16 Inch Baby Doll Diaper 4th and final for 2025

There is something incredible about finishing a task, especially on a big project like this doll donation.

Life gets busy and having these items "banked" for the year is a huge relief as there are other things both good and bad that come along making my time for this project more limited as the year progresses. Knowing some of the core items are done and no longer something I have to squeeze in is always such a happy feeling.

I did have a momentary panic. I've been using this pattern for the 16 Inch Baby doll since before I had to go to the Wayback machine to find it and during the holiday season mine went missing before I started diaper 4. I still have hopes that it might turn up but I printed a second one and this one went right back to the larger baby doll binder as soon as I was finished. You never know when things could slide off the Wayback machine and this is one of my core items.

You can find the free pattern here.

Notes:

In case I ever do lose this pattern and I have to recreate it starts with a chain 22 from there I work the decreases and increases.

I've gone back and forth on hook size depending on the yarn and my hands. This year the J hook with worsted 4 acrylic white seemed to be the solution. It seemed fitting I finished off a scrap ball of white on the last diaper.

16 Inch Baby Doll Nightgown

I'm not sure what happened to the link for Darski's Easy Dolly Nightgown for the JC 16 Inch Baby doll. As updates have been made to Crochetville over the years some things have not made the upgrade. Darski also listed some of her patterns on her own platform but most were also cross listed at Crochetville. So I can't give a link for this pattern unfortunatly. If I do find one I will update it.

This is a simple open nightgown pattern that ties in the back with a cute trim at the bottom.

I've been trying to dig into my stash to use up yarn that has been there way to long. The hat is made with no longer available Bernat Softee Spring Flowers. The nightgown is made with Herrschners Baby Fairytale. I hadn't purchased any dark pink from them in a bit so I wasn't sure it was still available until I checked the site but Fairytale is still sold.

I used a g hook for this outfit. It calls for a 4.5 which I have somewhere but not readily at hand. I tried the H hook but the nightgown was baggy so I went down to a G hook and was happy with the fit. After making the ties for the top I finished the back.

There is no pattern for the hat so I played with fp and bp stitches for the hat finishing with alternating 5dc skip 1 sc around.

I will be making a second nightgown for the other JC 16 inch Baby doll donation soon. I just need to choose different colors.

16 Inch Baby Doll I Feel Pretty

The main part of this outfit for the JC 16 inch Baby Doll comes from Darski's free I Feel Pretty Pattern found here. The shoes are part of another of her free pattern sets found here.

Notes:

I used an H hook for the dress and panties. I used a G and F hook for the hat. The shoes are from the Peachy Keen pattern and I needed an I hook.

I used Herrschners Worsted 8 and Worsted Baby for everything but the shoes. The shoes require a heavier worsted so I used Red Heart for the shoes.

The hat doesn't list chains for the ties I used 30 and it was just a bit long I'd try 25 next time.

16 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress

Every year I try to use patterns I haven't yet used in my extensive doll pattern collection. I found this pattern for the JC 16 inch baby doll in an out of print 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk for the 2023 donation and now it has become one of my new favorites for the larger baby doll.

I had pulled out Hook and Knives dress pattern to make later so I used the hat from that pattern for something different. You can find that pattern here.

The shoes are from Darski's Peachy Keen set found here. These are really the only shoes I've found that fit this doll so I tend to make them in multiple colors to match the outfits.

Notes:

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

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.

I made the hat pattern from Hook and Knives Baby Doll Dress pattern switching to DC after her row of 2sc. I just wanted to try something different from last year.

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 am working on a skein of Joann's brand yarn.

This pattern worked out well for the Rag Doll last year so I hope to make a second one for the other 16 inch baby doll and one for the Rag doll as well.

16 Inch Baby Doll Swim Suit

This is the final project of the 2023 season in a couple of ways. First it is the final item and it also finishes the bathing/swim suit challenge for the year. Every doll is leaving with a swim or bathing suit. It was a much larger task than I thought it would be on top of the sleeping bag or cocoon but I made it under the wire.

For the second JC 16 Inch Baby doll I went with the same Stepahine Dygert pattern I used with the second My Life Doll. With time restrictions I stuck to the bathing suit without the accessories.

Notes: I pulled from my yarn ball pile for this project and it was a great chance to finish off some left over yarn.

Like the My Life Doll I needed an I hook to get the suit to fit.

16 Inch Baby Doll Purple Summer Dress

I donate two JC 16 Inch Baby dolls every year and since there are no specific patterns written for these dolls when I find a pattern that does fit I tend to make duplicates over the course of the year so each doll gets one for its donation bag.

I mentioned in my previous post about this outfit that the dress and hat for this outfit come from a 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk.

I liked it enough and found it quick and easy enough that repeating it right away seemed like a logical choice. At this point in the year I'm all about finishing stuff about and getting it bagged because the November deadline will be here before I know it and I'll be on to the 2024 donation.

I've also discovered it fits the Rag doll really well so I'm hoping to finishing another one for the Rag doll as well as it would be a quick addition to her donation bag as well since she doesn't need shoes or the hat.

This is my go to shoe pattern part of the free Peachy Keen pattern set found here. I like including shoes with my outfits but it can be hard to fit shoes to dolls and they often fall off and get lost. I like these because with the strap I find they are more likely to stay on the doll's feet and less likely to drop off and be lost.

Notes:

This was made with Lion Brand's Ice Cream Black Cherry Yarn.

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.

I started the directions for the 13 inch Baby Doll Bell hat and increased the rows prior to creating the brim to account for the larger 16 inch baby doll head.

16 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress

Every year I promise myself I will get to patterns I've bought but never used. Some are modern and some are long out of print treasures I've found from various pattern hunts.

The dress and hat for this outfit come from a 1981 House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Baby Doll Fashions to Crochet by Margaret Funk. The booklet has a nice table of contents that outlines what patterns are available for what size dolls. I've long realized this is just a suggestion as a 16 inch baby doll is not always the same depending on how it is designed but its a good starting point.

I used the Summer Dress pattern designed for the 16 inch doll and adapted the hat pattern for a 13 inch doll also found in the leaflet for this outfit.

Notes:

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

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.

I started the directions for the 13 inch Baby Doll Bell hat and increased the rows prior to creating the brim to account for the larger 16 inch baby doll head.

Some of you may recognize my go to shoe pattern. The shoes are part of a free pattern called Peachy Keen found here. I used an I hook and a ball of worsted weight yellow yarn I found in my bag of left over yarn from previous projects. I'm trying to attack this pile of yarn when ever I get the chance before starting on new skeins of yarn.

This pattern is going to be on my go to list for donation patterns. I will hopefully be making another one for the second donation doll prior to November. It's a quick set but it looks quite nice.

There are several other patterns in this booklet I hope to try out to see how they will work for the various baby dolls.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bathing Suit

I'm continuing on my quest to send all the dolls off with a swim suit. This pattern is one of Char's patterns you can purchase here. This pattern was designed for the smaller AG Bitty Baby so some adjustments are required to help it fit the larger JC 16 Inch Baby Doll.

I went with fall colors because I enjoy the fall colors and was in the mood to celebrate the change of weather.

Notes:

I used Herrschners worsted 4 for this outfit instead of Caron Simply Soft for the main portion of the dress. The trim was made from Red Heart stritpes Tuity Fruity.

I used a K hook for the upper portion of the outfit as the doll body is wide. I think when I make this again I'd try the J hook first to see if it would be a better option as it was a little large with the K but too small with the I. I used an I hook for the trim.

For the Hat I did row 1 of the pattern. Then I did 5 dc chain 1 rounds followed by sc rounds. I then followed row 11 to the end of the hat pattern.

I made the sandals with an I hook.

16 Inch Baby Doll Green Sundress

I donate two JC 16 inch Baby Dolls each year and that requires me to repeat certain patterns to make sure both dolls leave with enough clothing and accessories for a good donation.

As I mentioned in a previous post last week this is a free Sundress pattern I originally started making for a no longer available Mary Maxim 15 Inch Baby Doll that I used to donate in the early years of this donation. I started hunting for patterns that would fit that doll and when I graduated to the 16 inch doll it wasn't a huge adjustment to get the same patterns to fit the slightly larger doll.

While the original blog is no longer online for this free pattern, you can still access the pattern through the wayback machine here. The pattern includes the hat and the dress. I use Darski's baby shoe pattern for all my 16 inch baby doll outfits found in her free Peachy Keen pattern here. It is one of the only patterns that seems to consistantly fit the doll and stay on.

Since I find myself repeating patterns I do occasionaly find myself playing a bit with them. In this case I added a sc chain 1 sk 1 trim for the hat and the bottom of the dress.

This was a great chance to attack more stash yarn. I didn't finish off the green ball but it is significantly dented. The yellow was also another left over ball. I'm hoping to continue finishing off left overs and yarn that has lived to long in my stash as the donation projects continue.

16 Inch Baby Doll Bathing Suit

I mentioned I've been making bathing suits for the doll donation hoping it would usher in the warmer Spring weather. As I was making this one we had 6 more inches of snow followed by 50 degree weather. Old Man winter is fighting a losing battle.

This is one of Char's Bitty Baby patterns that can be purchased here.

As often happens when I start a doll outfit I started this project for the Lots to Love 14" doll but using the Herrschners worsted 4 yarn it was too large so I tried it on the 16" doll and an exchange was made.

I have another Dora the Explorer bathing suit pattern so I'm thinking of trying that one for the 14" doll. If not there are other patterns to keep exploring. I am hoping they will all leave with a bathing suit along with other outfits.

I was able to order the last of the dolls I need for the 2022 donation. I was waiting for a reasonable price for the Lots to Love 14" doll and found one at a price I was willing to pay. Next month it will be time to start looking for deals for next year's dolls. It is always wise to put them away when you can find them at a good price. With the cost of goods increasing not sure how many great deals I'll be finding near term but we can always hope. There are people with far greater problems than this in the world and I've been blessed to find all the dolls I do need for 2022.

I have 4 project tracks at the moment. There is the ongoing prep for the doll donation, summer and fall birthday presents, new baby gifts and gifts for big sisters, and ongoing holiday presents. I also have a few random house decoration projects but not a firm track. I'm hoping to divide my time to get all these projects completed.

16 Inch Baby Doll Dress for March

Since last year I've been attacking a large skein of Michael's Craft Smart Yarn that I bought years ago on a whim when AC Moore closed and wasn't crazy about the yarn. Last year I decided it was time to use up the yarn and make room for yarn I do love. However, no matter how much I use it seems to grow back at night. So you can expect to see more projects this year as I'm determined to see it gone.

This set uses three of Darski's free doll patterns.

The Dress is a Dora Pattern: A Dress For February found here

The Shoes: Peachy Keen found here

The Hat: Sunny Days found here

Just as an aside we just put together a list of Darski's free doll patterns found on Crochetville for a variety of dolls here. It's a great starting point if you are looking for free patterns, especially for the 18 inch American Girl type dolls or baby dolls like this one.

This pattern was designed for the Dora the Explorer Doll so clearly adjustments have to be made for the different shape of the JC Toys -16-inch Baby Doll. I use a K hook for the bodice and an I hook for the skirt. I join the outfit after the 7th round. In row 1 I chain 8 not 6. This leads to a change in row 3 of sc 7 never 6 to reduce the stitch count. I close the back with a snap. I added one additional row to the final color stripe. I'm not a huge fan of the white body suit showing on this doll and try to cover it when possible.

For the shoes I use an I hook for the main portion of the shoe and a H hook for the straps.

I used a J hook for the hat.

This is a fairly quick outfit to make for the dolls and I usually make one for each of the 16 inch dolls and this year I've already completed one for the Rag Doll to donate.

16 Inch Doll B & B Sweater Set

Every year I work at using up my stash yarn but this past fall I decided to get more organized to enhance the process. I started the ongoing process of sorting through my yarn, but this year instead of burying the left over balls of yarn from my doll projects I put them in a place that is easily accessible and I've started to think about projects for the dolls that could use the left over balls of yarn. I've been going there first to find yarn that might work for my project before going to a full skein of yarn.

That is how we ended up with this purple sweater set as the first outfit for the JC Toys - La Baby16-inch Baby Doll donation. I had a large lighter purple ball and a medium sized purple ball of yarn and decided those would be my colors for the free B and B sweater set that you can find here. The picture is a little misleading while it shows a hat for the set the pattern is not included. I looked at her other free baby doll patterns and used the hat pattern from the Mon Petite Chou free pattern here.

I used an I hook for the sweater, the shoes and the hat. I followed the directions pretty much as written except I didn't use the top button on the sweater. I chose to go my own path with the pants.

Pants:

I used an H hook

Ch 56 and Join

DC for 7 rows

Split evenly for legs chain 4 and join.

DC 2 DC dec around leg

sc chain 3

Repeat for other leg

These are just my notes in case I lose the pattern. They are not designed to be a written pattern. I am just finding having more written notes to be helpful.

I'm left with a medium sized ball of the light purple yarn and enough purple to use for trim for a project. I'm going to be looking for opportunities to finish them both off as my donation projects continue.

Baby Doll Sun Set

This was an adorable outfit I couldn't resist from the free pattern set Sweet Baby Mine found here.

Of all the projects in this set I think this one required the most adjustment to make the outfit fit the larger doll. The other outfits had more cosmetic adjustments in terms of length and width. This one required a little more work to make the proportions fit the doll due to the change in size of the doll. I loved this outfit and it was worth the work to make it fit. I hope to return to it again for the donation project in the future.