Colonial Times - overview for American Girl Doll

• Colonial Skirt
• Colonial Apron
• Colonial Shirt
• Colonial Mop Cap
• Colonial Cape
• Covered Wagon (coming sometime later)

Complement your Colonial Scene with the 3D-printable Pioneer Set for sale in my store.

Colonial Mop Cap for American Girl Doll

See the other free colonial tutorials

These sewing instructions are super easy and can be done by a beginner sewer.

What you need

• 1/3 yard of lightweight cotton fabric
• 12" long 1/4" wide elastic
• safety pin
• compass (to draw a circle)
• small sewing needle (for hand sewing)
• 1/8" to 1/4" ribbon for a bow (optional)

How to make the Mop Cap

1. Fold one end of fabric at least 12" over to create a double layer of fabric, right sides together.

2. Take the compass and draw a circle with a radius of 6" (12" diameter)

3. Pin both layers together and cut along the circle line to create 2 circles

4. Sew with a 1/4" seam all around the circle leaving a gap of about 2"
    This gap is needed in order to be able to turn it.

5. Turn right side out and push seams out.

6. Sew a seam 3/4" from the edge all around, start where the opening still is.
    Leaving a 1/2" gap

7. Sew another seam 1" from the edge (1/4" from the last seam) and sew it all around leaving NO gap this time.
   This forms the casement for the elastic.

8. Take the elastic and add safety pin to one end.
     You can add a pin perpendicular to the elastic to the other end to prevent the elastic from being pulled in.

9. Thread safety pin with elastic through the casement.

10. Sew the ends of the elastic together.
     Make sure, elastic is not twisted.

12. Take a sewing needle and hand-stitch opening closed with a hidden seam.

13. Optional, you can take some ribbon and sew a small bow to the front on top of the elastic.



You are done !!!

Colonial Apron for American Girl Doll

See the other free colonial tutorials

What you need

• 1/3 yard of cotton or linen fabric
• Iron

How to make the Apron

1. Cut/tear a rectangle 8" x 12" (apron piece)
    Cut/tear a strip 2" x 40" (waist band)
    To get a true rectangle I normally tear the fabric rather than cutting.
    To tear, make a small cut with your scissors and then rip the rest of the way.
    If you rip the fabric, I recommend ironing afterwards to shrink the rips back into shape.

2. Take the apron piece and sew a 1/4" double hem (fold 1/4" up then another 1/4") on one of the long sides.

3. Sew a 1/4" double hem on both short sides.

4. Set your stitch length to the longest possible and sew  1/8" from the only raw edge that is left.
    Pull on the bottom (bobin pin) thread to gather to about 6".

5. Fold in half to find center of gathered side and mark center with a pin, then set aside.

6. Take waist band strip and fold both long sides 1/4" towards wrong side.
    Iron to create fold lines.

7. Then fold in half lengthwise, iron to create fold line.

8. Fold waistband in half width wise to find center of waist band and mark center with pin.

9. Align center of apron to center of waistband (align the pins).
   Make sure the seam allowance is folded inwards on the waistband.

10. Sandwich apron inside waistband and pin in place.
      Make sure the seam allowance is folded inwards on the waistband.
      No raw edges should be visible.

11. Fold the ends of the waistband inwards 3/8" then refold waistband.
      This should enclose all raw edges.

12. Top-stitch all around

You are all done !!!

Colonial Skirt for American Girl Doll

See the other free colonial tutorials

These skirt instructions are super easy and can be done by a beginner sewer.

What you need

• 1/3 yard of cotton or linen fabric
• 20" cotton twine or yarn
• safety pin

How to make the Skirt

All pictures are from the Colonial Shirt tutorial since the process is the same in the beginning.

1. Cut a rectangle 40" x11". To get a true rectangle I normally tear the fabric rather than cutting.
    To tear, make a small cut with your scissors and then rip the rest of the way.
    If you rip the fabric, I recommend ironing afterwards to shrink the rips back into shape.

2.  On one of the long sides, make a 1/4" double hem (fold up 1/4" then another 1/4")
     This is your bottom hem

3. Zigzag or serge both short ends

4. Fold both short ends in 1/4" to the wrong side.
    Then on the other long side, make a 3/8" double hem (fold up 3/8" then another 3/8")
    This is your waist hem.

5. Align both short ends, right sides together.
    Try to unfold the 1/4" that was folded in earlier as far as possible.
    This crease is where you sew your seam (this is going to be your back seam)

6. Take a small safety pin and tie cotton twine/yarn to the safety pin.
       Thread safety pin through waist hem and gather fabric.

You are done !!!

Colonial Shirt for American Girl Doll

See the other free colonial tutorials

These shirt instructions are super easy and can be done by a beginner sewer.

What you need

• 1/4 yard lightweight cotton fabric
• 20" string (cotton twine, cotton string, yarn,  ...)
• small safety pin

How to make the Shirt

1. Cut a rectangle 30" x 8 1/2". To get a true rectangle I normally tear the fabric rather than cutting.
    To tear, make a small cut with your scissors and then rip the rest of the way.
    If you rip the fabric, I recommend ironing afterwards to shrink the rips back into shape.

2.  On one of the long sides, make a 1/4" double hem (fold up 1/4" then another 1/4")
     This is your bottom hem

3. Zigzag or serge both short ends

4. Fold both short ends in 1/4" to the wrong side.
    Then on the other long side, make a 3/8" double hem (fold up 3/8" then another 3/8")
    This is your neck hem.

5. Align both short ends, right sides together.
    Try to unfold the 1/4" that was folded in earlier as far as possible.
    This crease is where you sew your seam (this is going to be your back seam)

6. Mark your center on the other side with a pin on top and bottom

7.  Align your back seam with the pins marking the center

8. With a pencil mark a 4" long line 2 3/4" parallel to the outer edges.
    Line should start at the bottom hem (1/4" hem)

9. Sew 1/4" on either side of the line and connect the two sew lines.
    You can do that in one go.
    Repeat for the other side

10. Take scissors and cut along the pencil line until 1/4" to the sew line.
      Cut a Y going very close to the sewing corners but make sure you don't cut the thread.

11. Zigzag or serge the rough edges

12. Take a small safety pin and tie cotton twine/yarn to the safety pin.
       Thread safety pin through neck hem and gather fabric.

You are done !!!