My Life Hearts and Flowers

It's almost February so time to think about adding some of the first holiday outfits to the donation for the year. Technically I can make the outfits any time during the year, since the drop off isn't until November or December but it just adds a little holiday cheer to making them around the holiday the outfits are intended to be worn. It also gives the child who receives the doll a chance to keep celebrating once Christmas has passed.

While I've made Darski's pattern available here, several times for some reason my brain missed a step and I had to pull it out and fix it so I'm going to add to my previous year's notes.

Notes:

I use a K hook for the first 4 rows of this dress as with my odd guage it is the only way I can get the dress to slide on and off. I use an I hook for the rest of the this pattern. I used an H for the the shoes. I returned to row 9 using an I and reduced last sc row of top.

This is the point at which I somehow missed a direction and the top section bubble ended up at the waist. I note this not for the general public but because having made this mistake once I am likely to make it again and I do read these posts each year before I begin the outfit again.

Stop when you finish row 9 and return to row 1. (I do a sc reduction row after row 9 but usually at the end after I've tried on the dress for fit.) Row 1 is the waist line not the top. Row 9 is the completed top not the waist. Return to Row 1 and start Row 10 to complete the skirt portion of the dress.

I've never needed this note before but better to have it and not need it than go down this road again.

The flower belongs lower on the waist but I rather like it up higher. I've experimented on where the ties go over the years and this year it was behind the neck. I would likely try the back again if not for the documented issues above.

The shoes are from Silver Creations Sailor pattern that sadly is no longer available.

Barbie Easy Dress

I mentioned last week when I posted Skipper's Easy Dress that I'd started work on completing another version for the Barbie Vet doll.

Notes:

I used Herschner's Baby Worsted Yarn which is a 4 weight but much closer to a DK or 3 weight than most other 4 yarns which is why I buy it and use it for doll projects. It also comes in some great colors. Recently the prices have dropped a bit as they'd gone up during the pandemic. While the shipping was high their house brands had traditionally been more reasonably priced for my doll projects. With the odd weights and color options when I could get a shipping coupon they were a great option for the project.

I stuck with the e hook for the larger doll but I used 22 chains for a starting chain. It will likely need to be 24 for the Zoologist.

As I noted in my Skipper post I suspected the texture of the skirt would more likely resemble the photo in the pattern if I marked the stitches to separate them from the chain 1 stitches and it worked much better.

Our Generation Deep Teal Ombre Flamenco

I'm slowly working through my staple patterns for the larger dolls. The dress is another version of the free pattern found here.

Notes: I used Red Heart Deep Teal Ombre for this pattern. This would also be great for a mermaid outfit.

The shoes are part of Sweet Silver's Sailor pattern that I did finally locate. This is one of my favorite shoe patterns for the dolls but she is not currently selling it in her Etsy store.

I made a note after making shoes for the first outfit for the Our Generation Girl doll that they fit better with a G hook for this doll than the H I use for the My Life Doll.

Hats continue to be a work in progress. I continue to experiment but haven't found the hat pattern I'm ready to record.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Baby Dolls and Lil Cuties Crochet and Knit Pattern List

Every so often I get in discussions with people about patterns for the smaller 8 inch baby dolls or the slightly larger Lil Cutesies Dolls and I find myself searching through blog posts and other resources for a list of options. So I decided to create a blog post with both paid and free options for both dolls in knit and crochet. Feel free to use what works for you and leave the rest.

I am not a knitter so I can't speak to the patterns other than I have sent many of them to my Mom over the years for her doll projects.

I left openings in case I find other items that fit these categories. This list works for me as well because it also reminds me of what patterns I do have that I have purchased and not used yet or haven't used in a while. It is easy to get caught in a cycle of repeating so this gives me a reminder of what I have to use.

I'm going to start with the Lots to Love 8 Inch Dolls. I will list the crochet and knit patterns as separate sections with a split for clothing and accessories and I will separate the free and paid patterns in each.

In most cases I've listed only a few items from designers. They often add or delete patterns from their for sale items so be sure to search to see if they have created anything I haven't listed here that might interested you.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll

Clothing:

Free:

Fun in the Sun Bathing Suit

Nightgown Adaptations here

Paid:

Char Patterns:

Dress Set

E-Pattern Central

Oh So Cute Doll Clothes

Mary Maxim:

Their e-patterns are reasonably priced and often on sale at even better prices.

Baby Blue

Yellow Dress

Ava

Lilac Dress

Teddy Bear Picnic

Holiday Themed

Michelle Crean Candy Canes and Jingle Bells

Holiday Babies

Accessories:

Free:

Blanket

Snuggle Sack Notes for Adaptations here

Paid:

Moses Basket Annie Potter's Sweet Baby Doll Layette Adjustments for smaller doll documented here.

Sleep Sack

Knit:

Clothing:

Free:

Paid:

Tracey Devenny:

Pram

Summer Dress

E-Pattern Central

Lots to Love Baby Doll Clothes

Mary Maxim:

Hannah

We Girls:

Angel Top Pram Set

Bibbed Overalls

Bubble Dress and Hat

Chevron Matinee

Holiday Dresses:

Christmas Eve

Accessories

Free:

Paid:

Mary Maxim

Bunting

Lil Cutesies:

Just a note about the Lil Cutesies there are two sizes. This refers to the larger size that is slightly larger than the Lots to Love 8 Inch Dolls. Many of the outfits can be adapted to either doll so I list them here together. The accessories will also generally fit both dolls.

Crochet:

Clothing:

Paid:

Char Patterns:

Dress

Thread Dress

Petite Designs:

All in One

Dress Set

Knit:

Paid:

Tracey Devveny:

Sundress

Mary Maxim:

Sophia

Accessories

Skipper Easy Dress

I've come across some free Barbie patterns recently and decided to try some out for the 2024 donation. I've found over the years that some Barbie patterns will fit Skipper and as I'm making a gown I will usually try it on both dolls to see which doll it fits best. I had intended this for the Barbie Vet doll. This is her last year with the donation as she is no longer available. After trying this outfit on both dolls it was a better match for SKipper, so I added some stitches to the base row and have begun a second outfit for the Barbie Vet. You can find the free pattern here.

Notes:

One of my goals every year is to dig into my stash and start using old yarn that seems to have been forgotten. I used Red Heart Big Ball Sport Yarn for this project. I had honestly forgotten about this yarn as it had gotten buried. This was some of the earliest yarn I used for Barbie clothes and I believe blue is the only color I have left. I still have some small skeins of the Red Heart Sport Yarn and know have been using Hobby Lobby's sport yarn and Herschnerr's yarn for these outfits.

The e hook worked for this outfit along with the suggested starting chains. I needed to add two chains for it to fit the Barbie Vet and likely will need more chains for the Zoologist.

One thing I didn't do for this outfit but am doing for the Barbie version is marking the stitches as it is was hard for me to differentiate between stitches and chains. For the second outfit I've marked each stitch to see if I can get the same skirt pattern as the picture from the pattern. It was not enough of a concern to start again with the Skipper dress, but I do return to these notes when I start again the following year so it is helpful to make note of useful tools.

Chelsea Variegated Dress

I started making this for the donation a couple of years ago adapting it from a free pattern found here.

I like the shorter version of this dress in the variegated colors. I will hopefully make the longer version in a solid color prior to the donation as it is a quick and easy add to the donation bag.

Notes:

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.

When I previously made this outfit in the vaiegated colors I believe I stopped prior to the dress increases around the knee. In the future if the dress is too short I'd just continue with the current rows until the length was achieved. It looks better longer in the solid color than the multi-colors.

Last year I finished not just the back but the neckline of the dress. It looks fine with the solid pink. I'd just finish the back when using variegated in the future.

Thanks to a Barbie Blogger I was able to pick up some outfits for Chelsea at Dollar Tree prior to Christmas for this year and next year's donation.

I never know what will come back at the Dollar Tree and what is a one and done so I will pick up stuff and store if it is something I'm likely to want for another year.

The line is called Friend's Forever and I believe there are a total of 6 outfits. I had to hit almost all my local Dollar Tree stores to find all of them, but I know Chelsea will leave pretty well dressed for the next few years.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Sweet Little Romper

I've made this pattern several times for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll in the suggested white and pink colors so this year I decided to shake things up and go with Bernat Baby Sport yellow and pink.

I've recently ordered some new baby yarns from Herschners so I'll have more color options but it felt good to create something just a little different. I'm thinking next time white and purple would be a great combo for this outfit.

I still haven't seen Amy Carrico come back with her doll designs so I can't post a link as to where you can buy the pattern. I do miss her doll clothes as they are generally easy to make and use readily available yarns.

Notes:

I use an E hook for the outfit and an F hook for the headband. I didn't need to do the a sc 3 decrease for the waist as I found this time the pants fit as written. I leave the note because at some point I will likely be back to this problem. I did not need to reduce the sleeves but again I'm leaving the note for future reference. If too large add a reduction row in white to trim the sleeves with a sc picot sk stitch sc picot.

I don't know if this is just an issue of attention this year but I'm finding I need to mark the chain spaces on more of these patterns to make sure I'm not screwing up the patterns once I rech the shell sections. I may have done this before and just not made a note of it but I'm trying to give myself more notes to make these projects easier the following year.

While this doll has accessories in her bag this is the first outfit for the donation. I'm slowly starting to get stuff in for each doll while continuing to work on the sleeping bag accessories. My first one for the 18 inch doll has become my travel project to take to various appointments. At some point I will just have to stop and finish it so I can keep progress on finishing those items as well.

Ken Shorts and Tank Top

I am happy to say as with Barbie I had to replace the previous Ken, Ken Dentist, with a new Ken, Travel Ken, as the Dentist was no longer available. What made me happy is this Ken is closer to the size of the older patterns I have and I'm hoping it will make it easier to fit patterns to him, thus giving him a better wardrobe when he leaves for the donation.

I made a different set from an out of print Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2 Inch Fashion Dolls Including a Complete Wedding Ensemble and Trousseau for the 2022 donation. I didn't get back to it last year. I will likely revist it for the shirt as quick and easy shirt patterns for Ken are always a blessing.

However, getting back to this pattern I found it while doing a search for free Ken patterns. You can find the pattern here.

Notes:

I used Knit Picks Palette Yarn. This is a fingering weight yarn. MANY years ago when I first started working with Barbie dolls it was the first affordable fingering weight yarn I could find and I've stuck with it over the years, buying it when its on sale.

I changed from an f hook to an e to get the outfit to fit the doll.

Note to self the pony tail holders are too big for Ken you will need to cut and sew elastic for the shorts.

The designer has included directions to make this into a long sleeved shirt and turn the shorts into pants. As I mentioned above I'm always searching for ways to extend Ken's wardrobe so I hope to get back to this pattern and add another outfit to his donation bag.

Barbie Mermaid

Last year I came across a Mary Maxim kit for an 18 inch doll Mermaid outfit that I'd never made and decided it was time to use. It set me off on making another outfit for the My Life doll from a different pattern. I ended up with left over Prism yarn of a color I I'm not sure they still sell as it didn't quite look like any of their currently listed colors. It got me thinking about other potential mermaid choices as I didn't have enough left for another larger doll.

I'm not quite sure how I missed this pattern in my previous pattern searches but I stumbled across this free pattern here.

Since I hadn't made anything for the Vet doll donation I had planned on making this for the her, but the top was big using the suggested f hook with this yarn. It did however fit the zoologist proving once again how happy I am that the new model seems to fit more of my "standard" Barbie patterns. I'm still thinking about adapting this pattern not only for the Vet but for Skipper as playing with hooks and fiber might give me some options for fitting it to both dolls.

Notes:

I pretty much followed the pattern for this outfit. The top will slide up over the doll. However with that in mind I did sc around the arm holes as with this yarn I found her hands catching the yarn even more than most of the acrylic and cotton yarns I usually use for Barbie clothing. I also finished the top as it gave it a better finished look.

Glitter Girl Linda Dress

I added the Glitter Girl dolls to the donation for a couple of reasons. One they are a smaller alternative for girls who like the larger 18 inch dolls but lack the space those dolls require for storage. When I saw the American Girl Wellie Wishers I liked the style of the doll but clearly it wasn't an ecomonic reality for a charity donation. I came across the Glitter Girl dolls and that was more within the price range I could afford.

The second reason was more personal I had seen Wellie Wisher crochet patterns and wanted to see how well I could adapt them to the Glitter Girl dolls. As with the 18 Inch dolls not all patterns fit all the dolls equally well and some require more adaptations than others.

Now what I find interesting is the Wellie Wishers dolls are listed as being 14.5 inches and the Glitter Girl Dolls are listed as being 14 inch dolls. However I've found I still need to adapt patterns for patterns listed as Wellie Wisher/14.5 inch dolls or 14 inch dolls. That brings me to this pattern. This is one of Adoring Doll's patterns. You can buy the set with the 18 and 14 inch dolls which I have here or just the 14 inch doll here.

My guage is often odd but this outfit has more changes than normal for me.

Notes:

I used the suggested g hook for the shrug. I had not previously made a shrug so my only note to myself is trust the directions it works.

The dress was challenging as it suggests joining at the first row and I found it impossible to get the dress to slide over the doll's hips until I waited to join until completing row 9. This meant stopping after every row and returning to the starting point to keep the look as if I was working in the round. More ends to sew in but it was worth being able to get the outfit to fit.

Even with that change I used an I hook for the dress. I often use an I hook for her patterns as our guages are different.

I used a g hook for the purse and shoes. I might consider an e for the purse and start with an f for the shoes next time. It felt both were a bit larger than I wanted. I left off rows on the purse as it was becoming a go bag. I think I'd also opt for a flower button the next time.

Yarn:

Red Heart Super Saver Bright Yellow, White, Ombres Green Apple

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Dress with Full Skirt

I made this last year with Herrschners worsted 4 yarn with an H hook for the dress and a G hook for the accessories because I didn't have any Caron Simply Soft on hand which the pattern suggests.

I had Caron this year and found even increasing the hook size it wasn't coming out right so I switched to Red Heart Super Saver. I often have issues with gauge from year to year so this note is for me because I likely will wonder when I try to make this again why I switched.

You can purchase Char Patterns design for the Lots to Love 10 Inch Doll here.

Notes:

I used Red Heart Super Saver Wildflower, Turquoise, and White.

Despite the slightly heavier yarn I stuck with the H hook for the dress and the G for the accessories and everything fit well.

I left off the ties and the caps for the sleeves. I didn't like the sleeve caps last year but didn't want to ruin the sleeve pulling them out. I don't remember how I felt about the ties last year but they were too heavy with the Super Saver yarn so I made the dress without them and it worked out fine.

If this doll was going to be a display doll rather than for a child I'd consider making the ties but they were rather impractical for a doll that will be played with rather than one that will be a shelf sitter.

Important reminder to myself, MARK the chain spaces with saftey pins after second skirt row. I struggle to notice the difference between the chain one spaces and the natural gaps between stitches and this completely throws off where to place the next row. Once the shell pattern is established the pins or stitch markers are not required but I found it much easier to mark the chain 1 spaces to get the second row placed correctly.

I finish off the leg holes of the panties with a sc around the edges. I find this leaves a cleaner edge.

Barbie Peach Gown

This is the last year for the Barbie Pet Vets as I've run out of them and they are no longer sold.

This is the Barbie Zoologist that will be joining the donation this year with the Vet. I picked up a few Barbie Zoologists dolls and will hopefully find a few more on sale before they also leave the market to keep me going for a few more years.

While I generally do buy an extra doll to use for creating the outfits and send the accessories off with a donation doll, this year the choice was easy as one box arrived crushed and not acceptable for donation. It was a great choice for my model/fitting doll.

Next year I'm hoping to donate a Zoologist and the Camping Doll for the 2025 donation. I was able to pick up a couple of the camping dolls when they were on sale at Christmas.

I decided for the start of the year at least to focus less on projects that challenge me and more on projects I can finish and get into the donation bags.

With that in mind I turned to a Barbie pattern I didn't make last year. It is a pattern no longer available on Ravelry. I leave the link here with the forlorn hope that the designer may come back at some point. It is the quickest and easiest Barbie pattern I have and I'm determined to get a second one finished for the Barbie Vet in a different color. Having the link also helped me locate the pattern among the several binders of patterns I have for Barbie and family.

Notes:

As with my previous attempt for this pattern adjustments had to be made to get this dress to fit the current model.

I used Herrschners peach baby yarn with an e Hook. I will need a different color for the second doll so I'll have to see what is in the stash.

Rows 1-4 follow as written joining after row 4 with sc not slip stitch. Keep turning rows while working in the round until row 36. After row 36 stop turning and work traditionally with slip stitch.

Do not decrease in rows 8-12 or dress will not fit.

Finish off back and you may need to add additional row on closing side as it can be tight.

Add snaps to close back.

16 Inch Baby Doll Diaper Round 4 and the Final One for 2024!!!

Well we are at the end of the 2024 diaper cycle. The second JC 16 Inch Baby doll now also has two diapers for its diaper bag and I can move on to finishing up the sleeping bags and rotating through clothes for all the dolls!

This is early for me. Last year it was almost the end of the month before the diaper bag items were done. While I'm happy to make them, I'm never sad when they are finished for the year.

You can find the free doll diaper pattern here.

Notes:

This was made with a J hook and white acrylic yarn.

I use snaps instead of the suggested buttons.

Stacie Sleeping Bag

Another sleeping bag off my list. I decided to start with the Barbies as they are the quickest to finish off. Stacie was an opportunity to use up some Caron Simply Soft Ombre Rosewood.

Just a note to myself for future projects, Simply Soft is not the best choice for the fashion dolls for this project as their hands get stuck in the yarn. If I had enough it likely wouldn't be an issue with the larger dolls, but it was constantly snagging on Stacie's hands.

This is a free pattern you can find here.

I don't count rows once I'm past the established pattern for the shells. Since this is designed for a Beanie Baby I do need to make it longer. I just continue until it fits the doll and finish off. This year it is slightly longer than required but it also aids with the doll not getting snagged on the yarn.

There is a free pattern on the same site for fashion dolls but with Stacie's hands out as wide as they are I find the wider Beanie Baby bag is a better fit for getting her in and out with minimal snagging.

Rag Doll Summer Dress

Many years ago one of my wonderful donors from Crochetville added one of these rag dolls fully dressed with additional outfits for that year's donation and I fell in love with the doll.

I found the dolls could be purchased at Factory Direct Crafts and it began a journey to adapt patterns to fit the Rag Doll as no patterns were designed for this specific doll. She falls somewhere between most categories and sizes of dolls. She is a little small for most of the Cabbage Patch toddler clothes but most baby clothes aren't appropriate for her age. However, I have found some outfits from the baby dolls that do work.

The dress pattern come from a 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk. I used this previously to make 2 dresses for the 16 inch baby doll donation. It required a few additional adaptations for the Rag doll.

Notes:

I failed to look up last year's notes so I'm adding this note to remind myself for next year. I added and additional row to the top to provide a little more top for the rag doll as the doll is a different size than the baby dolls. I'm not sure with the trim and decreasing around the arm holes the is an issue on this year's model but I leave the information for my future self.

The dog had a go at my pattern book and thankfully this pattern is still whole, but if any of you see a copy feel free to leave a message in the comments as to where it can be purchased as I'm looking for a backup. It's old but really important for these donations.

This outfit was made with Lion Brand Ice Cream Yarn Tutti Frutti. This was a great chance to continue my quest to work on using up left over yarn from older projects. This ball has a long way to go but each project makes a dent.

As with the 16 Inch Baby Doll I started with an E hook and repeated row 5 once. Thus rows 3-6 follow the original directions for 3-5 moving each row directions down one. For the original row 6 now row 7 that starts the skirt I moved to a D hook to decrease the skirt size as it was too large with the E hook.

With this project complete the Rag doll now has her first item in her donation bag. I'm trying to commit to the idea of balancing my projects to keep the donations some what even.

Lil Cutesies Dress, Hat and Shoes

Until recently I'd only heard mention of the smaller Lil Cutesies dolls. Generally I'd seen the 5 dolls from various vendors in more of the Lots to Love styles. I ran into the smaller Lil Cutesies at a craft store but I'd never seen outfits designed specifically for them. They are generally geared towards the other brands of 5 inch dolls.

I've had to be more careful lately as I've searched for new patterns for the larger Lil Cutesies dolls because while I do check size for the Lots to Love 8 inch dolls to make sure it isn't for the smaller dolls until recently it hadn't been an issue for the Lil Cutesies.

To be clear the Lil Cutesies items you will see here are for the larger 8.5 inch doll not the smaller one. Years ago I surrendered my dream of crocheting outfits for the small 5 inch dolls to decorate the house with for the holidays. I have decorated a few of the Lots to Love 8 inch dolls. The longer arms, legs, and torso make fitting the outfits easier and for the most part I can work with baby yarn and only occasionally need to dive into my crochet thread.

You can purchase the pattern for this outfit here. The vendor appears to have moved off of Etsy and I could only find it on Ravelry. That is why the link is different from the one I listed for the pattern last year.

Notes:

I used a B hook for the top and a D hook for the skirt. I chose to close the back rather than use a tie. It is loose enough to slide on and off without needing to leave an opening and adding a tie.

This was made with Bernat Baby Pink, White, and Bernat Baby Soft Dusty Lilac.

I left off a row of the knickers which I then replaced when I added the bodice. This let me use the actual first row of the bodice to crochet the row in back loops to allow me to use the front loops later for my my skirt row. Others may not find this necessary but I found it was much easier to get an even starter row for the skirt all around.

I wrote a note last year and even read it to remind myself that the first skirt row and the remiaing skirt rows are different. I had worked on the undergarment trying to make it less bulky this year and while not completely there it is improved. I should have taken the win and waited until morning to continue but I thought why not keep going and get a start on the skirt and completely forgot my warning about the skirt. Unlike last year when I caught my mistake this year I'd finished the skirt before I noticed it and decided to add it as and additional outfit and go back and make a second one with the correct skirt. I ended up doing this with one of the outfits for the Lots to Love 8 inch dolls. It's not a huge issue. It will give a child another outfit for the doll.

With that in mind I decided to play with a hat for the doll and use the headband for the second dress. With the pointed bow attached to the doll's head hats are challenging. This one wasn't too bad.

I also found myself making a change to the shoes. Not sure if I did before and didn't record or if this is just one of those "special" years when things just aren't fitting like they used to and I'm making adjustments on the fly. For the strap row I did 6 stitches chained 10 skipped to last 6 stitches and stitched to the end.

My Life Flamenco Fruity Stripes

There are certain pattern that work well across multiple dolls and I try to fit them between other projects as I don't like doing multiples of the same item one after the other. This is a free pattern that can be found here.

I picked up the Fruity Stripes Red Heart Super Saver at Joann's specifically for this project as it is my favorite of the striped yarns for this outfit although I use multiple colors to make enough for all the dolls. I was a bit disappointed with this year's skein. I looked back at previous year's offerings to make sure I wasn't remembering the outcome differently and there is just something about this skein that it is striping oddly. There are patches rather than stripes of color. I guess some years are just better than others.

Notes:

I used an I hook for the dress.

The hat was something I experimented with for the 16 inch bavy doll and still haven't quite finished with enough to write down the pattern.

The shoes are part of Sweet Silver's Sailor pattern that I did finally locate. This is one of my favorite shoe patterns for the dolls but she is not currently selling it in her Etsy store.

I used an H hook for the shoes.

The shoes were made with Red Heart Bright Yellow. I am trying to get better about recording brands and colors when it isn't a left over ball I'm using up and long forgotten the brand and/or color because it does make it easier to find and use again. In the past the bright yellows have been Joann's Big Twist and it can be a little lighter making the shoes a bit smaller.

16 Inch Baby Doll Diaper Part 3

I've completed a set of two diapers for one of the JC 16 inch Baby Dolls for the donation so it is time complete a second set for the other doll.

As I mentioned in a previous post about the bibs it isn't that these projects are hard its just that there are many of them to complete. It is one of the reasons I try to knock them off as soon as the other donation is done. It keeps me from putting them off and then realizing at the end I have all these little projects that need completing and I need to struggle at the end to finish them off.

With this one down only one more needed and the diapers will be done for 2024!!!

This is an old pattern but it is so easy. I use snaps rather than the buttons. I just happen to find them easier to get on and off but if buttons are your thing by all means.

This free pattern is available here.

While these aren't as realistic as the plastic disposable ones that often are sold in stores they are more cost effective and practical as they can be reused until they are lost. Cloth might work better but I'm not much of a sewer so my donation dolls will continue to leave with crocheted diapers. Each doll leaves with two diapers so the doll can wear one and the child can "change" the doll into a new diaper and keep rotating as interested.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bib

With this bib for the second JC 16 inch baby doll finished, I am done with bibs for the 2024 donation!!! It does feel amazing to check off those little items that seem like small projects but when you have several to make they sometimes seem like they will never end. I still need to finish the diapers for this doll but the diaper bags are close to done for the year. I focus more on clothes for the smaller baby dolls as I've never found much in the way of diaper bag items that fit them that are reasonable to crochet.

The bib comes from a free crochet pattern for a feeding kit you can find here.

I've changed the bib pattern a little to fit the larger doll but it has become my pattern of choice for this doll.

Notes:

I forgot to include the hook size on my last post and I do use these posts for reference.

I hook

To get this bib to fit the larger doll I've made the following adjustments:

Start with a chain 16

Continue pattern for 20 rows

Row 21 do row 11 neck shaping

Chain 40 stitches for ties

Reminder to myself for future years, this bib is a bit large even without adjustments for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby doll. Needlecrafts Shop's Sweet Cuddles 971016 leaflet is a better fit and I should pull it out to use for the smaller doll. I used it for 2024 and it is a better choice.

Chelsea Sleeping Bag

I needed a small travel project for a rare Saturday appointment. These often come with wait times so I thought it best to have a small travel project.

I was able to fit Chelsea in one of the pockets of my project bag along with my regular crochet tools as I need to measure as I go with this project as the pattern is designed for a Beanie Babie and isn't quite the right length for Chelsea. It is easy enough to adapt by measuring the length against Chelsea and adding rows until her feet are covered before closing the end.

You can find the Teanie Beanie free sleeping bag pattern here.

Notes:

I ended up using the same left over ball of purple I used last year to make the sleeping bag.

I hook

This is the beginning of the sleeping bag project for the non-baby dolls. I'll be alternating the sleeping bag with other accessory and clothing projects. This week I'm hoping to finish off the last of the bibs I need and hopefully get one more diaper finished before beginning another clothing item. In that way I'm hoping to get back to that balance I had before the holidays hit of working on accessories and clothing so all dolls leave with a wardrobe along with accessories.

I did pick up clothes at Dollar Tree for Chelsea so she will have some clothes, but I always like the dolls to leave with hand made items when I have the time to make them. The Dollar Tree items are more of an insurance policy and for times I just don't get to the smaller dolls or extras because most girls love extra doll outfits for their fashion dolls.

16 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress Parfait

I decided to work on the summer dress for the second 16 inch baby doll for my New Year's Eve project. I finished it during the Rose parade on New Year's day.

As I mentioned in previous posts the pattern for the dress is found in an out of print 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk. The shoes are from a free pattern set Peachy Keen found here. While I used another free pattern for the hat of the other 16 Inch doll I winged this one while playing board games on New Year's Eve. I don't have a written pattern for it.

Notes:

This outfit was made with Lion Brand Ice Cream Yarn Parfait.

To get this to fit the JC 16 Inch Baby Doll I started with an E hook and repeated row 5 once. Thus rows 3-6 follow the original directions for 3-5 moving each row directions down one. For the original row 6 now row 7 that starts the skirt I moved to a D hook to decrease the skirt size as it was too large with the e hook.

Some of you may recognize my go to shoe pattern. The shoes are part of a free pattern called Peachy Keen. I used an I hook and a ball of yarn from my left over pile of worsted weight yarn. Not sure of brand. I tend to repeat shoe patterns for the dolls when I find ones that fit because I find it hard to get crochet shoes to fit at times. So you will often see a rotation of a few patterns for the dolls. This is the only one I use for the 16 inch dolls as it is the only one I've located that fits the dolls and will stay on the feet.

Lil Cutesies Moses Basket

Happy New Year to all. I hope your New Year is getting off to a great start.

I finished off another category of donation items before the New Year and that was a great way to start.

Having finished the Lil Cutesies Moses basket I'm done making them for the 2024 donation.

I no longer make them for the larger baby dolls as working with three strands of yarn on the larger carriers proved hard on my hands. For those of you interested there is a wonderful free pattern here. The pattern is not complicated and it makes a solid carrier but after a decade of making two a year my hands starting saying no. After 2022 I started purchasing substitutes for the larger dolls.

For the Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll I've been buying the Manhattan Toy Stella Collection Soft Fabric Baby Doll Bassinet and Carrier for 12" to 15" Baby Dolls. I tend to shop for price so I've purchased it from Amazon, Christian Book.com and oddly this year from Barnes and Noble for the coming year as they had the best price. I had no idea they would carry it. There are lower and higher priced items on the market. I try to strike a balance in my donation budget.

When I was making these baskets it took my 3 skeins of Caron Pounders to make sure I didn't run out before the project was finished. I figured what I was paying for yarn would translate close to what I was willing to pay for a replacement cost with a bonus I'd released my time for other doll projects. While I could save money by buying the cheaper stuff they don't last and these are the families the least able to replace a toy when it breaks.

The Manhattan carrier wouldn't fit the larger JC 16 inch baby dolls so I hunted for something bigger. Again price was a factor. I was looking for something within the replacement range of what I had been making previously. I settled on June Garden Cozy Dream Doll Bassinet - Baby Doll Portable Carrier on Amazon. This one doesn't go on sale as often but still falls within my price goal at full price. However, it did drop to just over $18 in Novmember when I was able to get two for the 2024 donation.

Now back to my final Moses basket of the year.

Notes:

Yarn:

Basket: Homespun Aster

Blanket: Lion Brand Baby Soft (3) Dusty Lilac

I used a G hook for the basket with the heavier yarn and an H for the blanket as the J hook made a rather large blanket for the smaller Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll and I wanted to correct that with the Lil Cutesies project.

The basket is part of Annie Potter presents Sweet Baby Layette pattern set and can be purchased here.

The blanket is part of a free pattern set for the 10 Inch Baby doll BBL found here.