Skipper Little Sister Pretty Ensemble

One of the benefits of documenting these projects each year is I can go back and remember what pattern I used and what materials I used to make the project.

That proved helpful this year when I realized not all the Barbie patterns had been put away at the end of the last donation season. I was pretty sure I was missing some but I couldn't remember which patterns I needed to locate. When I realized I hadn't made anything for Skipper this year I looked up last year's donation page and then looked at the project blogs to get ideas for this year. That's when I realized the leaflet I was missing was the out of print Annie's Fashion Doll Sister and Me 87D21. Thankfully with some searching I located this and several other patterns I hadn't put back in the Barbie binders last year and they've all been happily returned.

What I like about this particular set is last year I was able to use a couple of the patterns for both Skipper and Stacie with minimal adjustments. I'm hoping to try some of the Barbie patterns that I didn't have the chance to try for last year's donation. I think I have some colors that would work.

I used Aunt Lydia's Crochet Thread Size 10 Wood Violet and White with a Tulip Etimo 1.5mm Steel Crochet Hook.

This sweater works up easily and could be a nice addition in different colors for other Skipper and Stacie projects.

Stacie Shirt and Pants

Last year I failed terribly to provide Chelsea, the smallest of the Barbie dolls, with much of a wardrobe. To correct that I decided to start the year focusing on patterns I thought might work for her. I had found a free pattern for the no longer available Fibre Cindy doll that used to come in the package with the doll here and never got around to trying it. While Cindy is clearly larger than Chelsea I thought the pattern could be adjusted. Why then a post about Stacie you might ask?

I forgot a lesson I learned last year while making Barbie clothes. Thankfully, I still have the tools I acquired last year even if I forgot about some of them. In this instance I trusted the directions that said to use size 10 crochet thread. Experience has taught me, which is why I have a bag of size 20 thread purchased from Creative Yarn Source. However, having started on this project it seemed a shame to waste it and with multiple sized dolls one almost always fits the outfit. In this case instead of a dress it made a nice top for Stacie.

Thankfully unlike Barbie and Ken I was able to get the same donation dolls to match the models I used last year for Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea so no new additional dolls and I don't have to relearn sizes for these dolls. When I saw the size of the top I had a good idea that it would be a good fit for Stacie. For my own notes since I will likely come back to this pattern at some point in the future I used a .75mm thread hook with size 10 crochet thread for the top.

Now having a top I needed bottoms and I turned to a pattern I used last year for shorts from an out of print Annie's Fashion Doll Sister and Me 87D21. I used a 1.25mm hook for the shorts and then just continued with the leg rows until they were pant length. There is a snap in the back to close the pants. There is an additional finished row to the pants opening that I continued around the top of the pants to finish off the starting chain.

This works as a simple pants and top outfit or could also be pajamas depending on how the child wishes to play with the doll she gets from the donation.

Stacie Pretty Dress Ensemble

Having fit two older Skipper patterns to a modern doll, I decided I'd continue the task and fit both patterns to the smaller Stacie doll before continuing on with my other projects.

The pattern for this outfit is found in the out of print Fashion Doll Sister and Me 87D21 published by Annie's Attic in 1986.

I used Aunt Lydia's Size 10, Maize and Red Heart Crochet, Thread Size 10 White. To get the sizing correct I used a Tulip Etimo Rose Steel Crochet Hook-4/1.25mm.

I'm pleased with how little adaptation is required beyond hook size to change these patterns from Skipper to Stacie. My experience in having to rewrite patterns to fit dolls is that it requires more effort, so this has been a pleasant surprise. I have a few patterns from the Annie's pattern club that are Stacie sized but not enough to create a varied wardrobe, so I'm pleased these patterns are fitting so I can send off some clothing with the doll for the donation.

Stacie Short Set

I mentioned last week that I was working on patterns from an out of print Annie's pattern book, Fashion Doll Sister and Me 87D21 for Skipper. While working on a dress I wondered how the patterns for the 9" Skipper doll could be adjusted to fit Stacie a 7" doll.

While I liked the way Skipper's shirt fit in my original attempt at the short set I was concerned with the shorts. They seemed a little small for Skipper. I decided this would be a good place to start with Stacie. I tried the set on Stacie and while the shorts were a better fit for Stacie, the shirt was too large. I changed to the Aunt Lydia's Size 10, Wood Violet I used for Skipper's dress and used a 1mm crochet hook to get a good fit for Stacie's top.

I had added trim to Skipper's shirt to match her shorts so I needed to remake her shirt with Aunt Lydia's Size 10-Monet so they'd continue to match. I used a 1.5mm hook for a better fit. I joined the shorts after the fourth row and added a row before splitting the shorts for the legs. I also added a chain 4 for the split.

I missed the scarf when I made Skipper's outfit so I went back and made one for Skipper when I made one for Stacie. With Stacie's ponytail, the scarf fits Skipper better than Stacie but I was glad to add the accessories for both dolls.

I had fun getting some fresh air and taking some pictures outdoors of the girls. I try to get a picture of the doll wearing the outfit to include in each doll clothing bag so the child can see what the outfit is supposed to look like on the doll.

Skipper Pretty Dress Ensemble

I'm really enjoying working with these patterns from the out of print Annie's Fashion Doll Sister and Me 87D21. After trying on this dress and the short set I'm also thinking with a smaller hook I am going to be able to give Stacie some additional clothes for the donation as well.

The Bates Bamboo steelite 1.5mm hook was the right choice for this project. I used Aunt Lydia's Size 10, Wood Violet and Red Heart Crochet, Thread Size 10, White.

Skipper Short Set

Skipper is the last of the Barbie dolls I plan on donating this year. I pruchased the Space Discovery doll sets for both Skipper and Stacie.

I pulled out Annie's Fashion Doll Sister and Me, 87D21, which I purchased but never used a decade ago when I was making Barbie clothes. At the time I'd started a collection of the digest sized fashion doll books but stuggling with my thread hooks made making many of the outfits unlikely. With new hooks comes the chance for new adventures.

I decided to start with a simple pattern in the set to see how close the sizing was for the new Skipper doll. I was wrong in my previous post about Stacie. I have a picture of the old Skipper down the bottom and these dolls are pretty much the same "size" although as I learned in the bottom picture they don't quite wear the same size clothing.

Skipper's shorts and shirt are made with size 10 thread and a Tulip Etimo Rose Steel Crochet Hook-Size 4/1.25mm. I mention the specific hook because at the moment I'm working with a series of ergonomic handled thread hooks to get a variety of sizes and it may just be the way I handle them but I don't get the same guage with all my hooks. I've been making notes on my patterns and here on my blog so I can go back and recreate items when needed.

This is the last item of furniture I found at Dollar Tree for the doll donation. I'm hopeful they will come out with more before the November deadline. Accessories always make playing with dolls more fun. I've been pleased to add the furniture, shoes, bags, and other little items from Dollar Tree for the Barbie part of the donation. I hope they continue their fashion doll offerings.

I haven't seen my orginal Skipper model in some time. I pulled her out to compare her to the current Skipper. I found the shirt was looser and I was barely able to snap the shorts closed. This is the closest fit of the three dolls to date. Her outfit fit much better than Ken or Barbie's did on their older versions. I don't know a great deal about the history of Barbie and thus Skipper. I did find it funny that the old and the new both have colored striped hair. The old had pink and the younger while now having dark hair has purple stripes in her hair.

From a dressing point of view I do like the straight arms of the old Skipper better than the bent of the modern, but that is just based on fewer ways to catch the thread/yarn as I take thc clothes on and off as I'm fitting them to the model doll.