Here are tips and patterns for sewing for dolls, and feel free to post your tips below! I'll do my best to update this post with new info and continue to organize more specifically as needed. General Tips To finish edges without a serger, use pinking shears! They also make pinking rotary cutter blades. This is a lightweight way to finish edges. You can also use a zig zag stitch on a low stitch length (usually found on the dial by your right hand), making sure to have one side of the zig zag go over the fabric. Large Dolls Mini Dolls Tiny Dolls To prevent your sewing machine from eating your fabric, you have some options: 1) You can use a straight stitch plate, which is basically a plate that only has a hole for your needle, preventing your machine from having the room to eat more fabric. 2) Use tearaway stabilizer. 3) Start further into the project, and backstitch from there. 3) Use a smaller stitch length so you don't have to backstitch. Patterns: (thanks to this reddit post for some of this list) Beth Alvarez patterns for Fairyland (various sizes), Iplehouse, and general 1/3 + 1/4 patterns free ready-to-print PDF patterns + accompanying youtube instruction guides page includes additional tutorials on sewing basic garments without a pattern, and how to draft your own patterns Missy's Imaginings patterns for 1/6, 1/4, and 1/3 dolls (variety of models per size) free ready-to-print PDF patterns Creative Mum patterns for YoSD, MSD/MDD, and Smart Doll free/pay-what-you-can ready-to-print PDF patterns + accompanying youtube instruction guides Requiem Art Designs patterns for 1/6 (playline dolls), Blythe, 1/4, and 1/3 $5-$16CAD read-to-print PDF instructions are very easy to follow and often contain style variations so they're also flexible Enchanterium patterns for 1/3 smart doll and 1/6 monster high, but if your doll is similar it might fit free and paid youtube tutorials on many Beth Ramsden Blythe and 1/3 Smart Doll, so your doll might fit free and paid youtube tutorials on many
Or use the quilter's trick - a starter - A couple of layers of small scraps (or one slightly larger scrap folded in half) start sewing on the scrap fabric starter and just continue sewing straight on to the piece you are making. You can re-u se the same starter scrap until it's got too many stitches in it to be used any longer then start a new one. If you use a starter and a second scrap piece as an ender, you can leave the ender in the machine with the needle down, and it becomes your starter for the next piece you want to sew. Teddy