Sewing Sewing: Any Size Dolls: My First Sewing Project- a.k.a. My Doll Is Nude and needs Clothes Now

Here are a few links for various articles of clothing, mostly dresses and tunics, that a total beginner can make for their dolls.
Now, I know many of the other patterns in this forum section are also fairly easy, but I just wanted to put some "I Have Never Sewn Anything" level patterns in one easy spot for people who are new to sewing but need dolly clothes urgently. If you find a dead link, let me know!

Some of these instructions are shown as being meant for humans, but can be done just as easily for a doll. Please remember that none of these are available for selling without express permission from the people who posted them- this is just to help you begin to clothe your dolly!

Note: Why are so many of these using jersey knit, also known as t-shirt fabric? Because it is often something everyone has around, it is thin enough to drape nicely on a doll at small scale, it stretches allowing many different shapes and is easy to get a neckline over the unwigged head of a doll, and because when you cut it, it does not unravel so you don't need to be able to sew hems.

You may wish to hand-sew these, since pushing jersey through a machine so it does not wrinkle and stretch a lot takes practice. Here are some of the basics of hand sewing to help you out. And another basics tutorial.

About Resizing: Most of these "patterns" just need you to measure things on your doll like neck to wrist distance and so on- nothing complex for your first project. If you can't work out measurements, I tend to do this the easy way- I zoom the image on my screen in and out until I can hold a tracing of the doll's body outline up to the screen and match the size, and then I trace the pattern pieces, with thin paper, right off the screen!

~The Instructions~
No Sew Sock Underwear- So your doll has something to wear during pattern fittings or to avoid shocking the household. You pretty much find/buy a sock about the width of your doll's body or a bit smaller: (Teen or adult human size for Big dolls, kiddie or baby socks for smaller dolls) and you cut off the toe, then clip the corners of that toe and voila, underpants! If your doll needs a bandeau bra, cut off a band of that sock tube shape, and there ya go!

In fact, there's lots of ways to cut those socks in order to make stuff for your doll! Just get smaller socks if the stuff you're making fits too loose.



3 Seam Caftan, Dress or Tunic.
This is two rectangles of jersey knit/t-shirt fabric, and can be made in varying lengths for different purposes.

Somewhat Medieval Tunic. Make it longer and it's a gown. Just be sure to use stretchy material for this version, as it has no closure at the neck to accomdate going over a doll's head. (if you wish to use a woven or nonstretchy fabric you might have to remove a doll's head to put this on them!)

Note: Neck hole placement on shirts and tunics. Basically just put the neck hole 2/3 forward so it's deeper in the front than the back.

A No Sew Circle dress

No Sew Tutu Skirt- You just make a loop of elastic the size of your doll's waist and knot ribbons or tulle onto it. You could also use strips of knit fabric, or crazy yarn, for different effects.

One Minute No Sew Halter neck dress
Again, this is a tutorial by a user here on DoA so if you like it, please be sure to leave appreciation on that thread and not here! This makes a rather sexy, summery halter neck dress out of stretchy fabric.

Off the shoulder simple dress for MSDs and smaller SDs.
Again, this is another tutorial by a user here on DoA so if you like it, please be sure to leave appreciation on that thread! A very clever use of something you might already have around or be able to buy. No sewing, no cutting.

Simple dress for Pukipukis, Brownies ( or dolls who wear same size as Pukis)
A cut out and stitch together simple one part pattern, provided free for you! This would be easy to resize by zooming your screen out for larger doll sizes.

Modern large sleeved tunic blouse.
Perfect for thin drapey jersey/T-shirt fabric from an old shirt. Would look great with some leggings and a loose hip belt.

No Sew Sleeveless sweater type top- this version is made of a sock, for an MSD, but if you had a big doll you could use the arm of an otherwise ruined sweater, or for smaller dolls use smaller socks. You need a tube of fabric, basically, that's big enough to go onto your doll.

T-Shirt, longsleeved shirt, Dress or Sweater Video
This video is an easy method to make a very basic top, dress or whatever for your doll. Just make the sleeves or length to your preferred fashion, long or short. You can follow the basic premise, but I would use t-shirt fabric instead of felt unless you're making a coat or sweater . You lay your doll on some folded fabric, trace an outline, and then sew as shown. How closely you trace the outline will determine how tightly the shirt or dress ends up fitting. It may take a few tries to get a fit you like but luckily one old t-shirt gives a lot of doll-sewing fabric.

GrecoRoman Chiton or Peplos
If you're dressing a god or goddess, or just feel like doing something drapey and elegant, this style looks great on a doll with very thin drapey stuff like thin cotton crinkle gauze.

To fold a Toga! This is for human size and they want you to use six yards for a six foot man, so let's assume you will need a square of fabric 3 times the height of your doll. Wow. You may wish to adjust that number! A toga is just a semicircle of fabric folded a special way.

A more Modest Gown- Here's a simple Pinterest image. The text isn't English, it's Arabic or Persian possibly.. (Sorry I don't know!) but this is a basic outline you can use on two bits of fabric, the image on the right being the front (Well half of the front, you would fold fabric to cut this shape) and the image on the right is the back piece, with the only difference being the back is longer so it would have a graceful train. Then just sew your front and back together around the outside, leaving out the wrist holes, and cut a small oval opening for the face.


Very Basic Pants/Shorts/Trousers.
These are drawstring-waist style, not wraparound.

Harem/Loose style Trouser/Pants, based on the size of your doll!

Wraparound/Thai Fisherman's Pants These trousers require only one real seam. That's it.

Super Easy Leggings/Tights for SD, MSD
this is a tutorial by a user here on DoA so if you like it, please be sure to leave appreciation on that thread and not here! MissCarrion teaches you how to make some leggings or tights. Further down the thread, there's also a how-to for stockings/socks.

Tights/kneehigh stockings
Basic pictures to follow along with- the text is Japanese, sorry, I don't read it either but the pics are helpful and clear.


Warm Snuggly Outerwear for Cold Weather! A shawl or cloak can be made out of a big circle or square or rectangle with a line cut from one edge to the center. A fuzzy textured thin fleece would be a good fabric for this, as polarfleece does not fray and doesn't need hemming. Just try to find something drapey and thin so that it isn't too stiff on your doll.

This is a video tutorial with slightly more sewing skill showing you how to make an easy sweater top for your doll from a sock!.

I'll add more later if I find anything else.

 

I am updating these as much as I can, since the Photobucket Fiasco of earlier this year. I do know some of it doesn't work but I will try to keep this thread supplied with useable patterns and methods. Thank you for your patience!

 

Updated to make sure I have useable links!

 

Thanks for the heads up on the broken links! That really helps me keep this functional.

 

Thanks!

 

Please let me know if any of these links are dead! Bumping it up again, and I will try testing the links.

 

I will test the links again, bumping this up.

 

Updated the links!