Learning to Sew for Your Doll

I would not call myself more then a beginner tailor, but I learned how to sew by hand for fashion dolls, and then got into BJDs and a machine. I find it fun, but hard at times. Also the smaller the doll size the harder to sew for, at least for me anyways. But once you learn the basics and have some patterns it can be rewarding.

 

I'll be totally honest: starting out, you want patterns that have very detailed instructions. Once you get used to certain things (elastic-waistband pants, for example), you stop needing the instructions, but they are SO important when you're first getting started. Start with light-to-medium weight fabrics, nothing thick. I've found that shirt-weight denim is excellent for making 1/3 - 1/6 doll jeans (yes, that's a big size range). For light woven fabrics, rayon tends to drape more nicely than cotton, especially on tinies.

I tend to plug Requiem Art Designs a lot, but that's because she has patterns for a wide variety of dolls, and every one comes with detailed instructions that have tons of illustrations. They're not free, but the prices are very reasonable for what you get. Her website also has a free guide on what kinds of fabrics and trims work well at doll scale, since some of the stuff you use for people is just too thick to look right on a doll.

Missy's Imaginings has free patterns for a variety of 1/3, 1/4, and 1/6 BJDs. She prefers to use video tutorials over written directions, so if that's what you're after, you should definitely give her a try.

When a pattern fits, it is excellent. I have enough experience that I can tweak patterns that almost-fit to work well, but it's so much nicer when the pattern is made FOR the doll you're sewing for! I learned this lesson the hard way with off-topic dolls before I started collecting BJDs. Find a good pattern, and it's much easier to end up with clothing that looks good on your doll.

 

I've been sewing for decades, and I actually much much prefer sewing for dolls over sewing for humans! I just feel like it's so much easier for me to handle small pieces than long and sometimes heavy pieces of fabric. Doll sewing sometimes also "cheats" in ways you can't cut corners on human clothes because they don't need to fit to a body that squishes, squeezes, and moves all day.

The best tips I can give:

-Test the fabric if you can, be sure it's thin and hangs well. Thick, stiff fabric will look bulky and out of scale. Same with patterns, you need tiny patterns. Sometimes quilting fabrics or children's clothing fabrics are good.

-Wash the fabric first! This gets a lot of dyes out to help prevent staining your doll. I like to use my own old clothes or buy secondhand clothes to repurpose fabric, as it's likely been washed so many times, it won't stain. Also, tshirts with a small print in the "pocket" area are excellent for making 1/3 tshirts with an in scale logo on it!

-For patterns, use real, existing patterns, at least at first. Drafting your own without fully understanding patterns is difficult and likely will not turn out well. Once you get pretty good at using and understanding patterns, then you can start making your own!

I'm somewhat of a dolly pattern collector, I have an entire drawer full of them! So, here's a list of places I've gotten patterns from that have gone well. Some have better instructions than others, some have videos to help, some have no instructions at all and you're on your own, so be sure to read the listing first! Most also state if it's good for a beginner or not. Some of these are free, some are not. I've found the free ones tend to have no instructions, or very little. I only use patterns for 1/4 and 1/3, so that's what most of these are. Several have Smart Doll patterns, but most of those will fit standard girls in the 1/3 range. May require a little bit of altering for girls that are much thicker or thinner. I have found Smart Doll boy clothes do not fit most of my 1/3 BJD boys.

FREE (most of these do not have instructions)
Missy's Imaginings
Ithilear/Beth Alvarez
Undead Threads
Smart Doll

FOR SALE (may offer some free ones)
Doll Candy (can be a little confusing in instructions)
DollClothingPattern (advanced patterns, and don't include seam allowances, which you need to add.)
SoromosDollSupply (beautiful patterns, but most are pretty advanced, and another you need to add seam allowance)
DollyandPaws
LuminariaDesigns (these pieces are stunning! And look complicated, but the instructions are so detailed, they seem much easier than they look IMO)
KitNKatShop (pretty simple, straightforward patterns for the most part, they have knitting patterns too)
MyLittleDollStory (All patterns are marked with the sewing level, it's the little thread spools at the bottom of the first pic in the listing.)
TeasPatterns (most are pretty simple)
MbjDs (only tried one of their patterns, but it was very easy to follow)
DesignsbyJude (these are a bit more complicated, but once you learn some basics, it's not too hard to follow)
ModaVationDesigns (the basic patterns are very easy to follow, the more advanced ones still aren't too difficult, one of my favorite pattern shops!)
Requiem Art Designs (another fave of mine! Lots of variety, even single patterns often include variations, and the instructions are very clear, complete with pics of each step. They usually have sales or bundle deals going on, and have a free section where you can choose one free pattern with each order.)
Vestidoll (not much variety, but very easy to follow)
UnderOrange (most patterns are very simple and easy to follow. The track shorts and cami set is one I've used many many times, and the party dress is super simple, yet pretty!)
Raccoon's Rags (I've bought some of theirs but not used them yet, but they look promising)

 

I'd say that while the basic action of sewing is the same, doll clothes construction and human clothes construction are two different beasts. As CloakedSchemer mentioned, dolls aren't squishy, which makes some things easier and some things more difficult. Their proportions also differ; most notably (unless you've got a fashion doll or one of those new fellas with very small heads), their big ol' noggins! I'd definitely recommend checking out the pattern resources others have shared and possibly looking up doll sewing videos to see how people handle the small pieces. You'll also want to consider how realistic you like your doll clothes and whether you're willing to do things like take off hands and heads to dress a doll.

Even if you've got a machine, picking up some hand sewing stitches is super helpful. I hand sew elastic ends together, close the openings left when turning out a lined garment, add on buttons and snaps, repairing inevitable mistakes, etc. If I want to set in a sleeve after I sew the side seams on a garment, that has to be done by hand, too.

I have found that while it's also a very different skillset than garment construction, quilting tools can be quite handy for doll clothes. A 1/4in seam foot helps keep doll clothing seams even, and I like fabric clips more than pins. If you're sewing for 1/4 scale or larger, quilting cotton is also a nice, very stable fabric that comes in just about every color and pattern under the sun, and it works great for skirts and dresses, plus pants if you like funky pants.

While dolls don't need their clothes laundered as much as a human, nor do they move around as much, I recommend staying in the habit of finishing your seams unless you're working with a specifically non-fraying fabric. The pretty, floaty, slippery fabrics also tend to be annoyingly prone to fraying and it will be both a headache and a mess to have them falling apart on you all the time.

And yeah, secondhand is your friend! Dye and sizing's often washed out, repeated wear makes fabrics softer and drapier, and it's a lot cheaper than buying new fabric. If you want to do human-size sewing, too, then in my experience, there's also often leftovers from those projects that you can get some doll clothes out of.

 

I don't suggest the Volks patterns books if you do not know what you are doing because the instructions are in Japanese only. I got as far as to figure out seam allowance wasn't included. The pattern selection is rather limited as well. I see you're looking to buy an SDC and I can confirm there are no SDC patterns in volumes 1 or 3.

Edit: found the list of patterns in volume 2 and it does not contain SDC patterns either.

 

I currently sew everything by hand because I don't have a machine, but I learned to sew when I was but a wee fluff, from my great-grandmother. So I've been sewing since I was like, 5 or 6. But now that I'm older I really need to get a machine, my hands do not like the tiny pieces XD

If you can't FIND a pattern, I recommend making a masking tape pattern block, by wrapping cling wrap around your doll, and then covering it with a layer of masking tape. Then you can draw the seams and things on the tape, cut the tape off, and use that shape that you made that DEFINITELY FITS, to make your own patterns. And once you have that block you don't have to do it again, because you can just trace it onto some thick paper to use over and over again. I tend to keep all the pieces for a single sculpt together with a binder clip, one of those black ones that are used to hold important documents. Or you can keep them in a labelled ziplock bag. That's how I tend to make my own patterns, because then I can use that shape to then add width or whatever, to get the shapes I want. Because I know that those are the fitted shape, so if I want a more t-shirt like shape, I can just trace it out around the pattern pieces and know that it will still fit.

 

I learned how to sew purely to clothe my dolls; I've never sewed people clothes and have no interest in it. I started learning about 3 years ago. I came in with practically zero background knowledge -- the last sewing I did was 20-some years ago in grade school, and the odd button repair ever since. My doll sewing is entirely self-taught and piecemeal: YouTube videos, blog posts and articles, asking for help from remote people (ie. I didn't have any in-person help), and jumping in and muddling along with my sewing machine etc and making tons of mockups before the final garment.

If you're like me and don't have any prior sewing skills, probably the hardest part is getting a handle on the skill, full stop. There's so much to learn: terminology and conventions (seriously, terminology is bewildering - not just names of fabrics and stitches, but I didn't know even simple things like the difference between a seam and a hem); how to pick fabrics, thread and tools; how to find patterns and then use them; how to handle fabrics and sewing tools so that you actually get somewhere with the sewing; how to troubleshoot problems; how to do simple alterations of patterns. And that's just how to sew, never mind sewing for dolls.

I strongly recommend taking a class to get all this beginner knowledge, so if you have access to sewing classes at your community college, go for it! I learned things the hard way: self-taught without a structured guide (not even a sewing book or online class), piecemeal, gleaning from here and there, lots of trial and error and confusion, and going through tons of mockups. I definitely have a lot of holes in my knowledge. Maybe some people can learn how to sew like this and enjoy the process, but I found it and still find it pretty hard.

But I have learned how to make some things - kimono, and casual basics like t-shirts, pants and socks. I know some straightforward patterns that involve using only one type of fabric (usually cotton, which is non-stretchy and beginner friendly); I'm not yet at the stage of using different fabrics in a single garment. I know how to use a few closures. I can do simple pattern alterations - although I always have to sew a mockup first to figure out how to alter. Self-taught is doable but I think it can only get so far: I'll eventually go take some classes to plug in all my knowledge gaps and gain more confidence.
That's my experience!

If you have a doll with a body that's commonly patterned for, this will be much easier. But in general, it's never the right size at first, especially if your doll doesn't have the same body that the sewist based their pattern on. I have 1/3 dolls and have used various patterns from Missy's Imaginings, and I always have to alter them to fit my doll better. I draw and redraw the pattern on recycled printer paper, and when I've finally established the correct pattern and sewed the final garment, I redraw onto thicker poster paper and file this away for future use.

As I mentioned above, it's not just about finding the right pattern, you also have to know how to use it. Not every pattern comes with instructions, and sometimes they come with instructions that aren't beginner-friendly. There have been times where I've found some doll clothing patterns online but no accompanying instructions, I couldn't figure out which order to sew the pieces together and how to sew them, so I couldn't use the pattern. I'm still at the novice level where I need a step-by-step guide. I like Missy's Imaginings because of this - her patterns are free on her website, and her step-by-step videos on YouTube were invaluable. I treated them as literal sew-alongs - watched a segment of the video, paused it, sewed it myself.

 

I started doll sewing as a small child - frustrated by rag-doll who were made with their clothes sewn as part of their boyd so they couldn't be undressed and changed, I took them appart and made replacement bodies and new clothes for them - entirely self-taught (a lot fofailures and a lot of trial-and error!). As I got older, I took Needlework as one of my exam subjects at school (back in the days when that sort of class was still offered in the curriculum) but mostly it just refined the stuff I'd already taught myself and gave my father the push to buy me a sewing machine (it was for school, it was an acceptible expense even idf he didn't know why his son would sign up for needlwwork classes!!!) and my older sisters started demanding I make clothes for them (until I got fed up and taught them both to sew). By my teens I wwas making rag dolls as gifts for friends and family and people had started commissioning me to make dolls for them. So I started my dioll sewing early and have had YEARS of practice.

The challenges are mostly in learning to scale down the fabrics/thickness/heavyness/drape etc) so that you're using ones that work in dokll scale. I make full sized costumes, but can't use all the offcuts to make stuff for dolls because they'd be too thick/heavy/stiff to be suitable for the smaller scale of dolls.

Once you have an idea of the right fabrics, if you have a pattern that fits the particular doll you are sewing for it'srelatively straight-forward - but bear in mind that patterns fitted for particular dolls won['t necessarily work for all-dolls for that size - you'll probably stil need to alter them here and there to be a good fit on a different make of dioll, evn if they;'re the same sclae and of similar build - the same way full size patterns need altering to work for the individual person regardless of whether it is "their size".

My advice there is to always make a mock-up in scrap fabric, at least of the parts that need to fit-well (usually the bodice at minimum) and alter your pattern accoring to where you need to pinch in or let out the seams and darts etc. on the mock-up.

I've used the Volks patterns a lot, they're a good fit for the Volks bodies they were intended for but (as expected) need alterations for other dolls of similar size. I've mostly used the pattern pieces as the starting point for other garments (start with a pattern that fits, then adapt it to the style you want, rather than starting from scratch - why reinvent the wheel?), but the few I have made up as-is work well enough

HOWEVER, the patterns are all printed overlapped on multiple sheets of paper and not labelled in English, so you have to figure out which piece is for which garment and find all the pieces for that garment to trace or photocpy (if you cut up the originala, you can't then use it for any of the other patterns that overlap the one you cut out). I started with multiple photocpies of each page of pattern, then worked my wy throufgh the copies identifying and cutting out each piece of each pattern and puttign allth piece for each garment into separate ziplock baggies, beofre I even started catting and sewing fabric.

I much orefer patterns that are printed individually without overlap and labelled in English to begin with. GraceFarie, Adams-Harris, and Designs-By-Jude patterns have all worked nicely for me.

I can't, however, vouch for how good the instructionas are for any of those ptterns as I have so much experience of putting garments together that I mostly just use the pattern pieces for the right shapes/sizes and put them together without using the instructions. So I'd suggest read throuogh ALL the instructions at least once beofre you start cuttign and sewing - re-read any bits that don't make sense to you, and, if necessary look up the bits you still don't understand (online, in a sewing manual, watch a YouTube video - whatever method wortks for you).

If you havea particularly precious fabric for a project that you can't get more of, or can't afford more of then ALWAYS, have a trial run in a cheaper fabric (cut up old garments you daon't wear any more, or one you picked up cheap second hand) as long as it's a reasonable matchn in weight and drape for the precious fabric . Once you know it works and you've tested out all the potential kinks, fit issues or misunderstandings of the instructions THEN move on to making the version in the precious fabric. Also, sometimes you will end up with a useable version of the garment from your initial try-out of the pattern, so - bonus!

Best of luck!

Teddy

 

I only sew for my dolls because I also enjoy sewing for myself, and have known how to sew for a long time. So if you have no prior experience, I would a 100% recommend taking a sewing class first to learn the basics and figure out if you even like making clothes in general - the idea of it can sometimes feel better than the actual doing it In sewing, small things get fiddly easily so starting with human garments will help you learn the motions that you can later downsize for dolls.

Some doll-specific tips from me would be:

• fabric thickness matters SO much. It might be tempting to just sew from project leftovers but I've always only had best results when buying thinner fabric, or hunting down scraps that are more in-scale with dolls.
• If your plan is to sew for your doll a lot, get a doll that is well-serviced (more popular body that has been around longer = more available patterns and support). Also think of the size - smaller dolls are easier to handle but also harder to make things for. It's best to start out sewing from patterns made especially for your doll.
• Get an iron and press the seams/fabric regularly while working on it, it makes the whole thing so much easier and neater.
• Get a cutting mat and rotary fabric cutter - it is so much easier to cut out doll patterns like this!
• Set realistic goals - it's always best to make what you really want to make, of course, but taking on something too difficult can really kill motivation sometimes. Easy wins help a lot!
  • Don't expect things to run out perfect or the way you imagined them at first, also. They won't but they might be fine nevertheless
  • Also remember you are doing this for fun and if it stops being fun it's fine to just buy some clothes instead!
• Oh and - sewing will not be the cheaper option, although it might seem like it at first. It will be a money/time sink in one way or another and it's only worth doing regularly if you enjoy it!

But by all means, once you know your way around sewing, it can become a really fun part of the hobby so I'd really encourage anyone to try!

 

i have been sewing since i was a young boy, and so this method may not be widely usable. however, here is my process for doll clothing.

- sketch out an initial idea.

- using that sketch, sketch out rough draft pattern pieces onto paper and cut out. if you are unfamiliar with sewing or do not have the time to draft, you can shrink a pattern for humans / take a pattern for dolls and print it out.

- hold each piece individually onto the doll to check fit and adjust with scissors as preferred. i like to cut out multiple of each piece so that i have a physical record of every change i make, should i cut too far or make an adjustment i change my mind regarding.

- as a subset of this, if i am making a stiff or fitted piece, for example a bodice, i will do the initial check, attach the pieces together and stiffen them with tape, and then check the fit as a full item. this can then be cut apart into pattern pieces again.

- pin the pieces to a basic fabric of a weight similar to your final item (i typically use old worn-out bedsheets, as i have several in different weights.) draw around them to transfer them to the fabric, then use a ruler to add a seam allowance of a centimetre.

- cut pieces and baste together.

- test on the doll and either transfer to your actual fabric if happy with the fit, or adjust accordingly if not.

i would recommend using a pre-existing pattern for dolls if you have not done much sewing, as self-drafting can be very frustrating even with experience. my advice is that if this method ceases being fun, put the drafts down for a bit and return to them later. that said, it is very rewarding to draft or edit your own patterns in this way, and teaches you much in the process. it also means that you can adjust any pattern to any doll company.

remember to be careful with what you use to mark fabric or pattern pieces to avoid staining your doll, as you will be pressing the drafts onto the doll and sketching in how you want to adjust them. i recommend pencil for the paper and tailor’s chalk / pencil for the fabric.

 

fabric will not be cheap depending on what you want to use. however, there are some options for cheaper yet decent fabric:

- charity shops, some of which have dedicated sewing sections. pillowcases, sheets, old suit jackets, and scarves and all good options for cheap yet pretty materials. the inside of suit jackets can be cannibalised for interfacing, stiffening, and pads. costume jewellery can make gorgeous beads and buttons.

- exchanging fabrics at local craft circles. many of us have stash items that we do not use and would like to trade.

- repurposing old clothes or bedsheets. family members and friends can be asked if they have any old clothes they are not using.

- sewing websites often have discount or end-of-roll sales. the benefit of doll sewing is that 1/4 of a meter can go a long way if used well.

- similarly, there are websites dedicated to selling off-cuts and old stock.

- finally, there are etsy and ebay shops dedicated to selling job lots of fabric scraps, jewellery, and buttons, for anywhere for £5 - £30 depending on amount and budget. i highly recommend this, as even though i am very picky, i enjoy what creativity a surprise choice can spark. you often find that which you would never have thought of.

i particularly recommend independent local charity shops, as they are often less expensive than, for example, Oxfam, and have more of a community around them. my local library also has a set of drawers for unwanted fabric to be left in for exchange, which is an initiative you could mimic. best of luck; i hope that you enjoy your sewing.

 

I mostly learned by trial and error. I usually make my own patterns. When I first started doing this I made then from other doll clothes that I already had.

For example: If you have a pair of doll pants that near fit your doll (American Girl Doll sized for SD), or fit the doll, because you bought clothes previously for your doll. You can turn the pants inside out and trace around the edges of the clothing to make a pattern. Then you can make adjustments for length or width. Do add extra seam allowance, because bought clothes have a very narrow seam. You can do the same thing with shirts and other doll items.

Some sewing methods are easier then others. For a beginner elastic waists in skirts and pants will be easier to do then a form fitted waist bands. Raglan shirts are easier then button ups. I also like to make mock clothing with paper towels and tape to see if my pattern is going to work before cutting into the material. For me it was easier to start with just simple basic clothing.

 

I forgot to mention fraying!! They make a special clear glue that helps prevent fraying called FrayCheck. I will warn you though, some fabrics (silky stuff, mostly) can stain, so test first when trying it on a new fabric. It's not as nice as finishing the seams, but on tiny dolls it's a must-have.


As for doll size, I went from American Girl to Monster High to tiny BJDs, to bigger BJDs, and while tiny clothes make up faster, you do have to be careful because there's less "wiggle room" at 1/12 scale.

 

From an absolute novice who didn't work on any major sewing projects before this year- but it's been an intimidating yet rewarding experience. I learnt to sew basic stitches as a kid and made lil clothing mockups then, but I mostly used that skill to do repairs on my own clothes.

I got my first dolls last year, and a lot of doll clothes are outside my price range after investing so much in the dollies themselves LOL. I also may have started out on a low by choosing to first make clothes for my 1/12 dolls rather than my larger, 1/4 or playline dolls, as it was a steep learning curve, but it's been chugging along pretty well. It's definitely been a great way for me to recycle old clothes into basic pieces for practice (shirts, T's, joggers, circle skirts).

I definitely recommend looking into free patterns for your preferred size and a few tutorials about drafting patterns in general (knowing how the pattern might be made has helped me adjust patterns to my needs and eyeball a few of my own). I started with free patterns, and then when I had the budget, bought some patterns for my specific doll make and used those for more complex pieces. (A lot of outfits, I've found, are just the same basic silhouettes adjusted to make different shapes. The pattern for a trouser pants can be adjusted to give you shorts, capris or wide leg jeans, one for a shirt and skirt can be merged to make a dress, the pattern for a corset bodice and pants merged to make a romper etc)

My go to has been to decide on a project (for eg, a mermaid dress), look up tutorials on how theyre made for people and then for dolls, take note of any special things they might be doing (like the type of stitches used, how they gather fabric, fabric choices, whether they machine or hand stitch parts, if they finger press or heat press a part and for what reason etc), make my own or do a test of a pattern on paper, napkin/tissue or scrap fabrics (to test the fit on me doll), adjust and then I try making the outfit in the final fabric.

Also, those flat sewing clips are absolutely your friend at this tiny scale- pinning used to distort my tiny cuts of fabric or be a pain to sew around but the clips (mine arent even like, marketed as sewing clips, theyre just flat toothless hairclips) are like owing extra hands to keep your fabric behaving.

 

First and foremost:

find out what kind of pattern reader you are.
Pattern can be incredible confusing and hard to understand. I struggle hard with pattern somebody else made, as most describtions drive me mad, they look like math equotations for me.
For some people it's easier to figure out drafting pattern on their own by drawing around existing clothing and then experiment, I am the latter type.

I can look up tutorials and pattern and then fail more than without, which is extremely frustrating. So before your get into anything wild just pick up the most easiest pattern you can find and try to understand how to work with that before you do anything specific.

Before I started sewing I only had very basic sewing classes in school, almost all I do now is self learned, mainly by looking at pieces and trying out a lot, learning the shapes and learn how to draft pattern from my own measurements etc.
Pattern by someone else still confuse the hell out of me, I would never buy or recommend a book, as it would be wasted money for me.

 

There is so much good information in this thread, I barely have anything to add! Like many who have posted, I only really sew for dolls - I only do alterations for people, and it's usually very minor things, like lifting a hem or replacing a button (my mother and I are both 'petite', and so regular off the rack never fits properly.) These tiny alterations are still worth mentioning however, as once you know how to do that on human clothes, the skills are usually transferable to doll scale, depending on just how tiny the doll. Buttons, for example, are rarely functional on doll clothing, as it's much easier and safer to hide velcro inside the placket, or to use snap fasteners. Raising the hem on pants is helpful because as others have said, not all dolls are the same - some are very leggy, and others are rather short. So pants can, at times, need to be altered in this way, and knowing how to do it at the larger scale helps inform how to do it in smaller scale.

The three key things I keep in mind when sewing for dolls are thus;

1. Keep the seams in mind. Not just the allowance, the seam itself will add bulk to the garment, so you need to keep it in mind as you work. I like to start with a generous seam allowance and trim it as I go - I save the little shards and scraps of fabric for stuffing things like doll pillows or plushies.
2. Fittings are a necessary evil. You'll need to try the garment on the doll frequently as you work, in order to spot trouble areas before they become unfixable without tearing out your stitches. This causes some wear and tear on the doll - it's not as big an issue for a mechanical jointed doll, but for BJDs it's going to effect the elastic over time.
3. The right fabric makes all the difference. Even with a pattern, if you're using a fabric that's quite thick and stiff, it won't sit the same way as a fabric that is thin and airy. Quilting cotton will never sit the same way a knit does, even if they're both relatively the same thickness. But this doesn't have to be a bad thing - I sometimes use scraps of quilting cotton as a test piece, and construct part of the garment so I can see whether it will even work the way I want it to. If the only problem is the drape and not the fit, I can move on to a better fabric.

Some of the sources I use for dolly size fabric are secondhand stores - they often have worn but still wearable clothing, but the real goldmines are baby clothes - usually the prints are quite small and they frequently have stains which make it a little less desirable as a garment. But you won't be needing the whole thing - you can cut out the stained parts and just use the good fabric for your project. Handkerchiefs and headscarves are also good to try, and a good silk scarf is a fantastic source for silk for a doll-size shirt, provided the print isn't too big or loud. But silk is a bit frustrating for a beginner, so I'd stick to cottons and poly blends at the start. Also check for lycra (aka spandex) - this is a synthetic fabric that's super elastic, and while that might sound tempting for doll clothes, it can be more trouble than it's worth, so if you see that a garment is a polyester/spandex blend, give it a few test tugs - the stretchier it is, the more difficult it will be to sew straight seams and the more likely it is to pucker along those seams.
Socks are also a great resource. I've found some really cheap (dollar store) socks that I've converted into doll sweaters, all you have to do is keep in mind the size of the sock vs the size of the doll. My tiniest doll, for example, could wear a baby sock as a dress, and still have some extra fabric. But a 1/6 scale doll would likely get, at best, a pair of shorts out of it, provided I used both socks in the pair. Socks come in all different fabrics and thicknesses, and the super thin, tan-coloured socks meant for wearing with high heels are great for making a wig cap - the fabric is incredibly thin and yet reasonably elastic, so it will conform to the shape of the doll's head with little manipulation. You could, in theory, make an undergarment with these as well, that will protect the doll from dyes seeping out of their clothing, but it greatly depends on the doll's scale - a teeny tiny 1/8 (Lati Yellow) or 1/12 (Lati White) would be so small that the added bulk would likely make the clothes not fit properly overtop, but a 1/3 or 70+ would likely barely notice the difference.

 

Very helpful!

 

{smile} I'm in no doubt about how grateful they were/are, but I was the little brother helping and teaching my older sisters to sew (I was 14, they were 30 and 32). At the time, they'd pick up a length of fabric they liked, bring it to our parents house and ask me to make a dress or a skirt or whatever from it - in they end I persuaded them to get their own sewing machines and taught them both to sew.

It gave me more sewing time to devote to doll-sewing (as I made very few full sized clothes at the time, except for my sisters and niece)... although nowadays, one of my sisters is sending her eldest grandson to me for help making costumes for his drag shows.

Teddy

 

Ive bought a few patterns and made some dresses. Its a lot of fun to create your own patterns with a body tape pattern but im just not that motivated. Easy is my main goal at the moment.