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December 23, 2013

Winter hat for American Girl Doll


What you need

  • fleece
  • flannel for lining
  • yarn in 3 complementary colors (I used Carron Simply Soft)
  • pointed needle for the yarn

How to make the hat

1. Download pattern here.

    For home use only, this is copyrighted by me, Read Creations !!!
    Make sure you have page scaling set to none !

2. Cut 1 piece on fold from fleece and 1 piece on fold from flannel liner

3. Sew along side and top and other top side where indicated in red


4. Open up and re-fold aligning the seams, sew along top, see red mark

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for fleece

6. Turn flannel liner right side out and align inside fleece (right sides together)

7. Sew around bottom, leaving a 1" opening at the back

8.  Make small cuts along the rim (make sure you don't cut through the thread)
    Make slits on inside curves and cut triangles from outside curves

9. Turn right side out through opening on back


10. Hand-stitch around bottom with yarn.
      Cut a small round hole where indicated in red on pattern on both sides.
      Cut 4x 22" pieces of yarn of each color
      Thread 2 pieces of each color through hole and braid for about 2", tie off and cut leftover yarn.


December 11, 2013

Ice-Skating outfit for American Girl Doll


What you need for the skirt part

  • 4 way stretch fabric (dance fabric)
  • 5/8" wide FOE (Fold Over Elastic) (9" for skirt)
  • piece of paper to make pattern
  • compass for the circles

How to make the leotard

See instructions here on how to make the leotard and the supplies needed

How to make the skirt

1. Take the piece of paper and draw 2 half circles with the same center.
    First circle with a radius of 1 1/2"
    Second circle with a radius of 4"

2. Mark the two ends as going on fold

3. Cut pattern from paper then cut fabric. You would have a ring, if you cut it correctly

4. Mark the quarter points on the inside circle

5. Take the FOE and sew the short ends together to form a circle

6. Mark the quarter points on the FOE circle and line up with markers on dress

7. Sew FOE on dress with zigzag stitch, I folded mine but you can leave it flat too.

8. Instead of attaching the FOE you could just sew the circle dress onto the leotard
    for a permanent skirt.
    Make sure you put right sides together and dress hides seam when down.

You are done !!!

November 19, 2013

Leotard with sleeves for American Girl Doll

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

What you need

  • 4-way stretch fabric (dance fabric) in black and accent colors
  • 5/8" FOE (foldover elastic) 1yrd
  • 1/4" elastic 4" (for scrunchy) optional
  • parchment paper (for design)
  • needle and contrasting thread
  • "Beads in a bottle" from Tulip (optional, for decoration)

How to make the leotard

1. Download pattern here

    For home use only, this is copyrighted by me, Read Creations !!!!!
    Make sure you have page scaling set to none !

2. Turn front and back pattern over and draw your design on back
    Notice how I increased the neck size from the pattern. The pattern gives you the neck outline
    and a minimum suggested size.
    It is your responsibility to make your neck opening at least as big as indicated in the pattern.
    The bigger the opening, the easier it is to put the leotard on the doll.

3. Take parchment and trace your design, and cut out.
    Make sure you have the back side matching up with the front.

4. Cut out design from stretch fabric.
    Make sure your design template is on the fabric, the way it stretches.

5. Baste (hand-stitch) design onto front and back of leotard.

6. Applique with zigzag stitch (I used 1.8 for length and 3.5 for width).
    Stitch the outside stitch part just outside the design along the border.


7. Sew one shoulder together (right sides together)

8. Sew FOE around neck opening

9. Sew other shoulder together (right sides together)

10. Sew arm sleeves on

11. Sew a 1/4" hem (fold up 1/4") on sleeve bottom on each sleeve

12. Fold leotard right sides together and sew sleeve and leotard side together.
      Repeat on other side.

13. Sew FOE around leg openings

14. Sew between legs together.

15. I used "Beads in a bottle" from Tulip, to create the beads.


You are done !!!


How to make a scrunchy


1. Cut a rectangle 1 1/2" x 8"

2. Fold lengthwise, right sides together.

3. Sew along long side, leave 1" on either end.

4. Turn right side out.

5. Sew short ends together (right sides together)

6. Thread elastic through and sew elastic together

7. Sew opening shut


You are done !!!!

November 10, 2013

Trophy for American Girl Doll

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

What you need

  • 1/2" wooden dowel 7" long or a pencil with a holographic design
  • 1/2" x 3/4" furring strip 2 1/2" long (same as  I used to make the beach chair)
  • chip board or heavy cereal/cookie cardboard
  • black acrylic paint
  • silver or gold acrylic paint
  • gloss acrylic sealer
  • hot glue gun
  • Elmer's glue
  • holographic wrapping paper (if you are not using the pencil)

How to make the trophy

1. Cut your pencil or dowel into
     2x 2 1/2"
     1x 1 1/2" (or whatever is left of your pencil)

2. If using the wooden dowel, wrap the 3 pieces in holographic wrapping paper and glue.

3. Cut a star or other shape from chipboard (about 1 1/2" in diameter) for the top.
    Paint with gold or silver acrylic paint and seal with acrylic sealer.

4. Cut 2 pieces 3/4" x 2 1/2" from chipboard and glue together

5. Paint furring strip piece and glued chipboard piece with black acrylic paint.

6. After paint has dried, seal with acrylic sealer

7. Use hot glue gun and glue the two 2 1/2" dowel (pencil) pieces to the furring strip.
    Leave about 1/4" on either end of the furring strip.

8. Glue the chipboard piece on top of the dowel (pencil) pieces

9. Center the 1 1/2" dowel (pencil) piece on the chipboard and glue.

10. Glue star on top


You are done !!!

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

October 28, 2013

Witch costume for American Girl Doll


What you need

  • Halloween colored fabric (7 1/4" x 43")
  • black tulle (8 1/4" x 43")
  • colorful fabric remnants for patches
  • colorful thread (clashing colors with fabric remnants) for hand sewing
  • double sided iron-on adhesive (Heat'n'Bond) for remnants
  • 10" 1/4" elastic

See here how to make the broom. 


How to make the skirt

1. Take skirt fabric and sew a 1/4" hem on one long side (fold up 1/4" then again 1/4")
 

2. Cut a few irregular small shapes from colorful remnant fabric and iron patches on skirt fabric.

3. Hand-stich with uneven stitches around the border of the patches.

4. Lay black tulle on wrong side of skirt fabric, aligning  with un-hemmed skirt fabric.
   Tulle should stick past the hemmed skirt part.

5. Make a 1/2" hem as a casing for the elastic (fold up 1/4" then 1/2").
    Make sure you fold up skirt fabric and tulle.

6. Insert elastic, pin both ends

7. Sew short fabric sides together, including elastic.
 

You are done !!!


  

October 03, 2013

Gymnastics spring board for American Girl Doll

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

What you need

  • chip board or heavy cereal or cookie card board
  • felt 11 1/2" x 5" in color of your choice (I used dark blue)
  • Elmer's glue
  • Duck tape or electrical tape color of your choice (I used white duck tape)
  • 1/2" foam piece (1" x 3 1/4")


How to make the spring board


1. Cut 2 pieces of chip board 5" x 3 3/4"

2. Glue chip board on felt leaving a 1/4" gap between the two chip board pieces

3. If you want, you could cut the felt to the outside of the chip board.
    Or you can fold and glue the sides inwards (I just cut it)

4. Cut 2x   3/8" wide 7" long strips from duck tape and wrap around  one of the board pieces
   (going to be the top piece) 1/2" from the top and 1/2" from the bottom
 

5. Glue foam piece to the bottom piece (without tape) to the end, about 1/2" in

6. Fold spring board up (piece with the tape) and glue to foam



You are done !!!

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

Gymnastics mat for American Girl Doll

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

What you need

  • costume pleather fabric (like a rain coat)
  • 1/2" foam or multiple layers of quilters batting (12" x 24 1/2")
    (I prefer the foam but didn't have it at the time I made the mat)


How to make the mat

1. Cut a 25 1/2" x 25 1/2" piece from the vinyl fabric and fold in half.

2. Sew along all 3 sides leaving an opening big enough for the foam or batting to fit in

3. For each corner put seam on seam and sew a 1/2" corner off
   
4. Insert foam or batting

5. Hand sew the opening shut


You are done !!!

See my other free Gymnastic tutorials

September 05, 2013

Lunch bag for American Girl Doll

See my other School tutorials

What you need

  • standard grey duck tape
  • colored duck tape for trim (optional)
  • fabric or colored duck tape
  • self-adhesive velcro

How to make the lunch bag

1. Cut a 7" and 3" piece from grey duck tape, cut 3" in half lengthwise

2. Take 7" piece and stick onto fabric, leaving 3/4" fabric on either long side.
     I used a scrap piece of fabric.

3. Cut fabric along duck tape, with exception of last 2 1/2", make 3/4" fabric flaps

4. Take 3" half piece and stick on flap, aligning on top and side. Repeat for other side.
    Duck tape will be overlapping side flaps. See pictures of front and back.

5. Fold bottom up to flaps and stick bottom part of flaps to bottom.


6. Fold up and stick along side of flaps.


7. For optional decorations, cut a 4" and a 6" piece of duck tape of contrasting color
    Cut the 4" piece lengthwise into 3 strips each 3/8" wide.
    Cut the 6" piece lengthwise into 2 strips each 3/8" wide.

8. Take one of the 4" pieces and fold along the flap side down to the bottom.
     Make a small cut where the flap merges with the bag. Cut excess off.
     Repeat on other side.

9. Take last 4" piece and fold across front on flap.

10. Take one 6" piece and fold all around the bottom of bag, making small cuts on bottom of corners.

11. Take last 6" piece and fold around top of bag, cut excess off.

12. Attach velcro

You are done !!!

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