For those of us in the USA, have a wonderful 4th of July!
“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore!”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
Happy Fourth of July!
Tag: Oh Sew Kat!
Fall Batik Dresses for Dolls- Sugar n Spice Sewing Pattern
It’s hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. The mornings are not quite crisp yet, but we know it’s coming soon. It’s time to shift from beaches and boardwalks to back to school, football, and fall colors! What better way to start than some pretty dresses for dolls! Be sure to pin the images so you can find them later! 🙂
Make Beautiful Fall Dresses for Dolls with Easy Sewing Patterns by Oh Sew Kat!
I used the Sugar n Spice pattern for both of these dresses. For the 18 inch sized dress, I added the placket for the buttons using this method here. You just have to remember to cut the front bodice differently (lining does not change).
I only made two dresses, one in each size. But I just love how this fabric looks so different depending on what doll wore it. Who do you think wore it best?
Fall Fashions for 18 inch Dolls- Beautiful in Batik!
Get your dolls dressed for Fall in pretty batik dresses from the Sugar n Spice Sewing Pattern
Find the sewing pattern HERE for 18 inch dolls and HERE for wellie wishers sized dolls.
The Sugar n Spice Doll Dress Sewing Pattern is perfect for pretty fall dresses!
Who else is ready for fall???
See more Sugar n Spice dresses here and here.
Gingham Peasant Dress Outfit Tutorial for Julie Albright- A BeForever Pattern Hack!
I’m really enjoying sewing for Julie Albright, the BeForever character from 1974. I think I’m attracted to her collection because I was seven years old in 1974 and I had very similar things- like her purple coat (mine was blue) and the sneaker skates (mine were bright yellow with orange stripes).
When I saw THIS PIN, I just knew that this peasant style outfit would be easy to recreate with Oh Sew Kat! patterns. Be sure to follow my Julie board when you stop by my Pinterest page.
Make a 70s style gingham skirt for your 18 inch Julie doll and her friends.
Click here to see other outfits I’ve sewn for Julie.
Make your own Doll Clothes for BeForever Doll: Julie
The top is simply the Playtime Peasant Top, sewn in white with long sleeves. For the skirt, I used the overskirt that comes in the Sugar n Spice and Everything Nice bundle. I cut the gingham fabric skirt longer by 4 1/2 inches, but didn’t make any other changes. Add a little lace at the bottom, and ta da! A perfect, pretty bell skirt! Add a red or gingham ribbon to complete the look. This outfit will be perfect for the Christmas holidays!
Find the patterns HERE. Find more fashions for Julie (all made with Oh Sew Kat! patterns!) here and here.
Make 70s themed doll clothes for your Julie Doll.
4th of July Doll Clothes
It’s time to celebrate the red, white and blue here in the USA! Here are a few 4th of July inspired outfits made with Oh Sew Kat! patterns. Click on the photos to go right to the pattern.
Melody looks adorable in Bloomer Buddies!
Kendall shows her pride in Party Time Peasant Dress (photo credit: Amy Violet’s).
Sam is also in a Party Time Peasant Dress.
The Bitty Twins are ready for a picnic in their HalterAlls.
Summer classic: Popsicle Top and Sixth Grade Skirt.
Emily and Mary keep cool in Popsicle Tops and Sandbox Shorts.
Nina Self made this cute version of Boardwalk Boutique.
Ashley Crawe has Bitty Baby all decked out for the holiday in a Popsicle Top and Sixth Grade Skirt.
Willa and Kendall look cute in their Popsicle Tops and Four Season Skirts.
Step it Up Series: How to Make a Patchwork Top for Dolls – Try this Fun Pattern Hack!
Try something new today! Do you have lots of scraps or small pieces of fabric? My mother was a big quilter, and she was always buying those cute little 5 inch square packs of fabrics. Here is a great way to turn those small pieces into cute, one of a kind doll clothes.
Use any sewing pattern to create a unique, one of a kind, patchwork doll top.
Make a patchwork top for 18 inch dolls.
The fabrics in this tutorial came from a pack of 5″ squares, called a “charm pack”. This one is by Doodlebug Designs- I love the whimsical images. None of the squares are big enough to make 18 inch doll clothes, so I picked a few of my favorites and patched them together, quilt style, to make my own fabric!
I used the Boardwalk Boutique pattern for this cute, halter top, but really any pattern will work to give the same effect.
- Choose your fabrics and lay them out on your table in a pleasing way. Try to offset the colors and place the rows so you don’t have a four square in the center of your top (unless you are going for that look 😉 . Ensure that your squares cover enough space for your entire pattern piece.
- With right sides together, sew the pieces together in rows, moving from bottom to top with 1/4th inch seams. Once you have your two rows complete, put them right sides together and sew them together to make a larger square or rectangle. Press all of your seams open.
- If needed, trim the edges so your fabric piece is neat.
- Pin your pattern pieces to your new patchwork fabric (being mindful of one way designs) and cut out as usual.
Once you have your pieces cut out, simply assemble the pattern as usual.
Ta da!! You’ve made a one of a kind top for your doll!
Make unique and special doll clothes with easy to sew patterns from Oh Sew Kat!
Click on the Photos below to find more fun pattern hacks!
Find more tutorials for the Boardwalk Boutique pattern here and here.
Tips for Beginners- Learning to Sew
I posted the following question on my facebook page:
Oh Sew Kat! patterns are designed with the beginning sewist in mind. What is one tip you would give to a young or new sewist who is just starting out in making doll clothes?
New to Sewing? Check out this list of great tips to get started.
Readers from all over posted their tips if you are new to sewing- whether it’s doll clothes or other sewing projects, these few things will help get you off to a great start!
- Jenny: Go slow and read the pattern directions. Read them twice before even beginning your project. Nothing has to be perfect. If you don’t like your creation, put it away for a day or two and then come back and look at it. You might be surprised that you now like it!!
- Anneke: I never expect a planned pattern to come out as it should. My advise would be go with the flow. Let the fabric tell you what it wants. Sounds hazy and dreamy (which I am NOT) but that’s the way it works for me. I have no technical advice all. But before I start I do sit down read the instructions. Toss them aside and have FUN
- Cindy: Press, press, press
- Deirdre: Don’t be afraid to rip out a seam and sew it again, the truth is even experienced sewers have to do this at times.
- Bee: Read through all of the pattern first before you get started.
- Julie: Iron as you sew.
- Barb: Take your time. Read the instructions completely before you start and follow each one in order.
- Jeanna: Always double check your seam allowances as you go. Nothing worse than making an adorable outfit only to have it be too small 😫
- Karen: My advice is (and I really should take my own😂) that perfection, although nice…it isn’t necessary. Enjoy the process of making something cute. It took me ripping apart a genuine cabbage patch outfit to make a pattern to realize this! It was terribly sewn from the factory.
- Nina: Learn your sewing machine inside and out. Practice the threading pattern so it’s easy enough to do in your sleep!
- Gail: Turn on the iron before you turn on the machine. Sew a seam press the seam. Sew a seam press the seam. Every time!
- Julie: Have fun with it!! Really, doll clothes take such a little bit of fabric, if you make a mistake, you haven’t wasted a lot of fabric. Just toss it and try again! That takes the pressure off to be “perfect” and makes it so enjoyable 🙂
- Paula: Use good quality fabric. It may be tempting to use lower quality fabric to try it out, but it is much harder to sew on.
You probably see a few themes emerging here … read all the directions before you start and to press every seam. But the themes of “you don’t have to be perfect” and “have fun” are obvious too! If you are just starting out learning to sew, doll clothes give you such a low cost way to jump in the pool and start to swim. Enjoy the process and know your skills will build with every stitch!
Best sewing tips for Beginners.
Join the conversation on Facebook!
Oh Sew Kat’s Beginner Sewing Tips List
What tips would you add to this list?
Sewing for dolls? Find an assortment of over 50 digital patterns to print on your home computer in my Etsy Shop and start sewing today!
Bloomer Buddies 50s Style Dress for Maryellen Larkin – A BeForever Pattern Hack!
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.
The Four Season Skirt: The perfect doll skirt for every season.
Free 18 inch doll skirt sewing pattern: The Four Season Skirt from Oh Sew Kat!
Easy to sew without any pattern pieces, the Four Season Skirt is the only one you need all year long! This pattern is FREE when you sign up for my email list in 3 sizes (WellieWishers, American Girl, and Disney Animators). Add tulle, make it longer, try some lace… it’s perfect for every occasion!!
Winer: Make a winter themed skirt for your doll with a matching sparkly shirt.
You can find the snowflake tee shirt tutorial HERE.
Spring: Your doll will be ready for warmer weather in her Four Season Skirt.
Summer: Add a reversible POPSICLE TOP to the skirt for a cool and casual summer outfit.
Fall: A long sleeved tee and high boots are the perfect match for a fall themed casual skirt outfit.
Get your copy of this FREE easy pattern in 3 sizes and see even more ideas to make it HERE. How will you make your Four Season Skirt?
Tester Tuesday! Party Time Peasant Dress for Animators
Be inspired by these adorable Party Time dresses that Mireille Leurs, an Oh Sew Kat! tester made! These are just adorable!!
Find the new Animators pattern HERE. Mulan is ready for spring!
Merida is so pretty in bright colors!!
And I just swoon over this “Little Mermaid” inspired version below modeled by Rapunzel. This one was stitched up by the talented Chris Lambrechts. Stop by and see her on Facebook to see more of her darling creations.
What will you make with this adorable pattern for your princess doll?
See more Party Time Peasant Dress ideas here and here, and visit the Inspiration Gallery here. This pattern is now available in 5 sizes: 18 inch doll, 16 inch Animator, 16 inch Slim, 14.5 inch Wellie Wishers, and 15 inch Bitty Baby.
New Sewing Pattern for Disney Animators’ Dolls
Now available on Etsy!!
The very popular Party Time Peasant Dress is now available for your 16 inch Disney Animators’ dolls. These princesses love their twirl skirts! This easy pattern is great for beginners and the open back makes it easy for little hands to dress their dolls. Download and stitch one up for your princess today!
Party Time Peasant Dress for Animators
This cute dress offers lots of options to mix and match fabrics and add laces and trims. Each one will look unique! Directions included to make the 3 tiered skirt too! Be sure to visit and follow my Party Time Peasant Dress Pinterest Board.
The Party Time Peasant Dress is available only in my Etsy Shop. Find it sized for other dolls there too (18 inch, WellieWishers, Bitty Baby and A Girl for All Time).
Click here and here to see more Party Time dress ideas!
Oh Sew Kat! 