Rag Doll Dress with Ribbed Waist

As I'm working on a larger doll pattern I will often try it on the Rag doll to see if there is a chance it can be adapted to fit the Rag Doll as I have no specific patterns for it. This one required me to drop rows at the end but for the most part it was a pretty good fit based on making it for the larger dolls.

Notes:

I had considered using a smaller hook and possible a lighter worsted 4 but it fit well at the top. I'd consider switching hooks at the waist in the future to reduce the size slightly.

I used an I hook and followed the same process as I did for the other 18 inch dolls.

My Life Dress with Ribbed Waist

This was a new addition to the donation this year. It's a free pattern that can be found here. The shoes are my go to pattern for the 18 inch dolls and is part of a sailor pattern that can be purchased here.

I don't buy much Red Heart Soft yarn so I'm not sure when this skein came into my stash but I've been targeting skeins that seem orphaned. I also have found this pattern works up better with lighter colored yarns. I tried a darker colored purple for the Our Generation Doll but the texture didn't show as well as the two colors I chose for the My Life dolls. I note this because I know I'll be back to make this next year and this is information that is helpful.

Notes:

I used an I hook for the dress and a G for the shoes. I go back and forth with the shoes. While a g was perfect for the last set of shoes they were a bit snug this time.

I made a note last time that the hair tie was a serious of less than 200 chains. I made 200 chains this time and it was a bit long. I try 150 and see if that is long enough.

When I first made this the count on row 1 confused me my note is the numbers are correct as written follow them.

I used an H hook to finish the back and neck. I closed the dress with a snap on the back.

I finished the arms with a sc around the arms to clean them up and then did a sc chain 3 skip one for an additional row.

Our Generation Dress with Ribbed Waist

While this is a new to me pattern this year I suspect it will become a staple for the 18 inch doll donation for years to come. I have one more to make for the other My Life doll and I will be done for the 2025 donation. You can find the free pattern here.

This was another attack on the yarn stash I found hidden in my donation pile. I still have a ways to go to finish off the skein but I will be targeting this during the donation year. For the final My Life doll outfit I want to try some Herschnerrs Worsted 4 as I don't often have Caron Simply Soft in my stash and I'd like to know if this would work as well as the Caron has done. No yarn is specified but the Caron worked well for both dolls.

The shoes are made from Sweet Silver Creation's Sailor Dress Pattern that can be purchased here. I use a G hook for the Our Generation Dolls. I went with traditional worsted weight acrylic as I wasn't thrilled with how the shoes worked up with the last outfit using Caron Simply Soft.

Notes:

I used an I hook for this project with an H to finish the back.

I didn't have the problems with row 1 I had previously but it may have to do with making the dress so soon after the first one. I'll leave my previous note as a reminder the stitch count is correct don't count the V in the V stitches.

I use a snap to close the dress in the back.

I add trim for finishing the arms.

My Life Dress with Ribbed Waist

After making the Ribbed Skirt I realized it had been a while since I checked the designers store to see if I had all the patterns I wanted for the donation. For some reason I had missed downloading the free pattern for this dress. You can find it here.

I needed a break from adapting Barbie patterns and this seemed like a great break as it is a very straight forward pattern.

Notes:

I used an I hook for this pattern.

This was a chance to use some of the yarn I found stashed behind my donations that I have vowed to use up this year. I believe this is Caron Simply Soft.

An additional note related to that I likely would think about using an H hook with a heavier yarn like Super Saver or Pounder. Herschnerrs likely would need the I hook. I can't ever remember being able to use the suggested G hook for the 18 inch doll and getting it to fit on any pattern. It's all about our own gauge.

Another personal note the count for Row 1 is correct. Don't count the spaces in the V stitches as this throws it off. I add notes for myself because I will sometimes be fine the next time I make a project or sometimes it becomes a chronic issue I need to remind myself to watch.

There is no pattern for the hairband but having made another one recently I kept chaining until I could make a bow I liked. I know it was slightly less than 200.

I finished the back with an H hook and used a snap to close the dress.

The shoes are my go to shoes for the 18 inch dolls and come from Sweet Silver Creation's Sailor Doll Pattern that can be purchased here. It was slightly more challenging with the lighter Caron yarn but I didn't have heavier yarn that would work with this color. I use an H hook for the shoes. The pattern calls for sport yarn which I use for the dress but the shoes don't fit for me unless I use worsted 4, clearly not on the lighter side of 4.

Our Generation Back to School

I actually consulted my notes from last year's project and knew I wanted most of the pieces from Adoring Doll's Back to School pattern for the Our Generation Valentine outfit but I wanted a replacement skirt. You can purchase the pattern here.

I hadn't liked the construction when I made the one from this pattern last year. Looking at previous skirt projects I decided to go with one of my favorite free skirt patterns the Gored Ribbed Effect Skirt that you can find here.

Notes:

I'm going to start my notes with the Adoring Doll Pattern and then move on to the substitute skirt. The pictures below are for me. For some reason this shirt challenges my brain and seeing the visual makes a difference because once I got to the joining stage it made sense but up to that point I was not quite sure of my outcome.

I used the suggested G hook for the boots. I tend to have to use a larger hook for the My Life dolls but the Our Generation seem to fit as suggested.

The shirt and jacket required an I hook.

A reminder for my next attempt the math for row one of the shirt is correct despite it not always feeling correct. When in doubt start again.

Skirt:

I used a hair elastic for the skirt waist and crocheted around it.

The pattern suggested an H hook and it worked for me.

I'd consider using Herschner's worsted 4 for a future project where the colors weren't the issue as they were for this project. I'm thinking the FPTR might not be quite as bulky. I still love the look of this skirt, I just think it is worth trying to see how it looks as I'm thinking of adding a few more of these skirts for both types of 18 inch dolls.