My Life Fruity Stripes Dress

I'm always looking for new patterns to try for the 18 inch dolls. You can find this free pattern here.

This pattern required a little adaptation as I really try to make my donation clothes as child friendly as possible. The pattern calls for joining the dress after round 4 and I found this made the dress next to impossible to get on and off easily. There just wasn't the room to get the arms in the arm holes. To fix this I continued to crochet in rows using the mirrow stitch suggested for round 3 until I was closer to the waist line and then I joined and continued in rows. This makes the dress easier to put on and take off. Others may not consider this to be a challenge but I figure if I have trouble getting the clothing on and off I don't want a child to become frustrated with the effort.

The top of the dress starts in a unique way and it makes for an interesting top patterns. I ended up adding finishing stitches for the back as I left more of it open. I also did sc stitches around the sleeves to finish them off as well.

These are the shoes I make most often for the 18" dolls and it comes from a Sweet Silver Creations pattern Sailor Dress you can purchase here. Just a note to myself the H hook is the correct hook for these shoes. The dress pattern called for an I hook and for some reason I forgot to change hooks when I made the shoes. They are a slight bit larger than needed.

The pattern doesn't have a catchy title so I went with the Red Heart Stripy yarn color. I do enjoy working with bright colors on grey days. It cheers me up a bit.

18 Inch Doll Pleated Skirt and Sweater

This is another outfit made using Maggie Crochet's Crochet Pattern Abby, Allie & Annie PA972-R to provide the skirt. This works up quickly and helps add more separates that can be mixed and matched to the donation.

The sweater is a from free pattern set Your the Tops I previously missed from Darski's collection over at Crochetville. You can find it here. When I saw a link to it over there I had to print it and try out some of the patterns. This sweater was a nice match for the skirt I wanted to try out for both dolls.


Notes for future reference:
The skirt fit this doll as per pattern instructions although I added 20 chains to the waist tie to make it easier to tie. I added a couple of rows to the sweater because I wanted it to cover the top of the skirt.

18 inch Doll Off the Shoulder Dress

I knew switching from the Springfield dolls to new donation dolls might provide some new challenges. However, I knew the outfits I'd been making for the Springfield dolls fit the My Life Walmart dolls. I had more questions about the Our Generation Dolls from Target. I had this memory from back when I first started making 18 inch doll clothes for my now college aged niece that the Our Generation dolls were slightly "larger boned" than the Springfield dolls. However based on my comment that my niece is now in college I wasn't sure if things had changed. Therefore after finishing the last baby doll project I decided it was time for an experiment with a new doll pattern from Adorable Dolls, Off the Shoulder, that can be purchased here.

This was perhaps not the best choice of outfit to begin this journey with the new doll. I love the outfit and am happy with the outcome, but when I make my next attempt for the Our Generation Doll it will be with something that opens in the back not a one piece outfit that slides on and off with sleeves. If I do make this for the Our Generation Doll again I'd move up to an I hook for the bodice and return back to the H hook for the skirt. The bodice was just too tight with the H hook to make this outfit work for the Our Generation doll but it fits nicely for the Walmart's My Life Doll. So it appears we will have a mixed donation this year of Walmart and Target 18" dolls.

Note for myself:

Even making this for the My Life doll I needed an I hook to make the sandals feet the feet. I also used an I hook and the purse. I'd likely use a button or other means to close the purse should I make it again. The flowers worked with the assigned hook sizes for the headband and the waist.

I love these sandals. I can't recall making sandals before. Years ago my Aunt made a pair for my niece's doll from plastic canvas. These however, worked up quickly and I think they are adorable. I would make these again to go with a summer outfit.

While my first Our Generation project didn't come to fruition it did motivate me to order a My Life Doll for the Christmas donation and I know I won't be wasting outfits that don't fit the Our Generation doll if the sizing is off. That is a relief. I'm not sure what my next 18 inch outfit attempt will be.

My next project is for the JC Toys Lil Cutesies Doll Lulu. I am challenging myself to donate a variety of different dolls and sizes this year. I found a Mary Maxim pattern that is designed to fit this doll and I also think I can adapt some of the 8" patterns to make sure this doll heads of to the donation nicely outfitted.

American Girl Let the Sunshine In

This is a wonderful fun summer outfit. It is part of a free pattern set called Weatherby found here. I've made three patterns in this set for the donation this year. This is the first time I've attempted this pattern. I'm not sure how I missed this one before. I found it worked up quickly and it is an adorable summer outfit.

The jacket threw me at first. I'd never made anything quite like it before. However, I was thrilled when it was finished. I'd like to make more like this again now that I understand how it comes together. It makes a cute addition to a dress.

I mix and match patterns all the time to get the pieces I want. The shoes come from a Sweet Creations paid pattern Sun Dress found here. I wouldn't suggest buying a pattern for the shoes, but if you find patterns that you like that fits and doesn't fall off the doll my suggestion is use it across other patterns where you need shoes.

American Girl Valentine Outfit

While I've continued to crochet, I've gotten sadly behind on documenting my projects. It seemed like a good time to get caught up. I have become a fan of the free 18 inch doll patterns from the blog Adoring Doll Clothes. This pattern is her free Valentine pattern found here. This is an adorable outfit to add to my donation project. It also fits my goal of adding holiday patterns to the donation.

I needed an I hook to get the dress and shoes to fit. I note this so when I go to make this again it won't be such a surprise. I don't mention it for others as I've found my personal gauge is often specific to move.

American Girl Sun Dress

Sweet Silver Creations has always been one of my favorite 18 inch doll designers. Over the years I've collected most of her 18 inch doll patterns. They've generally appear on my Christmas and birthday lists. I'm hoping some new ones will be coming out soon. This is my first attempt at making this one. You can find the pattern here.

I loved the dress and the shoes. I wasn't as happy with the hat.

Pattern notes:

I used worsted weight instead of sport weight yarn. The H hook worked with the worsted weight to make the outfit fit.

American Girl Tunic and Shorts

A funny thing happened on my way to trying my second set of capris, I ran out of yarn and had to settle for shorts. Since I was making this for a donation I wanted to have different colors for the dolls. I had some Bernat Satin that I wanted to use up and it made gauge for the project. However, it wasn't quite enough to complete the project. So capris became shorts.

For those of you who didn't catch yesterday's post. The pattern is from Shady Lane, Crochet Play Clothes and can be purchased here.

All joking aside this pattern is quite versatile for making a variety of lengths and styles of pants and I plan on using it in the future. I've found a cheap supply of hair bands at the local pharmacy and they are working out well with these patterns. It will make it easier for little hands to get the clothes on and off as well. While you could use regular elastic, the rubber bands don't roll or twist and it does make it easier. I've used the elastic in the past and it works, but I've often had to deal with the twisting.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

American Girl Tunic and Capris and Visor

As I mentioned in a previous post I picked up several Shady Lane patterns with some birthday cash. This outfit was my first attempt at the Tunic and Capris set found in Crochet Play Clothes. It can be purchased here. The visor was a free crochet pattern from ABC Knitting found here.

I thought the Capris worked up very well and will be making more of them again. I struggled a bit with the top which is why you will see my second attempt, with a slightly different challenge tomorrow. The visor was a fun project that allowed me to use up some thread I had left over from making the Chevron dress.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

American Girl Crochet Hat, Top, Vest, and Skirt

With my birthday cash I picked up a few of Shady Lane's newer 18" doll patterns. This is my attempt at the Crochet Fashion Statement that can be purchased here.

I am in a push to use up yarn before acquiring more in my stash so I went with a red and black theme instead of the pink. In order to make gauge my yarn was worsted instead of sport. Even going with a larger hook I couldn't make gauge with the sports yarn I had on hand. The only place it really seemed to be a problem was it made the shirt a bit bulky to put the vest over.

My hat came out more as a bowler than a top hat, so I'm going to give it another try at a later date, although I thought the bowler was actually a cute look. I haven't tried the sneakers. At the best of times I find shoes a challenge. These looked more than I wanted to attempt. I think I can find a cute pair of high tops to match that will save my patience for other projects.

One note on finishing the vest, do look at the picture as you are folding down the corners to tack them down. I didn't and had to pull out and redo again.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

American Girl Skirt, Shirt, and Hat.

I decided to use up some sock yarn I had won a while back and had no use for as I don't make socks. I found a free pattern for a crochet skirt at ABC Knitting that required fingering yarn here. I tried the matching top, but found I couldn't get the fit right, so I adapted a favorite dress pattern to make a top. I did use the free hat pattern found here.

I love it when I can add another outfit to my donation pile and use up yarn that is taking up valuable space in my yarn room.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without permission.

American Girl Sock Yarn Dress and Shawl

Several years ago while at a LYS store the owner was very confused when I told her I was looking for fingering yarn. She became some what less friendly when I told her I was making doll's clothes. Finally, she told me she knew nothing about fingering yarn, but was convinced sock yarn was what I needed.

Well sock yarn was not what I needed and online I eventually discovered Knit Picks for an affordable alternative for my lighter weight yarn needs. However, that sock yarn has been taking up space for years. As someone who is supposed to be working on bringing down my yarn stash it seemed like a message when I found a free pattern for a 18 inch doll shawl that called for sock yarn.

You can find the Granny Shawl free pattern here. The rest of the outfit was an experiment. I wanted to finish off the yarn, so I decided on a skirt, but there was still more yarn. I tried a tube top, but they didn't match up right together as separates. However, sewed together they made a cute dress. I still had more sock yarn. Then I decided on a hat and the yarn was depleted.

American Girl Snuggly Bear

I was so excited to see Annie's had published a new book of 18 Inch doll patterns On-the-Go Fashions for 18 Inch Dolls and I rushed off to order it.

This outfit was the selling point for buying this leaflet when I saw it in one of Annie's promotions. I loved the bear outfit.

I did end up playing with the gauge to get the outfit not to be too snug. The pattern calls for a J hook I found with a K it fit but very snuggly. The challenge was the next size up is almost a little too loose. However, since I know small hands will need to get the outfits on and off, I went with a little loose.

The one big change I made is the pattern doesn't use a chain stitch to create a crotch. I tried it and I couldn't make it work. I added a chain stitch. This requires you to reduce afterwords to make the legs work for the feet later. I tried following the pattern as written and I couldn't get it to work without it looking strained. Someone else may have better luck. I found the chain stitches made joining the legs a bit easier.

I am pleased with this purchase. I can see myself working through most of the patterns in this book. I was able to make this pattern using yarn I had on hand. A few of the outfits might require special purchases, but I think several have equivelent yarns I have in my stash, which is always welcome.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

American Girl Mock Turtleneck Sweater and Pants

Along with holiday and dressy outfits I try to include some basic outfits with my doll donation. The pants are from my favorite Abby, Allie and Annie pattern set, from Maggie's Crochet. The sweater was made using a free pattern from Button Specialties. Unfortunatly, when I went to load the link I realized the website is no longer available. Perhaps the designer will post this again on another site. This is just a reminder of why it is important to download the patterns when you locate them. Links are wonderful, but websites and blogs do go inactive and you can lose some wonderful resources when they are gone if you don't have your stuff stored.

I did play a little bit with the pattern. I didn't sew the arms on the sweater, I crocheted from the arm holes created as the sweater was put together. I try to limit the amount of sewing where I can. I also had to play a bit with the collar to get it to fit.

I am in the process of trying to adapt this sweater for the 15 inch baby doll. I was experimenting with gauge when I first started and the smaller hook should fit the 15 inch doll using worsted weight yarn. It looks like I won't have to dig into my baby yarn to create the sweater for the smaller doll.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

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.

Shopping With Grama American Girl Dress

This was the last outfit I completed for the 2013 doll donation project. It finished most of it over the summer, but after working so long in thread, I needed to finish some other projects, put it aside, and never got back to it, until I was getting the package ready to donate. I love this outfit and plan on making the Bobby Socks version of it at some point, too. I wish I was more talented in working with thread as there are so many beautiful thread patterns out there for these dolls. However, I am switching back to worsted weight for now as I can make more outfits in a quicker period of time.

I found this pattern in the 2010 Crochet Calendar when it was called Shopping w/Grama. It is now available as part of a two dress pattern called Bobbi Socks and Polka Dots found here.

For the moment I am focused on making holiday outfits for the 2014 doll project. I have one done and ready to post. I'm working on two others.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Baby Doll Patterns:

Baby Doll and Cabbage Patch

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 Hippy Outfit

I thought I was done making AG clothes for family members. Most of the girls seemed to have lost interest in the dolls and then Julie arrived for Christmas. While the other dolls had been interesting, for one girl in the family, Julie has become a hit. Julie is the AG doll from the 70's and as much as it pains me to admit it, that time period is now considered "historical." So, it appears I won't only be crocheting 18" doll clothes for charity.

At some point I had picked up Maggie Weldon's 18" Doll Hippy Wardrobe Pattern, so I decided this would make a great May birthday present now that I can actually use the size 10 thread required to make certain parts of the outfit.

I had a huge ball of white size 10 thread so I started with the shirt. This was actually my first clothing thread project and I loved working on it. As my thread crocheting improves, I think there will be less signs of issues with changes in tension. One disappointment is that I could not get the pants pattern to work. I tried it a couple of times, but I obviously misunderstood the directions. I went back to my fall back pattern Abby, Allie, and Annie and added a bell-bottom look to those pants. I loved the crocheted rainbows and flowers. I remember my older sisters and my mother embroidering details to clothing. I am not sure they ever considered crocheting them.

I am still hopeful I can finish the dress from this set to add to the birthday package going out in May. It will be nice for Julie to have some period clothing.

One of the added benefits of the project is it helped me work on my stash busting goals. Other than the thread, the rest of the yarn came from my rather overgrown stash that I am working on using up. The vest was made from yarn I used during for last year's doll donation projects. I joined a stash busting CAL at Crochetville and it is helping me focus on keeping track of what I acquire and what I am actually using for yarn.

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

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

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.