Combine the pieces from the Oh Sew Kat! Sugar n Spice bundle with the Sunshine Dress to make a cute, retro sheath and overskirt for your 18 inch dolls (or any size) like Maryellen Larkin and Melody Ellison from American Girl®.
Mix and Match Oh Sew Kat! sewing patterns – Sunshine Dress with OverSkirt
Make your 14.5 inch Welliewishers™ or Glitter Girls™ dolls a sweet Hawaiian inspired sundress with the Sugar n Spice PDF sewing pattern from OhSewKat!
Welliewishers Hawaiian Dress Pattern Hack from Oh Sew Kat!
To find the measurements to make this same dress for the 18 inch American Girl® doll, click to THIS POST.
Sugar n Spice Hawaiian Dress Pattern Hack Instructions
Step 1. Using the Sugar n Spice sewing pattern, choose the sleeveless pinafore. On your pattern piece, cut off the bottom 1/4th inch of both the front and back (seam allowance). Draw a new seam allowance 1/4th inch above the bottom edge. Cut out your bodice, using the pink neckline.
Step 2. Cut your skirt piece (20 inches by 4 1/2 inches). Cut a ruffle (30 inches x 2 1/2 inches)
Step 3. Follow the pattern to construct the dress, but do not sew the hem.
Step 4. Using a serger or a zig zag stitch, finish the long, bottom edge of the ruffle. Press up 1/4th inch and sew in place. Using a long basting stitch, gather the top, raw egde of the ruffle.
Step 5. With right sides together, attach the ruffle to the bottom of the skirt, adjusting gathers to fit. Top stitch if desired. Finish the back edges according to the pattern.
Your Welliewishers™ dolls are ready for the Sunshine of the Islands! Make them a few flowing sundresses in lots of bright colors.
It’s simple to make different style dresses with one basic pattern, such as the Sugar n Spice Dress. See more ideas and sizes available HERE in the Inspiration Gallery. Find more Hawaiian dress tutorials here, here, and here.
All of these dresses were made using the same, simple to sew pattern from Oh Sew Kat!- the Party Time Peasant Dress.
Last minute gift idea: Party Time Peasant Dresses for Dolls
The holidays are upon us!! Do you still need a quick gift for the doll love in your life? The Party Time Peasant Dress is the perfect solution! With an elastic neckline and optional elastic sleeves, you can stitch this beautiful doll dress up in no time flat. Digital PDF patterns mean you can download directly from my shop, print on your home computer, and be sewing without leaving the comfort of your own home.
This popular Oh Sew Kat! pattern is available in five doll sizes: 18 inch dolls like American Girl®, 16 inch dolls like Disney Animators and A Girl for All Time®, 14-15 inch dolls like Ruby Red Fashion Friends™, Welliewishers™, Glitter Girls®, and Hearts for Hearts Dolls, 15 inch baby dolls like Bitty Baby™ and Bitty Twins™, and also the 8″ Caring for Baby tiny doll from American Girl®. Find them all in the Oh Sew Kat! Shop! See the Inspiration Gallery HERE.
Snuggle in and Snuggle up! Fall is on its way and your dolls need new, snuggly nightgowns! Use the simple to sew Playtime Peasant Top PDF Sewing Pattern and a few tweaks to make your perfect doll nightgown in six popular doll sizes.
Make Easy Nightgowns for Your American Girl Dolls
You can make your nightgowns look exactly as you choose. Make the dress shorter and the ruffle longer. Or make the dress long with a short ruffle or just lace at the hem The choice is yours. I made at least one nightgown in each size, so I offer the “starting points” for you. Use them to create your perfect, cozy nightgown for dolls.
This pattern hack requires the Playtime Peasant Top and Twirl Skirt Pattern. It’s available HERE in five popular doll sizes.
Directions for Playtime Peasant Top Nightgown with Ruffle (All Sizes)
Cut 2 long sleeves according to the pattern.
To give your gown more of a flair at the bottom, print a second bodice pattern piece. Fold it in half and tape it to the top, left corner of a new piece of paper.
Trace the armhole and extend that side edge nearly to the bottom of the page.
Measure your bodice addition (see below for exact measurement for your size doll) inches below the bottom hem of the pattern piece. Draw a new line, intersecting the side line and continuing on beyond it.
Measure your width addition (see below for exact measurement for your size doll) from the side line, and make a dot. Connect the dot to the armhole as your new side edge. Cut out your new pattern piece and remove the original bodice piece. Mark the long edge as the center fold. Label your new piece and keep it for next time. Cut 2 of these new pieces, on the fold of fabric, one for the front and one for the back.
Cut ruffle to measurements as desired, or listed below.
For Ruffle: Zig zag or serge one long edge, press up 1/4th inch and hem. Gather the top (raw) long edge.
Assemble the pattern per the instructions, adding the ruffle in place of a hem in Step 11. Optional: Topstitch the ruffle after attaching it.
You really can’t go wrong with how long you make your gown or your ruffle. Below you will find my “starting point” for each size doll. Feel free to experiment and have fun with your own Playtime Peasant Top Nightgown!
Both Lengths: Use pattern labelled Dress Length for bodice
Mid Calf Ruffle: 3 x 24 inches
Full Length Ruffle: 4.5 x 24 inches
8″ Caring for Baby Doll
Add one inch to bodice front and back hem, and create the side lines about 1/th wider than the slant they are on.
Ruffle: 1.25 by 14 inches
Use the Playtime Peasant Top PDF Sewing Pattern from Oh Sew Kat! To make a Holiday Nightgown
Find the PDF Sewing Pattern HERE. Change up your fabric for the perfect (and quick!) Holiday Nightgown for Dolls. I love the 70s vibe of this plaid fabric. It looks so great on Julie too. Find more ideas for Julie’s wardrobe HERE.
Have you seen the Oh Sew Kat! Back to School Pattern Bundle? This value priced bundle is available only in my ETSY SHOP HERE. Your order will include four pdf pattern downloads- the Sixth Grade Skirt, the Playground Pants, the School Bell Blouse, and the School Dance Dress. Use these four patterns to make a complete mix and match wardrobe for your 18 inch (or 14.5 inch) doll! Find the quick links to all three bundles at the bottom of this post.
Back to School Sewing Patterns from Oh Sew Kat! for 18 inch Dolls
This one pattern bundle offers you two tops, one skirt, one pants, and a long sleeved dress.
Pair the School Bell Blouse with a corduroy Sixth Grade Skirt and tall boots for a great fall outfit. Click the pattern name to check out the Inspiration Gallery for more ideas, or click HERE to find the full gallery.
The School Bell Blouse has two options- an a-line version, or add a short, playful skirt. Here Shirley’s Kendall doll pairs her School Bell Blouse with the Playground Pants.
Your Welliewishers Doll will be ready for School in her DIY Doll Clothes from Oh Sew Kat! Patterns
This pattern bundle is available in 3 doll sizes: 18 inch dolls, 16 inch Animators’, and 14.5 inch WellieWishers. Rapunzel has the School Bell Blouse A line version with bright green Playground pants and a cute beret.
The Back to School Bundle also features the cute School Dance Dress. Use one fabric or many for a beautiful addition to your doll’s cool weather wardrobe options. See more School Dance Dresses HERE and HERE.
Make your own Back to School Doll Clothes with this PDF Pattern Bundle from Oh Sew Kat!
So what else can you do with these four patterns? Check out the Inspiration Gallery too!!
Try these hacks for the School Bell Blouse to make it a dress! Click on each photo to go right to the post!
What dolls are the Oh Sew Kat! patterns designed for and where can I buy them?
Oh Sew Kat! offers PDF Sewing patterns that are perfect for all ages and skill levels. The patterns are designed to be a great first project for a beginner sewist with clear photos and instructions for every single step.
There are currently 5 sizes of dolls that Oh Sew Kat! offers patterns for. They all have unique body shapes, so some patterns translate more easily to other sizes than others. Some doll sizes sell better than others- so if a certain size requires a fair amount of work, it may not be worth it based on sales trends. At Oh Sew Kat!, I try to stay focused on the most popular doll sizes (those made by American Girl®, 18 inch, 15 inch baby, and 14.5 inch) yet still offer a selection for a few less popular sizes (16 inch A Girl for All Time® and Disney Animators – which are different than Disney Toddler Dolls). Click on the photos to go directly to that size doll section of my Etsy Shop.
The most popular doll size on the market, by far, is the 18 inch vinyl play doll. You can find these dolls made by American Girl®, Our Generation, Pottery Barn, My Life (Walmart), and probably a few others. They are not posable (meaning their arms and legs stay straight and do not bend) and some have cloth bodies and some have vinyl or plastic bodies. I use the dolls from American Girl® as my models and design the patterns for them.
Shop for 14.5 inch Doll Clothes Sewing Patterns
A few years ago, American Girl® dropped the Bitty Twins™ line, and came out with the Welliewishers™. These 14.5 inch dolls are the perfect segway for younger girls who are moving past their baby dolls, but are not quite ready for the bigger, 18 inch dolls. The Welliewishers™ are sold by American Girl® to include stories, props, scenes, outfits, and tv shows or videos. Their eyes do not close. Their popularity has grown, and Our Generation came out with their own version, the Glitter Girls, who are the same size. I’ve also heard about dolls this size being available at Big Lots stores (Style Girls).
Shop for 15 inch Baby Doll Clothes Sewing Patterns
So many little girls just love to play mommy and are enthralled with all things baby doll. My models are the current Bitty Baby™ from American Girl®, as well as the retired Bitty Twins™, which are basically a Bitty Baby™ doll with hair and were available in different skin tones, as well as boys and girls. Bitty Baby has a fabric body and is wider and shorter than her 18 inch big sister, but sometimes she can wear the same clothes or use the same patterns with just a few minor adjustments.
Shop for 16 inch A Girl for All Time® Doll Clothes
I offer patterns for two very different 16 inch dolls. The first, A Girl for All Time Dolls,® are thin, with a plastic body, and moveable joints. Their eyes do not close. They are also referred to as BJD (ball jointed dolls). They are mostly historical characters, but they have a few modern sisters as well, such as my Bex doll, shown the green top below. My other AGAT doll is the 60s character, Sam. These dolls are new on the doll scene and can sometimes be hard to get a hold of.
Shop for Animators’ Doll Clothes Sewing Patterns
The second 16″ doll I make patterns for is the Disney Animator Doll. These dolls are available only at the Disney store or Disney online store. They are much less expensive- and hard plastic bodies with straight limbs and non closing eyes. These dolls are great for younger play dolls and come in most all the favorite characters, both boys and girls. My collection includes Rapunzel, Belle, Ariel, Elsa, Anna, and a few others. They are all the same brand of dolls, but some of them are a little taller than others. (Especially Anna, who is about an inch shorter than her big sister, Elsa.). Disney also offers a complete line of My First Princess and Disney Toddler dolls. I do not have any of them, but I am sure there are comparison charts on Google if you want to compare them. My patterns fit the Disney Animator line specifically, and also will fit a much older doll, called a Galoob doll. (Google it, they are funny!!)
So how do I decide if or when to resize a pattern for a different size doll? Well, I don’t really have one answer. Sometimes I make them all at the same time (Twinkle Twirl Skirt and Backyard Bibs for example). Sometimes I roll them out one at a time but all in a row (HalterAlls). Sometimes they don’t get resized- or sometimes I just haven’t gotten to it yet. Not all patterns will work for all dolls- for example, I’m not sure the Jumping Jack open sided jumper will fit properly and hang right over the Animators’ toddler bellies. And sometimes it just depends on the season or what I feel inspired to work on.
The Twinkle Twirl Skirt from Oh Sew Kat! patterns is a quick skirt to make and comes with five sizes included!! Make one of three versions for your 18 inch doll like American Girl®, 16 inch dolls like A Girl for All Time® or Animators, 15 inch baby dolls and 14.5 inch dolls like Welliewishers™. Enjoy these beautiful skirts made by the Oh Sew Kat! testers!
Juliette (Somewhere in time, a Doll) made darling mix and match Twinkle Twirl Skirts and Popsicle Tops in black, white, and red prints. Each one is cuter than the last!
The Twinkle Twirl skirt will also fit the new 15 inch Ruby Red Fashion Friends dolls that have become so popular lately.
Don’t forget your cute, Animators’ dolls! The princess set loves to twirl and dance in ruffly skirts too! Michele’s Elena looks so sweet in her red and yellow outfit!
New PDF Skirt Pattern for Dolls from OhSewKat on Etsy
Find this one pattern with pieces and instructions for 5 sizes right HERE. Be sure to visit the Twinkle Twirl Inspiration Gallery often as it grows!
The Twinkle Twirl Skirt pattern is a simple pull on skirt with an elastic waistband. Make it with a four fabric skirt, or a fuller 9 pattern skirt. Add contrasting bias trim for the hem for even more style. You can add a ruffle to the outside of the skirt near the hem, or sew it into the waistband, or BOTH!
Riley’s skirt, below, was made with quilting precuts! I used 10 inch layer cake squares to make the skirt, and a jelly roll strip for the ruffle. I purchased the cute striped bias tape, but you can easily make your own as well. A simple Popsicle Top (pattern also from Oh Sew Kat!) completes her outfit.
Joss is wearing her Twinkle Twirl skirt with a Picnic Play lace top. The top is simple and reversible and gives a different vibe each time you change the fabric. Here I sewed lace and cotton as one layer. The Twinkle Twirl Skirt uses 4 skirt panels with a cute, contrasting ruffle on top!
Use the Twinkle Twirl Skirt to make your own cute skirts for Welliewishers™ and Ruby Red Fashion friends too!
Kendall’s top was made with the bodice of the Spring Shine Dress pattern. It would also be cute with some lace trim or even a small, eyelet lace ruffle. Hmmm. 🙂
I made this set of Wellie Wishers™ outfits as a gift for a little girl, and I wanted all of the pieces to mix and match however she might choose. By choosing a focus fabric, and then using the same pink striped fabric in different ways on each piece, I easily created a unified collection of Wellie Wishers clothing by adding a few solid colors here and there.
Make your own capsule wardrobe for your 14.5 inch dolls with easy sewing patterns by Oh Sew Kat!
Make a darling play clothes outfit for your 14.5 inch dolls like Welliewishers™ with the new Picnic Play PDF Sewing Pattern
Find this new easy to sew pattern in my ETSY SHOP. The one piece top is reversible and can be worn with either side in front. Add simple pull on capri pants with cute cuffs and don’t forget the simple to sew, doll sized cinch sack style backpack with a front pocket for her treasures.
Simple sewing Pattern for Welliewishers™ and Glitter Girls® Doll Clothes
This pattern will also fit Hearts for Hearts sized dolls, as well as the new, 15 inch Ruby Red Fashion Friends (some patterns may need a little tweaking.). Find this new pattern HERE.
The Picnic Play pattern is also available for 18 inch dolls here. See the Inspiration Gallery for more ideas with this quick to sew beginner level pattern. Download and sew this cute outfit for your doll today!
Oh Sew Kat! 