Following my blog the other week about keeping the master copy of your doll clothes patterns in perfect condition by using a Chux cloth (a suggestion sent in by Debbi) or interfacing, Crystal, another of my wonderful customers sent in the following email….
Hi Rosie. This is a great idea. I do something similar. I trace my patterns onto heavy duty template plastic (found in with the quilting supplies) and then trace around the template onto the fabric. I then cut it out. It allows me to have the patterns pieces without all the pin marks and ripping like the paper ones do. 🙂
This is a fantastic idea if you use certain pattern pieces all the time and is actually something similar to what I do when making doll clothes for my previous Rosie’s Dolls Clothes business. Because I use my patterns so often and make so many of the same outfit at the one time, normal paper patterns or ones using Chux fabric or interfacing, would not last very long. Rather than trace around the pieces and then cut the fabric as Crystal has suggested, I cut directly around the templates with my rotary cutter. Although this makes cutting out the fabric much quicker, the major disadvantage of doing this is that sometimes I do accidently cut into the plastic template and it can be a little tricky around arm and neck holes. Because I do it so often, I tend to move the template a little and free hand the cut.
Then what to do with storage of these plastic templates of your doll clothes pattern pieces? Because the plastic is thicker than paper, the plastic folders that I store my original paper patterns in would end up way too thick. So I punch a hole in each pattern piece and hang all the pieces for each outfit from wire hooks on a clothes rod in the cupboard of my sewing room. I have even gone as far as color coding the different doll size patterns (except for a few where I ran out of the particular color I needed and didn’t have time to get to the shop to buy more).
I haven’t used the plastic that Crystal has suggested but I will check it out next time I am at a place with quilting supplies. The plastic I purchase is from a plastic manufacturer that we are lucky enough to have about ½ hour drive away. It comes in large sheets about 50” x 26” (127cm x 66cm) and comes in a variety of thicknesses, I think mine is about 1/16”.
So if you are making lots of doll clothes to sell online or at markets, you may like to do what Crystal and I do and transfer your most frequently used doll clothes pattern pieces onto plastic templates. Your templates will last much longer, you won’t have pin marks in your fabric and you may even find it much quicker to cut out your fabric.
My How to Sew Doll Clothes Video Course has lots more tips that take the frustration out of sewing doll clothes which means it will be a joy and not a chore to sew for your little girl and her doll. AND it comes with 8 Free Doll Clothes patterns with complete step-by-step video instructions so you can start sewing beautiful doll clothes today.
Thanks Crystal for sharing your tip. If you are searching for something similar, do a Google search for Plastic Template Sheets and I’m sure you’ll find them online or at your closest quilters store.
Happy Sewing
by Rosie Saw