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 B & B Sweater Set

I finished off another outfit for one of the JC 16 Inch Baby dolls. This is made using Darski's free B and B Sweater set found here. I made a note on last year's post not to put a button on the top that I clearly didn't read. I'm putting it back on this post because it looks better without the top button and when I make this again I will want to remember that hint.

I used an I hook for the sweater and shoes and followed the directions as written. I would skip the top button when I make this again as it is just too tight at the top. I'd also considering adding a couple additional rows to the length of the sweater before doing the bp stitches as it was a bit shorter than I remembered from my previous attempts. I used Joann's Big Twist Yarn this year which is a bit lighter so it could have resulted in a smaller sweater.

I tend to make my pants from the top down so last year I wrote the directions and I post them just so if I lose the pattern, which I've been known to do, I can refer her for directions. This year I had to do a row of sc 2 dec sc for 2 rows when I was done as the pants were loose at the top. I will check the chains next time and perhaps reduce if the pants are loose before fininishing.

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

This year I again started with the hat pattern from the free pattern set Mon Petite Chou found here. After fininishing the formation of the hat I went to a chain 3 front post dc in first stitch, hdc in next stitch around. I did that until hat was at a length I was happy with for the doll.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Baby Doll Pretty Yellow Dress

I've been making a real effort this year to try patterns that have been in my doll binders for some time that for some reason I've never made.

This is one of Amy Carrico's patterns called Pretty Pink Dress for 8 Inch Baby Doll. I started this one a couple times with different yarn and hooks and I know I didn't get it right because the picture shows a full almost bed dress picture and this is much narrower but it still works which is why I didn't just frog it and choose another pattern. It may not have been what the designer had in mind but I did get another dress for the donation doll.

For my notes I had to use a D hook for the dress as with the suggested Baby Bernat the dress was just too tight. I was able to use a B hook for all the accessories which continues to lead me to believe I'm missing something in the pattern design for the dress.

I need to work on some clothes for the 18 inch dolls and I really need to dress the family of Barbie with time quickly running out. I'm going to be making some of the Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll patterns I posted recently for the Rag doll, so that doll will also have an increase in donation size as well. I will just have to see what gets done before drop off time and start again for next year.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Top with Leggings

To keep the donation project engaging and interesting each year I try to add new projects that are patterns I haven't tried before. Sometimes these become new favorites and sometimes not as they can be far more complicated or time consuming than I normally delegate for a donation project. However, each is a chance to try something new and I am always grateful for the opportunity.

This in one of Linmary's free doll patterns found here. As with many baby doll patterns it wasn't designed specifically for this doll so I had expectations I'd need to make adjustments.

A 10 inch baby doll isn't always the 10 inch baby doll you happen to be working on at home. The first sign I had of this was checking the gauge. The gauge I found for the suggested hook with the yarn I indicated the hook size would be too large. Going down a size got me closer. However, as it turned out the suggested hook size with the actual doll I had was correct because a 10 inch doll is not always the same size as another 10 inch doll.

I knew from the beginning the pants would be more challenging because the doll in the picture had longer straighter legs than the chubby Lots to Love doll. This meant I'd need to reduce the rows for the legs. I tend to make my pants from the top down joining and splitting as I go.

There are lots of patterns that make them flat and join but these are not my favorite as it is hard to tell how they will fit until after you've finished the "outline" prior to sewing them together. I found that to be the challenge with this pattern and I likely won't use this pant set again for that reason. I found it was time consuming to put the pants together after making sure I'd make the corrections to make the pants short enough to fit the Lots to Love doll. I was glad I accepted the challenge and completed it but it just isn't a practical use of my time when the other method is quicker for me and I can move on to other projects more quickly. I may even be able to reproduce the texture and have a better fit because I would know exactly when to stop before adding the trim.

This has given me an idea to try something like this for next year. It would be easy enough to make these pants top down and I have several "top" patterns for this doll that fit better than this one that would give the doll a top and leggings outfit.

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.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Spring Dress and Jacket

I've been trying to increase outfits for some of the dolls with the least amount of clothing in their donation wardrobes currently. Lately I've been focused on the baby dolls as I always start strong with their accessories but some how their wardrobes can be neglected. Up next we have an outfit for the Lot to Love 14 inch Baby doll. This is one of Amy Carrico's patterns that are currently not available. The Spring Dress is also a pattern set I bought for the 8 Inch doll and they both work up well for the dolls. I've also used this pattern for the Rag doll and hope to do that again as it will increase that donation wardrobe as well.

Notes:

The first two rows of the dress and sweater are made with a G hook and then I return to an e hook. This foundation works for the Rag doll, too. It just helps with the fit.

In order to get the panties to fit I work the ends to 32 back and front. This may change the need for how many chains but the overall fit and coverage is just better.

Lots to Love 8 Inch Baby Doll Thread Dress with Short Jacket

This is one of Char's patterns that you can purchase here not specifically designed for the Lots to Love 8 inch Baby doll.

I am used to patterns not being specific to the doll I'm working with so when the original directions were to small I started working on adaptations as I liked the look of the dress and thought it would be a nice addition to the doll's donation wardrobe.

Notes:

One of the first things I realized after playing with hook size and crochet thread size 10 was that I would need to change thread size to get the outfit to fit. I had purchased a supply of size 3 and I decided on Thread Art's Light Pink and Aunt Lydia's White.

Dress:

I used my Tulip Etimo 2.2 mm thread hook for rows 1-5, changing to my 1.75mm hook for rows 6-15. This made the dress slide on over the body of the doll. Even with the bigger thread size the doll is rounder in certain areas than the target doll perhaps?

Bottoms:

1.8mm Hook

Hat:

1.5mm hook

Booties:

1.5 mm hook

Reminder to myself these booties are formed differently than most. They start at toe not from bottom. They work up fine but this confused me when I started and I add this note so when I approach this project again I remember what I did and how it worked.

Jacket: 1.8mm Hook

I used a sc trim around the neck. I think do to the size difference in the dolls I couldn't get the trim to work with the neck of the doll I had.

Reminder to myself to order more 4mm pearl buttons.

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.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Sweet Baby Doll Romper with Sweater

I pick up Amy Carrico's doll patterns any time her store is open on Etsy, always finding one pattern I missed the last time she was open. This title of this pattern is Sweet Baby Boy Romper for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll and sadly her shop is not currently offering any doll patterns so I can't provide a link to the pattern.

Notes:

I used the suggested e hook for this pattern.

The pants for this outfit actually seem to fit better than the one for the previous romper. I've yet to compare patterns so I'm not sure why that is the case, but this second pair did fit better.

This sweater is closer to a coat as I ended up adding an additional set of rows. I'd go back to the original shorter length when I make this again. The "coat" is still cute but the sweater is a better look.

The outfit is made with Bernat Baby White and Purple. For the time being I've still been able to get the purple at Walmart. I find color selection in baby weight yarns can be challenging so I try to stock up when I find something other than pink, blue, and white.

I keep coming back to this pattern each year because I love the texture in the sweater. It has a wonderful look to it. The feeted pants in her patterns are an adorable addition and eliminate the challenge of booties falling off the 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.

Lil Cutesies Swim Suit

I can take the Lil Cutesie doll off my in need of swim suit list after finishing this outfit. My Swim Suit Challenge of 2023 is coming along as I'm slowly checking them off my list. The suits are generally pretty quick projects to complete so I like to squeeze them in while I'm working on other projects.

This is the same pattern from Char Caywood I used with the Lots to Love 8 Inch doll that can be purchased here.

My 1.75mm hook had gone on a couch vacation while I was working on this so I used my 1.8mm. Generally one would think not a huge difference but it felt like this suit was larger than the one I'd made previously. Since the 1.75mm has returned from its vacation, when I make this again I'd use the 1.75mm hook over the 1.8.

I believe the pink for this outfit is Aunt Lydia's size 10 crochet thread in French Rose. The contrast color I belive is Hobby Lobby's size 10 Artiste but I couldn't find the color on the website. Variegated colored thread can be harder to locate so I tend to stock up when I find colors I like but it can take me years to go through it so I'm not surprised colors disappear.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Dress with Full Skirt

I'm starting to build quite the wardrobe for the Lots to Love 10 inch baby doll donation. Thanks to a coupon from an Etsy vendor I picked up several new crochet patterns for the doll. You can purchase this one here.

These patterns have been a wonderful addition to my doll pattern library as they work up quickly and haven't required many adaptations to get them to fit. This is a major time savor as I'm often adapting as I go with patterns.

Notes:

I used an H hook for the dress portions and the suggested G hook for all other parts of the outfit. I found after making some of her other outfits this was a good match.

The pattern calls for Caron Simply Soft, I substituted Herrschners worsted from my stash. I don't currently have variagated so I chose a solid blue green for the skirt instead of the Robins Egg Caron suggested but I liked the outcome. I'm looking into ordering some variagated for future doll projects as this yarn just works up better without splitting and piling I've had issue with from the Simply Soft.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Summer Dress

I haven't seen many patterns over the years for the 10 inch Lots to Love Baby dolls. I have a an older leaflet from Annie Potter but it just isn't as common a doll so fewer patterns seemed to be out there.

Recently after getting a coupon from an Etsy vendor I started searching her patterns and discovered a selection of patterns for this doll I hadn't found on previous trips. I likely just missed them but I decided to grab them as previous experiences have taught me that Etsy vendors come and go so if a pattern designer makes doll patterns that work up quickly and easily, I tend to stock up now as I find them. You can purchase this pattern here.

Notes:

I mentioned on the previous post that I'm not a huge fan of Caron Simply Soft. I just find it splits and then it tends to pile. These are not my favorite attributes for doll clothes.

A while back I had purchased some Herrschners house brand yarns in baby and worsted weights. While I'm not a fan of the yarn for afghans and human wearables as I've had issues with it, I do find it is great for doll clothes. With inflation the cost has risen dramatically but my stash was created when the yarn was far cheaper than most "brand" yarns. I find it to be lighter than traditional worsted weight which again often makes it a great fit for some of my doll projects like this one which are between sport weight and worsted weight yarn. Where possible I will be substituting Herrschners for Caron in these patterns.

I started with a G hook for the top but switched to a H hook for the bottom. In the future I might actually use an H hook for the dress in full. The g hook worked well for all the accessories.

The panties fit well and would work well for an outfit that lacked them.

Reminder for the skirt mark the chain spaces with markers in the first row of skirt. It took me a couple of trys to get this to work out for some reason and once I marked the spaces I had no further trouble. I sometimes come back to a pattern a year later and wonder why it possibly made sense then and not now. It is because I forget to write stuff like this down.

Lots to Love 10 Inch Baby Doll Sweater Set

I've been trying to acquire more patterns for the smaller baby dolls to give myself some variety in what I send for the donations. This is Char Caywood's Christmas Sweater pattern you can purchase here.

I chose not to got with Christmas colors for two reasons. The first was I don't have time to make many outfits for the smaller dolls so while I do make an occasional holiday themed outfit I try to make most of the outfits somehting that would work year round for dressing up baby.

The second is a more practical one. I promise myself every year I will focus on shopping from my stash for my doll projects. A bright sunny sweater set was in the stash, a Christmas one was not. I don't tend to keep lots of Caron Simply soft on hand and this is what was available when I did a quick search. For my own notes in the future I'd likely go with Herrschners Worsted for this project. I have more color options in my stash and the yarn doesn't split or pile as badly.

Notes:

I used the suggested G hook for this outfit. While I needed to make adjustments in certain areas changing the hook size would have made the outfit big in other areas.

I added two rows to each of the trim panels of the sweater and then did sc chain 3 button holes to make it easier for my buttons to fit.

I did not decrease the final hdc row of the pants as they were too tight when I tried the suggestions for decreases but fit by keeping the previous row's stitch count.

The shoes fit as written but I changed colors in the final row and did a sc chain 3 at the top for fun.

I'm currently working on a bathing suit for the Lil Cutesies doll and trying to adapt some fashion doll patterns for the various Barbie dolls. I just can't believe how fast fall has advanced on me and before I know it the drop off date will have arrived!!!

Lots to Love 10 Inch Bathing Suit

Last year I adapted a pattern I'd previously used with the Lots to Love 8 Inch Doll From Annie Potter Presents Sweet Baby Doll Layette to give this doll a swim suit.

It was cute but I really preferred the look I got making Char's swim suit for the Lots to Love 8 inch doll this year. It just had a better fit.

I hadn't seen one for the larger doll and I really didn't feel like trying to adapt a thread pattern when I received a coupon from Char's Etsy store and decided to see if there were any patterns that would be of use for the donation.

Sure enough she had the pattern in the larger size for the Lots to Love 10 inch Baby Doll and Berenguer Baby Steps Doll. I've seen pictures and patterns for the Baby Steps doll but I've never actually seen the doll. However, the directions for both dolls are included along with a baby bikini pattern. You can purchase the pattern here.

Notes: I used Aunt Lydia's Fashion Crochet Thread 3 Soft Mauve for the primary portion of this pattern.

The contrasting color is two strands of DMC size 10 thread used together I can no longer locate.

The pattern suggests an f hook I went with an e hook as I missed that in the directions and I've traditionally used an e hook with this thread. In the future I might try the f to make it just a tad loser on the swim suit and the cover. I'd stick with an e for the sandals and the hat.

This pattern includes a beach blanket and a bag along with additional bikini patterns. I chose to make the blanket but a bag for the baby seemed odd. I used Bernat Baby Big Ball Sport yarn in Pink and White for the blanket with a G hook. She has a really fun interesting pattern for the blanket that creates a neat texture.

Just a note for those who might be interested the smaller Lots to Love dolls are not widely available for in store or even online toy store purchases. However, since they are a good size for families who may not have room for the larger dolls I've continued to seek them out. Education stores that sell to non-school markets still often have the Lots to Love 10 inch dolls. Some online craft stores still sell the Lots Love 8 inch dolls as people still use them for holiday decorations. The Lots to Love 14 inch and the JC 16 inch dolls are still pretty widely available online. I rarely buy dolls in store any longer with the exception of the 18 inch dolls which are sometimes cheaper when I can get them in store.

Lots to Love 14 Inch Baby Doll Dress Hat and Shoes

As I mentioned previously I've been using my phone to track the doll items as a way of better planning my doll projects so the dolls are better dressed. The blog works well for a general site but having a list when I'm mobile to see what I should be working on vs perhaps what I really want to work on keeps me on target for finishing before the deadline.

As I was reviewing I noticed the baby dolls have been sadly neglected this year. So after having made some for the larger baby dolls it was time for the Lots to Love 14 Inch Doll to get an outfit.

This is one of Petite Doll's designs that can be purchased here. Just a note the pattern is written in UK crochet terms so I do find myself occasionally having to remind myself to sc and not dc in certain points of the pattern but I've gotten better over the years as I've used more UK patterns.

Notes:

Hook size: E

I used Baby Bernat White for the top. I believe this is an old Skein of Herschners afghan yarn I've been using up for the purple. Their yarn prices recently went up on their house yarns but I had stocked up on some of their house brands last year primarily for the baby doll projects as it is a little lighter than advertised and seems to do well for the various baby doll outfits. It comes in a wider variety of colors than traditional baby yarns so I find myself using it more frequently. I have a rather large stash of yarn so hopefully I can ride out the price change and it will return to a more reasonable brand for the quality.

I changed the hat a bit this year by doing a row of front post sc to create the brim for the hat. I picked the idea up on an 18 inch doll pattern and I liked the way it formed a little brim.