Scroll down to the second set of bullets to download the free printable PDF sewing pattern.*
This dress turned out so pretty! I just love it, and I think you will too.
Later, I have a bolero project — a tiny little jacket — that will go with it. I’m still working on the video for the bolero, but I will post it right here on ChellyWood.com when it’s ready.
Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.
To make this little pinafore style dress, you’ll need some small-print cotton fabric and a couple of size 4/0 snaps.
There’s a series of how-to videos listed below the pattern itself, for those of you who are new to sewing. These include my tutorial videos for gathering, sewing snaps on fabric, and much more.
In my video tutorial showing how to make this dress, I also talk about the usefulness of Fiskars Stitchers, the little mini-scissors, for clipping seams. If you want to buy a pair of Fiskars Stitchers, it will really step up your sewing game, when it comes to making teeny-tiny doll clothes like today’s little dress project.
Those links will help you find a pair of Fiskars Stitchers mini-scissors online.
If you use the A4 paper for your PDF sewing pattern, please take a moment to return to my website and offer feedback after you’ve made this dress. I’ve only recently started to convert my American PDF sewing patterns to A4 paper PDF’s, and I’d like to know if my method for converting them is acceptable.
I’ve done two pattern tests at home with A4 paper, sewed them up, and tried them on my Lottie doll. They seem to fit just fine. But I’d still like to make sure the patterns will work across the pond, especially since I have to adjust my printer specs to suit the A4 paper before I print them.
So please come back, after you’ve made the project, and let me know how it went. It’s okay to leave constructive criticism, but if the pattern isn’t working, please be specific about where it needs to be adjusted. Are the sleeves too long? Is the bodice too tight in the arm area? These are examples of helpful comments you could leave.
As you can see in the image above, there’s also a little purse that goes with this dress. I’ve included a link to that tutorial in the second set of bullets below.
I first posted the purse with Dawn/Pippa dolls’ dresses, so the tutorial for the purse shows one of those dolls holding the purse. However it works great for Lottie dolls as well!
Which dolls will these patterns fit?
- Disney Princess dolls (6 inches tall)
- Lottie dolls (7 inches or 17.9 cm)
- Vintage Stacie dolls (from the 1980’s — 7.5 inches tall)
Free patterns and tutorial videos for making these doll clothes:
- Click here for the American printer paper PDF sewing pattern for making this pinafore dress for your Lottie dolls
- Click here for the A4 (UK and many other countries) PDF sewing pattern for making this pinafore dress for your Lottie dolls
- The tutorial for making this pinafore dress is found at the top of this page
- To learn how to make the purse that’s on the pattern, please click here (it shows a different doll, but the project instructions are the same)
- How to do a whipstitch
- How to sew snaps on fabric
- How to do a backstitch
- How to gather fabric
- How to use a needle threader
- How to do a basic straight stitch
- How to choose fabric
- How to tie a knot using a needle and thread
- How to press seams open, using a hot iron
- How to sew rickrack
- How to use selvage
- How to attach ribbon to doll clothes
- Tips on sewing with lace
For more of my free tutorials, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1.
If you would like to make a donation to this free doll clothes pattern website, please click here. There’s also a “Donate” button in the main menu.
For anyone who would like to expand their dolls’ wardrobes, you should really check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course and my “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch” classes on the Creative Spark online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.
For any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to follow a schedule. Just sign up when you’re ready.
It’s a one-time fee for the course, and there’s no specific time limit to finish your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you. So go check out my paid courses on Creative Spark, using this link.
As always, feel free to pin, like, or tweet about my free patterns and tutorials.
To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.
Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:
*When you click links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.
To honor the trademark rights of the doll companies mentioned in this blog post, I am including links to their websites here. Please feel free to visit their website and consider purchasing one or more of the dolls mentioned.
Breyer dolls and horses are products offered by Breyer, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit the Breyer website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Disney dolls are products offered by the Disney Corporation, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit the Official Shop Disney website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Lottie dolls are manufactured and designed by Arklu (Ireland) Ltd., in Donegal, Ireland, and Arklu holds the registered trademark (™) for them in the US. Lottie dolls are distributed in the USA by Schylling, Inc. These dolls are distributed in the UK, Ireland, France, and Italy by Bigjigs Toys Ltd. Visit Lottie.com to learn more about these wonderful toys that were inspired by kids.
Chelsea dolls are products offered by Mattel, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit the Mattel Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.