Have you seen this cute outfit for Courtney on the American Girl website? If you put the items in your cart, it will cost you $48 plus shipping! Even with a rewards certificate, that is a lot of money for doll clothes. However, you can use Oh Sew Kat! Pdf patterns and tutorials and create the same look for your Courtney doll using one fat quarter of fabric (about $3) and some pink cotton scrap or ribbon with a buckle (about $3 total if that!). Read on to learn more!
Even though the outfit looks like a dress with a belt, you can certainly use the Sunshine Dress PDF Pattern and make it without sleeves, like in THIS POST, I did decide having two pieces gives more options for fun, future outfits. The top is a sleeveless crop top, and the skirt is a short, slim line skirt with an elastic waist. Add a wide, hot pink belt with a fun buckle, and boom! There’s your outfit!!
Make a simple, slim skirt for Courtney with this easy tutorial
Courtney’s pull on skirt could not be easier. Click HERE to see how I measured my doll to make my own pattern piece, and then stitched up some cute skirts in less than an hour!
Make Courtney’s 1980s Hot Pink Belt
- Supplies: Belt Buckle, cotton or knit fabric
- Cut fabric 2.5 x 15.5 inches ( I cut mine at 2 inches, and decided it should be thicker but did not sew a new version so yours may look slightly different than my photos, but probably more like the one on the AG site.)
- RST stitch up one side, with the last inch forming a slight diagonal to the edge.
- Turn and press well, seam can be centered or on one edge., depending how you want your belt to look.
- Zig zag stitch or serge the open end closed.
- Place this finished end through the buckle, fold over and seam in place, just far enough so your foot does not hit the buckle.
Put your belt over the waistband and bottom edge of the skirt and top for a “dress look” and revel in the $48 plus shipping you may have just saved. You are welcome, Momma!! (I put the skirt, top and belt items in my cart. Yes, you get two tops and two skirts and some accessories besides the belt, but if this is a passing phase for your kid (like it was with mine)- this is a great answer for a wonderful, time appropriate outfit for your 18 inch 80s Courtney doll from American Girl. And you can sew as many as you want!
Complete the Look – 80s Style Crop Top for Courtney
Complete the outfit with a houndstooth top made with the Popsicle Top PDF pattern. Find it HERE and see THIS Post for more Courtney photos! Be sure to visit my Courtney Gallery Page.
Oh Sew Kat! 