Guest Author - Susan Kramer

This is an easy method to attach lace to the underside of skirt hems of your doll dresses.

1. The first step is to determine how long the finished skirt is to be.

2. Then measure the width of lace that will show after being sewn on.

3. The finished skirt length needs to include the material and lace combination.

4. Allow enough of the skirt material (red in the photo) to make a hem by folding up one half inch twice and blind stitching.

5. To attach lace to skirt hem, pin top edge of lace to underside of skirt hem and sew in place right along lower skirt edge as in photo.

By making a hem in the material first you see a nice finish on the underside of the skirt if the skirt gets turned up a bit in playing. A hem in the material also gives a better drape to the finished skirt.

Click here for a full view of a finished dress with lace hem.

Have fun sewing lace to your doll dresses - assuring a dressy finish!

Index of Doll Costumes
Index of Special Doll Making Techniques
Fancy Dresses for American Girl and Similar Dolls

Charity Note:
I'd like to suggest that if you spend time making doll clothes, anyway, that you collect a few dolls from friends and neighbors and sew a wardrobe or a complete outfit for each doll. Then donate the doll in the completed outfit to a charity that distributes used dolls and toys to kids that otherwise would not have any.

When I was a little girl, nothing brightened up my face more than my mother making me a new outfit for my doll.

Other sources to find used dolls to fix up and dress up are yard and garage sales. And lots of churches have annual rummage sales of used clothing and toys, including dolls.

Article and photo by Susan Kramer