Slumber Party PJs for American Girl

Happy Holidays to all!  I was commissioned to make matching PJs for a friend's nieces.  They are both getting American Girl dolls for Christmas and their aunt thought it would be fun if they had matching outfits.  So I made 2 sets of 2-piece knit pajamas (Simplicity 4297) for them, using fabric I found years ago that has all those favorite girly things seen at slumber parties on it.  I also attempted making slippers (McCall's 3469), made of plush felt and foam soles.  It is amazing how limited the color selection is for plush felt (at least at the one store I looked for it in!!).  I chose pink soles to add a bit of color.

Simply Summer for BJDs

Last year, my local Craft Warehouse closed, so I took advantage of the slashed prices and found some coordinating fabrics (I had to dig to find something I liked and something that matched!).  With them I created this outit for Espree from Bobobie, an exlcusive BJD for Denver Doll Emporium.  She has what is called an immature body, so it is more childlike, which works best for the Simply Summer Pattern from gracefaerie.

PJs for American Girl

Hello, Friends!  Sorry it has been a while.  Nursing school is time consuming, but I did manage to create a few outfits over the last six months.  I'll try to catch up with some of those now...mostly American Girl outfits, since my youngest daughter received her first doll for her birthday and I had to make her some clothes.  First I had to catch up and make my oldest daughter some pajamas for Kanani, since we waited too long to order some from American Girl (my bad!!).  I used a pattern from Liberty Jane to make the top, and created my own pattern for the leggings.  Luckily I found some floral fabric that I think works with the Hawaiian theme.  The model shown for this outfit is Kanani, 2011 Girl of the Year.

Next I made a skirt from the Harajuku Station pattern, also from Liberty Jane. It has an elastic waist, a yoke with an attached ruffle skirt layered with tulle.  I thought it turned out a bit short, so next time I plan to add to the length. It does look cute with capri leggings, though!  The model wearing this outfit is a My American Girl doll.  The t-shirt and leggings were also made by me, and the sneakers were purchased at Michaels (in-store - not online).

Most recently, I made the girls denim skirts.  Brother had a pair of jeans that were too short, but otherwise fit, so we cut them off into shorts and I reused the hem pieces to make pre-hemmed skirts for the girls' dolls.  I trimmed them to an appropriate length, then made a casing, thread elastic through it, secured it and stitched the casing closed.  I regret not making a tutorial, but hopefully others can figure it out if they want to do the same.  The models for these are McKenna, Girl of the Year 2012 (left), and Natalie, a My American Girl (right) named by my oldest daughter.  The t-shirts are from American Girl Place Chicago, McKenna's shoes can be found at Michaels, and Natalie's shoes are from an American Girl outfit.



American Girl basics

Happy New Year!  On New Year's Day, my family and I visited American Girl Place in Seattle - what a way to be inspired to make new clothes for my girls' dolls!  Right before we went, I discovered a pattern maker that makes patterns for cute, trendy outfits for the American Girl dolls, and has free patterns for basic things like t-shirts and tank tops.  I have been looking for a basic t-shirt pattern for many years!  I will first share the ribbed tank top and drawstring dress I made.  I discovered Liberty Jane Patterns while searching for ideas on how to make American Girl Kanani's pajamas from 2011.  Liberty Jane Patterns provided instructions on how to do it using their patterns.  I gave these free patterns a try to make sure I could make them, and that they fit as well as they did in the pattern maker's pictures.  I can and they did, so look back sometime this spring to see how the pajamas turned out!  My nursing classes start back up tomorrow, so I will be busy with that until Spring Break.