Dolly Clothes - Guidelines

These jamies were for the 2008 Shoebox dollies.

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When I was a child, I remembered how frustrating it was trying to dress dollies in set-in sleeves, etc.

Later when my mother began to teach me to sew, I started with a "Ginny Doll" by Vogue, which is an 8-in. doll. (Just imagine setting sleeves in those tiny clothes--I still have all the outfits I made, and I don't plan to make any more!)

Much later when my children were small, I rarely had time to sit and dress their dollies for them. This made me feel guilty and I was continually frustrated with the difficulty my kids found in applying those clothes.

In 2008, I set out to design dolly clothes that were both easy to make and easy to put on and remove.

First rule: All outfits shall strive to be able to be removed and put back on by most 3-yr olds.

Second rule: NO set-in sleeves

Third rule: Garments will be "closed" with velcro. (All buttons will be purely decorative--kids can't button them.)

Fourth rule: Hats shall always be "attached" because they are always getting "lost". Ribbons may "appear" to be tied, but elastic or velcro should loosely hold the hat on the dolly's head.

Fifth rule: Ribbons shall be firmly "tied down" using zig zag or other stitching which does not allow the ribbon to "roll" when laundered.

Sixth rule: The appearance of many different "patterns" will be created by using decorative stitches, trims, etc.

Seventh rule: Blankets for dollies should not be so long that the child trips when trailing them about.

Eighth rule: Dress only 10-12-inch dollies and above. The design is flexible enough to "go around" most dollies--whether they are slender or chubby.

Ninth rule: Check the outfit on the dolly before cutting! I.e., always keep at least one outfit on hand--it should consist of a top and pants. (I prefer to use the same dolly, but I need to start buying them in bulk!)

And lastly--maybe I should consider copywriting my patterns, which are "modular" in design, and have grown to include quite a number of variations, beginning with the first pair of jamies, shown above.