May 05, 2014

Fancy Dress for American Girl Doll


What you need

  • 1/4 yrd of velvet fabric (or crushed velvet fabric)
  • 1/3 yrd metallic or other special occasion fabric
  • 1/3 yrd liner fabric
  • velcro

How to make the Dress

1. Download free Liberty Jane Tank Top pattern

2. Cut the neck line pattern a little bigger and cut 1 1/4" off the bottom hem on the pattern.
    Then follow tank top instruction for assembly. Just don't finish the bottom hem.

3. Cut a rectangle 9 1/2" x 43" (or whatever width fabric is) from metallic/special occasion fabric
    Cut a rectangle 9 1/2" x 43" from liner.

4. Double hem the long side of the metallic/special occasion fabric (1/4" up then another 1/4" up)

5. Double hem the long side of the liner fabric

6. Sew gathering stitches on other long side of  metallic/special occasion fabric and gather to length
    of tank top hem (all around from back to back)
    Repeat for liner fabric

7. Layer metallic/special occasion fabric and liner fabric and sew to bottom of unfinished tank top.
    Make sure you have Tank top and metallic/special occasion fabric right sides together, then liner.

8. Sew short ends of metallic/special occasion fabric right sides together.
    Repeat for liner.


You are done !!!




25 comments:

  1. Gorgeous!! I've got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for this morning that links to your tutorial:
    http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-fancy-party-dress-for-an-american-girl-doll/2014/05/06/
    --Anne

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  2. Thank you for the pattern. It is a very nice dress

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  3. Love your site....great ideas!!! I am just getting into making my own patterns....what program did you use to make your patterns?

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    1. I don't have a program, I just use my tape measure, paper/paper towel and a pencil. I draw it on paper, then use it with fabric. After adjusting it to work I adjust my paper pattern accordingly. A good fitting base pattern that you can modify always helps. Hope that helped

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  4. So pretty! I love this dress!

    Emily

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  5. how do you gather fabric?

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    Replies
    1. You sew a line of stitches less than 1/4" from the fabric edge with the longest possible stitch length. Then you pull carefully on the bottom thread to gather.

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  6. Thanks so much for the pattern, it was really easy to follow. I finally made great use of the material from all the princess costumes my daughter has outgrown!

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    1. I was just thinking this would be a perfect pattern to make use of the sleeping beauty costume my daughter has outgrown. She'll also be able to keep a piece of the dress as her dolls dress.

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  7. This is REALLY nice - great job-thank you

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  8. Thank you for the idea!! This is really cute! I love Pixie Faire too!!

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  9. Thanks. I am going to make this for my daughter for Christmas.

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  10. what a wonderful tutorial! Super versatile and easy!

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  11. This is very pretty! Thank you for the information--my granddaughters will be thrilled to make such a dress!

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  12. where's the pattern. I just see pictures of the dress being made.

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    Replies
    1. Step 1 instructs you to download the Liberty Jane T-shirt pattern. That pattern is used to make the dress top.

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  13. What is used to close up the back of the dress?

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    1. I am also confused on this, the tank top has Velcro, but if you sew up the side seams of the skirt and liner, will it be able to be put on the doll?

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    2. Velcro, just like in the instructions for the tank top. You are just attaching a skirt where normally the hem would be.

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  14. Do you take requests? Or can you help me make a pattern for a dress i saw?

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    Replies
    1. Unfortunately I don't work on custom orders. Sorry, but I know there are some ladies on Etsy who do custom orders. Good luck.

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