sewing instructions & pattern pieces

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Sami DOLLS Dress and Bloomers for 18” dolls | Sewing Instructions & Pattern Pieces

Sewing Instructions & Pattern Pieces

Copyright: Theresa Weisskircher, Owner of Sami Dolls, 2016, www.samidolls.com

You may use this pattern to make doll clothes for sale. Mass production or sale of parts of this pattern or the

entire pattern is prohibited.

If you quote Sami dolls as the pattern source, it is greatly appreciated.

http://www.samidolls.com/

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Sami DOLLS Dress and Bloomers for 18” dolls

(fits American Girl, Bitty Baby, Our Generation, Ikuzi etc.)

Thank you for purchasing the pattern. I hope you will enjoy making many lovely pieces of doll

clothing with it.

For Bitty Babies, I recommend to add a ½” seam allowance in the back, as the bodice will be very

tight otherwise, but it will still fit.

I will try my best to explain clearly and simply how to create the different styles of dresses and

bloomers. Additionally, you can find video instructions at www.youtube.com/c/SamiDolls

American Girl Doll Clothes Playlist: https://goo.gl/wNmnHu Peter Pan collar for your AGD dress: https://youtu.be/1tayIf7tLyg AGD dress bodice without sleeves: https://youtu.be/KJ0lIjvFuWU AGD dress bodice with flutter sleeves: https://youtu.be/0vm5WPfjcxI AGD dress bodice with short puff sleeves: https://youtu.be/b9hHr0qmeQ8 AGD dress bodice with long puff sleeves: https://youtu.be/oUvuq4WquQM Attaching the skirt to the bodice: https://youtu.be/uedsaqj4sMA Bloomers Tutorial: https://youtu.be/xzU9Ec1B4sc

Material requirements:

About ½” yard of cotton fabrics

Thin elastic for the waist and bottom of

the bloomers and for the short and long

sleeves, 8-10 mm width works best)

Closures of your choice (Velcro, buttons,

snaps)

Tips for finishing edges and gathering:

I am finishing the edges, gathering and

sewing with my serger/ overlocker. If you do

not own a serger/overlocker, you can hem by

using a zigzag stitch or a double fold hem and

you can gather by basting 2 seams with a

large stitch and pulling the thread to gather

your fabric. I am showing this in my short puff sleeves and flutter sleeves video tutorial.

http://www.youtube.com/c/SamiDolls

https://goo.gl/wNmnHu

https://youtu.be/1tayIf7tLyg

https://youtu.be/KJ0lIjvFuWU

https://youtu.be/0vm5WPfjcxI

https://youtu.be/b9hHr0qmeQ8

https://youtu.be/oUvuq4WquQM

https://youtu.be/uedsaqj4sMA

https://youtu.be/xzU9Ec1B4sc

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1. Sewing the bodice

a) Bodice WITHOUT a collar

You will need 2 front bodice and 4 back bodice pieces.

Sew front and back bodice together along the shoulder seams. Repeat for lining fabric.

Take your 2 pieces of bodice fabrics, put them right sides together and pin in place. Sew around the back edges and neckline and close the armhole curves, as shown in the picture.

Clip the corners and curves to make it easier to later turn the fabric inside out and to make the fabric lie nice and flat.

Turn inside out and press.

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Pin the undersides of our arm holes (that you left open in the previous step) together and stitch across. Repeat with the other arm hole.

You now finished the bodice without sleeves.

b) Bodice WITH collar

You will need 2x front bodice pieces, 4x back bodice pieces and 4x collar pieces. We’ll need the dress skirt, bloomers and sleeves later on.

Take 2 of the collar pieces each, pin and sew along the outer curved edge. Leave the top open. Clip the curves, turn the collar pieces inside out and press.

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Sew 2 of the back pieces to the front piece along the shoulder edges each. Do this for the outside and lining fabric of the bodice.

Take one of your bodice pieces, find the middle of the front by folding the fabric piece, and pin the collar pieces in place.

Baste the collar pieces to the bodice.

Put the other bodice piece on top, like a sandwich, both bodice pieces face each other with their right sides. Pin in place.

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Sew as shown in the picture.

Start at the back edge, go around the neckline and back to the other back edge.

Clip the curves and corners close to the seam (so the fabric opens up nicely when turning) and turn inside out.

Press. Now would be a good time to add the sleeves. If you prefer not to add any sleeves, close the arm seams before turning the bodice inside out as shown in the sleeveless or flutter sleeve tutorial. Use these steps whenever you want to add a collar to your doll dress.

2. Attaching the sleeves

a) Flutter sleeves

You will need 2x front bodice, 4x back bodice pieces and 4x flutter sleeve pieces. Sew 2 of the back pieces to the front piece along the shoulder edges each. Do this for the outside and lining fabric of the bodice.

Pin and sew the back and neck seams (with or without collar).

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Put 2 pieces of flutter sleeve fabrics right sides together and sew along the curved edge. Leave the straight edge open. Repeat with the other sleeve. Turn inside out and press.

Gather the straight edges of the flutter sleeves by basting along the straight edge and then pulling the thread to gather the edge.

Put the flutter sleeves “head first” into the arm openings between the two layers of bodice fabric. Make sure to distribute the fabric evenly.

Sew along the armhole curves, sewing the sleeves into the bodice, and snip off any extra fabric.

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Turn inside out.

Time to sew the arm holes shut. Put the undersides of your armholes right sides together and stitch in place. Repeat on the other side.

All done! Time to attach the bottom ruffle/ skirt. But let’s look at the other sleeve options first.

b) Short Puff Sleeves

You will need 2x front bodice, 4x back bodice pieces, 4x short puff sleeve pieces and 2x 5” long pieces of elastic. Sew 2 of the back pieces to the front piece along the shoulder edges each. Do this for the outside and lining fabric of the bodice.

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Put 2 bodice pieces right sides together, pin in place and sew along the back and neck seams.

Turn the bodice inside out.

Pin the bottom of the sleeve edges as shown on the pattern pieces. Fold the edge over twice, make it wide enough for your elastic, and pin it in place.

Cut 2x 5” pieces of elastic and put them in the casing. Sew them to the fabric with a few stitches on each side so the elastic stays in place.

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Now it’s time to gather the top edge of your short peasant sleeves. You can do this by sewing a wide basting stitch along the top edge and pulling the threads to gather the fabric or by adjusting the settings on your serger and scrunching up the fabric that way.

Baste along the arm holes to make sure that the two layers of fabric don’t slip while attaching the sleeves.

Take the gathered edge of your sleeve, not the one with the elastic attached to it, and pin it to one of your armhole curves. Repeat on the other side.

Make sure to catch both layers of the bodice while pinning and sewing. If you like, baste it in place before attaching the sleeves.

Sew the sleeves onto the armhole curve.

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Sew the sides shut and thread the serger/ overlocker thread back into the seam (if applicable). Turn inside out.

Now it’s time to attach the bottom ruffle/ skirt, but let’s look at the long puffy sleeves first. It’s the same as the short puffy sleeves.

c) Long Puffy Sleeves

You will need 2x front bodice, 4x back bodice pieces, 4x long puff sleeve pieces and 2x 5” long pieces of elastic. Sew 2 of the back pieces to the front piece along the shoulder edges each. Do this for the outside and lining fabric of the bodice.

Put 2 bodice pieces right sides together, pin in place and sew along the back and neck seams.

Turn the bodice inside out.

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Pin the bottom of the sleeve edges as shown on the pattern pieces. Fold the edge over twice, make it wide enough for your elastic, and pin it in place.

Now it’s time to gather the top edge of your short peasant sleeves. You can do this by sewing a wide basting stitch along the top edge and pulling the threads to gather the fabric, or by adjusting the settings on your serger and scrunching up the fabric that way.

Cut 2x 5” pieces of elastic and put them in the casing. Sew them to the fabric with a few stitches on each side so the elastic stays in place.

Baste along the arm holes to make sure that the two layers of fabric don’t slip while attaching the sleeves.

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Take the gathered edge of your sleeve, not the one with the elastic attached to it, and pin it to one of your armhole curves. Repeat on the other side.

Make sure to catch both layers of the bodice while pinning and sewing. If you like, baste it in place before attaching the sleeves.

Sew the sleeves onto the armhole curve.

Sew the sides shut and thread the serger/ overlocker thread back into the seam (if applicable). Turn inside out.

Now it’s time to attach the bottom ruffle/ skirt.

3. Attaching the gathered skirt to the bodice

You will need the long fabric strip for the skirt of the dress. Fold over the bottom edge twice, as indicated on the pattern piece, and pin it in place.

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Sew about 2 mm from the folded edge.

Gather the top raw edge of your skirt.

Fold over the left side (when fabric is lying right side down) of the skirt fabric and pin it in place. Do not sew it down yet.

Pin the skirt to the bodice. If you have some extra fabric on one side, cut it off, fold the edge over twice and pin it in place (as shown in the picture on the right).

Sew the skirt to the bodice and thread the serger/ overlocker thread back into the seam, where applicable.

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Fold the seam you just sewed upwards, towards the bodice and top stitch.

Time to sew the double folded over edges into place! Repeat on the other side.

Done!

You can use velcro, buttons or snaps for the back closures.

I used snaps.

Let’s sew some bloomers next.

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4. Bloomers

You will need 2 pieces of your bloomers pattern, 1x 10” long elastic and 2x 5” pieces of elastic

Put them right sides together and sew along the right top side seam.

Open it up, fold the top and bottom edges over twice, as indicated in the pattern pieces, and pin the fabric in place. These will be our casings for the elastic later on.

Sew the casings down, about 2 mm from the folded under edge.

With a bodkin or safety pin, pull a 10” piece of elastic through the casing on the waist and a 5” piece of elastic each through the casings at the bottom of the legs. Tack the elastic down on the side edges, to prevent the elastic from slipping away.

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Close the top side seam of your bloomers.

Pin and stitch the legs in place.

Done! I very much hope you enjoyed making dolly clothes following this pattern. If you have any questions, feedback etc., please send me an email to [email protected] All the best, Theresa xx

mailto:[email protected]

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Fold

Fold

Sami DOLLS Dress & Bloomers for 18”

dolls

Bodice front

Cut 2x on fold

--------- ¼” seam allowance included

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Sami DOLLS Dress & Bloomers for 18” dolls

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Pattern Pieces

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Fold

Sami DOLLS Dress & Bloomers for 18” dolls

Bloomers

Cut 2x on fold


………… folding line for elastic casing

Connect to bottom part of bloomers pattern piece here

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Connect to upper part of bloomers pattern piece here

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Sami DOLLS Dress and Bloomers for 18” dolls

Flutter Sleeve

Cut 4x on fold


Grain

Fold

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