Here is how to sew sleeveless dresses to fit slim specialty dolls such as 18 inch Magic Attic, 15-16 inch Kathe Kruse, 16-17 inch Sasha, 17.25 inch Natterer Sunihil, 16.5 inch Theodor Recknagel dolls, and other similar slim collectible and antique dolls.
For clothes to fit 18 inch American Girl and other historical dolls click here.
You’ll need one fourth yard (one fourth meter) of material for the dress.
For pattern pieces click here. For photo of finished dress click here.
Construction directions
Bodice
For this sleeveless dress, use the bodice front and back pattern pieces - not the sleeves.
Cut out 2 sets of bodice pieces - one set will be the facing. The entire bodice is faced.
With right sides of back and front bodice facing, sew together at shoulders. Press seam open. Repeat for facing.
Line up good side of bodice to good side of bodice facing and sew along all edges except lower edge.
See illustration below.
Clip curves, turn inside out and bring front and back side seams just together to abut seams and blind stitch front of bodice to back of bodice at these side seams.
Skirt construction
Cut skirt 9 inches long and 30 inches wide.
Sew back seam of skirt leaving 2 inches at top open as an extension of the center back bodice opening for ease in dressing doll. Roll in the raw edges above top of back skirt seam and blind stitch. When dress is completed sew a velcro dot just above waistline and at neckline to overlap bodice back one fourth inch.
Gather one eighth inch from top edge of skirt to fit bodice lower edge.
To make hem at lower edge of skirt turn up hem one half inch twice and blind stitch.
To sew bodice to skirt …
Fold under one fourth inch along lower edge of bodice and lay over top of skirt. Join together with topstitching. As in close up photo below. This technique forms a nice flat seam.
Finishing
For back closure sew on a velcro dot at neck edge and just above waist to keep one side of back overlapped.
Now decorate the dress if you wish
Looking at the close up view of this dress, note that I used both yellow and lime green 6-strand embroidery thread to top stitch a line just above lower bodice edge and also just below waistline over gathers to help keep them flat.
Have fun making your doll dresses! For any questions, ask in our forum - linked below this article.
Homepage for Sasha, Kathe Kruse, Magic Attic
Sleeveless Dresses - (Large Photo)
Sleeveless Dresses - How to Sew
All Dresses - Pattern Pieces
Long Sleeve Dresses
Short Sleeve Dresses
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For American Girl, Corolle, Gotz
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For Raggedy Ann, Andy and Madeline
Article and photographs Susan Kramer
15 Inch Kathe Kruse Toni Doll
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