BeForever character, Maryellen Larkin, is a ten year old girl living in Florida in 1953. Fifties fashions were all about fun prints, gingham, and full skirts!
With just a few modifications, you can make a cute 50s style dress and scarf for your Maryellen doll (or her friends) using the Bloomer Buddies pattern from Oh Sew Kat! I used THIS PIN from my Maryellen Pinterest board as my inspiration. Make the scarf from matching fabric from THIS tutorial.
Make a 50s style dress for your 18 inch doll like American Girl.
First, you need the pattern. Find it here.
The pattern has a little slimmer silhouette than the pinned image. I made two modifications when I cut out my dress.
- Move the dress center front fold about 1/2 inch. This will give an extra inch of fullness to the front of the dress. You do not need to change the lining, as the finished front will still be the same size, just have more fullness.
- Add pockets to your dress front before you gather it and sew it to the yoke. Even though you can do it after, it’s just easier to work while it’s still flat. I made my pockets so they would be two inches square when finished. I used one edge on the fold, so my pocket pieces were 4.5 x 2.5 inches. These pockets were stitched, turned, then sewn on the dress. The folded edge will be the top edge of the pocket.
- Cut two pieces that measure 4.5 x 2.5 (one for each pocket). Press in all edges by 1/4th inch first. With right sides together, fold in half and stitch the two short sides, plus the corners and some of the long side, leaving a 1/2 inch opening to turn. Turn and press, tucking in your opening along the crease lines. Top stitch the top edge if desired, then add to the front of the dress where the hands end up, stitching around both short sides and the bottom.
Make the dress according to the pattern instructions.
Maryellen Larkin looks so cute in her fifties style dress you made yourself!
To make a matching head scarf, click HERE for the tutorial.
Click here to see the Sunshine Dress made for 60s character, Melody Ellison and HERE to find the headscarf tutorial. See more ideas for Maryellen HERE.
Use Oh Sew Kat! patterns to make doll dresses inspired by 1950’s fashions.
Oh Sew Kat! 