Kits for Kids Chelsea Simply Bluetiful

This is a new donation project for me this year and until I work on the packing project in May I'm not sure if all my choices are the best but we work on the information we have to make the best choices we can.

For my main doll donation of the year I tend to buy or add accessories to the dolls I buy. However, this donation is different. Space for all items is limited to a single bag and I'm trying to limit the pieces that can be lost as a child moves.

During the recent sales I stocked up on some of my Barbie dolls. I've been thinking about what direction to go with Chelsea as the It Takes Two Camping set I've picked will eventually be discontinued. I was able to stock up for a few more years. My hesitation has been that most of the Chelsea models have a hard plastic "tshirt" that can show through depending on the outfit I make. The dark blue and even the yellow from the camping have not been a huge issue but as I started to shop not only were the newer colors more likely to clash with the outfits I made but they also had print designs on them to look more like a child's tshirt. I get the concept but again not quite helpeful for making clothes.

As I was thinking about what to do for the next Chelsea I found out about this donation and saw there was a basic Chelsea in two skin tones being offered. It's Barbie and friends Club Chelsea. I picked up on at my local Walmart to test how the clothes would fit because the measurements didn't match the current model doll I was using. After realizing the fit would work I picked up a couple of each skin tone for donations during the big sales in March.

This fit my goal of a simple doll. This model has a gingham dress and shoes. The body has no plastic tshirt cover common in the Chelsea line which makes dressing her a bit easier.

Notes:

This has been my go to free Chelsea pattern found here.

I used a 1.8 mm thread hook for this project.I used a 1.8 mm thread hook for this project.

I did not decrease rounds when joining at round 7 or the project would be too small for this Chelsea doll.I used a 1.8 mm thread hook for this project.

The back and top were finished and back closed with a snap.

For this outfit I did add trim at bottom.

Stacie Christmas Dress

I finished two projects on Boxing Day this year. Stacie's first outfit for 2026 and a Sleeping Sack for the 16 inch Baby Doll.

I'm always thrilled when I can find patterns to adapt for Stacie as there are not a great number of patterns designed for her. This outfit was adapted from two free patterns. A free teen version of the dress I used for Chelsea's Christmas outfit found here. The hat is from a free Santa Barbie pattern found here.

Notes:

I used size 20 thread and a 1.25 mm hook for the dress. I had tried on the Santa hat I made for Chelsea on Stacie and found the adaptations worked for her so I used a 1.8mm hook with size 10 thread for the hat.

This is the only version of this pattern I need to use the overlap in row 11 to get the outfit to fit the doll. Without the overlap the outfit is too large. With Skipper and Chelsea the dress is too tight with the overlap. I'm not sure I've made this dress for Barbie but it is on my radar for this year.

I needed all rows to get this to length I wished. The final row of the pattern is a trim row and I chose to add white to make it more of a Christmas themed dress. The pattern does not have trim at the top but I added a sc trim in white again for the Christmas look.

I make the hat pattern as written with the exception of the pom pom. The one mistake I made this attempt came because I was working on two projects at the same time and one required turning after joining and this one does not. I need to pay closer attention as the hat looks better without the turns.

Pom Pom:

I crochet 10 dc into a magic circle and join. For second row I dc increase in each dc finish off and gather with needle and add to hat.

My hope is to use the teen version of this pattern to make non-holiday patterns for both Stacie and Skipper. I always like to find pattern that work up quickly that add to the donation wardrobes.

Chelsea Shorts and Shirt

I pulled some of the quicker Barbie family patterns to make from my binders thinking it would be best to add the various Barbie dolls to the rotation for fear of making it to November only to find the dolls had no clothes. This pattern is actually based on a free dress pattern from Rebeckah's Treasures found here.

I've adapted this dress pattern a couple of times and I'm hoping to get a few more outfits from it this year again. However I did orginally intend to make a dress with the green but as I was finishing the top section something just said summer short outfit and I stopped and went with it. The bottom of the shirt is finished in reverse sc stitches.

Notes:

I used a 1.8mm hook for this pattern.

I joined the top without the suggested overlapping to fit the version of Chelsea doll I'm working with for this project.

The shorts started with a chain 27 and join. I then sc in rows adding some increases to make the future legs a bit wider until I reached the crotch and split evenly with a chain for for the short legs. I started rows on one leg until I got the desired length fininshing with a slip stitch hem. I matched the second side to the first.

Skipper Simply Beautiful

This is Rebekah's Treasures free patterns Simply Bluetiful for the Teen Fashion Doll found here. I wasn't sure which doll this was going to fit as I have two "teen" dolls in the Barbie line Stacie and Skipper and even when the pattern specifies one with the way the dolls change sometimes a dress fits one better than the other. In this case the dress went to Skipper as suggested.

Notes:

I used Aunt Lydia's Size 10 Wood Violet and my Tulip Etimo thread 1.25mm hook.

This dress comes in 3 sizes for the fashion dolls. I don't overlap in row 11 for any of the dolls but join as the fit can be tight when I don't.

I've been able to get a few different outfits using this as a base for the Chelsea doll. I'm hoping to adapt it a bit for Skipper. I also pulled some size 20 thread from my stash to see if I can get this pattern to fit Stacie. I have so few patterns for these 2 dolls that I'm trying to learn to stretch them as I can.

Chelsea Romper

I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to adapt Rebeckah's Treasures free Simply Bluetiful Chelsea pattern found here into a Romper for the Chelsea Can Be a Builder donation doll.

For my own notes I did not decrease in round 7 but joined with a ss. I also did not increase in Round 10 which I did previously with both dresses as this made the pants section balloon out too much. Instead when I reached the leg section I chained 4 and joined at the half way point for the legs and added 3 rows to each leg for the romper.

I finished the back before adding a snap to close the romper. I would definitely consider adding this to next year's pattern selection as it works out quite well. I'm still thinking of using the top section for a top and adding shorts for the donation. It also could work as a top and skirt combination.