Wednesday Sewing - Surprise Newborn Doll Clothes

There's a new arrival at my house!  Actually, a doll ... I collected dolls for a while years ago, but this is the first doll I've bought in decades.  No, it's not a mid-life crisis!  Santa brought Little C a Cabbage Patch Surprise Newborn this Christmas and it looks like she's becoming quite attached to it.  Every time we video chat, I see her carrying it around, patting it, biting its nose.

The problem is, her baby needs clothes and there don't seem to be any patterns around for this doll.  So I bought a doll of my own and began pattern drafting.  The way I do this is to look at actual pattern pieces for the clothing I want, draw a smaller version on newspaper, try it on the doll, and redraw with adjustments until it fits pretty well.  Doll clothes need to be on the loose side so they're easy for little hands to put on and take off.  I imagine there are at least several of you out there also searching for patterns for the Surprise Newborn, so here they are!

       

             Materials:
             *small pieces of fleece, felt, flannel, thin denim, cotton, ...
             *Velcro - I use the fuse-on type, shown to the left
             *1/8 inch and 1/4 inch elastic
             *optional lace
             *optional crochet thread and steel hook size 5

             *patterns found here

Diapers:

1.  Cut one piece from fleece or felt.   Cut a 3 inch piece of 1/8 inch elastic and pin one end the one side of the top of the diaper.

 2.  With the sewing machine, begin sewing at the pinned end of the elastic.  Pull the elastic along the top of the diaper to the other side and sew in place.  This gathers the back.

3.  Put squares of Velcro on as shown below - rough side on the inside of the back and soft side on the outside of the front.

4.  Wrap around the doll and adjust.

Flannel Blanket:

This can be really easy or a little more complicated depending on how much time you want to spend on it.  The easiest way is to decide what size you want (mine is 20 x 17 inches), iron each edge under 1/4 inch, turn it under 1/4 inch again and sew around to hem.

I decided to put a crochet edging on the blanket like I did with the ones I made for Little C.  After hemming the blanket, use the crochet thread to blanket stitch around all edges.  I explain how to do this in the post on zigzag edging here.  If you know how to put a foundation on the edges by poking through with the crochet hook instead of hemming the edges, that's how I usually do it. Poke the hook through the flannel and pull the crochet thread through.  Hook the crochet thread and pull through the look on your hook.  Do this all the way around, putting three stitches in one hole at each corner.

In Round 2, single crochet in each foundation stitch or blanket stitch - keep your tension very loose throughout to keep the edges from curling.

Round 3 - in the first single crochet, make (1 sc, 1hdc, 1ch, 1hdc, 1sc).  In the next single crochet, make a single crochet.  Repeat this pattern all the way around to make a small scalloped design. 

Nightgown:

1.  Zigzag stitch along inside edges of back pieces.  Iron under 1/2 inch on the inside edge of back pieces and 1/4 inch on the bottom of the sleeves.

Sew 3/8 inch in from the edge of the back pieces.  Fold bottom of sleeves under another 1/4 inch and sew.

2.  With right sides together, pin front to back pieces at shoulders.  Sew.

3.  Press shoulder seams open.  Zigzag stitch neck edge.  Turn neck edge under 1/4 inch and sew close to edge.

4.  Sew along top edges of sleeves with a long stitch - I used a 5 on my Brother.  Pull up threads slightly to give a very small gather.

5.  With right sides together, pin sleeves to armhole, first putting the notch at the shoulder seam and adjusting gather so the sleeve fits.  Sew.

 If you want to sew lace across the front, this is the time to do it.  I placed mine right under the sleeves.

6.  With right sides together, pin side seams.  Sew.

7.  Press bottom hem under 1/4 inch.  Turn under another 1/4 inch and sew near edge.

8.  Put 3 or 4 pieces of Velcro along back opening.

Pants:

1.  Cut out two of pants piece.  Notice that the front and back seams are marked on the pattern.  With right sides together, pin front seams together and back seams together.  Sew.  Press under 1/4 inch on lower edges.  Turn under another 1/4 inch and sew close to edge.

2.  Adjust pants so seams are touching.  Pin inner leg edges and sew.

3.  Press under waist edge 1/4 inch.  Turn under 1/2 inch and pin in place.

4.  Sew close to inner edge, leaving a 1/2 gap for inserting elastic.

 
5.  Cut a 9 1/2 inch piece of elastic and pin a safety pin in one end.  Push pin into the gap at the waist and push until it comes out the other side.  Overlap ends of elastic 1/2 inch and sew together.  Sew up the gap.

 Shirt:

Use pattern and instructions for nightgown, except cut front and back pieces on shirt cutting line.

Bib:

1.  Cut two pieces of bib pattern from felt.

2.  Put edges together and sew along the edges.  I used the decorative stitches I have on my Brother 6000i.

3.  Re-trim edges if they got uneven.  Attach Velcro.

Next on my list is to work on a couple of crocheted pieces.

Happy Creating!  Deborah