16 Inch Baby Doll Swim Suit

This is the final project of the 2023 season in a couple of ways. First it is the final item and it also finishes the bathing/swim suit challenge for the year. Every doll is leaving with a swim or bathing suit. It was a much larger task than I thought it would be on top of the sleeping bag or cocoon but I made it under the wire.

For the second JC 16 Inch Baby doll I went with the same Stepahine Dygert pattern I used with the second My Life Doll. With time restrictions I stuck to the bathing suit without the accessories.

Notes: I pulled from my yarn ball pile for this project and it was a great chance to finish off some left over yarn.

Like the My Life Doll I needed an I hook to get the suit to fit.

Lil Cutesies Dress, Knickers, and Shoes

I'm continuing to cycle through my donation dolls trying to make sure they all leave with clothes. This is one of Petite Dolls patterns for the Lil Cutesies Doll that can be purchased here.

As I did with the larger JC 16 inch Baby dolls my plan is to cycle patterns through the Lil Cutesie doll and the Lots to Love 8 Inch Baby doll as most patterns fit both with minor adjustments. Since the Lil Cutesies doll was still waiting for a picture to be taken when I finished this outfit, I started on a bathing suit for the Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll that I hope to switch and make this dress for the Lots to Love 8 Inch and the Bathing Suit for the Lil Cutesies doll.

This was made with the same Herrschners yarn I used for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll I posted about yesterday. I used the suggested E hook and the fit was fine. This pattern does not come with a flower so I borrowed one from another one of her patterns I purchased here. One of the advantages of having a pattern library is being able to borrow items from one pattern to use with another. I do this all the time with shoes. When I find a pattern that is easy and fits I often repeat it.

Lil Cutesies Yellow Romper

I was so excited to get Shady Lane's Crochet Gingham Toye Tykes pattern 411 for the JC Toys Lil Cutesies dolls in the mail. I don't purchase patterns much by mail these days but it has 14 pages and I knew I wanted to make all the patterns so getting the printed copy rather than printing it all seemed worth the wait. You can purchase the digital copy here. You can get the printed copy at the website here.

The leaflet has patterns for 3 doll dresses made from baby size 3 yarn and trimmed with size 10 crochet thread. It also includes the pattern for the title of the leaflet the Gingham Tote.

I stated with the yellow romper pattern because I had the yellow baby yarn so I didn't need to buy yarn to complete the pattern. The pattern calls for purple thread but I went with dark blue. The picture shows dark purple and the dark blue seemed a reasonable substitute. I like the contrast between the yellow and the blue.

Shoes are always a concern of mine. These fit really well. I would make the headband with a smaller hook next time. This headband was a little larger than needed.

I used a white flat button rather than a yellow because it was all I found locally. I wasn't going to search to far for a head band button for a doll. If I come across some other colors I may put them away for future projects but I am ok with how this one looks.

One subject this project did bring up is that I have holes in my steel thread crochet supply. Since my Bates Bamboo sterelite are not available any longer I've started researching new options for steel hooks with handles rather than the traditional steel hooks. I've never been able to hold the traditional hooks but the Bates Bamboo sterelite made thread work possible. As I try new hooks I'll keep you updated on how well the new hooks work.

Peachy Keen

I've made this pattern several times now but ironically this is the first time I've had peach on hand when I decided to make the outfit.

I've been talking online with other crocheters about the difference between using yarn you consistantly use and destashing. For me destashing is targeting yarn that will leave permanantly and not be replaced. For instance in this project I used some Craft Smart Value Yarn I bought from Michael's ages ago right after AC Moore closed. I know its been that long because I don't often shop at Michaels. I've been trying different "house" brand yarns and some like Joann's Big Twist I really like. While I've read Craft Smart has improved I would not be rushing back to buy more. The skein I have is full of knots and the texture is what many who hate acrylic yarn think of when they discuss why they won't use it. However, I am determined to finish off yarn in my stash and this was peach and would work for a doll's outfit. However, to distinguish between finishing off yarn that you buy and destashing I will finish off the skein of white and replace it if not with the brand I have on hand another of similiar type. When this skein of Craft Smart is done I will likely get more peach at some point but it won't be this brand.

I love this pattern. It does remind me of my childhood when we still had dress coats for church and play coats for being outside in the mud. Our "dress" coats might be home made or hand me downs but they were easily distinguishable as the coat you wore to Church on Sunday as were the shoes. I think I was in Jr. High or High School before I slipped into church in sneakers.

This pattern works up quickly despite the layered look. I used a flower button instead of crocheting one. I did not add one tot he hat.

Notes:

I added additional rows to the skirt and then forgot to add them to the coat. This required me to pull out the edging and add rows to the coat before finishing as the coat looks better when it is longer than the skirt.

The shoes require an I hook to fit the JC Toys 16-inch Baby Doll or they are too tight. I added an extra row at the top before making the shoe strap and the shoes fit better.

This time I did have the 7 hook to use instead of the H and the fit was better. The pattern alternates between a G, 7, and a H hook. The last time I made this I'd misplaced my 7 and went with the H. The 7 makes for a better fit.

As an additional note the buttons I've been using from a long ago swap no longer have a complete set of larger sized buttons that can be used for this coat. I put this note here to remind myself when I pull this up next year to buy coat buttons or there won't be any to finish this project. I've been very blessed that the supply has held out this long but as with all things they do come to an end.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Doll Romper

This is another free pattern found in the Berenguer Baby Layette set here. The pattern uses traditional baby colors but I had a skein of Caron Simply Soft Ombres Grape Purple left over from a scarf project that seemed like it would be a fun fit for this project and a way to decrease my oversized yarn supply. I find Caron to be one of those in between yarns like Herrschners. It say it is a 4 weight but it is a light 4 and good for those projects that fall between sports and worsted weight yarn when I make doll clothes. I find when I use it on projects that call for a worsted weight yarn I sometimes get an outfit that is a little smaller than I would have wished.

This project worked up with the suggested hook size. I did add a couple of rows to the top of the romper to give it length before splitting for the legs. The pattern calls for elastics to make the legs but I chose to split the legs and trim them. I could see the purpose for using the elastics but I went the easier route.

Once I read the directions for the hat correctly it too worked up according to the directions and hook size.

This doll is on its way to being dressed for the donation, too.

Baby Doll Easter Bunny

January definitely was the month for holiday baby doll clothing. I actually finished this outfit before the Leprechaun but seasonally it seemed better for it to go after the Leprechaun.

There was a time when the local craft stores used to sell craft bears that were a little over a foot long and people would buy them and dress them. I've run across various patterns in old crochet magazines I collect and I've put aside ones that I thought might at some point prove useful.

For the most part due to the size differences and shape of the bears most would have been better suited to the days when I dressed the 12" baby dolls. However, every so often you find something you can't resist trying to adapt.

I came across a pattern in my binder from the Mar/April 1993 issue of Hooked on Crochet titled Playing Dress Up. The pattern was designed for a 13" Teddy Bear like the ones I'd seen in craft stores years ago. Looking at it I could see the possibilities for adapting this to the larger 16" doll as there were no clothes to be fitted. The challenge would be to get the hat and shoes to fit. The bib was easy enough to make.

The original pattern called for an H hook I had to use a K to get the hat large enough to fit. I used an I for the pink trim or it was way to bulky. The ears were also done with an I hook or the chenille stems would have poked right through.

The feet proved to be more tricky. Bear feet are large so I needed to go down to a D hook to get them to fit and then play with the rows to get the fit I wanted. I used sport weight yarn for the paw pads or the pads wouldn't have fitted on to the smaller feet.

While I loved the overall look of the outfit I wasn't a fan of the carrot when I started crocheting it. I dug into my button collection for a carrot for the bib.

Baby Doll Diapers

Right after Thanksgiving I did an inventory of the doll donations and realized I was short on baby doll items. Right after I dropped off the doll donation and mailed out my Christmas boxes I decided that I would start on the baby dolls to prevent another Thanksgiving baby doll marathon crochet session. The doll diapers work up pretty quickly so it was a great place to start. The most time consuming part is actually sewing on the snaps. The pattern calls for buttons, but I've always thought the snaps were a better option. A week before Christmas and the doll diapers for next year's donation were ready to head into the donation bags.

I was thrilled that the new baby dolls come with baby bottles so those don't need to be made this year. It's the small things in life that make us grateful. Those little small items would seem to be quick to make but they do add up when you are making multiples.

You can still find this pattern via the Wayback machine here although I'm always worried it will disappear. My copy is precious as it is my go to pattern every year.

Little Angel Baby Doll Layette

I find inspiration for my doll projects where ever I can. This designer has a unique ministry to help parents who have need of burial clothes for their children. While it may seem morbid the clothes often are the perfect size for dolls and free patterns give me an opportunity to stretch my crafting dollars. She models the outfits using dolls about the same size as those I use for my doll projects making her patterns a good match. This layette set is a free pattern you can find here.

I used regular worsted weight yarn on this project although it calls for baby weight. While a 4 it was a lighter weight yarn than my normal worsted and perfect for this project. It was another chance to use up some yarn left over from previous projects. While I consistently buy yarn to get specific colors and weights, I also am always on the look out for ways to make a dent in a every growing yarn stash.

Baby Doll Top

I love the Mary Maxim 15" soft baby dolls because they do have the soft body. I think it makes for a nice donation doll. The downside is they have the soft body. It makes fitting clothes much more challenging. However, I do eventually get there. This top was the first failed attempt at completing the Girl's Dress pattern Fibre Craft FCM317. I think it makes a cute top and eventually I'll finish the dress at some point. I just need to adapt the pattern to fit the slightly larger padding found on the Mary Maxim doll.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Doll Diaper

I decided the 12-inch doll had been neglected so I made her a diaper using a free pattern found here. I chose to use snaps instead of buttons. I suspect if I could find Velcro that was not a killer to sew that would be an even better option.

I have to experiment with how many stitches it would take on a starting chain, but I think this could be adapted to give the 15-inch baby dolls diapers, too.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Baby Doll Blanket

I love the old leaflets that have complete wardrobes and accessories for dolls. You don't see them much anymore, but when I can find the out of print ones I buy them. Even if they aren't a perfect fit for the dolls I'm donating, I find I can often adapt patterns if I work an extra panel in the back if the doll is a bit bigger or reduce the size if the doll in the pattern is larger. Sometimes the clothes don't work, but the accessories are wonderful. That was the case when I purchased the out of print Dressing Up Dolly, Leisure Arts 2725. The original dolls these were designed for aren't available, however, the items are working out for my modern substitutes.

Today we have the blanket that goes with the basket I mentioned on Friday. This was actually not designed to go with the basket, but as part of the Christening set. That pattern called for sports weight yarn and knowing I'd already decided this one would be for the 15 inch doll, I opted to make it with worsted weight yarn to make it large enough to use with the basket.

The blanket has a pretty weave pattern to it and it works up nicely. I plan to try some of the outfits in this leaflet at some point for the 12-inch donation doll. Up next, I am working on a sweater set for the 15-inch doll from a pattern that the Easter Bunny dropped off.


Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Baby Doll Basket

As I mentioned in a previous post I started out making a doll basket for the 12-inch baby doll donation I am working on. I found the pattern in an out of print leaflet Dressing Up Dolly, Leisure Arts 2725.

Not having made one for a doll this size before I really didn't pay much attention to the measurements and made it according to the directions. I liked the way it looked, but felt it was a better fit for the 15-inch baby doll. Since the pattern doesn't use anything to shape the basket other than the yarn, having it too much larger than the doll seems leave it as more of a sack than a basket for carrying the doll. With the larger 15-inch doll, it seems to hold its shape better using the doll as a means of helping to shape the basket. I am going to try to make another one for the 12-inch doll using sport weight yarn to bring the size down.


Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Baby Doll Sweater, Pants, Hat, and Booties

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry I've been making clothes for the 15 inch Mary Maxim soft bodied dolls. These dolls present some unique challenges because their sizes are different from the more common hard bodied dolls. This time the biggest challenge seemed to be their feet. The booties fit without alteration on the hard bodied 15" doll I have. I had to rewrite the pattern to get them to fit the soft bodied doll. The clothes however, fit fine. I haven't tried them on the hard bodied dolls. I suspect they might be large.

I purchased a few out of print leaflets to help me provide some clothing for the dolls. This outfit comes from an American School of Needlework leaflet, Twin Baby Doll Clothes to Crochet, 1155. For those who might want to find it I will just mention there is a Annie's Attic leaflet, 872017 Crochet Twin Baby Dolls that has a very similar name. I now have both, but almost ended up with duplicates not being aware of the differences. The American School outfits are primarily made using sport weight yarn, the Annie's publication uses size 10 thread. While both are out of print they seem to pop up frequently on resale sights.

I was delighted to discover that some size 2 afghan yarn I purchased previously and didn't like for afghans worked out well for the darker contrasting color I needed for this outfit. Since I didn't want to use it for an afghan, I have been wondering what to use the big balls for, now I have a solution.

There's a set of footed pants I want to try. I am curious to see how it will work out having already had a challenge with the booties fitting.

I am trying to get as many doll outfits completed as possible before the end of the month. In March I'm switching to ami's. I'm doing an ami swap at Crochetville and I have Easter and birthday ami's to make. I'm hoping to still get some doll work completed and once the ami rush is done to get back to completing the doll projects. In the past once I've stopped it has been hard to get back into the groove again.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

15 Inch Doll Soft Bodied Mary Maxim Baby Doll Sundress

I decided to try adding the soft bodied 15 inch Mary Maxim dolls to my donation this year. They seem to be a little larger in the upper body than most of the patterns I've looked at that fit the hard bodied Mary Maxim dolls much better. I'm going to adapt because I think the soft dolls are a bit nicer for the children who will be playing with them after Christmas next year. While I've found that most of the 18 Inch dolls are close in size, the baby doll sizes really do range from one doll to the next. While I always try on the outfits as I'm working, I find with the baby dolls, it's even more important, because there isn't often a common understanding of size when one reads a pattern for a baby doll as there is when you read one for an 18 inch doll. The sizes even among the 12 or 15 inch sizes are pretty wide.

I am always so grateful for those who are generous and donate their patterns for free. I found this baby doll pattern on Hooks and Knives Blogspot here. It was designed for the smaller Fisher Price Little Mommy Doll, but I increased my hook size to a K and it fit. The blog used to have a picture of the doll and the outfit, but it looks like it was removed. Edited the blog has been taken down but I changed the link to allow you to see the pattern for a time.

Other than changing the hook size to make the pattern fit, I also decided I didn't want to sew the back up and since it was going to be a slip on, I crocheted the dress in the round from the first row and have no problems getting it on and off the doll. I tried the suggested H hook for the first row and it didn't fit the hard bodied 15 inch doll so I'm thinking I will still need to play with the hook size to get it to fit the hard bodied 15 inch doll.

This dress works up really quickly and it is a cute outfit. I added a scalloped border to the bottom, but even without it is a nice outfit which adapts easily to the many sizes of baby dolls on the market.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Baby Doll Crochet Hooded Towel

Of course after taking a bath Baby Jenna Doll needed a towel. Since the hooded towels are all the rage, why not a crocheted hooded towel for the set. After all, after a bath, baby needs a nice comfy towel to dry off and get warm. This is also part of Maggie’s Crochet baby bath doll pattern set available here.

This project is turning into a great stash busting project. I have been digging into my stash and able to use up some partial skeins that were left over from previous projects. This set has not required any additional yarn purchases.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Baby Doll Bath Set

I decided to add baby dolls to my donation this year. The timing worked out that I was able to pick up two Melissa & Doug Jenna - 12" Dolls on after Christmas clearance. I had purchased this doll bath pattern set a while back and never got to making any of the items. It is available at Maggie's Crochet here. As I started thinking about my doll projects for the coming year, I liked the idea of a crocheted bath set. Accessories always make dolls more fun to play with and this set has those.

One of the exciting discoveries for me is that I can crochet with thread using Susan Bates Bamboo Steelite Size 7 and size 10 thread. I am in the early stages yet, but I found that with the larger handle I was able to make the soap in thread after making a larger one using sports yarn. Since I am also planning a 15" doll donation, I will use the larger items for that doll. I am quite excited about this step. I used a Christmas gift card from Joann’s to get the thread to try out a doll thread pattern that I have wanted to make for some time, but never thought it would be possible. Only time will tell. It is a long way from a soap bar to a doll's dress, but it is a start. I have been so certain I would never get to do any thread projects that I am delighted to have found a tool that works for me.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.