For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets.
We’re right at the tail-end of March, so it’s time to start thinking about sewing projects for Easter and maybe even summer too. So yesterday I shared one of my favorite summer sundress patterns for Barbie, and today I’m sharing the easiest of my summer sundress patterns for Barbie.
I designed this pattern for the absolute beginner sewists out there, after a mother requested a ball gown pattern for her child who was just learning to sew. This project’s super simple design makes it easy to create either a short or long dress, together with a child, in a “mommy and me” sewing format, if that’s what you need.
And if you’re an adult who’s learning to sew, you’ll find that doll dresses don’t get much simpler than this project!
Because the bodice has a sort of “bump” at the top, the doll’s chest will be well-covered, even if something goes wrong when sewing the darts.
Before we dive into this project, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how affiliate marketing works on my website, please go to the Privacy Policy page. Thank you!
If you’d like to know more about how to teach a child to sew, you may benefit by looking back at this post, entitled, “Tips and Tricks for Teaching Kids to Sew w/Doll Clothing Designer Chelly Wood.”
And if you’re an adult who’s learning to sew, you might want to read my recommendation for the minimal supplies you’ll need to get started sewing doll clothes.
Now let’s look at what you should probably buy, in order to make today’s easy-to-sew summer maxi dress…
You could use 1/8 inch Offray ribbon or 1/4 inch Offray ribbon for your straps and the ribbon that goes around the doll’s waist.
Children who are learning to sew can feel intimidated when it comes to sewing snaps, so if this is a child’s first project, I recommend just using a single ribbon to close the garment in the back. They can tack the ribbon on with a button at the front and wrap the ribbon around to the back for a tie-it-in-a-bow closure (see images above).
But if you’re an adult who’s learning to sew, I recommend getting some small snaps. You may find my snaps tutorial video helpful as well. It’s still possible to include a ribbon that ties at the back of the dress, but it will be important to know how to sew snaps eventually, so why not start with this super easy-to-sew summer sundress project?
The bodice should be cut from felt, and the more flexible your felt swatch, the better. The skirt should be cut from cotton or a cotton-poly blend fabric.
Today’s patterns will fit these dolls*:
Here are your free, printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making the outfit shown at the top of this page:
- Free printable PDF sewing pattern for a simple sundress
- Tutorial video showing how to make the dress (video shows Skipper, but the pattern is exactly the same and the method is the same as well)
- 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 use bias tape
- How to choose fabric
- How to tie a knot using a needle and thread
- How to sew rickrack
- How to use selvage
- How to attach ribbon to doll clothes
- Tips on sewing with lace
- How to add a ruffle to a skirt
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 Links:
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.
Skipper, Petite Barbie dolls, Creatable World, and vintage Sunshine Family 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.
Rainbow High dolls are products offered by MGA Entertainment, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Rainbow High website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Momoko dolls are products offered by Petworks, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Momoko Dolls website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Disney Princess, Moana, and Disney fairy dolls are products offered by the Disney corporation, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Disney Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Project MC Squared dolls and Rainbow High dolls are products offered by MGA Entertainment, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Project MC Squared website or the Rainbow High website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
According to Wikipedia, “Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris Michtom and his wife, Rose. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States.” They produced the Tammy family line of dolls, including Ideal Pepper dolls, but eventually the Tammy line of dolls went out of production (with the exception of the Sindy doll — the UK version — which has had a recent revival). There have been a complicated series of sales of rights for Ideal toys since then, and you can read about it on Wikipedia, if you’re interested. But at the time of this blog post, the trademark name “Tammy” for these dolls was abandoned and has remained “dead” (according to the US Trademark database) since 2004.
Sindy dolls were originally created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys, but they have been made by other manufacturers including Hasbro, Vivid Imaginations, and New Moon. Currently (at the time of this blog post) a limited number of the newest version of these dolls is being manufactured by Kid Kreations of Staffordshire, England. I haven’t tried my doll clothes on this newer version, but sewists have told me my Tammy doll patterns do fit the vintage Sindy dolls created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys. Please visit one of these toy companies’ websites to learn more about the toys they produce. The Sindy dolls are trademarked and as such, it should be noted that Chelly Wood and ChellyWood.com are not affiliated with either Pedigree or Kid Creations. However Chelly has enjoyed designing doll clothes that will fit these dolls along with others in a similar size range…
According to Wikipedia (as of 9 January 2022), Strawberry Shortcake “is a cartoon character used in greeting cards published by American Greetings. The line was later expanded to include dolls… The franchise is currently owned by the Canadian children’s television company WildBrain and American brand management company, Iconix Brand Group through the holding company Shortcake IP Holdings LLC.” I was unable to find a website for Shortcake IP Holdings LLC, but I believe they own the US trademark for the dolls, even though I believe my own doll was originally made and marketed by Hasbro. To learn more about these companies and their toys and products, please click on the links I’ve provided within the quote.