the top of your main fabric. Do not cut out the sleeves or the facing. Cut out an additional front and back using the pattern pieces from view B. This will act as the lining (inside) for your top.
Serge or zig zag stitch the bottom edges of the lining front and back.
Create the neckline pleat as directed in the pattern. Press.
Sew the fronts to backs at shoulders as stated in the directions and press seams open. Do the same for the lining pieces. (Main fabric to main fabric and lining fabric to lining fabric.)
With right sides together, pin the lining to the main fabric at the neckline and arm holes. Stitch, clip curves, press, and turn to right side. Press well. (Note: this turning to the right side can be tricky with smaller doll sizes. See this tutorial and this one to see the ways and tools I use if you start to have trouble. Just take your time.)
With right sides together, open up side seams and pin them together. Stitch as one seam (you are stitching the main fabric front to the main fabric back, and the lining fabric front to the lining fabric back in this step.)
Pull it down, right sides, out and press arm hole if needed.
Hem and finish the back opening according to the pattern directions.
View B: Make a Sleeveless School Bell Blouse with Peplum Skirt
View B: Peplum Top:
Cut out the peplum, two front pieces and two back pieces. Do not cut out the sleeves or the facing. Your additional front and back pieces will act as the lining of your top.
Serge or zig zag stitch the bottom edges of the lining front and back.
Sew the fronts to backs at shoulders as stated in the directions and press seams open. Do the same for the lining pieces. (Main fabric to main fabric and lining fabric to lining fabric.)
With right sides together, pin the lining to the main fabric at the neckline and arm holes. Stitch, clip curves, press, and turn to right side. Press well. (Note: this turning to the right side can be tricky with smaller doll sizes. See this tutorial and this one to see the ways and tools I use if you start to have trouble. Just take your time.)
With right sides together, open up side seams and pin them together. Stitch as one seam (you are stitching the main fabric front to the main fabric back, and the lining fabric front to the lining fabric back in this step.)
Pull it down, right sides out, and press arm hole if needed.
Attach the peplum, sew the hem, and finish the back opening according to the pattern directions.
You can also make a sleeveless version of the School Bell Blouse Dress, by combining this pattern hack with this one.
Make a new bibbed dress or pants for the 18 inch dolls in your life and watch her eyes light up when she finds it in her Easter basket! With easy to sew PDF sewing patterns from Oh Sew Kat!, you next sewing project is just a click away.
This is the Playtime Peasant Top, made with cute lamb and bunny fabric. Layer it under a Backyard Bibs A-line dress that can work for other outfits too, like this cheery, pink gingham. (I used it at Valentine’s Day too; see it in this post.)
Make an Easter outfit or Easter gift for your doll with the easy and quick sewing pattern: Backyard Bibs.
This pretty floral fabric will be perfect for Easter, and for the rest of the spring too. Backyard Bibs with the gathered skirt is my favorite version- it lets the pretty fabric do all of the talking with its simple design and construction.
Jenny made these adorable bunny bibs when the Backyard Bibs pattern was tested. The floral accents are just perfect. Every little girl would love to find a doll outfit like this hidden with her easter eggs!
The Oh Sew Kat! tester team never disappoints with their wonderful samples made with the Oh Sew Kat! digital sewing patterns. Enjoy these beautiful outfits made with the BACKYARD BIBS pattern for 15 inch baby dolls by Michele.
Find the Backyard Bibs PDF sewing pattern for the baby dolls HERE.
Sewing for BeForever character Julie Albright? Her stories are set in 1974 and she has some groovy fashions! Give your Julie a personalized 70s themed wardrobe with these twists on PDF sewing patterns from Oh Sew Kat! Find all of these patterns in my Etsy Shop:
What other Oh Sew Kat! patterns might work for Julie outfits? Visit the Julie page of the Historical Fashions gallery for more ideas. See more sewing ideas for the BeForever characters like Melody and Maryellen too! Comment below with your ideas!
Visit & follow my 1970s doll fashion PINTEREST Board for more ideas. Pin these images to save them for later!
This quick and easy sewing pattern has four variations. Make it as a skirt, a full skirt, shorts, or cute, cuffed capri pants. Add pockets and buttons and embroidery to suit your own style.
Backyard Bibs A Line Skirt Sewing Pattern for A Girl for All Time®
Backyard Bibs Gathered Skirt Sewing Pattern for A Girl for All Time®
Click HERE to purchase the Backyard Bibs pattern for 16″ AGAT Dolls.
Backyard Bibs Shortalls for A Girl for All Time®
Backyard Bibs Cuffed Capri Pants for A Girl for All Time®
Make a darling Easter dress for your 18 inch doll (like American Girl® and Our Generation® dolls) with the Easy UP! Jumper sewing pattern from Oh Sew Kat!
Blaire Wilson and Grace Thomas are ready for Easter!
The Easy Up! Jumper pattern includes the pattern piece to make the faux button up front for the jumper. That piece will make the placket from the same fabric as the jumper in one easy step, like the blue one in THIS POST.
For this dress, I wanted the plackets to match my polka dot kick pleats instead of the actual jumper. I used the non- placket pieces for the jumper and I cut a piece of fabric 2x the width of finished placket + 1/2 (this is 1/4th seam allowance for each side). (In this case, 2 1/4 inches). The length is a little longer than the jumper pattern piece.)
Fold the contrasting placket in half the long way, right sides together, and stitch with a 1/4th inch seam. Turn (try these amazing turning tubes for no fuss turning!) and press with the seam to the center. Fold your jumper front in half and crease it down the center. This marks your center line. With the seam facing down, stitch your placket to the jumper front. If you want, tuck in some ric rac trim or tiny lace under each side of the placket before you stitch it down. Continue with the rest of the pattern instructions as written.
Find more ideas for Easter doll dresses with easy sewing patterns from Oh Sew Kat!
See more Easter ideas HERE and HERE, and more Easy Up! Jumpers HERE.
