Stacie Swimsuit

I'm making some real progress with my yearly challenges. I have one more nightgown to make for the Rag doll and those will be complete for the 2026 donation year. I have a considerable number of swimsuits to finish as I pushed through the nightgowns at one point neglecting to alternate with swimsuits.

This is one of Char Caywood's Chelsea patterns that can be purchased here that I've adapted to use for Stacie.

Notes:

I use size 10 crochet thread and a 1.25mm thread hook to get this to fit Stacie.

I need to repeat rows 4 and 5 twice in the front panel before starting row six to get the length required for this outfit. I have previously only repeated it once but the top felt low to me and I decided to go an extra set and I liked it better.

I chain 40 for the ties. It is always a too short too long thing for me with ties but this seems to be the happy medium for me.

The main color is Herrschners Best Crochet Thread size 10 Dusty Pink. The last few years I've been exploring different brands to get more color options for my doll projects. This is a softer thread but I've had good luck with it for my doll clothes. The contrast is from the sample sized box of size 10 I bought from Hobby Lobby for these types of projects.

Ken Swim Trunks

I was up bright and early Saturday morning for my water aerobics class after finishing Ken's swim trunks Friday night.

I contimplated trying the swim trunks from the Margaret Funk booklet but after realizing the size 10 thread was too large I was not going down to size 20 thread for swim trunks and thus returned to Leisure Arts out of print Honeymoon Wardrobe leaflet 2132 that I'd started using last year.

Notes:

This was made with Baby Bernat Big Ball Sport yarn blue and white and a 2.5 tulip hook.

Contrasting color changes in row 2 and lasts for 2 rows. I missed this some how.

These shorts join later than I expected despite making them before. They close in the back with a snap.

Ken Ski Outfit

This is from another House of White Birches newsprint leaflet Crochet Wardrobe for 11 1/2 inch Fashion Dolls from Margaret Funk. I've made this set previously but it didn't make it into the 2025 donation.

Notes:

This was made with Knit Picks Palette Fingering Yarn Rainforest Heather and Custard.

I took advantage of their summer sale to stock up on Palette for my doll projects as my color selection was running low. Until my next order arrives I'm lacking in pant colors.

I've been experimenting with the different sized hooks available to me through my Tulip purchases to see if I can get better fits for some of the doll projects.

I'd previously used a C hook for the pants. This time I used a 3.0mm hook with a wider elastic band as the previous elastic was prone to not staying together. I'd stick with this hook size for future projects.

The sweater used the same 3.0mm hook as the pants. I make two major changes to the sweater. I do one large stripe rather than two small as I found the stripe was lost doing a single row. I also do not decrease the arms at the bottom as I found Ken's hands weren't going through the sleeve. I do ss the sleeves and the pant bottoms to decrease the catching that happens as the outfit is taken on and off.

I had made a note previously about using an e hook for the hat. This Ken has suprisingly wide molded hair and the bigger hook makes the hat fit over his hard head.

Barbie Poncho and Pants

I started picking up Michelle Ratman's patterns for Barbie and the 18 inch dolls a few years ago.

You can purchase the poncho pattern here.

The pants are made using Ken's pants from the Ski outfit pattern found in the out of print House of White Birches Crochet Wardrobe for 11.5 inch Fashion Dolls.

For my own notes this is page 33 and ends on 47. For some reason I was left trying to figure out which pants I had used two years ago. This narrows the hunt down.

Notes:

Poncho:

I've opted to use acrylic for over cotton for her patterns.

I had Unforgettable Gossamer left over from Mermaid projects and I decided to try it out on a poncho for Barbie. I am planning on using the left over Unforgettable Candied I have from making the Lil Cutesies mermaid for a poncho for Skipper.

I used and e hook for the poncho.

My one mistake was not counting each side of the chain 3 points and I ended up pulling out rows which can be a bit challenging with this yarn when I realized the poncho was not even. Once I counted from each side every row it worked out well.

My goal is to continue to use this yarn for the mermaid outfits so there should be enough to continue with ponchos as well. I do like the way the colors work together.

Pants:

The pants require crocheting around an elastic the distance of Barbie's waist for the first row. I recently bought wider elastic as the 1/8 was splitting apart with my hand sewing. While it takes slightly longer to make sure the yarn covers the elastic completely, the wider elastic works better.

This was made with Knit Picks Palette yarn and this year I used a 3.0mm Tulip Etimo rather than my Bates Bamboo C hook as I'm trying to give them a little bit of a break after having broke one of my B hooks and not being able to replace it.

I needed 20 rows to make the legs long enough for Barbie and I finished the legs with a row of ss to help keep the feet from catching in the yarn.

Stacie Nightgown

I like to mix up my patterns from time to time. Last year I used the same pattern for Stacie's nightgown that I used for Chelsea. This year I decided to try the pattern from the out of print Annie's Fashion Doll Sister and Me 87D21.

I finished the first four rows of the sister pattern and could not figure out where the pattern was going in row five. I tried several times and finally after putting way too much time into a doll nightgown decided I needed another path.

There is a pattern for Barbie's nightgown and it was written by a different designer. I decided to take a look and see if I might be able to adapt Barbie's pattern reducing the number of stitches to Stacie's original pattern and see what happened.

Notes:

This was made with size 10 thread and a 1.25mm crochet thread hook.

After finishing first four rows it took me two tries to work the math for adjusting Barbie's row 3 to be Stacie's row 5. Sadly I didn't write the changes so I'm putting notes here for myself to remind me where to start.

I believe I started with 7 sc chained 5 skipped 7 and then crocheted across the front until I had 14 stitches left. These number aren't exact. I originally started with different numbers these are the numbers I think I changed to but I am guessing. I realized I needed to changed my first effort after trying it on and realizing the dress didn't fit well. I suggest trying that again.

The rest of the Barbie directions aren't stitch count specific so I was able to continue the pattern with the starting count I had for Stacie. I continued the pattern until I was with in the length of the last two Barbie finishing sc rows. I wanted to finish the pattern as written and I had an idea of the length required for the two sc rows.

The big draw back for both these patterns is there is no picture of either nightgown. They both have a picture of the nightgown under the robe set that didn't seem a style I wanted to add to my donation. If I had a picture of the little sister outfit I might have been able to understand where the directions were headed. I'd also have loved a picture of Barbie's nightgown.

I used a chain trim rather than ribbon. I've not had great luck with ribbon and small hands so I've tried to use other methods where possible.

Barbie's pattern has trim for the neck and arms that helped tighten the loose parts of the nightgown that I was hoping to adjust.

Chelsea Mermaid

It didn't seem fair to leave Chelsea out of the Barbie family mermaid costume party for the donation but I knew after making Stacie's costume it was going to be more challenging for Chelsea.

I wasn't thrilled with the top I made for Stacie but after flipping through the AG 6" doll pattern set I purchased from Sweet Silver Creations here I realized the Jasmine top would work for my Chelsea mermaid. I would adapt this for Stacie the next time I make her a mermaid outfit.

I'd adapted the free Barbie mermaid pattern to fit Stacie so I was hoping with size 20 thread I could make it work for Chelsea as well. You can find that pattern here.

Notes:

Both patterns required size 20 crochet thread to fit Chelsea.

The green is mint Omega from Creative yarn source. Most of my solid color size 20 comes from them as they have a decent color selection and the cones are larger than Lizbeth.

The main color is Lizbeth 20 Springtime.

I started the tale with a 1.0mm tale changing to a 1.25mm when I realized it was a bit tight. I'd start with the 1.25mm next time. With the smaller stitches and hook I found it more challenging than the previous tales to find the stitches from the previous rows.

After leaving the tale on while I worked on the other pieces it bothered me that it was sliding a little so I added a sc row in the contrast mint and the sliding stopped while still being easy for a child to put on and take off.

The top pattern is not a Chelsea pattern but an American Girl mini pattern so it needs to be adjusted for Chelsea. Even with size 20 thread I needed a .75mm hook to keep the top from falling off her shoulders. The original pattern calls for metalic thread which matches the theme of that outfit. I went with mint to stick with the ocean effect I was trying to create.

Even with the smaller hook the top was still a little loose. I corrected this with the trim sc 2 and the sc tog across the top and bottom. This made the top fit nicely.

I decided on the mint headband with no trim. It likely should have been the main color covered by the mint but I started with mint. When I was thinking about adding the msin color I was concerned the base was not large enough. I'd try the 1.25mm hook for the headband next time.

Stacie Penny Brite Dress

Over the years I've kept my eyes out for patterns that might fit Barbie's sisters with or without minor adjustments. There just aren't lots of patterns written specifically for Chelsea, Stacie, and Skipper. However, if you keep an eye out you do see outfits that may work.

One of the first things I learned as I started hunting for doll patterns years ago is height is only midly helpful when looking for doll patterns. Sure when I'm looking for Stacie I don't want a doll that is 18" tall. However, there are a range of 8-9 inch dolls that don't come close to fitting a smaller Barbie type doll. They are shorter but oh so much bigger.

I had seen a few Penny Brite crochet patterns and her body frame looked like it might adapt to a smaller Barbie type doll. She is shorter than Stacie but as I worked through the pattern I realized they have close physical types. Any issues I found were likely more my gauge issues than size issues.

A big thank you to my DH as this was part of a batch of patterns I found in my Easter basket.

Notes:

You can purchase the Penny Brite pattern here.

The pattern suggests a 1.9mm hook and I used a 1.8mm hook. I'd experiment with a slightly smaller hook perhaps going down to the 1.5 although it might be tight at that point.

The dress has a tie at the neck and a snap in the back so despite it being a little loose adding the snap did bring the back together. I did finish the back before adding the snap.

The doll is an inch shorter so I had to add rows to the dress before adding the scalloped final row.

I did make one shoe to see if they'd work but the feet of Stacie and Penny seem to be different. I didn't like the look of the shoe and decided not to add them to the outfit.

Operation Christmas Child Chelsea Sleeping Bag

With this sleeping bag complete I am done with sleeping bags for 2026. I will likely start sometime in the fall prepping for Kits for Kids and Chelsea will need a sleeping bag but since I generally start with the baby sleep sacks it could be a while after that before I get to sleeping bags again.

I was pleased to discover the Calico Critter free sleeping bag pattern works for Chelsea if I make it longer and use a bigger thread crochet hook. This makes it less bulky. For two of the places I donate Chelsea Operation Shoebox and Kits for Kids space is premium. So, when I can make something that accomplishes the same task but takes up less room it is a win.

You can find the free pattern here.

Notes:

I need a 1.5mm thread hook for this project and follow the adult critter instructions with the exception of the length of the sleeping bag.

I believe this is Aunt Lydia's Size 10 Blacklight

Skipper Mermaid

I bought some Red Heart Unforgettable Gossamer for a different doll project but it turned out to be too dark. I eventually found the color suggested in the pattern and will be trying that soon. However, that left me with a supply of yarn to use. While this was not the right fit for my other project I really liked the color stripes for Skipper.

While I love the look of this yarn it is a bit unforgiving. I find it can be hard to frog and this was challenging as I had to experiment with hook size to figure out what would work with this yarn and Skipper.

The suggested hook size for this yarn is J and that did work with my other doll project despite not being a good color fit. I had previously used an E hook with the Caron Simply soft. Thankfully, I was able to save most of my experiments but I did lose some of the chains as they knotted and wouldn't release when I needed to start again with a smaller hook.

You can find the free Mermaid pattern here.

Notes:

I dug out my new Tulip Etimo 2.5mm hook for this project.

Some of my old Bates Bamboo hooks are starting to wear out. I broke a B hook not long ago and decided not only did I need to replace my smaller ergonomic hooks but I wanted to have some of the in between sizes so I could experiment not only with changing fiber but fine adjustments in hook size. Sometimes I do find myself needing something just a little bigger or smaller than what I have on hand.

I started with a 2.0 and jumped to the 2.5mm to get the fit I wanted. I didn't have that option with my Bates Bamboo hooks.

As with my Stacie Mermaid I chose not to make this a pull on top as this yarn was not going to accomadate that kind of stress. I added an additional row to the bottom which let me connect my finished sides without having to do each side stop and do the other. This allowed me more space to add the snaps.

I followed the directions for the tail and fin adjusting for length as this yarn is a bit thinner than the Caron so I had to play a bit more with rows to get it long enough.

Skipper Nightgown

I'm continuing on with my quest to send the dolls out with nightgowns this year.

This was an AG Mini pattern I found from Sweet Silver Creations last year and was able to adapt for Chelsea, Stacie, and Skipper. You can purchase the pattern here.

Notes:

This outfit was made using Hobby Lobby's Artiste size 10 Orchid thread and their size 10 multi-colored thread.

Skipper requires a 1.8mm crochet thread hook to adapt this pattern to fit.

I do not add arms to any of the dolls for this nightgown pattern as it makes it much harder to take on and off.

There are several places for contrast color trims, I only use the trim on the bottom of the outfit. The nightgown closes with ties and I used the contrast color for the ties.

Chelsea Sleeping Bag

I settled on the free Calico Critter pattern found here for Chelsea after experimenting with it for the Kits for Kids donation.

With this one complete I just need one more for my Shoebox donation and I can move on to the small baby doll bassinets. It feels good to get these finished, especially with two additional donations that require sleeping options.

Notes:

I need a 1.5mm thread hook for this project and follow the adult critter instructions with the exception of the length of the sleeping bag.

The identification for this thread sources seems to have fallen out of the cone so I don't know which brand or color this is but I suspect it is Hobby Lobby.

A note to myself is that unlike the previous pattern I was using where it was obvious the bag was long enough I got the feeling this one was too long and stopped. It does fit but I like a little extra foot room to make it easier to get on and off. Next time I'd ignore my fear and go longer. The thread is tighter than the yarn ones I make and a little extra room is worth it.

This was a great travel project over two appointments. This post is being preposted to the end of the month but as I write this I'm starting the last Chelsea sleeping bag I need as I have an appointment this week where I suspect I can get some rows completed.

Stacie Mermaid

I mentioned working on adapting the free Barbie pattern in thread for Stacie and I decided I couldn't wait for my other planned projects. She jumped the line and I was pleased to find with some work the pattern worked for her as well as Skipper and Ken.

I adapted this free Barbie pattern found here.

With some experimentation I landed on a size B hook and size 10 thread.

This is from a set of really small multi-colored Hobby Lobby almost samples that I've picked up over the years for small doll projects and trims.

This required a little more than I'd anticipated as I lost some thread experimenting with the project. For my own notes this was color HD0007.

I'd consider Aunt Lydia's size 10 ocean when I make this again for Stacie. It comes in a much larger cone and I won't have to worry about running out of thread.

Crop Top:

I tried a number of experiments making the top and learned some valuable lessons.

First while I join the top for Barbie and Skipper without any issues moving to thread it become too hard to make this work for Stacie so I didn't join the top and added to snaps to close the top in the back. This was not a huge challenge once I accepted this change was needed.

The second change was needing to add some weight or thickness to the top as going down to size 20 thread didn't fit and not fixing the gaps with size 10 made the arm holes and the snap closing impossible.

To manage this I did row 1 as written.

Row 2:

I dc in the first three and between the first three stitches giving me a start of 6 stitches. Then I chained 3 for the armhole before skipping 6 stitches. The original directions had no chains but I found this made the arms tight and hard to work around. I worked a total of 18 with dc and working between dc stitches. Then I chained 3 skipped 6 stiches for second arm. Like the first side I finished by creating 6 stitches by dc in each dc and between dc.

I followed rows 3-4 as written adapting to new stitch count without joining.

I finished the back edges and added two snaps to close.

Tail:

I wasn't sure how wide the tail had to be to fit Stacie's hips with thread so like all the other stuff I experimented. I made a note to increase to 23 stitches but I suspect going to the directions to 24 would be fine

Width was more my focus than length so unlike Ken and Skipper I failed to note which row I stopped on but I know I was past row 28 before I stopped and moved to row 33.

Fin:

I followed the note I made on Ken's project and stuck to reducing to 10 stitches for the tail. I think for Stacie I might go to 8 as I think it might have joined together better.

Both row 7's are joined. I keep trying to look at the picture to figure it out and there are actually directions.

Ken Merman

I know Mermaid themed dolls can be popular but one reason I avoid buying them to donate is they are some what limiting.

If you tire of the water theme most of them don't have removable tails so the Mermaid doll isn't likely to be easily moved into another play environment.

This isn't an issue for those who buy multiple dolls but for kids where this may not be an option, I try to go for dolls that can be adapted to different pretend options.

I found a pattern for Barbie a few years back and adapted it to Skipper last year. After seeing a Ken Merman doll I decided to try the tail on Ken to see if the pattern would work for him as well and it was a decent fit.

You can find the free pattern here.

Notes:

This is made with Caron Simply Soft Oceana Paints. I don't use lots of Caron Simply Soft with dolls as it tends to split and catch on doll fingers, etc. but this has worked out for the mermaid projects. The original pattern has a solid main color with a multi-color trim but I like this for the whole outfit.

I used an e hook for Ken as I did previously for Barbie and Skipper.

Ken being taller required a longer tail than the notes I wrote for Skipper so I crocheted to row 29 before skipping to the finishing row of 33.

I missed a note I made regarding Barbie's fin so I added it to the pattern now and I'm noting it here to make sure Skipper's fin's are not reduced below 10 stitches as I wrote on Barbie's post they came out better that way.

I'm currently experimenting with thread to see if this will work for Stacie. I will get back to making one for Skipper as I have the notes from last year on making the adjustments for this pattern using the Caron Simply soft that will fit her.

Stacie Sleeping Bag

While this is posting towards the end of May I'm writing it the first weekend of May on a wet rainy Sunday.

Wet rainy days are great days for bargain hunting which honestly is the only way this doll charity stays functioning.

I looked at my Amazon doll wishlist today to find the 16 inch Baby dolls on sale and stocked up.

I've been struggling to decide what to do about restocking the Glitter Girl dolls as my reserve is low and nothing was speaking to me. The prices have been high and price is important if you want to reach more kids. However, today they had one doll that fit the style of doll I wanted and was about 1/2 the price of the other dolls in the category. I was also able to replace my current model which sadly is out of date and will not accurately model for the current dolls. I hadn't realized that until I went looking for a new doll.

On to the current project. As I post this at the beginning of May I now only have two more sleeping bags to make before the doll donations. Both are Chelsea dolls and going to two different donations. This is a huge weight after last year discovering I had forgotten them in the fall.

Stacie is now the only fashion doll that uses the free Beanie Sleeping Bag pattern found here rather than a combo of the fashion doll and Beanie shells. Her bent arms make the wider sleeping bag a better choice. I experimented during Kits for Kids with using a Calico Critter pattern for Chelsea and I will use that for the next two Chelsea sleeping bags I need.

Notes:

This was made with Herrschners Baby Worsted Stripes a 4 weight yarn. Note to self do not use anything bulkier than Herrschners for Stacie's sleeping bag.

I use the suggested I hook.

Once the pillow and pattern are established I stop counting rows and close when the sleeping bag easily ends over the doll's feet.

Chelsea Nightgown

I decided to start with the smallest of dolls to get back to my nightgown challenge. This pattern is actually an AG mini pattern but I found a series of them that adapt well not only for Chelsea but for Stacey and Skipper with some alterations. Since my pattern supply for Barbie's sisters is low I like when I can find patterns that work across the doll range.

This is one of Sweet Silver Creation's patterns that can be purchased here.

I bought one pattern first to see if it would work for the Chelsea with minimal effort and when I realized it would work I went back and bought her pattern set available here because I already use many of these patterns for the 18 inch doll. I hope to get to more of them this year.

Notes:

To make this work for Chelsea I use size 20 thread and a .75mm thread crochet hook.

For my own reference the pink was Omega from Creative Yarn Resources. The contrast was Lizbeth Wildflowers.

Since I do try to check my notes before starting these projects each year I would suggest going with a lighter color for the primary. I made this in a pale pink last year and liked it better. I thought going with a bolder color would work but rather prefer the pale.

I've made alterations on my paper copy of the stich counts which after row 2 don't account for the row increases in the following stitch count. If I have to reprint at any point it will be important to remember that there are changes to rows 3 and 4.

Sweet Silver has a process of stopping for her arm holes. I always continue as this has never worked for me. Therefore when completing row 5 I need to look at the directions for row 6 and chain 4 for the arm holes or Chelsea can't move her arms. I thought I needed to increase hook size only to realize I hadn't read my own notes.

Skirt

Row 1 was changed to a dc in 2 followed by 2dc around. As written the skirt was too large for Chelsea.

Last year I finished the skirt at row 10 and left a note to continue to row 11.

So now the skirt directions are to follow rows 1-11 then skip to row 16.

Rows 17-18 are done in contrast color.

I do not add upper trim.

The nightgown closes with ties. I chain 40 for the ties and follow directions for ties.

I finished the back in sc before adding ties.

I've never had good luck with crocheting shoes for the fashion dolls so no slippers for Chelsea.

Ken Farmer

This is one of Shirley Jean Wright's free fashion doll patterns that can be found with the help of the Wayback machine here. Sadly the machine doesn't always save pictures just text.

I made this pattern for the donation a few years back and clearly it was a different Ken because I had to play with the pattern to get it to fit the It Takes Two Camping Ken I'm currently donating.

Notes:

This note was added to my pattern copy but I'm placing it here because I often read these notes before even grabbing the pattern to start. The shirt is a tougher fit for this doll. I'd suggest starting with the shirt, getting it to fit and then deciding if the waist for the overalls should be wider. I didn't do that for this project but I would do it next time as I plan on continuing with this doll for the donation for a while.

Overalls:

I used a D hook with Red Heart Super Saver Light Periwinkle for this project. I ordered a three pack from Amazon after completing the project because I can't get the color locally and they are a great pants color for the boy and girl dolls along with other projects. Lately I've picked up great shades only to have them never appear locally again.

I had previously done 17 rows for the legs, I increased to 18 this year and would consider 19 for a future project.

As I mentioned this Ken is a different build then the previous doll so he needed a longer bib so I had to add a row to the bib.

Shirt:

The shirt has never really been an issue for this project until this year. The shirt is made as one piece not buttons or snaps required. However this requires that it can be slid on and off the doll.

My first attempt using previous directions was too small. I then thought about not joining it but that looked terrible.

After various attempts I decided to change to using an e hook until row 5 when the armholes are created switching back to the D hook I originally used for this project.

Note to self that the projects stops joining at row 5 as this is when both the armholes and the collar begin to form. Without this the shirt will not pull on and off.

The sleeves were huge as written so I did a decrease round of sc which also finished off the arms to make for a better fit. I then did 3 rounds of DC finishing with a ss around the edges to keep them from fraying. Hat:

I have yet to get her hat directions to work as written and each time I've made the hat it has been different. This year's hat was made with Hobby Lobby sport yarn.

Skipper Sleeping Bag

As I mentioned on Ken's sleeping bag post I lost track of some of the accessory projects last year and ended up scrambling to finish them in the fall.

I looked back at Skipper's sleeping bag post and it hit on Halloween last year. Since I prepost it might have been earlier but still I like getting these projects in the donation bags early in the year. Having them waiting in the fall wasn't going to work for me this year.

It is the first weekend of May as I prepost and Skipper's bag is ready to go. This leaves me with Stacie, and two Chelseas to finish the donation year.

This bag is made using a combination of two free patterns from Suzie's Stuff Blog. The first is her Fashion Doll Sleeping bag found here. The texture comes from her Beanie Bag Sleeping Bag found here.

I use the fashion doll pattern to establish the pillow and width of the pattern. The shells come from the beanie pattern. I find sc the entire sleeping bag to be a rather tiresome project. The shells make it work up faster for me. I also like the textured look.

Notes:

This was made with Red Heart Ombre Violet. I'd use this again for Skipper if I had it on hand.

I need an I hook to get this to fit Skipper.

Once the pattern is established I stop counting rows and follow the pattern until it covers the doll's feet and then I close the bottom of the bag.

Ken Sleeping Bag

I'd taken a break from Aztec Wishes doll clothes to make the deadline for Kits for Kids. When I came back I wanted to work on some larger doll clothes to give my hands a rest.

I haven't given up on that goal but I also realized I can't abandon the accessories or I'll be scrambling in the fall to finish off items that got forgotten. Looking back at last year's projects this sleeping bag was posted early November. Not something I wish to repeat.

The only sleeping bags remaining are the Barbie ones. With this I still need Skipper, Stacie and 2 Chelsea as I will need one for the Shoebox donation, too.

This is a free fashion doll sleeping bag pattern found here. I like the texture from the beanie bag pattern also on the same site found here so I combine the patterns.

Notes:

The yarn for this bag is Red Heart Super Saver Stripes Latte Stripes.

I use an I hook for the sleeping bag and once the pillow is made I stop counting rows. I continue to crochet until I can close the bag over the doll's feet with a little room at the bottom.

Chelsea Kits for Kids Sleeping Bag

It's April Fool's Day and I'm preposting my Kit's for Kids projects which hopefully have long been delivered by now. I've been using a free beanie baby sleeping bag pattern for years for Chelsea's sleeping bag. However, the two new charities I've added Chelsea to this year have space restrictions. The beanie bag is bulkier and I decided to explore if I could use the thread bag from the Calico Critters to save space as I've adapted a few of Mom's outfits to fit Chelsea before.

You can find the free Calico Critter sleeping bag pattern here.

Notes:

I am always on the hunt for differnt types of thread, especially variegated colors. This is Herschnerrs own brand size 10. I had previously tried it on a dress I've made multiple times with the same hook and it was huge. It also looks larger than my other brands of size 10. I don't have 8 on hand but that would be my guess as it is smaller than my 3 but it is heavier than my other 10's.

Since I was looking to adapt a smaller pattern to a larger doll this seemed like the ideal time to use some of the thread up. I experimented with hooks until I settled on the 1.5mm hook. I may go back to the 1.25 for the one I need for Operation Shoebox as I'm still on the fence about the size.

I followed the directions as written for the basic formation other than I needed more rows for length due to Chelsea's height prior to starting the pillow section. As I do with the Critters I stuffed the pillow and sewed the bottom opening of the pillow closed.

Kits for Kids Chelsea Simply Bluetiful

This is a new donation project for me this year and until I work on the packing project in May I'm not sure if all my choices are the best but we work on the information we have to make the best choices we can.

For my main doll donation of the year I tend to buy or add accessories to the dolls I buy. However, this donation is different. Space for all items is limited to a single bag and I'm trying to limit the pieces that can be lost as a child moves.

During the recent sales I stocked up on some of my Barbie dolls. I've been thinking about what direction to go with Chelsea as the It Takes Two Camping set I've picked will eventually be discontinued. I was able to stock up for a few more years. My hesitation has been that most of the Chelsea models have a hard plastic "tshirt" that can show through depending on the outfit I make. The dark blue and even the yellow from the camping have not been a huge issue but as I started to shop not only were the newer colors more likely to clash with the outfits I made but they also had print designs on them to look more like a child's tshirt. I get the concept but again not quite helpeful for making clothes.

As I was thinking about what to do for the next Chelsea I found out about this donation and saw there was a basic Chelsea in two skin tones being offered. It's Barbie and friends Club Chelsea. I picked up on at my local Walmart to test how the clothes would fit because the measurements didn't match the current model doll I was using. After realizing the fit would work I picked up a couple of each skin tone for donations during the big sales in March.

This fit my goal of a simple doll. This model has a gingham dress and shoes. The body has no plastic tshirt cover common in the Chelsea line which makes dressing her a bit easier.

Notes:

This has been my go to free Chelsea pattern found here.

I used a 1.8 mm thread hook for this project.I used a 1.8 mm thread hook for this project.

I did not decrease rounds when joining at round 7 or the project would be too small for this Chelsea doll.I used a 1.8 mm thread hook for this project.

The back and top were finished and back closed with a snap.

For this outfit I did add trim at bottom.