My Adventures Sewing Doll Clothes

Some of you have asked me questions about making doll clothes, so I thought I would do this post on how I started to where I am now, what patterns I like to use and so on..

I actually started learning how to sew by making doll clothes. When I was younger I loved my dolls(still do infact :) I also love anything that had to do with home making. Both my mom and my older sister sewed, by watching them, along with wanting some doll clothes for my dolls, started my sewing adventures. At first, I was too scared to use the machines so I did everything by hand, I mostly made square objects at first like small pouches,little pillows etc...When I was around 8 I finally got up the nerve to try using the sewing machine, I quickly got used to it and started making doll clothes right away.
I think my first project making "people clothes" was a skirt, I had decided that I didn't really like making "people clothes" as they seemed to take longer and they just weren't as fun at the time, so I went back to doll clothes.
My first, doll dress I made from a real pattern was Butterick 5452 Dress D. I was quite excited when I discovered that there were actual patterns for doll clothes, before I was just making skirts or tube dresses. My older sister walked me through making my first real dress and then after that I was on my own, for the most part, the figuring patterns out. I wish I had some pictures of my very first doll dress, but I never thought to take any.

I used this pattern several times and I still have it, though most of the pieces are missing and the the envelope is badly torn.

My next favorite pattern was McCall's 3275. Now this pattern is in better shape and I still have all the pieces:) It only recently went out of print.

Then on ebay I found American Girl Doll Dress patterns, I decided on Kirsten's pattern set and eagerly waited to get it in the mail so that I could get started. I have been using this pattern the most along with Samantha's dress pattern set that I bought a year later.

I found a this site were you can download these patterns for Free! Click Here 

I'm not sure how good they are as I'm haven't finished downloading any yet.   

I also, went through a period of buying pattern books, but I decided that I like making historic doll clothes better and so I haven't used them in awhile.

Our library had this one, so I never bought it.

I bought this one...

....and this one I got for my birthday

I now mostly make my own patterns using different pattern pieces as a guide.

Kara had asked me If it was hard to make "tiny"doll clothes and I'm sorry I never answered you Kara. My answer is: No, not really of course I also have had loads of practice, but doll clothes are put together a little different then our clothes are. Which makes them easier to sew, plus dolls don't really have any "shapes" so they don't need a whole lot of fitting.