How to Sew a Button

I saw How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew on Amazon and decided to put it on my reserve list at the library. I have become much more frugal about purchasing books. I like to preview if possible prior to purchasing. My younger self donated many impulse book purchases. My new library habit has saved me lots of money.

The range of advice in this book made it difficult to appreciate in one library loan period. However, it did convince me to put it on my buy list. The price is reasonable. It is a book I will go back to for reference purposes.

Specifically I liked the cooking and cleaning tips. The topics do literally range from any topic you could expect to sit down and have a conversation with a grandparent who had lived through the Great Depression. The author references her panel of grandparents who helped her with advice on these topics. In the opening of the book, she discusses her own quest to discover the lost arts after failing to recognize rhubarb and making a horrible tasting pie.

Our library system has the grandfather book that I also want to preview. The book reviews seem to indicate the skills are less specific and more general "life advice." The value in purchasing the Grandma book is that I will return because I will not remember if it was baking soda and vinegar for the dog pee removal or something else. I will want to be able to pull up the information. My own grandparents never had dogs so while they passed on many useful life lessons that is not one I suspect they had much of a need to learn.

This is also going to be part of a few gifts this year. I am not the only one I know who can benefit from some wise advice. This is a great book for young people starting out.

Buttons

As I continue to make doll clothes, I have been experimenting with ways to join the clothes. So far, I have used a variety of snaps and buttons. I recently purchased hooks and eyes to use, but have not yet had the opportunity to try them out. I had wondered about the availability of small buttons for Barbie sized clothing but had not seen any.

Buttons are a rather interesting subject with doll clothes. I know some people who will buy button cards picking out specific buttons for each outfit. The buttons really do add something special to the outfits. While I admire the look these buttons provide the expense can be prohibitive. I tend to be a more practical in my button selection. I like to find the large selection of buttons, which while not as pretty as some, are functional. I recently found the Favorite Findings brand at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I have been pleased with the color selection and price. A recent trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics located the tiny Favorite Finding's buttons pictured above. I was not sure if they would be functional or just for decoration. I bought the selection in the container. My theory was if they were not useful for dressmaking, I would use them on amigurumi projects. I was able to use one on a Skipper dress where a snap was not useful.

I do not have an affiliation agreement with Jo-Ann's, though I do mention them quite often. Around here, they are the store with the best selection of sewing notions. I find AC Moore often has better yarn prices unless I am buying online. When I started working on amigurumi and doll projects, I found it helpful when people shared where they found their supplies. I do not always have access to the same stores, but sometimes I find new resources. While there is no Hobby Lobby for several states, I did find I could order items online because someone discussed where she bought her supplies. My Mom found out there is one in her state and now has a cheaper alternative for her yarn and crafts. Sometimes people just assume everyone knows where to find supplies. I know I had all but given up on finding anything but button cards when I found the Favorite Findings brand. I am still looking for other options, but for now, I have an affordable choice.

Skipper Party Dress

This picture does not quite do the dress justice. It is much fuller and prettier in person. This is another dress I adapted from Annie's Attic Fashion Doll Little Sister, Pattern Number 87D22 published 1986. This pattern used fingering yarn and it was so much fun working on the skirt. The formation of the skirt creates the illusion of an underskirt. The pattern creates the style with layers of crochet skirt instead of an actual underskirt. This was a new style of skirt pattern for me. I am anxious to make a few in different colors. The top of the dress has been simplified. I also added an elastic waist as I explained in previous blog posts. I also experimented with using buttons instead of snaps for closures in the back this time.

It has been fun experimenting with the Skipper patterns. With these patterns, I hope to be able to adapt them and make more styles for the doll. I have not found many free Skipper patterns so being able to adapt the few vintage books that are available is an advantage. For those that are interested, I have been using a three- inch elastic for her waist and crocheting over the waist band before working on the skirt and then the top. Barbie's outfits have used a four-inch elastic sewed together and then crocheted over for her outfits.

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

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Charity Crochet Goals

One of my goals for this year was to do more doll and toy projects for charity. My goal is to complete at least one doll outfit per month to donate. I belong to a Yahoo group that is collecting American Girl doll clothes for donation. However, I also want to build a box of items for local donation. Therefore, I really need to be able to finish more than one item to reach that goal. One item per box is my theory. I finished my first pair of pants yesterday. I need to finish my Valentine's boxes before finishing another item for January's donation goal. However, there is still time.

For the local donations, I may include Barbie outfits as well. I will try to use a coupon to pick up a Springfield Doll during the year so I have the doll to donate with the clothes. There is rarely a challenge in finding Barbie's for kids so I am less worried about donating doll clothes without the accompanying doll. Now I just need to figure out which local group is the best option to donate the items to for Christmas next year. I have a year to decide so it should not be an issue. The key is to commit to finishing my monthly promises.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Buying e-Patterns

I resisted buying e-Patterns. I still prefer hard copy pattern books. For Christmas my husband purchased the Star Wars Collection Ami Patterns and the Loony for Looms patterns, paid, downloaded, and delivered them to me. I had asked for both because I knew he would deal better with managing the paying, downloading, getting the code, and printing. Still I resisted the concept of buying my patterns this way.

Then the story I discussed yesterday about Mary Maxim happened. Some of patterns were only e-Patterns and even those that were not did not have traditional pattern books. When I had purchased the doll patterns previously, they had been folded paper copies in a plastic envelope, hardly worth the additional shipping costs. Therefore, this past weekend I ventured into the world of e-patterns and purchased a set of Maggie's Crochet patterns over the Internet. Not earth shattering I realize. However, it was conquering my resistance to an issue. I successfully ordered, paid, and with my husband's assistance downloaded the patterns. When the code arrived, I was able to print my patterns. This was much quicker than waiting a few weeks for the order to arrive and as I mentioned since the patterns are not in book format, not much different from what I would have received by mail. I will still buy books when available. However, I think I will start buying the paper patterns over the Internet to save my shipping costs. Ultimately, I still have to pay for ink and paper. However, I still think there is savings and convenience.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Buying Patterns

I love getting craft catalogs in the mail. It is tough to resist the temptation of books, yarns, and new patterns. However, it is always interesting to see what I may have missed in my journeys around the Internet.

Recently I was reminded that these catalogs provide temptations that should be researched for significant cost savings. Mary Maxim offers some beautiful doll, stuffed animal, and holiday kits. I have purchased a few of the holiday kits, mostly on clearance, but this year I splurged and bought, two prior to the post holiday sales. I generally avoid the kits. While I love the Mary Maxim yarn, it is generally more expensive without a real value added to most of the toy projects I make. The additional cost of the yarn does not really increase the enjoyment of the toy or doll clothes and they have not been shown to last longer in my experiments. In addition, the doll kits come with the dolls. The children I am making doll clothes for already have the 18" dolls and I can buy dolls to donate with coupons at AC Moore for significantly less money. Getting a doll with the kit is not an advantage.

However, some of those doll patterns are so adorable and I have been left tempted to buy the kits on clearance even though they are still more than I would normally pay for a doll pattern. Then I saw the bunnies. The last catalog had Esther and Ernie Bunny with their baby bunny. It was an adorable pattern, but there was no way I would pay close to $37 plus shipping for a stuffed animal kit. While I found the pattern cute, the colors were not as appealing. Then I remembered previous pattern hunting lessons. Google is your friend. Mary Maxim and others get their kit pattern from designers who also sell their patterns. Sometimes those patterns are available right away. Other times you have to wait for the designers to release them on their own sites. Mary Maxim rarely tells you the designer’s name, but with the pattern name, you can begin a search. The names are generally kept consistent. Searching would cost me nothing but time. Sure enough one of my favorite pattern places, Maggie's Crochet, had the Ernie and Esther pattern available for $7.99. While I was there, I found a doll pattern I had been previously been tempted to buy the doll kit on clearance at Mary Maxim and a few other doll patterns I had thought about buying through Annie's Attic.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Barbie Strapless Gown

Slowly I have been working through my spring holiday doll patterns. This is the Annie's Attic Strapless Gown Pattern from Annie's Fashion Doll Quick and Easy book number 87D20. I believe this will be Barbie's Easter dress for the Easter package. I added an elastic waist as I did with the Valentine dress.

This dress used baby fingering yarn. The best part of creating this outfit was the skirt. I enjoyed using the shell stitch in a new way to create the skirt pattern.

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

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Cindy Doll

I mentioned in a previous blog that I had purchased some vintage doll books hoping they would fit some of Barbie's sisters. I am still playing with some of Cindy's outfits to see if they will fit Stacie. So far I have not had time to do the conversions as these patterns are mostly thread. That means I need to convert to fingering yarn and then from Cindy's body type to Stacie. However, I did recently find a source for purchasing the Cindy doll. I ordered a couple to try them out and if they work out, I will share my source. I like the idea of small dolls as they are easy to store and I seem to have found some of the patterns that will fit her.

I am finding it fun working with different doll styles. Starting with an 18" doll and then moving to the small Kelly doll keeps things interesting. Adding in dolls with different challenges keeps the process from becoming routine.

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

Cindy, Dora, Bratz, and Other Dolls

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Hello Kitty Valentine Crochet

I have been working on a Valentine's Ball Theme for my Valentine's packages. Hello Kitty's outfit is a combination of several outfits. The dress is based on the American Girl Colonial dress I posted about earlier. Her cloak is adapted from Barbie's Valentine Cloak pattern. Her hat was complete fabrication. I started with a headband and kept playing with the stitches until I had a hat.

The length of the body has become an issue when designing outfits that are more interesting. I have been thinking about making a longer body to accommodate more detailed outfits. It should not be too challenging and would allow for more creative exploration.

Armina Ami-Nals' Hello Kitty patterns have been a great help and inspiration for creating my own Hello Kitty's. I still use her witch pattern as my basic body pattern, but I have expanded my dress making techniques to include my experience with doll clothes. For those of you interested in patterns, you can find links to her free patterns and others on the Hello Kitty page.

I am still making lots of doll clothes. I have Barbie dress that will be posted this week and a Skipper dress that needs to be photographed. I have to do some pattern cleaning because I was looking for an American Girl doll pattern to meet my charity goal and I seem to have misplaced the pattern. I have been moving stuff around so I know it will turn up. I just had hoped to get that finished yesterday.


If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Spring Projects

As the snow pours down on us I am planning out my winter/spring schedule. I have Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and several birthdays to plan projects for and silly me was thinking things would slow down after Christmas.

I am balancing doll projects between the holidays. I have some Valentine's projects completed, as evidenced by today's photograph. I have an Easter outfit finished for Barbie and started for Kelly. However, I still need boy projects and I have not even begun to think about St. Patrick's Day.

It always comes together, and I do have items other than crochet for the occasion, but I also have some charity doll knitting to complete as well. I am trying to complete at least one project a month to put aside for donation. This month I want to make a pair of pants, hopefully two.

We will just have to see how it all works out.

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

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

It has Been One of Those Weeks

My husband and I both got sick this past week so things have been slow. Thankfully, we are both coming out of it and with a long weekend have had more time to recover. There are many things to be done to catch up today and I have not had a chance to blog ahead as I normally do when I am healthy.

I have a couple of crochet projects ready to photograph and a few more almost ready. I broke my promise about buying yarn and I think I found sources for a couple of dolls that match some vintage books I bought and then realized did not fit my target dolls. If the dolls work out, I will post my sources for others who are interested.

I did buy sale baby yarn, sports yarn and some holiday clearance yarn from Joann's and the Knitting Warehouse. I have posted several times about the challenges of finding baby fingering yarn and finding Bernat fingering yarn on-sale was not an opportunity to pass up when I am in a doll clothes mode. I am finding the Red Heart sports yarn skeins do not go as far as I thought when making clothes for even dolls as small as Barbie. I thought I had quite a bit of yarn, but the colors I needed were gone quickly leaving me with a need for some refills. The Bernat Satin I needed for the patterns in PatternsByJeannine SIGNATURE SERIES: All American Girls - 36 Crochet Patterns for 18 inch Dolls was also on-sale so I purchased that as well. I had a free shipping coupon from Joann's so it seemed an ideal time to stock up.

While I was pleased at finding the fingering yarn, I do wish I could find it in larger skeins. When I realize how much I use for a doll's outfit, I do wonder how people make baby items without spending a small fortune.

I hope to get my pictures taken and my blogs uploaded and back on schedule soon.

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Barbie Valentine Ball Gown

As part of my Valentine's packages, I had the idea of doing a Valentine's Ball theme for the dolls. Since Skipper will not be traveling until the spring, this meant dresses for Kelly, Barbie, and the American Girl doll. I have not decided if Ken will be involved. His is usually a last minute decision. Even Hello Kitty is getting into the theme. I am working on a pink outfit based on the techniques used for the American Girl Colonial outfit.

This is the Annie's Attic Winter Formal Pattern from Annie's Fashion Doll Quick and Easy book number 87D20 I discussed yesterday. This Winter Formal outfit benefited from the large amount of red sports yarn I had ordered anticipating a need for both Christmas and Valentine's Day projects. This meant I did not have to try to play with the skirt. I had enough to finish the pattern requirements. I also used an elastic waist with this version as well.



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

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Barbie Winter Formal Take One

With the confidence gained from practice with some of the free Barbie patterns I made over the holidays, I decided to return to some of the Annie's Attic vintage books I have been collecting. This dress is based on the Winter Formal gown found in Annie's Fashion Doll Quick and Easy book number 87D20.

There are a couple of reasons this dress is based on the original and not the pattern. The first is a mistake on my part. After making the Skipper outfit, I mistakenly thought I had enough blue sports yarn to complete another dress. Instead of having a skein and a half, I had about 3/4 of a skein to complete the outfit. This meant the dress was going to be shorter than the pattern requested.

The second reason had to do with some lessons learned in making the free patterns. I am making these outfits for little hands not display. The elastic waist lines do make creating and dressing the dolls easier. Once I did that I had to play with the top of the dress to accomadate the new waist. I realized I had made a good faith estimate at making the top small enough but without straps Barbie was not able to hold up the dress. Then I remembered my Grandmother talking about strategic pieces of lace being used to cover necklines. In my case I did not want to cover the neckline I needed to tighten it, but the strategy was similar. I used the white yarn I have been trimming my outfits with to decrease the stitches at the bodice and now Barbie's gown is fitting the way I hoped it would.

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

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Crochet Calendar

The Crochet: 2011 Day-to-Day Calendar was another item on my Christmas list that I really wanted. I started the craze last year by purchasing the knitting calendars for my Mom and Aunt and then picked up the Crochet and Knitting calendars for myself after Christmas. The Knitting Calendar was easy to find, I had to do an online search to find the Crochet Calendar. This year with all the sales prior to the holiday, I decided to put my order in early.

I had heard this might be the last year for the crochet calendar, no word on the knitting calendar. I for one will be disappointed. Many have complained that there are fewer patterns and that many are free patterns already available. However, I know for my Aunt, my Mom, it is fun to open the box and see what surprises are in there.

My favorites so far from the Crochet version:

Dolls:

January 12: Afghan and Pillow
I have thought about purchasing this pattern a few times, now I have it.

February 25: Felted Slippers 18" Doll
Cute pattern and it will be a good chance to try felting with a small project.

July 20: Christening Gown 5" doll but suggestions for baby yarn for larger doll

August 19: 5 1/2" Sailor outfit
Cotton thread but adorable

October 10: 18" Doll Slip
Now I just have to find someone who can crochet it with thread.


Afghans:

April 25: Easter Basket Baby Afghan
Love the colors and texture.

July 18: Fleece Edging
Fleece is king in our house. I am thinking edging would be a great combo of the soft fleece we love and the decorative touches crochet adds.

September 5: Rainbow Afghan
I love the colors

Clothing:

I do not make much in the way of clothes, but I do love shawls, scarfs, and an occasional hat. These made my list.

February 4: Lacy Fans Shawl
This is another one I would like to try to master the technique.

February 16: Little Blue Riding Hood
This is going on my Christmas pile.

February 21: Cross-Country Shawl
I am determined that I have to make this one.

March 11: Aprons for Mom and Me
This just looked like fun. Perhaps another Christmas possibility.

May 1: Flower Garden Shawl
I am in love with Granny Squares right now so this made the list.

October 29: Franken Beanie
I am not sure if I can make this come out by I am going to try it for my Halloween packages.


Amigurumi's:

January 21 Tiny Unicorn
Adorable pattern and small to store.

July 28: Spider
This one looks more achievable than my current pattern.

May 9: Lil' Miss Lilly
Pink Pig Small and cute which adds her to my list.

May 20: Salt and Pepper Shakers
These look cute decorations.

September 14: Mini Pumpkin
I am always looking for more Halloween patterns.

September 19: Baby Doxie Dachshund
If you follow my blog you will know I am a huge Armina Paragain fan because of her Hello Kitty patterns on Armina Aminals.

November 7: Baby Poodle
Armina Paragian of Armina Aminals had two entries that made my list.

Home:

June 29: Lemon Lime Scrubbie
Combo scrubbie and dishcloth.

August 12: Watermelon Coaster
I love the Watermelon patterns. They are bright, cheerful in summer or on a cold winters day.

August 17: Toy Bag
Bag to hang on to stroller. I was thinking it had multiple applications

December 30: Kitchen Towel and Dishcloth Edging
I have been thinking about this and I may actually try it with this card as a guide.

I have more pulled, but these are some of my favorites. Hopefully, if I get my other projects finished I will be able to share some of my finished items here. I am pleased with my gift and the patterns I have to try. I also have several new blogs and websites to check out to discover more new designers. Each card lists not only the name, but also the designer’s blog or website.

If indeed this is the last year, I know my family will be disappointed. This one was gift that was always a hit with the person receiving it. If you are interested in these patterns, many of the calendar and online stores are still offering discounts on calendars. Your local stores may still be selling it at a discounted rate as well.

Kelly Pink Skirt and Top

This was the last of the set of outfits I have made so far experimenting with the free overalls pattern. The free pattern is available here.

The skirt is in fact the overalls pattern with a skirt bottom I learned to make from a Hello Kitty pattern. I experimented with it until I got it the way I wanted it to give Kelly a different look than the straight dress look I had made the first time. I previously showed this same top with the pants. The three pieces will be given to the child that test-drove them on New Year's Eve for Valentine's Day. I will make another set to ship across country for my Valentine's package.

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

Kelly/Skipper Page

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

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.

American Girl Doll Colonial Outfit Crochet

This was the second outfit I made from PatternsByJeannine SIGNATURE SERIES: All American Girls - 36 Crochet Patterns for 18 inch Dolls. This time the outfit looked much more like the original pattern. I have never done quite so much treble crochet before. Like the first pattern however, I did not do it right the first time. However, this time I caught my mistake and was able to fix the skirt pattern as this pattern is a skirt and shirt, not a dress.



I am experimenting with yarn as I do not have the Bernat Satin, but did have some Caron Simply Soft. It seemed to work well. The patterns state sports yarn. However, the pattern actually lists worsted weight thickness by number. Some of the patterns ask for Bernat Satin specifically. I have not actually tried the sports yarn. However, when I made the Valentine's dress I used worsted weight yarn and the waist fit. I suspect if I had used sport's weight yarn that it would have been too small.

The pattern also called for Chenille to make the trim for the dress. I am on a quest to try to use up my stash of yarn. My goal is not to buy more yarn unless I have to in order to finish a project. If I cannot find a substitute, I am giving myself permission to buy. In this case, I used the same white yarn I used for all my holiday trim. I left off the arm trim because it did not look right with this yarn.

I also put a snap on the neckband instead of the tie the pattern suggested. Again, this is about my audience. The child this will be going to will find the snap much easier to manage than the ties suggested in this pattern. Those looking for style may prefer the tie.

I am thinking about making this as a dress. I think the style would work. I am also thinking about using the style of the skirt for a Hello Kitty Valentine outfit. It is amazing how learning a new style can apply to doing something completely different.



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

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.

American Girl Doll Red Dress

My husband bought me PatternsByJeannine SIGNATURE SERIES: All American Girls - 36 Crochet Patterns for 18 inch Dolls after I put it on my Christmas wish list. The reviews were not great, but I wanted a book of crochet patterns for the 18" dolls and there are not many options on the market. I really like this book. The disadvantage of buying the condensed version is that the patterns are black and white. However, you can download pictures of the patterns from her website. I have done that for the two patterns I have worked on so far and it works for me. It was a much better option than the price for the individual colored pattern booklets.

This was supposed to be the Valentine's Dress. As often happens as I start reading patterns from someone I have not worked with before I realized I made a mistake. What was supposed to be a flowing skirt was straight. However, I liked the more modern look and decided I would keep this outfit and try the Valentine's outfit again later. I added a top to the hat so when I make the Valentine's dress the child will have two different doll hats and this one goes better with this outfit.

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

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.

Kelly Pink Dress

I had originally intended this to be Kelly's Valentine's dress and was going to mail it out with my Valentine's package. However a funny thing happened on the way to getting my Valentine's packages ready. I had a guest on New Year's Eve who informed me while she had a Kelly doll, the doll had no clothes. This dress was finished unlike the top that needed a snap, so it went off to a new home. I will have to make another one to ship out.

This is actually the overall pattern I discussed in the previous blog. The free pattern is available here. Instead of breaking for the legs I continued the skirt by adding stitches to give the dress a wider skirt. It is fun to see what you can do with these patterns.

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

Kelly/Skipper Page

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

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.

Kelly Red Pants and Pink Shirt

I have had several discussions with people about making Barbie and her friends and family outfits. What I have come to realize is there some of us focus on practical use and others on fashion and look. I would love to be able to make the thread outfits, but I lack the skills. However, this weekend I unexpectedly had a relative visiting. When she picked up this outfit to play with, I realized it was only because it was not made of thread that it survived the encounter.

I also focus need to focus on ensuring that snaps will not pop off and the buttons stay on tight. This does not always lend itself to delicate creations. Little hands are not always gentle, but they do love their dolls. This sometimes calls for practical and functional solutions, not always the most beautiful, delicate, and dainty looks. Others will argue that one can do both, however, this weekend reminded me that one should know the intended audience of one’s gifts. I do and for it is finally sinking in that each of us has a calling and a reason for our gifts. Mine is to make dolls clothes that can withstand tough little hands. I have a different audience than other doll clothes makers, but there is room in the world for all of us.

It made me think about my motivations for learning to crochet. Unlike many people, I know who knit and crochet, I did not learn as a child. I have only been at this a less than two years. One of my motivations was to be able to make dolls clothes and toys. I had looked at some of the junk that passed for Barbie's clothes and knew there were better options if one knew how to knit or crochet them. I have had store bought outfits almost shred as I have removed them from model dolls to try on outfits I was making. That is not what kids should have to deal with when playing with their dolls.

In the last year, I have gotten more adventurous about exploring and experimenting with patterns. This in fact is the pants and part of the shirt portion of a free overalls and shirt pattern available here. I started with the intentions of finishing the pattern as written. Before I was done, I had another dress and skirt finished. The overalls and the shirt have yet to be made as written. I am sure I will get back to it at some point, but it was fun experimenting to make new outfits for Kelly.

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

Kelly/Skipper Page

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

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Crochet World Bonus Patterns Feb 2011

I was not thrilled with my pattern selections from Crochet World when the February issued arrived on Christmas Eve. I subscribe to the magazine because I love the toys and doll patterns they publish. This issue had a cute tea set, but not much else in the way of fun stuff. I almost forgot to check the web bonus patterns because there is usually some connection between the theme for the magazine and the web bonuses. I have found some wonderful pattern gems that extend my favorite patterns in this manner.

This month was a wonderful surprise. There was a beautiful 16" doll dress, bonnet, and shoes pattern. I am fairly confident I can get the bonnet to fit an 18" doll. I will have to see if the other items will fit with some adaptations.

I am not sure the second pattern will be something I can do, but I had to print it. The pattern is a thread pattern for a Voyage of the Dawn Treader ship and the dragon head on the ship is beautiful. I do not know if there is any possible way for me to adapt this to a medium I can work with successfully, but I had to print and save the pattern, just to try it. There is also a CD Coaster pattern and an afghan pattern that I did not bother to download for those who are interested. People can also access previous web bonuses when they log in to the site.

Subscribers have to provide their subscription information in order to access the web bonus patterns. However, if you purchase the magazine, a code is provided to provide access the patterns, too.