For dress pattern pieces for this 12 inch doll click here.
For another photo of finished dress (and Floppy and Bunny) click here.
You’ll need one quarter yard of material for dress and a small swatch for bib collar. I use 6 strand embroidery floss in a contrasting color for tassel on bib collar.
For the skirt cut a piece of fabric 18 inches (45cm) wide by 7 inches (17.5cm) long.
Cut an 8 inch (20cm) long by 1 inch (2.5cm) wide strip on the bias of dress material to finish inside neckline.
For bib collar, which is just in front, cut one piece in dress material and one piece in a contrasting plain fabric - in the photos I’ve used white.
Construction directions
Bodice
Right sides of bib collar facing, sew along two outer edges to center point and turn right side out. Press flat. Pin collar to dress front and baste along front shoulder and neckline edges.
With right sides of back and front bodice facing, sew together at shoulders. Press seam open.
Using the bias strip sew one long edge to right side of neckline. Clip curves. Fold bias strip to inside of neckline, turning in once and blind stitch to wrong side of neckline. Be careful not to catch collar in your hand sewing.
To finish back seam of bodice, turn in twice on each center edge and hand or machine stitch to make a one quarter inch hem.
Sleeves
Roll in lower edge and hem by hand or machine. (I sew sleeve and skirt hems by hand.)
To make ruffle near lower edge of sleeve, gather sleeve to about 4 inch width about 1 inch from lower edge of sleeve. (See photo at top of page.) I use quilting thread for strength.
Along armpit edge gather sleeve with basting stitch just inside the one quarter inch line to fit armhole and with right side of sleeve facing right side of front and back bodice (which are just joined at shoulders and now lay out flat) stitch together with one quarter inch seam. Clip curve. Repeat for other sleeve.
With right sides of sleeves and bodice facing, sew together sides of bodice and underside of sleeves at the same time. Repeat on other side.
Skirt
Sew short edge together to form back seam, leaving one inch open at waistline. Roll in both sides of raw edges and stitch. Have seam at center back and press seam open or to one side.
Gather along waist edge just inside one quarter inch seam to fit bodice waist. With right sides of skirt and bodice facing, and skirt seam matched to overlapped back bodice seam, baste bodice to skirt by hand and press seam up. Turn right side out. On outside topstitch just above waist line on bodice all the way around.
Try dress on doll and turn up lower edge twice to make desired length of skirt. Press and blind stitch hem.
Finishing
Copy how I folded bib collar and pin in place temporarily. With large embroidery needle thread a 16 inch (40cm) length of floss. At center of bib collar take one stitch through all layers of collar and back out to front and tie in a square knot. (Remember that knot from Brownies? Right over left and under; left over right and under.) I think the square knot makes a nice finish. Clip tassel to desired length.
For back closure sew on a velcro dot at neck edge and waist to keep one side of back overlapped.
Now decorate the dress if you wish
Top stitch a one quarter inch wide cross grain or satin ribbon to waistline just on front of bodice and long enough to tie in a bow in back.
Top stitch collar or sew on a decorative edging to sleeves, neckline or skirt hem.
Homepage
Doll Dress Photo
Doll Dress Pattern
To read about the adventures of Anneke and Hans, 9 year old Dutch twins living in Holland, and how they learn about meditation from 'mother nature' click here.
Article and 12 inch Anneke Dutch doll dress pattern by Susan Kramer
