American Girl doll clothing fun

[wissewer]

Now that my granddaughter has her American Girl doll and I am back in the groove of making doll clothes, I thought some of what I've learned might help others.

The best part of sewing doll clothes is that scraps of material might be enough for a blouse or skirt. However, these small parts can easily get mislaid. To avoid that, I began putting all the pattern pieces into a zip lock bag. Then, because we are spending time at our cottage, I began including the thread and all the notions for that particular pattern in the ziplock bag. So, when we move "out" to the cottage, and I feel like sewing something, everything I need is in that zip lock bag!

My "technique" is probably not one that a real seamstress would use, but sometimes, I sew two complete sets of an article of clothing, except that I leave, say, the shoulder seams open so I can turn a blouse. This makes the hem turn out perfectly almost every time and there are no raw edges inside the garment. (If it's a skirt or pants, I leave the waistband open because most doll clothing seems to have a gathered waist and the gathers cover any top stitching.)

In lieu of sewing double outfits, I have a serger, bought at a rummage sale for about $10.00--brand new! -- that sews the seam, but does not cut at the same time. However, with doll clothes, you only have about a 1/4" seam, and this works out well with the serger.

Other "tricks" include leaving the underarm sleeve unsewn until the last, but sewing the sleeve hem before closing the seam. This allows you to ease the shoulder seam in without having to work in a tiny armhole. It also means you are not trying to sew a hem in an opening that is no bigger than 1 1/2 inches!

Top stitching is a good way to hem doll clothes because it forms a strong seam which little hands probably will not rip. If you don't like the appearance of top stitching, you can sew rick rack or other trims on to hide the top stitching. Some sewing centers sell entire spools of lace trim for a dollar or so. This is another easy way to hem. First, fold and iron the material onto the wrong side to form a hem and top stitch. Then, using a zig zag stitch, sew the lace over the top to cover the stitching. This makes the dress very fancy and is a simple way to hem. Remember, if the clothes are for the doll of a very young girl, you need to securely fasten all trim and, perhaps, avoid buttons which might come off and be swallowed.

Velcro seems to be the most common "button" or "snap" used for garments and even the youngest doll owner can usually fasten velcro. The sticky velcro is easy to place on the placket, but you may need to use a titanium needle to slide through the sticky part. If the needle still sticks, try manually moving the machine's wheel to "hand" sew on the velcro. I usually just stitch up the side of the entire placket to secure the velcro.

My McCall patterns are arranged by clothing article, but they do not have identifying marks on individual pattern pieces. So, I took a fine point magic marker and marked every single pattern piece before cutting them apart, noting which pieces needed to be cut on the fold and which needed to be cut twice.

Lastly, I have been lucky in that my used embroidery needles fit my sewing machine. The needles might not be sharp enough for embroidery, but they do just fine for sewing. The only caveat is that sometimes the heavier threads do not fit through the eye.

Doll clothes are a fun and rewarding project, especially if the recipient is someone you love. I hope to have many more hours of fun with my granddaughter and her doll. I hope some of you will, too.

[MaryEHenry]

Thanks for the tips!

[pbrey8]

Sounds like you do about what I do. I use crinoline to line my garment tops. It serves the same purpose as you using a "second outfit." I also put lace on net or crinoline and make a slip under the skirts of all my dresses. Makes them stand out if they are full. The lace also looks very pretty. Fun making them, isn't it?

[wissewer]

Sounds like you do about what I do. I use crinoline to line my garment tops. It serves the same purpose as you using a "second outfit." I also put lace on net or crinoline and make a slip under the skirts of all my dresses. Makes them stand out if they are full. The lace also looks very pretty. Fun making them, isn't it?

Wow! I have to admit my ignorance and say that I didn't even know crinoline was available any more. I think we used to use that in our frilly skirts, right? That is a good suggestion and I will try to find some. Is tulle the same thing, only less stiff? Today, I bought some glass buttons for a silver trench coat. I'm thinking this doll clothing hobby could become another addiction!

[pbrey8]

I got about 5 yards of crinoline at Hancocks a couple of years ago. Still have plenty left for more doll clothes. And yes, it is what we wore under our frilly skirts. Crinoline is more like a stiff synthetic silky fabric. Tulle and net also work. Tulle is finer and works better for tops. Net is stiffer and makes the skirts stand out more.

[clkeck]

Thanks so much for these tips. This is on my "to-do" list.
Connie

[teddy_rn]

I too do a lot of what you do. I now keep all of my sewing patterns in large zip lock baggies too because when you are putting those pieces back in you tend to tear the envelope.

I like to cut out several outfits at the same time and put them in the baggies. have serged for years. Found doll zippers and other treasures on e-bay.

CONGRATS on the serger, sounds like a fantastic steal!

Also, go under search here on the forum. someone posted a free pattern site for American Girl Doll clothes months ago. I printed everything and got a LOT of free doll patters and made the clothes, they turned out so great and my daughter love them.

[teddy_rn]

Check out this site for free American Girl Patterns, it was posted back in January 09
http://www.agplaythings.com/AG%20Pat...sPatterns.html

[watermelon]

Wissewer. I loved your tips, and your last paragraph brought back fond memories. I always loved dolls and my granny, Aunt Sis and mama all made me clothes for my Christmas Dolls. Every year I ask just for a Doll. I proudly took her to granny's and, after the family dinner, I sat and watched while they fashioned clothes for my new doll. Many times I feel asleep and when I awoke, there were the most beautiful clothes I had ever seen. I still have a few, though tattered and worn, I cherrish them and the wonderful memories they hold.

I hope you,too have many hours of fun with your granddaughter and her dolls. The memories are priceless.

[kt3234]

Thank you wisesewer for sharing your tips on doll clothes. I too make doll clothes and found your tips very helpful. I love the American Girl Dolls, when my daughters were small they played with them all the time. Thank you again for sharing, kt3234 Karen

[wissewer]

Wissewer. I loved your tips, and your last paragraph brought back fond memories. I always loved dolls and my granny, Aunt Sis and mama all made me clothes for my Christmas Dolls. Every year I ask just for a Doll. I proudly took her to granny's and, after the family dinner, I sat and watched while they fashioned clothes for my new doll. Many times I feel asleep and when I awoke, there were the most beautiful clothes I had ever seen. I still have a few, though tattered and worn, I cherrish them and the wonderful memories they hold.

I hope you,too have many hours of fun with your granddaughter and her dolls. The memories are priceless.

What a beautiful memory. I do hope my granddaughter has the same kind of memories.

[wissewer]

Thanks for all the nice comments . I'm glad if my suggestions helped anyone.

[munchkinmaker]

Thanks for the information, i'm sure I will be sewing doll clothes for my little girl one day