Tape Measure Tuesday: Robert Tonner 16 inch fashion doll sewing measurements #CollectibleDolls #TapeMeasureTuesday

Infographic featuring a 16 inch Robert Tonner doll with long, curly auburn hair, earrings, and a metal bracelet, dressed in a handmade animal print swimsuit or body suit. Surrounding her are key sewing measurements: Neck circumference is 7.5 centimeters, neck to shoulder seam is 2.9 centimeters, and bust is 18.1 centimeters. The collar to true waist measures 7.9 centimeters, while underarm to true waist is 5 centimeters. Sleeve inseam is 10.8 centimeters, sleeve from shoulder seam to cuff is 13 centimeters, and sleeve circumference 7 centimeters. Waist measures 11 centimeters, with hip circumference at 17.8 centimeters. Pants inseam is 18 centimeters, pants outseam is 23.8 centimeters, and pants leg circumference is 10.1 centimeters. The doll's height, excluding hair, is 15 and seven-eighths inches or 40.3 centimeters.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

Scroll down for clarifications to each measurement.

This beautiful doll was a gift to me, and as such, I don’t actually know her name. If any collectors of Robert Tonner dolls could help me discover what her name would have been, when she first came out of the box, please feel free to leave that information in the comments. I would deeply appreciate it!

I have designed a few patterns for this doll, and you can find them under “17 inch dolls” as well as “13 to 16 inch dolls” in the doll size gallery. That’s because most dolls in the 13 to 16 inch size range are very girlish, not womanish; whereas dolls in the 17 inch size range have more womanly body types.

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, 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.

Would you like to compare this doll’s measurements to another doll’s measurements? If so, my Tape Measure Tuesday gallery may be a good place to find the doll measurements you’re looking for.

Clarifications:

Height does not include the doll’s hair, but is only measuring from the top of the doll’s actual head to the flat surface I stand them on, when measuring. Before measuring, I always stand the doll on their bare feet, not shoes. If the doll has a foot that’s formed for wearing high heels, I use the flat of the toe area to stand them on, measuring from the top of the actual head to the the surface they’re standing on.

The measurement for the sleeve inseam includes a measurement from the doll’s underarm to what would be the end of a doll’s cuff, when wearing a collared shirt.

The sleeve circumference measurement is a measurement of the widest part of the doll’s arm. If the doll has stiff, wide-spread fingers, I may measure the spread of the hand for this measurement, to make sure the doll’s hand will go through a sleeve, from the arm hole all the way to (and through) the cuff of a long sleeve.

Where it says “underarm to waist,” this is a measurement of the underarm seam area to the true waist. If you’re not sure what is meant by “true waist,” that’s where the doll’s belly button would be, if the doll had one. If your doll has wider hips than his/her belly, you can measure the true waist by placing a rubber band around the doll’s belly. Where it rests naturally is the “true waist” for most of these dolls.

The doll’s pants inseam refers to the length of the doll’s leg from crotch to just below the ankle bone (if the doll had one) on the inside of the leg. If the doll doesn’t have an ankle bone that’s prominent enough to tell where it is, you have to get creative and imagine one!

The doll’s pants outseam refers to the length of the doll’s leg from the waist, over the hip, to just below the ankle bone.

The doll’s leg circumference is typically taken at the upper thigh. It’s a measurement of the leg at its widest point. For some dolls with extra large, unbendable feet, I take the measurement at the feet, to make sure the doll’s foot will go through the pant leg.

If you need a tape measure, Dritz is a trusted company that makes sewing supplies of a high quality. For dolls, I recommend getting a narrow one, like the 3/8 inch tape measure by Dritz.

For more of my free sewing and crafting tutorials, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1.

This image of a turquoise blue sewing needle pulling purple thread away from a line of cross-stitching is used as a divider between sections of a blog post.

I actually include an extensive explanation about how to measure your dolls in my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course on the C&T Publishing learning platform. This class will teach you how to alter pants, skirts, dresses, and shirts too. If you haven’t looked into it yet, you can click here to learn more.

In this image, we see a woman's hands making an alteration to a pants pattern for a little 8 inch plush doll with jointed arms and legs. She works on a cutting mat with a pen, a pencil, a ruler, and two different paper patterns; one for pants and the other is a shorts pattern. The words say, "how to alter doll clothes patterns" and the URL for the class is also offered as follows: https://creativespark.ctpub.com/courses/alter-doll-clothes
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

I also have a course on the C&T Publishing website which teaches you how to design your own doll pants patterns from scratch, including leggings, overalls, and fly-front jeans. Click here to check out that new course, which is only $19.99!

The image shows an 18 inch doll next to an 8 inch doll, to demonstrate that Chelly's "How to Design Doll Pants Patterns" course is for dolls of any shape or size. In one photo, both dolls wear a tee shirt with leggings. In the other image, both dolls wear a T-shirt under a pair of green polka dot overalls (green with tiny white polka dots). The text says, "How to Design Your Own Doll Pants Course Only nineteen dollars and ninety-nine cents! There are two bonuses mentioned on the advertisement as well: Chelly's re-sizing formula and a complementary pattern for 18 inch doll overalls.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

For any class on C&T Publishing’s website, 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 the C&T Publishing website, using this link.

As always, feel free to share my patterns and tutorial videos, and even today’s infographic, on your favorite social media platforms. I only ask that you give me a mention when you do, so other people will learn about the fantastic resource I’ve created here on ChellyWood.com!

To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

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, 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.

If you’re interested in purchasing the doll or dolls mentioned in today’s blog post, please navigate to the doll companies’ website(s) to learn more about the dolls they offer.

2 thoughts on “Tape Measure Tuesday: Robert Tonner 16 inch fashion doll sewing measurements #CollectibleDolls #TapeMeasureTuesday

  1. Happy Thanksgiving, Chelly. And thanks for today’s Tape Measure Tuesday blog. I’m thinking about getting a tape measure from Amazon so that I can measure my own dolls.

    Trisha

  2. Wow! what a surprise! I just got into Tonner dolls in the last 2-1/2 years but there are a lot of dolls out there. Ellowyne Wilde has been around a long time and I currently have 8 all purchased since August 2023. So there are lots of Ellowyne patterns out there but there is Tyler Wentworth (also as old as Ellowyne) but newer dolls too. I am going to check your tape measure against another one I have (I hate measuring the dolls even with the tiny tape measure) to see if there are any differences. Keep up with Tape Measure Tuesday that way I can check to see if one of my oddballs is listed sometime. Thank you so much.

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