My Life Valentine Dress

I always love adding holiday outfits to the donation when time allows. This is a quick project despite the many pieces and you can purchase the pattern from Adoring Doll Clothes here.

I've not done it in the past but looking at the pattern this year I'm considering trying the outfit in other colors without the heart as a non-holiday pattern as a quick way to increase my doll outfits. The jacket is a nice addition to lots of outfits and it works up quickly.

I'm pleased to say this was another chance to dive into the left over yarn balls from last year's projects. I finally finished off a ball of red and had to start a new skein to finish the jacket. It feels good to see that pile slowly starting to shrink. In years gone by the yarn often got wasted if I didn't put it directly to a project. Now I have a place to seek out the yarn before I start and I'm targeting skeins that aren't balls that have been to long in my collection as well.

16 Inch Doll Diaper Round 2

While I do add new patterns and sometimes new dolls to the donation each year, there are routine tasks to finish because for some child this doll set is new and not something experienced before so they do want all the goodies that the last child received. So I come to the need to make the little diaper bag accessories each year. I try to spread them out across other doll projects because they can be repititous but they do add some fun to doll play.

To save myself time and to get some items I just can't make I added the Melissa & Doug Mine to Love Time to Eat Feeding Set several years ago. It has the magic feeding bottles, play baby food jars and a feeding set. I used to make the bottles but these are more fun and far less time consuming for me to make. I still make bibs because I've found the generic ones that come with these kits don't always fit the various sized dolls.

I continue to make diapers because they fit the dolls I send and its just another fun pretend play aspect of having a baby doll made easier. Parents can debate cloth or disposable diapers when it comes to real children but for toys if your doll is not one that wets having cloth is a much easier plan.

As I mentioned in my previous post I've adapted this free pattern still available on the Wayback machine here to fit the JC Toys - La Baby 16-inch Baby Doll using worsted weight 4 yarn and an I hook. I finally changed the hook size on my printed pattern as I still went with a K hook for the first one this year and it is a bit roomy. I need two more for the second 16 donation doll and I can move on to the other baby dolls.

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.