16 Inch Baby Doll Sunny Days

Another outfit finished for the 16 Inch Baby Doll made with Darski's free Sunny Days Pattern for the outfit found here and her free Peachy Keen pattern for the shoes found here.

Notes:

Dress:

I used a J hook for the bodice and an H for the skirt.

Row 5 should read dc in sc 3 dc in 5 not 2 or the count gets complicated.

I don't decrease for row 6 as I find the bodice gets tight.

Row 14 is listed but I've never had the directions and have always created them. I'm now recording them for future reference. sc in first ch 2 skip 1 repeat around.

I failed to make this note on the written copy of this pattern which I have since added but I find this pattern to be short. I need to add more rows prior to making rows 12 and 13 the finishing rows for the skirt.

I've always finished the arms but again finally recorded what I did as the look with the larger hook is unfinished. sc chain 2 sc around.

Hat:

J Hook for hat. I followed directions as written.

Shoes:

I hook. Followed pattern as written.

16 Inch Baby Doll Peach Baby Doll Nightgown

Many years ago when Mary Maxim stopped having the 15 inch baby dolls I stumbled upon the JC 16 inch baby dolls and started donating two every year rather than the single baby doll I had donated in previous years.

Over time I've been fortunate to add dolls and while the fashion dolls have cross over years where an additional doll goes while I start off with a new doll, the only other duplicate dolls are the My Life 18 inch dolls. I just end up with enough outfits for two every year. A kind friend at Crochetville has been donating additional My Life dolls and friends there donate enough clothing that those dolls leave extremely well dressed as well.

However, since I don't have specific patterns written for this baby doll when I find one I generally end up repeating it as if I'm making clothes for twins, despite the fact the dolls and all their clothing and accessories are likely going to different children. In order to keep it interesting for me I do try to alternate colors when repeating patterns unless a specific color is required.

I stocked up on Herrchners yarn a while back for my donation run this year. The nightgown is made with Worsted 8 Peachy and the hat with Worsted 8 Celebration Easter Yarn. While I try to buy only when I have a coupon their house yarns have proven to be a lighter, useful choice for some of my doll projects.

This is one of Darski's doll patterns that I printed at some point but it isn't part of the patterns still on Crochetville. She had her own site at one point and I might have found it there but sadly I can't share the pattern for the outfit.

For my own notes the hat is not included with the pattern and at some point I really should write down the directions.

16 Inch Baby Doll Nightgown

I'm not sure what happened to the link for Darski's Easy Dolly Nightgown for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll. As updates have been made to Crochetville over the years some things have not made the upgrade. Darski also listed some of her patterns on her own platform but most were also cross listed at Crochetville. So I can't give a link for this pattern unfortunatly. If I do find one I will update it.

This is a simple open nightgown pattern that ties in the back with a cute trim at the bottom.

I've been trying to dig into my stash to use up yarn that has been there way to long. The hat is made with no longer available Bernat Softee Spring Flowers. The nightgown is made with Herrschners Baby Fairytale. I hadn't purchased any dark pink from them in a bit so I wasn't sure it was still available until I checked the site but Fairytale is still sold.

I used a g hook for this outfit. It calls for a 4.5 which I have somewhere but not readily at hand. I tried the H hook but the nightgown was baggy so I went down to a G hook and was happy with the fit. After making the ties for the top I finished the back.

There is no pattern for the hat so I played with fp and bp stitches for the hat finishing with alternating 5dc skip 1 sc around.

I will be making a second nightgown for the other JC 16 inch Baby doll donation soon. I just need to choose different colors.

16 Inch Baby Doll Dress, Hat and Shoes

This outfit was made from free patterns. The dress and hat patterns are available from Linmary Knits here. The shoes are my go to pattern for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll from the Peachy Keen pattern found here.

For the Linmary pattern I used Bernat Baby Big Ball sport yellow and white. The shoes require a heavier worsted 4 yarn so I used Red Heart Super Saver Lemon.

Notes:

I used the suggested hook sizes through out the pattern and this year it worked.

The pattern uses English (British) crochet terms so if you are used to American crochet terms you will need to remember. I've actually written the US changes on top of the English terms as I tend to forget when I'm tired.

In past years I wrote instructions for the row repeats for the dress, this year I finally wrote them for the hat. Still not sure I have the hat exactly as written but it works for my project intentions.

16 Inch Baby Doll I Feel Pretty

The main part of this outfit for the JC 16 inch Baby Doll comes from Darski's free I Feel Pretty Pattern found here. The shoes are part of another of her free pattern sets found here.

Notes:

I used an H hook for the dress and panties. I used a G and F hook for the hat. The shoes are from the Peachy Keen pattern and I needed an I hook.

I used Herrschners Worsted 8 and Worsted Baby for everything but the shoes. The shoes require a heavier worsted so I used Red Heart for the shoes.

The hat doesn't list chains for the ties I used 30 and it was just a bit long I'd try 25 next time.

16 Inch Baby Doll Diaper Round 4 and the Final One for 2024!!!

Well we are at the end of the 2024 diaper cycle. The second JC 16 Inch Baby doll now also has two diapers for its diaper bag and I can move on to finishing up the sleeping bags and rotating through clothes for all the dolls!

This is early for me. Last year it was almost the end of the month before the diaper bag items were done. While I'm happy to make them, I'm never sad when they are finished for the year.

You can find the free doll diaper pattern here.

Notes:

This was made with a J hook and white acrylic yarn.

I use snaps instead of the suggested buttons.

16 Inch Baby Doll Diaper Part 3

I've completed a set of two diapers for one of the JC 16 inch Baby Dolls for the donation so it is time complete a second set for the other doll.

As I mentioned in a previous post about the bibs it isn't that these projects are hard its just that there are many of them to complete. It is one of the reasons I try to knock them off as soon as the other donation is done. It keeps me from putting them off and then realizing at the end I have all these little projects that need completing and I need to struggle at the end to finish them off.

With this one down only one more needed and the diapers will be done for 2024!!!

This is an old pattern but it is so easy. I use snaps rather than the buttons. I just happen to find them easier to get on and off but if buttons are your thing by all means.

This free pattern is available here.

While these aren't as realistic as the plastic disposable ones that often are sold in stores they are more cost effective and practical as they can be reused until they are lost. Cloth might work better but I'm not much of a sewer so my donation dolls will continue to leave with crocheted diapers. Each doll leaves with two diapers so the doll can wear one and the child can "change" the doll into a new diaper and keep rotating as interested.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bib

With this bib for the second JC 16 inch baby doll finished, I am done with bibs for the 2024 donation!!! It does feel amazing to check off those little items that seem like small projects but when you have several to make they sometimes seem like they will never end. I still need to finish the diapers for this doll but the diaper bags are close to done for the year. I focus more on clothes for the smaller baby dolls as I've never found much in the way of diaper bag items that fit them that are reasonable to crochet.

The bib comes from a free crochet pattern for a feeding kit you can find here.

I've changed the bib pattern a little to fit the larger doll but it has become my pattern of choice for this doll.

Notes:

I forgot to include the hook size on my last post and I do use these posts for reference.

I hook

To get this bib to fit the larger doll I've made the following adjustments:

Start with a chain 16

Continue pattern for 20 rows

Row 21 do row 11 neck shaping

Chain 40 stitches for ties

Reminder to myself for future years, this bib is a bit large even without adjustments for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby doll. Needlecrafts Shop's Sweet Cuddles 971016 leaflet is a better fit and I should pull it out to use for the smaller doll. I used it for 2024 and it is a better choice.

16 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress Parfait

I decided to work on the summer dress for the second 16 inch baby doll for my New Year's Eve project. I finished it during the Rose parade on New Year's day.

As I mentioned in previous posts the pattern for the dress is found in an out of print 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk. The shoes are from a free pattern set Peachy Keen found here. While I used another free pattern for the hat of the other 16 Inch doll I winged this one while playing board games on New Year's Eve. I don't have a written pattern for it.

Notes:

This outfit was made with Lion Brand Ice Cream Yarn Parfait.

To get this to fit the JC 16 Inch Baby Doll I started with an E hook and repeated row 5 once. Thus rows 3-6 follow the original directions for 3-5 moving each row directions down one. For the original row 6 now row 7 that starts the skirt I moved to a D hook to decrease the skirt size as it was too large with the e hook.

Some of you may recognize my go to shoe pattern. The shoes are part of a free pattern called Peachy Keen. I used an I hook and a ball of yarn from my left over pile of worsted weight yarn. Not sure of brand. I tend to repeat shoe patterns for the dolls when I find ones that fit because I find it hard to get crochet shoes to fit at times. So you will often see a rotation of a few patterns for the dolls. This is the only one I use for the 16 inch dolls as it is the only one I've located that fits the dolls and will stay on the feet.

Baby Doll Diaper Part 2

Every year each JC 16 inch Baby doll leaves with 2 diapers for the diaper bag. It allows the child to have a diaper on the baby doll and one to "change" the baby into for pretend play. With this completed one I have one doll with a complete set leaving me with two more diapers needed for 2024.

I've been making these for a very long time because the plastic disposable ones have a short shelf life. These are a bit less realistic but as long as they don't get lost they can be used for some time.

This is an old free pattern you can find here.

Notes:

I used worsted weight 4 acrylic yarn in any brand I have on hand. It's been a great way to use up yarn left over from other projects. I've used up a couple of left over white yarn balls on diapers and bibs this season already.

J Hook

16 Baby Doll Wipes Final Round 2024

There is something so delightful about knowing I have a category completed for the doll project even if it is a small one. This is the second and last baby doll wipes I need for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll for the 2024 donation. The Melissa and Doug Diaper Bag I get for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll has a wipes container included and while I've made the point about why these aren't as great I'm also not one for duplicating efforts when I can put them to a better use.

So I'm slowly getting the diaper bag items finished. The 14 Inch doll comes with a diaper and there is an additional diaper in the kit so again while I need to make these items for the 16 inch dolls to finish their diaper bags I don't need to make additional items for the Lots to Love 14 inch dolls.

With the wipes finished I need one more bib for the 16 inch baby doll and 3 more diapers to finish off the diaper bag accessories that don't come with the kits and diaper bags.

16 Inch Baby Doll Snuggle Sack 2

At the beginning of the donation cycle I try to balance making the accessories with getting the clothing started for the new donation year. Last year I pushed a bit harder on the accessories and as a result fell behind on clothing so this year I'm trying to make sure while I finish off the extras early on I also make sure at least one new outfit gets in each week as well.

The snuggle sacks were a great new accessory added to the baby dolls last year from a free pattern found here. This has become my latest appointment waiting project. I got most of this completed while waiting for an appointment and finished it off later when I got home.

Notes:

Red Heart Stripes Polo

J Hook

Add rows until doll fits before completing final row. I've never counted how many additional rows are required for the JC 16 Inch baby doll. I always go by fit.

On to the Lots to Love 14 inch Doll as I'm done with the largest of the baby doll snuggle sacks for 2024.

16 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress

Every year I try to use patterns I haven't yet used in my extensive doll pattern collection. I found this pattern for the JC 16 inch baby doll in an out of print 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk for the 2023 donation and now it has become one of my new favorites for the larger baby doll.

I had pulled out Hook and Knives dress pattern to make later so I used the hat from that pattern for something different. You can find that pattern here.

The shoes are from Darski's Peachy Keen set found here. These are really the only shoes I've found that fit this doll so I tend to make them in multiple colors to match the outfits.

Notes:

This outfit was made with Lion Brand Ice Cream Yarn Grape.

To get this to fit the JC 16 Inch Baby Doll I started with an E hook and repeated row 5 once. Thus rows 3-6 follow the original directions for 3-5 moving each row directions down one. For the original row 6 now row 7 that starts the skirt I moved to a D hook to decrease the skirt size as it was too large with the e hook.

I made the hat pattern from Hook and Knives Baby Doll Dress pattern switching to DC after her row of 2sc. I just wanted to try something different from last year.

Some of you may recognize my go to shoe pattern. The shoes are part of a free pattern called Peachy Keen. I used an I hook and am working on a skein of Joann's brand yarn.

This pattern worked out well for the Rag Doll last year so I hope to make a second one for the other 16 inch baby doll and one for the Rag doll as well.

16 Inch Baby Doll Wipes

Many years ago I picked up a crochet diaper bag set from a no longer available vendor to include with the JC 16 inch Baby Dolls. However, I slowly stopped using most of the accessories for the donation with the exception of the wipes. I've been purchasing far studier diaper bags than I can make and I use Melissa and Doug's Feeding Kits.

The wipes are a practical matter. In the diaper kits the wipes often have a pretend box with no actual wipes or they are like wet wipes and they will dry out or are just paper and eventually just rip and are no longer useful. These have a very short play life. I've kept crocheting wipes for the diaper bags because they do have a longer play life being resuable and harder to destroy.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bib

Every year I try to knock off these small diaper bag items early in the year. The bibs are a quick between project or a short time project so they often get worked off early.

This is part of a free pattern set that includes the bib, a jar, and a spoon found here..

I send the donations off with the Melissa and Doug Time to Eat Feeding Kit because there are just certain items that add more play value than I can create with crochet.

The food jars aren't stuffed for play value but without stuffing they create challenges. I've tried making them but the lids are really hard to keep on the jars and the crocheted utensils are not nearly as fun as the ones that come in the kits. I'm honest about what works.

While the kit includes a bib it is designed for a slightly smaller doll so while it isn't an issue with the feeding items as a few inches in length, head and neck size aren't as big a deal with the feeding items, it can make a difference to the bib fitting around the doll's neck. So I always make one for each of the three larger baby dolls. It can't hurt to have an extra since stuff gets lost and I know at least this one fits the doll I bought.

That being said this pattern is also not designed for a larger doll so I've adapted it to fit the larger JC 16 inch baby doll.

To get this bib to fit the larger doll I've made the following adjustments:

Start with a chain 16

Continue pattern for 20 rows

Row 21 do row 11 neck shaping

Chain 40 stitches for ties

Reminder to myself since I forgot last year, this bib is a bit large even without adjustments for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby doll. Needlecrafts Shop's Sweet Cuddles 971016 leaflet is a better fit and I should pull it out to use for the smaller doll.

Good news with the Black Friday sales I have the feeding kits put away already for the 2024 donation!

16 Inch Baby Doll Snuggle Snack

I was working on getting the Barbies sorted on Friday, but on Thanksgiving this Snuggle sack came to life as the first item for the 2024 doll donation. I found these free baby doll patterns along with the free sleeping bags for the other dolls last year and I loved being able to add them to the donation. This was the perfect project for working on when I had a few moments here or there or when we were home for a bit and I finally sewed in the ends Friday night.

You can find the free pattern here. This is intended for a slightly smaller doll and I need two for the JC 16 inch baby dolls. I use a J hook to get the width to be comfortable and then just add a few rows for the length. I've never counted I just keep sliding the doll in until it seems like it fits befote doing the final finish row.

Notes:

J Hook

Red Heart Retro Stripes

I'm pleased to have finished my inventory of dolls and items on hand for the 2024 doll donation. I have ordered most of what I need for 2024 and ordered the one doll I'm missing Saturday. I've also been building up the 2025 donation as I find deals. One of the advantages of having an inventory is it does allow me to wait for deals. I can sometimes wait for specific dolls rather grabbing the only doll they have in stock. This allows me to focus more on making items and less on shopping for the dolls I need.