Clothes Making for a Waldorf Doll, Part II

I talked a little bit before about how I was making new clothes for a waldorf doll. Well, dresses are fun, but as any self-respecting toddler will tell you, everyone needs a set of good pajamas. I still think it's a ploy to extend the bedtime routine -- because we certainly can't go to sleep until Faye is properly dressed.

Now I'm not a garment maker, but these came pretty close and they were easy! As before, I had to slightly modify a pattern meant for American Girl dolls. I used this adorable pattern from "Little Abbee" on Etsy. I actually ended up having to ask the author a question (a completely stupid question because I can't read at 2AM ), and she was just about the nicest person ever. I highly recommend her and her shop.

The pattern was super easy, and I'm really pleased with the results. It reminds me of the flannel PJ sets I wore as a kid (yes, I was always fashionable... not).  I've since been asked to make a PJ set for everyone in our family -- like I need more sewing projects. Even so, I might agree to make them in exchange for sewing while they go to the park or something. I just can't get into garment sewing! I'm always so afraid it will come out the wrong size! Any tips?

Clothes Making for a Waldorf doll

Up until two weeks ago, my house was a doll free zone. I don't have anything against dolls, the idea just never occurred to me. I had no interest in dolls when I was a child, and it never even dawned on me that Baby Bee might feel differently. Imagine my surprise when her notes from school started containing messages like "she had so much fun feeding the baby dolls today!" Whoops. Minor parental oversight there.

So, we decided that it was time for a doll at home, but really wanted something handmade. Enter Waldorf dolls - adorable handmade dolls made of cotton and wool (with bonus points for being low on the creepy doll meter). There was a minute where I thought about making the doll myself, but it really seemed like something left to the experts. And let me tell you, the workmanship on this doll is incredible. I am so glad I decided to go the purchase route. 

"Faye" as she has been named was meant to be a birthday present, but my curious child stumbled upon her in my closet... six months early. So her new wardrobe has been a little bit rushed, but it's coming together piece by piece. There aren't any established patterns out there that fit this doll, so I've had to tinker with some American Girl Doll patterns. Faye is a 14" Waldorf (for those curious, she is a "Jewelwing" from Dragonfly's Hollow), but she's similar in girth to the 18" American Girl Dolls. The two trouble spots are definitely the arms and legs - I've had to expand the arm holes and leg holes to accommodate her chunkier hands and feet. It's been good practice at pattern making and a garment sewing. 

The yellow dress is a  modified version of  Liberty Jane's Kimono Dress, available here. The pattern is well written, with lots of pictures. I heart a pattern with an abundance of pictures, especially because I'm completely clueless about garment sewing. Minus a few slip ups that were completely my fault, the dress was a pleasure to sew up. It has a lot of beautiful little details that make for a really nice finish. Like the decorative stitching on the waistband -- Baby Bee is thrilled that her dress has "hugging cat(s)" on it.

After I finished the dress Baby Bee asked that I make Faye some matching pants  (she insists on wearing pants 100% of the time herself, no idea why), so I whipped these up in less than an hour. They are seriously that easy. They are cozy flannel PJ pants, adapted from this pattern by Little Abbee on etsy. I'm still trying to figure out if my pattern printed funny, or if there was an error, but either way, it was a quick and easy project. I just love the little bow on the front!

I'm hoping to make the full PJ set one of these days, but I really really need to stop procrastinating and start my sister's wedding quilt. Yikes!