Testing Patterns for Doll Days!
Posted by Alison Schmidt on Apr 4th 2016
One of the hallmarks of C&T Publishing’s books is technical accuracy. One of the most important responsibilities of a technical editor is making sure all the patterns in a book fit together correctly. For quilt block pieces, we often test them on graph paper when they include unusual angles. When it came to how to apply the same level of testing to a book of doll clothing patterns—well, I decided to just make all the 18" doll garments in Erin Hentzel’s book Doll Days! on my own!
All the doll clothes photographed in this blog post were sewn by me from the patterns Erin designed for her book.
They’re small, so I figured they wouldn’t take much fabric (and I’m a quilter, so I have plenty of scraps). The styles are simple to sew, compared to the last big quilt I completed. And I’ve sewn garments since I was a child, studied costume construction in college, and worked as a costumer in film and television, so it was familiar territory for me.
What I didn’t realize is how fast, fun, and downright addictive sewing these doll clothes can be! Erin’s patterns include tiny details like actual working pockets and a fly with a hook-and-loop closure below the waistband button.
Fortunately, I have a young niece who loves to play with dolls. She loved the first round of summer outfits.
I can’t wait for Erin to write another book so I can sew some winter outfits for Isabelle (because when you sew for a little girl’s doll, of course you have to learn the doll’s name). And I hope my niece doesn’t outgrow her doll Isabelle too soon!
