Whoops what happened to November?  I didn’t get a chance to post all the lovely photos I have received last month so am doing December’s photo shoot early.

First up are photos from Andrea who is doing my How to Make Doll Clothes Course and sent me photos of the first four bonus patterns.  She has made the Crop Top & Sports Shorts and the Halter Top & Sarong for her 14 inch Waldorf doll who looks so happy to have new clothes.  I am looking forward to seeing what you make next Andrea.

Peggy has been very busy making Funky Fur outfits as Christmas gifts for her Granddaughters and friends.  I had a huge laugh when Peggy wrote, ‘I can actually talk now that I have cleared all that fur fluff out of my mouth, ha,ha.’  I know what she means but it is so worth it as they all look awesome!  Peggy did suggest something that made cutting the fur less ‘messy’ and that was to use a tiny pair of embroidery scissors with really pointy tips. It got under the pile of the fur quite easily where her regular scissors were too bulky. With the tiny ones she had no trouble at all.

Here is Amy who is also doing my course and is so proud of the Sports Shorts that she has made.  ‘Hi Miss Rosie, I just finished the sport shorts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited.’

I love that she is so excited to be learning to sew.

Pilar has sent in photos of the dress she made from my Summer Dress pattern, I absolutely love the colors and I’m pretty sure her doll, Maria, does too.  She has also made a cute pair of Winter Pyjamas so she is all ready for those cold nights ahead.  Pilar also wrote….

‘My grandchildren are enjoying playing with Maria greatly.  They love her new outfits.  Maria has a new look nowadays because her hair was cut on Sunday by one of her stepmothers!!!!  I suppose that is part of growing up.’

Crystal must be addicted to sewing doll clothes because she has made so many outfits since becoming a member of Rosie’s Doll Clothes Patterns.  She must have every one of my patterns and is a regular in my Happy Customer photo blog.  Her husband thinks she should sell them because she does such a wonderful job and I totally agree!

Crystal has included this picture of the flannel pyjamas she adjusted for Bitty Baby. All that needed to be done was shorten the bottoms about 1 1/2″ to make it fit him.  It is great to know that this 18 inch pattern also fits the Bitty Baby and I would love to know if you find any of the other patterns I have fit the Bitty Baby as well.

And finally in this photo shoot is Crystal’s Sewing Machine Pin Cushion.  She had to adjust the size a little to fit under her machine and used a lovely sewing print, it looks perfect.  I will have some more of Crystal’s photos in my next Happy Customer blog.

Wow!  There have been lots of busy people sewing doll clothes and I’m sure some of them will be wonderful presents to be given at Christmas time.  Thanks so much to everyone who has sent their photos in, I know everybody else loves to see what you have made.

Don’t forget the special Christmas offer of an additional bonus pattern with my How to Make Doll Clothes course.   The value of this offer is simply amazing!  You get my How to Make Doll Clothes course with over 130 video tutorials showing you all the tips and tricks that will take away your fear of sewing doll clothes.  PLUS you also receive 9 Bonus doll clothes patterns with step-by-step video tutorials so you can start making doll clothes straight away.  That’s a total value of up to $107.49 ($127.49 DVD set) for only $49.94 ($69.94 DVD set).

This offer is only available until midnight on Christmas Eve ‘sew’ what are you waiting for?  To buy my course and receive this special Christmas bonus, click here.

Happy Sewing

 ‘Give the man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach the man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’

We’ve all heard this saying and I like to apply it to learning how to sew.  If you learn the basics of sewing you will always have something to wear (and so will all the dolls in your life!)

With this in mind, my How to Make Doll Clothes video course is perfect for learning to sew as it covers the basic stitches, tools and techniques through to more advanced frills, collars and working with elastic.  The best part of learning to sew with doll clothes is that you can practice an outfit many times and only use a small amount of fabric.  You can also use clothes you no longer wear and turn them into fabulous doll clothes.

Doing the course yourself will empower you with the confidence to make and give beautiful doll clothes as Christmas gifts that will be treasured by your loved ones forever.  Or give the course as a gift to someone who wants to learn how to sew, they will be forever thankful.

With my course you also get to choose whether you do it…

• online over 6 weeks which is just like going to classes but without having to travel (and you can watch the videos over and over again for 12 months),
• you can have online access to all the course material and bonus patterns immediately so you can skip over the basic stuff and get right to all the great tips and tricks that make sewing doll clothes super easy,
• or you can purchase the DVD set so that you can do the course now at your own pace and then pass the DVDs onto your children or grandchildren when they are ready to learn how to sew.   It doesn’t get any better than that.

Happy Sewing

I received an email from Judy the other day and she was wondering where I purchase my narrow Velcro strips I often mention in my doll clothes pattern videos.  She had been unable to find any in her local stores.

When I first started sewing doll clothes I searched everywhere too for the narrow Velcro strips I had seen on commercially available doll clothes.  My search was fruitless as the narrowest I could find was ¾ inch (20mm) and so I went home and cut my inch wide (25mm) Velcro down the middle, and ‘hey presto’, I had exactly what I had been searching for!

If Judy and I have both gone searching high and low for these narrow Velcro strips, I figured other people must have done the same thing.   So I thought I should share this tip with you all so as to hopefully save some of you this same frustration.

1. Cutting the 1” (25mm) strip of Velcro in half lengthwise

2. ‘Hey Presto’ 2 narrow strips

You may also like to know about this website I came across recently called ‘Zipper that Doll’ .  It sells thin Velcro that is supposed to not get caught in your dolls hair.  It claims to have no bristles and is very soft and flexible which all combine to make the ideal Velcro for doll clothes.  It has the bumps on one side and the loops on the other so remember to order enough for both sides.  I have not tried it yet but believe it works well.  Perhaps if you have tried it you can let us know what you think.  They also sell tiny zips which are ideal when sewing doll clothes.

 Happy Sewing

By Rosie Saw

A few months ago Liz from American Girl Fan had a competition with my How to Make Doll Clothes video course being the prize.  Dakota was the lucky winner and was so excited about learning how to sew doll clothes that she took some photos of her first sewing project after doing my course.

Dakota and her mom worked together to make the sports shorts!  Her mom did the sewing and Dakota did the ironing.

She really enjoyed spending time with her mom sewing together and when they were finished they were really thrilled with the result.  It looked like something that would come out of a store!

Dakota was so surprised to see how they turned out.  They were using her great grandmother’s sewing machine and were worried that it wouldn’t sew properly and thought about hand sewing them, but when they were finished they were so glad they didn’t!  Dakota said it was so nice sewing something for her dolls and she is looking forward to making more doll clothes using the free patterns that came with the course.

She just had to share this photo of McKenna sporting her new shorts.

A special thank you to Dakota and her mom for taking the time to send me these wonderful photos and telling me about their experience doing my course and using my patterns.  It truly is awesome knowing that mom and daughter enjoyed their time together creating doll clothes and I helped to make it happen.  I look forward to hearing from Dakota again when she makes her next outfit.

Don’t forget the extra special Christmas bonus I have with my How to Make Doll Clothes video course.  YOU get to choose an additional free doll clothes pattern when you purchase my course either online or on DVD – that’s 9 FREE doll clothes patterns but only until Christmas Eve!  To find out more visit my How to Make Doll Clothes page.

Happy Sewing

We all love to get something for free, right? And we love it even more when we get to choose what we get for Free.

So, from now until Christmas Eve, I will be giving away an additional FREE doll clothes Pattern of YOUR choice with every ‘How to Make Doll Clothes’ course.  That means, for a short time only you’ll be getting a total of 9 Free doll clothes patterns when you purchase my course.  This means you will have all the doll clothes patterns you need to make a complete wardrobe.

To take advantage of this awesome deal, all you have to do is purchase my online course or DVD set and then email me the name of the pattern you would like to receive as your extra special Christmas bonus.  I will then add that pattern to your online membership, or for those that purchase the DVD set, I will set you up with online membership so that you can access your extra special Christmas Bonus doll clothes pattern even before the DVDs arrive.

The value of this offer is simply amazing!  You get my How to Make Doll Clothes course with over 130 video tutorials showing you all the tips and tricks that will take away your fear of sewing doll clothes.  PLUS you also receive 9 Bonus doll clothes patterns with step-by-step video tutorials so you can start making doll clothes straight away.  That’s a total value of up to $107.49 ($127.49 DVD set) for only $49.94 ($69.94 DVD set).

‘Sew’ what are you waiting for?  Buy my How to Make Doll Clothes course today, tell me what pattern you want as your extra special Christmas bonus and start sewing beautiful doll clothes to give as Christmas gifts.  Or purchase my course to give as a Christmas gift to that special loved one who would love to learn how to sew and let them choose which pattern they would like as their extra special Christmas bonus.

So come and buy my course today and receive an extra special Christmas bonus!

Happy Sewing

I absolutely love to receive the photos of your doll clothes made from my patterns so it’s time for my October customer photo update.

These first few photos were missed off my last blog so I couldn’t forget to include them this time.  (Sorry ladies)

Mary Ann hadn’t touched a sewing machine in more than 30 years, but with my video course and a new sewing machine she is turning out some very nice doll clothes!  The colors in the halter top and sarong below are simply gorgeous.  I am so glad you are enjoying sewing again Mary Ann.

Claudia has also been enjoying my How to Make Doll Clothes course and has sent in photos of her first project.  The crop top and shorts are so cute and I love the way she has ensured the word ‘love’ is in the centre front of the crop top.  She is hoping to make the witch costume next and so I look forward to receiving more photos soon.

As you can see from the photos below, Crystal has been very busy sewing doll clothes for her daughter and niece.  This is only some of the huge collection Crystal has made but if you would like to see more of Crystals lovely outfits, please visit my Facebook page and go to my Happy Customer photo album.  She really has done a fantastic job!

Noreen has sent me in some photos of her first attempt at making doll’s clothes for her granddaughter’s Matilda doll (Australian Girl doll).  She used up some scraps of material that were hiding in her sewing table cupboard and hopes to use up many more.  I’m sure her granddaughter is delighted and can’t wait to see what her grandmother will make next!  Well done Noreen.

Judy has been very creative and adjusted my Winter Pyjama pattern to make a scouts uniform for her Joey Scouts mascot, Russell.  I think Judy has done a terrific job especially with the contrasting panels on the shirt….it is so cute!

Sharon has been busy with a sewing project making lots and lots (78 in total) doll clothes to send to her granddaughter for her birthday.  We saw some photos in an earlier blog and the photos below show some of the last items made before wrapping them all up and posting them off to the US.  I love the colors and added trimming on the purple pumpkin costume.  The Fur trimmed jacket looks so sweet with the trimming down the front and the embroidered flower.  I’m sure your granddaughter will be thrilled to receive her parcel.

The last photo is from Hayley and she has also been getting ready for Halloween and made this terrific Witch costume for her doll.  From the number of Witch doll clothes patterns I have sold this year, I’m sure there are going to be lots of witches out and about on Halloween so remember to carry lots of candy with you or risk having a spell cast on you!

Phew!  Looks like there have been a lot of very busy people out there sewing for their dolls.  Thanks to everyone who has sent their photos in, I know everybody else loves to see what you have made.

I have a special promotion coming up next month so if you have been thinking about buying my How to Make Doll Clothes course either on line or on DVD, be sure to keep your eyes out for the exciting news in the next week!

Happy Sewing

I have received a number of enquiries asking if I do smaller size doll clothes sewing patterns and the occasional request for larger doll clothes sewing patterns.  Branching into other size doll clothes patterns is definitely something I would love to do in the future but I realize that many of you cannot wait until I get around to it.  So I thought I would share a tip that may help you to adjust my existing doll clothes patterns that you already have so that you can use them with other size dolls.  This blog applies equally to either my 18 Inch American Girl or Cabbage Patch Kids doll clothes patterns.

I wish I had of thought about this many years ago when I first started drafting my doll clothes patterns for Rosie’s Dolls Clothes, an online business I sold in 2021 after 17 years, it certainly would have made my job a lot quicker and easier.

Firstly and most importantly, you need to have access to a photocopier that can make copies in different sizes or know how to use your printer to reduce pdf pattern pieces.  The next thing to do is have the measurements of the doll that your present patterns fit and the same measurements for the doll you are adjusting the pattern for.  When resizing my patterns you will need the measurements for the American Girl doll or Cabbage Patch Kid and you can find these measurements on my Doll Sizing page.  You then work out how much smaller (or larger) the new pattern needs to be as a percentage.  To do this you divide the measurement of the doll you are adjusting the pattern for by the measurement of the doll of the existing pattern and then multiply by 100.  Repeat this for each of your measurements.

The table below shows the measurements of the Cabbage Patch doll on my website that my Cabbage Patch doll clothes patterns fit and the Little Baby Born doll that I am wanting to adjust the patterns for.  I am using cm as it is easier for me to calculate.

As the resultant percentages are between 72.2% and 80.6% I am going to use 75% as an average and the amount that I will be reducing my pattern to i.e. 75% of the original size.

Now go to the photo copier, find the reduce button, set that to 75% and take copies of all pattern pieces at this setting.  Then make small adjustments where necessary.  In my case above, I will add a small amount to the waist as I have reduced the pattern more than I should have on this particular measurement.  Now make the outfit up using scraps of fabric and test it on your doll.  At this point you can determine if any further adjustments need to be made.

The following photo shows an original pattern on the left, then reduced to 75% of the original size and finally at 50% of the original size.

As the resultant percentages are between 72.2% and 80.6% I am going to use 75% as an average and the amount that I will be reducing my pattern to i.e. 75% of the original size.

Now go to the photo copier, find the reduce button, set that to 75% and take copies of all pattern pieces at this setting.  Then make small adjustments where necessary.  In my case above, I will add a small amount to the waist as I have reduced the pattern more than I should have on this particular measurement.  Now make the outfit up using scraps of fabric and test it on your doll.  At this point you can determine if any further adjustments need to be made.

The following photo shows an original pattern on the left, then reduced to 75% of the original size and finally at 50% of the original size.

Original pattern, photo copied at 75% and 50% of original

If your doll was larger than the original doll clothes pattern you have, you would simply find the enlarge button and set it to the bigger size e.g. 110% to make the original pattern 10% larger.

You will notice that I did not worrying about the length of the arms or legs as these are easy to shorten or lengthen as necessary.   If my original doll has an arm length of 14cm and the doll I am making the pattern for has an arm length of 12cm, I would simply adjust the smaller photocopied sleeve pattern so that it was 2cm shorter than the original sleeve pattern length.  The same would apply for the leg measurement if you are making long pants.

Although this method does not take into account all measurements and is based on the premise that the proportion of the dolls are the same (which is not necessarily correct), it is a great method to use to get the basic pattern for you to start from and is much easier than drafting the pattern from scratch each time you wish to make a new smaller or larger pattern.

If you like this tip, I know you’ll love my How to Make Doll Clothes course as I show you tons more tips that take the frustration out of sewing small doll clothes which means you can enjoy sewing doll clothes for yourself or loved one instead of dreading/fearing it.  As a special bonus, the course comes with 8 free 18 inch doll clothes patterns with full video tutorials so you will be on your way to creating a wonderful wardrobe for your doll in no time at all.

Webmaster’s Note: For some reason, Facebook doesn’t like the URL for this post. It won’t allow us to post it or even share it in Messenger. To get around the problem, we’ve created the very same post at a new URL. Both contain the same helpful resizing information. But going forward, that post will be the “official” one we share online. Because… Facebook. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Happy Sewing

by Rosie Saw 

Finally, after a few technical hitches, and with Halloween just around the corner, I’m thrilled to be releasing a new 18 ½ inch Cabbage Patch Doll Clothes Pattern today – it’s a gorgeous Angel Costume complete with patterns for the Angel dress, Angel wings and halo!

This pattern is quick and super easy to make.  I’m sure the children would love to join in the fun of creating this wonderful costume, especially with the wings where they can use their creativity and various decorative materials such as tinsel or sequins and glitter if you prefer not to use feathers.

This pattern can also be used to make a wedding dress with the addition of a ribbon around the bodice and a veil.  Or by changing the fabric from white to a color and adding a ribbon around the bodice line, we have a medieval dress or an evening gown.  Wow, the possibilities are endless!

So why should dolls miss out on all the Halloween fun when with this simple pattern you can create a gorgeous costume for your doll so she too can join all the Halloween celebrations!

Remember, when you purchase my downloadable PDF patterns and written instructions, you also receive LIFETIME access to my online video tutorial where I show you step-by-step how to make this great doll clothes pattern.   

Happy Sewing

I was hoping to be releasing my Cabbage Patch Angel doll clothes pattern today but I’m having some technical difficulties and while we are working to overcome this I thought  you may like to see what a couple of my customers have done with my Halloween doll clothes patterns.

Karen has been very clever and with a few little changes has transformed my Witch doll clothes pattern into a Wizard costume.  I think she has done an awesome job…the hat is terrific!  Karen tells me she is working on the wand at the moment but it will be ready for Halloween.  I love the way the stars and moons look different colors from different angels.

 These are soooooo cool!  Sharon has made my Pumpkin doll clothes pattern in different colors and the result is fantastic!  Sharon sews for her granddaughters who live in a different country so doesn’t have a doll to model them on but had a little fun finding alternative models…..this certainly puts the spooky into Halloween.

It is great to see you having some fun with my Halloween doll clothes patterns and I promise to release my Cabbage Patch Angel costume pattern soon.  In the meantime, I have several other Halloween doll clothes patterns available in both the 18 inch American Girl doll size and 18 ½ inch Cabbage Patch doll size and would love to see photos of what you have created using them so keep sending your photos in.

Happy Sewing

I have received so many photos showing some really wonderful outfits created from my doll clothes patterns that I will have to split them into two blogs.  So if your photo is not in this blog, watch out in the coming weeks as it will certainly be featured then.

Firstly, Ann has been super busy.  Love the frill that she has added to the crop tops and the summer pj’s are so cute too!  Ann’s sister-in-law gave her an old corduroy sleeveless dress that she wore for a special occasion only once and Ann has made a duplicate dress, just like hers, with the pretty design on the bodice using my summer dress pattern.  She has also made a crop top and pants that can also be worn for a special dress-up occasion and there is still heaps of fabric left!

 Ann has also started a ‘back to school’ theme with this cute pink stripe long sleeve t-shirt below (I just love it!) and by adding my crop top pattern to another pattern she already had, she has made a cute jumper.  And finally, the winter PJ’s  are just adorable.

 These are some of Crystal’s creations (she has done lots more and they will feature in my next customer update).  The shiny fabric used for the one piece swimsuit is simply gorgeous.  I bet your doll won a gold medal wearing that at the Olympics!  I have to admit the handkerchief top and capri pants are two of my favorite patterns and this froggy print that Crystal has used is so cute.  Loving the circle print of the winter PJ’s too!

 Sharon has been very creative and used my summer dress pattern and combined it with some black and white ruffle fabric to make this cute top that goes perfectly with these black tights.  She has also used my tights pattern and a friend’s shirt to make this really cool pair of leggings.  (I hope your friend doesn’t want her shirt back!)  Sharon also says

 “I love the wrap skirts. I should have purchased this pattern earlier in the program. Lot’s could be done with this pattern. I am thinking maybe a kilt. If I have time I may try that.” 

I certainly hope Sharon finds the time to make the kilt as I think that’s an awesome idea…..we’ll wait for the photos.

Thanks to everyone that has sent photos in.  I love receiving them and I know by sharing them you are inspiring others.  If you are already sewing doll clothes and want to try something a little different, my Halloween doll clothes patterns are certainly unique and lots of fun to make.  I have a selection available for both the 18 inch American Girl dolls and the 18 1/2 inch Cabbage Patch dolls.  Now is the perfect time to give them a try as Halloween is sneaking up fast!

Happy Sewing