Baby Doll Wipes

I keep finding little projects to work on during my time helping family during my Skype homeschooling sessions. These were a perfect project and now I have my first items ready for both 16 inch baby doll diaper bags. You can find the purchase the pattern for the complete baby doll diaper bag here.

Last year I was fortunate and a friend from Crochetville sewed the diaper bags and I just needed to fill them with accessories. That worked out wonderfully as making the bags isn't my favorite task. As I prepost this I'm working on the changing pad. It is normally a rather dull task as it is straight sc, but it is a perfect task during my skype homeschooling time because it requires little concentration. I just need to make sure I click my row counters to track how far I've come. Even that isn't essential as what is most important is that it is long enough for the doll to be placed on for the diaper change. I still need to make the baby bottles and the diapers. The bottles aren't good projects for my homeschool time but the diapers might not be a bad project to add to my list of items to complete during that time.

Baby Doll Carrier

The first doll carrier and blanket for the 2018 doll donation are done and I am so glad. I love the doll carriers and the pattern isn't challenging in general, but working the three strands of worsted weight yarn together is hard on my hands. Finishing a set is always a welcome time. For those of you interested in the doll carrier it is a free pattern found on Ravelry here. The blanket is another of Michelle Crean's doll blanket patterns found in Crochet 2018 Day-to-Day Calendar. This year's entry is called Diamond in the Sky and I rather liked it. Red Heart makes the blankets a little larger, but I like to give the child the option of wrapping the doll, which a shorter blanket doesn't allow.

Now for my notes to myself that I make so I can remember what I did that makes all of this stuff work. For the carrier I need 3 skeins of the same color Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. To make this a workable size for the donation doll start with an I hook for rounds 1-10 switching to a K hook at row 11 to end. This is strictly based on my funky gauge. The first time I made this I tried the K hook through out and almost had one big enough for a real child. Those of you reading should test your own to determine how to proceed. My notes are really for me to come back to should I lose the pattern I've written the notes on for next year. I'm trying to get better with my documentations because I have lost patterns and then have no recourse but to experiment again.

As for the blanket I had hoped to start with the yarn left over from the carrier, but situations being what they are hadn't finished with the carrier when I started with the blanket. However, for my purposes I need 2 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver for the blanket and an H hook I was able to use up the remains of the yarn from the 3 skeins I used for the carrier. I love it when I don't have tons of little balls of yarn left over from projects but instead can roll them into the next project. It does wonders for my yarn storage issues.

The 15 Inch Baby Doll Donation

This blog is primarily my way of recalling, researching, and remembering what I did, when I did it and how to do it again. Since I did a lousy job documenting this year, I'm not going to list all the places the doll's patterns came from, but I do want to remember what I did so I can retrace my steps for next year.

This is the last of the Mary Maxim 15 inch soft doll donations and I'll be said to see them go. The doll has been discontinued, but it did great service for many years. I do like the JC Toys, La Baby 16-inch Doll but it is hard to say goodbye to a faithful tradition.

Little Spring Dress for 12" Baby Doll

As I mentioned in the previous post this pattern was gifted to me by a Crochetville Fairy Godmother during one of our Wishlists. The pattern is available for purchase here.

I've yet to get it to fit the doll I intended it for when I put the outfit on the wishlist. This time I decided I'd have more control with a lighter yarn so I went with Caron Simply Soft for the variegated color. It soon became clear that the outfit was better suited to the smaller Melissa & Doug 12" Baby doll. That worked out fine since I tend to end up with far fewer outfits that will fit the smaller baby doll by donation time. One less pattern for the 15" doll hardly seems a problem.

15 Inch Baby Doll Sundress with Hat

This is one of the patterns I've been using the longest and is one of the easier patterns on my regular pattern list. It has slipped off the web and can only be accessed through the Wayback machine here. Sometimes people will reload their patterns in other domains, but I've yet to locate this one. I will add it to my list of doll pattern if I do. My suggestion would be to download it now if you want it. The Wayback machine can be unreliable for keeping links.

This pattern is very flexible in sizing and while originally designed for a 14" Fisher Price doll I had no trouble adapting it to my bigger 15" doll. I also love that doesn't require buttons or snaps. I'm always happy when I can avoid sewing. It slips on and off easily for little hands, which is also a plus.

This is where I used up most of the yarn I mentioned in the Watermelon dress post. I made this dress first and thought I'd had enough left over for the 12" doll pattern. It's always hard to know when you are working with a yarn you aren't familiar with on a project you are adapting. For my own notes to make this fit this doll I required a K hook and joined after the first row to avoid needing any buttons. I chained 21 for the straps.

Watermelon 12" Baby Doll Dress

One of the things I've enjoyed this year is trying to adapt patterns, yarns and hooks to get one pattern to fit both baby doll sizes. This is an adaptation of a free 14" baby doll pattern found here. The yarn was a lighter weight kind of coarser yarn I inherited when a friend passed away. I had used up most of the yarn on another project but thought I'd have enough to finish the outfit for Melissa & Doug 12 Inch Baby Doll. I underestimated the amount of yarn I needed, but got to thinking about color combos I'd seen for a child's dress and decided to experiment with some Red Heart Lime colored yarn. It worked, creating my Watermelon Outfit.



This encourages me because in years gone by, I've stuck to experimenting with outfits for the 15" doll, but been far more hesitant to play with stuff for the smaller doll, meaning that she always goes off with a smaller bag of clothing for the donation. This will be the largest donation that goes off with her to date.

It has also been great to use up more of the donated yarn in my friend's memory. I need the room and it makes me feel good to know her legacy is one that will make little ones happy.

15 inch Baby Doll Dress with Pinafore

As I mentioned in the Chef post, I started out making the Chef's shirt with some pink baby yarn from my stash. It fit, but it was tight. Then I made the apron with the left over baby yarn from the chef's hat and it was too small. That's when I decided it was time to rethink my approach. After reading the pattern I realized the shirt was supposed to be made from worsted weight yarn. For my purposes the apron also needed to be made from worsted weight yarn. The next step was what to do with what I'd made. I tried the shirt on the baby doll and it fit. From there it was all about rethinking the outfit.

I loved the feel of the yarn and it seemed like it would make a nice soft baby doll outfit. I added a skirt and finished off the pink skein making a hat. After seeing the hat on the doll's head I realized the apron would make a cute pinafore. All my problems solved. Another skein emptied from my stash.

15 Inch Baby Doll Dress

I promised myself I wasn't going to start any baby doll clothes until I was sure I had enough 18 Inch clothes for the year. Last year I started some baby doll clothes to get me out of a crochet block I was having and made lots of baby doll clothes, but not as many 18 inch clothes as I hoped to make.

I kept my pledge, this was actually supposed to be a ballet dress for the 18 inch doll made from a free pattern found here. Based on my notes from last year when I repeated a mistake almost like last years. I knew I needed to use worsted weight yarn for either doll. I also knew I needed to increase the hook size. I increased it to an H and it fit the baby doll nicely. It was a little tight last year when I made it with a G.

For the 18 Inch doll I'm trying the waist with an H and the rest of the outfit with an I hook.

I love this outfit for both dolls. It requires no sewing, buttons or hooks. It is rare I can find a pattern that will work for both with minimal adjustments. I just hadn't planned on making anything for the baby dolls just yet. I've already started reworking the outfit for the 18 inch doll and should be able to post that next week.

I also had the added benefit of using up more of my friend's yarn on this outfit and the ballet outfit I hope to finish soon.

Doll Basket for 15 Inch Doll

The doll baskets and blankets are finished for the year. Last year I only managed to get one done, so it feels like progress. This one was a little bit larger than I would have liked. It's hard when you are adapting a pattern to fit a larger doll to make sure you don't over compensate and make it too large.

The doll basket pattern came from Dressing Up Dolly, Leisure Arts 2725. The blanket came from the 2015 Crochet Calendar. The pillow was just something I played with until I found something that worked. I found the babies fit better in the baskets with a pillow.

Baby Doll Hooded Towel and Washcloth

Every so often, you find a pattern that may not seem like much at first, but turns into a gold mine. That is what the out of print leaflet Dressing Up Dolly, Leisure Arts 2725 has been like for me this year. I started hunting for it when I wanted to make the doll baskets and then started experimenting with patterns I hadn't played with before. While designed for the smaller 12" dolls with adjustments I've found I can make some of the patterns work for the 15" soft bodied Mary Maxim doll.

I had made a different hooded towel for the 12" doll a few years ago, but after finishing this one, I'll be digging out my sports yarn to make this in a smaller size for the Baby Jenna doll. The pattern is easy to follow and was much easier to assemble than the one I made previously.

15 Inch Baby Doll Sundress with Hat

This is another favorite outfit to make for the 15 inch soft doll Mary Maxim baby doll that I donate. The Hooks and Knives Blogspot has disappeared from the web, but I was able to locate the pattern for the time being here.

This was originally designed for a Fisher Price 14 1/2 Inch Mommy and Me doll, but I found it adapted easily enough. I changed to a K hook and joined the back after the first row to avoid having to use buttons or velcro. It works fine.

I like this pattern because it works up quickly, with adjustments requires little sewing, and it is easy for a child to take on and off without assistance.

Baby Doll Nightgown

I am usually really good about adding links to patterns I download. I like to thank the writers when I post about them and I like to be able to go back and get another copy of the free patterns if I lose it. I found this pattern in with a bunch of other patterns I had downloaded, but for some reason I don't have the link. I apologize and thank the designer. This outfit made a very nice addition to my donation box.

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 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.

Baby Doll Blanket for 12 Inch Doll

A funny thing happened while working on an 18-inch doll project, it turned into a doll blanket for a 12 inch doll. I had a doll dress pattern that used the Chevron stitch and even when I increased the hook size and frogged it several times to check the pattern, I just wasn't getting it to fit the doll. However, I noticed it did look like it would make a nice blanket if it was just larger.

Then I realized while it wouldn't work for the 15 or 18-inch doll it was a good size for the 12 Jenna doll. So my time and effort was saved.

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, Bonnet, Booties

I'm still working hard putting away doll donation projects. This is another outfit for the 15 inch Mary Maxim doll. I am hoping to have a good pile finished before summer activities slow up my crochet time.

I received this pattern as a Valentine's gift. It can be purchased here. This was a chance to learn a new strategy for assembling the sweater and creating the arms. I still prefer the method I've used in the past, but I like the chance to learn something new.

I did play with the hook size to get the outfit to fit 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.

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.