Rag Doll Red Dress

I'm contining to cycle the dolls through the free Flamenco doll pattern found here. This was also a great chance to use up some yarn that has been in my stash for a very long time. I purchased it for a long ago Christmas project and had more left over than I'd anticipated. It was quite nice to find a way to send it off to a new home.

Rag Doll Dress

After finishing Petite Doll Baby Dress pattern available for purchase here, I tried it on the Rag Doll to see if it might be possible to adapt it for another outfit. It was a remarkably good fit for a pattern not designed for the doll so I decided to proceed on with making it for the Rag Doll.

I used an I hook and 2 types of baby yarn to complete this project.

Rag Doll Dress with Straps

I mentioned in a previous post that I was trying to work on clothes for the Lots to Love 14 inch Baby doll donation. I started working on Recycled Cindy's free Baby Doll Dress that I frequently use with the larger 16 inch dolls. However, both the 16 inch dolls and the Rag doll have flatter bodies. The Lots to Love doll falls more into the chunky baby doll and sometimes it is actually easier to take a pattern written for the Lots to Love doll and adapt it to fit the flatter dolls than the other way around. I took a chance with this pattern and we know have another item to put in the Rag Doll donation bag.

Recently it looks like her donations have been failed attempts at other projects but there are no real dedicated patterns for this doll so everything is always an adaptation or a item that didn't fit another doll.

You can find the free pattern here.

To make this work for the Rag Doll I used an I hook for the bodice of the outfit with sport yarn. I switched to a no longer available Red Heart comfort sport yarn and an H Hook. As I do with the larger dolls I added rows to the bodice to make it long enough. I considered adding a snap to close the back but in the end sewed the back closed. In the future I'd crochet in the round. I didn't originally because it would have had to have used a snap to get it to fit the rounder baby doll. I used a G hook for the straps and 18 rows. I based the skirt on length I didn't count rows.

Rag Doll Patriotic

Like the Glitter Girl Christmas dress this project started as an outfit for the My Life Doll and after playing with hook sizes it seemed like it was a better fit for the Rag Doll than the 18-inch My Life Doll.

I used a G hook for the pants and an I hook for the top. The stars required a C hook.

While I was disappointed the outfit didn't work out for the My Life doll I was glad to find another outfit for the Rag Doll as it is always a matter of finding patterns that will fit the doll. There are no patterns for this doll so it is always a matter of adapting patterns. When one fits like this, it is always a blessing not to waste the work.

Pattern Note:

The pattern calls for sewing on one side of the strap and sewing buttons a button on the inside of one strap and sewing buttons to the front for show on the bib. Instead I used a snap as I figured it would be easier for a child to attach.

15 Inch Rag Doll Bathing Suit

Continuing on my quest for Spring I bring you the Rag Doll's bathing suit.

With her shoes the bathing suit may seem odd but it also works as a romper. This outfit was adapted from another of Darski's free patterns. This was one of her Dora the Explorer doll patterns Oceanside found here. I love the hat that comes with this pattern but with the big pony tails hats are not easy to keep on the doll so I tend to avoid them. I am considering it for one of the other dolls as it is adorable.

I used a J hook and Red Heart Super Saver Wildflower yarn for this project with the exception of the trims. I used white for the "skirt" and and I hook for the skirt and the arm trims.

The back works up a little differently which is why I wanted a picture of it for future reference. When you make the initial rows the back does not meet and this was a concern for me as I was adapting the pattern to a doll with a little different shape. I've used another one of her Dora patterns but the dress is less fitted. Since the top was a bit tight I found myself at the J hook but the back still didn't look like it would close. I decided to continue on to get a feel for how the suit went together since it might well fit one of the other dolls. That is when I realized the suit didn't need to close in the back it was designed for this fit.

15 Inch Rag Doll A Dress for February

While I donated 2 Rag dolls last year the goal was to decide on one model for 2022. I settled on Factory Direct's model and added a Glitter Girl doll in place of the second Rag doll.

This is a free dress pattern designed to fit Dora the Explorer found here but it has turned out to be adaptable for both the Rag Doll and the JC Toys - La Baby |16-inch Baby Doll with minimal adaptations.

I use a K hook for the top of the dress and an I hook for the skirt. It closes in the back with a snap.