Guest Author - Susan Kramer

Here are instructions for making short sleeve or cap sleeve dresses to fit 18 inch (45cm) American Girl, other American historical dolls, Corolle dolls, Gotz Precious Day Girl Dolls, and dolls with similar body types.

This is a very easy to make dress pattern with just 3 pieces - bodice front, bodice back and skirt. The sleeves are part of the bodice. If making short sleeves use the pattern as drawn. If you wish to make the shorter cap sleeve dress cut the sleeve length by one half inch before hemming.



For photo of the completed short sleeve dress click here.

You’ll need one quarter yard (one quarter meter) of material for the skirt.

For the front and back bodice, you'll need one quarter yard contrasting material.

Also, for neckline facing, you'll need a 10 inch (25cm) long by one inch (2.5cm) wide bias strip.

Click here for the page of pattern pieces. The grid is 1 inch (2.5cm) squares. Pattern pieces include one quarter inch seam allowance.

For the skirt, cut fabric 32 inches (78.5cm) wide and 8 inches (20cm) long for skirt to just below knee or 9.5 inches (24cm) long to just above ankle length.

Construction directions

Bodice with Sleeves

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.

To finish back seam of bodice, turn in one quarter inch twice on each center edge and hand or machine stitch.

Stitch front to back underarm seam on each side.

Roll in lower edge of sleeves and hem by hand or machine. (I sew sleeve and skirt hems by hand.)

Skirt construction

How to sew bodice to skirt

Sew back seam leaving 2 inches (5cm) open at top of seam to match back seam of bodice. Roll in raw edges and blind stitch hem. (This is for ease of dressing doll.)

Gather the waist seam to match the bodice lower edge and sew skirt to bodice. I make this a half inch seam for both skirt and bodice, because of gathered top edge of skirt at waist, and so bodice and skirt do not pull apart with use.

When dress is completed sew a velcro dot just above waistline and at neckline to overlap bodice back one quarter inch.

Turn right side out. On outside topstitch just above waistline on bodice all the way around.

Just below knee finished skirt length is 7.25 inches (18cm) and finished length ending just above ankle is 9.5 inches (24cm).

Finishing

A decorative edging stitch looks nice at lower edge of sleeves.

Cap Sleeve Dresses
Short and Cap Sleeve Dress Pattern Pieces
Short and Cap Sleeve Dress Sewing Instructions
Clothes for American Girl, Corolle, Gotz and Similar Dolls - Homepage
Free Tutorials on Techniques
Other Kinds and Sizes of Dolls

Article, Patterns and Photographs by Susan Kramer