Baby Doll Sundress with Shell Trim

I was reading a post a Crochetville about stretching yarn and hoping it would last for to finish a project. I ran into that making doll blankets this year.

However, this specific yarn seems to be endless. I thought I'd easily finish it off making the two sundresses but there is quite a bit more left in this skein and while searching for yarn for another project what should I find but another skein of this yarn that needs to be finished off this year. It is going to be a very purple donation.

That being said it is fun to try to change things just a little with these patterns to keep them interesting since they do get repeated so many times.

This is an out of print free pattern still available through use of the Wayback machine here.

The dress is a simple pattern which it is why I love it so much. It works up quickly and has adapted well to the changes in doll sizes over the years. That being said this year I've found myself looking to add to it just a little to challenge myself.

This time I added a shell border with some baby yarn that also has proven remarkably hard to finish off. It is a small skein and I was sure it would be done by now as it has trimmed a few items but it has proven remarkably stubborn.

For the hat I changed to dc after the 2sc in each row. This gave the hat a different look. Then I also did a shell border on the hat. As I said not huge changes but something to keep it interesting.

16 Inch Baby Doll Sundress with Hat

Just about every year I start the baby doll donation clothes with this outfit because it is quick and easy and thus starts the year with a bit of confidence.

In order to accomadate additional guests Christmas Eve this year I had to clean out the yarn in my living room. This meant making room for it in my already over crowded spare room. In doing that cleaning I became more determined to attack the orphan yarn problem. Every year I start with the intention of using up yarn in my stash, but this experience made the need more clear. I just have lots of yarn that needs to be targeted with a specific project. There are some colors and yarns I use and buy again constantly for various projects. However, there are these other yarns that get bought for a project and then abandoned when the project is finished and I have more yarn than I needed or the colors didn't work...

I started by making doll blankets. When I came across this yarn left over from an afghan project back in 2011 I decided it was time to attach it to a specific project. I was working on another doll blanket at the time so starting another doll blanket seemed like a bad choice. In looking at my patterns I decided a baby doll dress could work. I had a ball of white yarn I've been trying to finish off and that became my trim.

This is an out of print pattern available only through the use of the Wayback machine here.

The trim on the dress and the hat are not part of the pattern. The dress is a simple sc chain 3 sc trim. I did a reverse sc on the hat for a trim.

I still have more of this skein to use up so I'm thinking of making a second dress for the other donation doll using a different trim.

Baby Doll Sundress and Hat

This is one of my favorite patterns to make for baby dolls. It works up quickly and little ones find it easy to dress and undress the doll without pesky buttons, snaps, or hooks. As of this writing the pattern is still available on the Wayback machine here. The pattern adapts fairly easily for different doll sizes depending on the hook and yarn size. The pattern was written for a 14" doll and I've made it for 15 and 16" dolls.

This gift is coming along nicely.