On Friday I received a message from someone who was looking for patterns to fit the little tiny 6 inch Phicen dolls/action figures. McCall’s 2970 is one such pattern. In the image at the top of this post, I’ve included a list of dolls that the pattern envelope suggests.
But I also think many dollhouse-sized dolls and possibly even the Phicen 6 inch action figures would fit in this commercial pattern. So I thought I’d type up a quick blog post about it.
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Before I recommend this pattern to all the dollhouse builders and six-inch action figure collectors out there, I want to give you an honest review of this pattern.
On first inspection, the View B dress pattern looks pretty straightforward. It’s a kimono-style bodice with attached sleeves (a front and back), plus a rectangular skirt pattern, right?
Wrong. Ugh! I struggled to wrap my head around this configuration when I started working with McCall’s 2970.
Figure A is actually pointing to the back closure of the dress. Figure B points to the seam at the front of the dress (take a look at the image of the doll wearing it, and you’ll see this seam). Figure C is actually the sleeve!
Yeah. That’s what I said.
So honestly, McCall’s 2970 isn’t for the beginners out there. However, if you do have a little sewing experience under your belt, you can probably follow the directions to make this dress without too many bumps and bruises.
And honestly, the View D pattern is fairly simple. I made it a while back. And I think the View A project is likely a good choice for beginners too, although I haven’t constructed that one yet.
Here’s how my View D project turned out:
I don’t know if you can tell, but I gave the tunic a lining. The pattern instructions didn’t call for that, but for tiny doll clothes, I just think it’s easier to deal with a curved neckline that way.
The trousers are a simple elastic-waist pair of pants. Nothing hard there.
The vest is by far the easiest, as you can make it from craft felt, which only requires four straight-line stitches: the shoulders, and the sides. So that’s easy enough.
If you buy an uncut pattern, you’ll find there’s a panties pattern in McCall’s 2970. That was a surprise to me.
I’ve done a blog post on these panties before, so if you want to know what I thought of that pattern, this link will take you down that rabbit hole.
And now, let’s take another look at the pattern envelope. Imagine the View C patterns in your mind. What do you think we’re working with there?
If you look at the back of the envelope (figure 2), you’ll see that this isn’t a shirt with a skirt. The View C image actually represents a dress.
I’ll be honest. I was a little disappointed to discover that.
When I’m making doll clothes for kids, I like to offer mix-and-match sets, but there really isn’t any mixing and matching with McCall’s 2970. It’s mostly one-piece items.
Of course there are plenty of free patterns for Topper Dawn dolls, right here on ChellyWood.com. The image above gives you a nice overview of all the mix-and-match outfits I’ve designed, plus some one-piece dresses.
This link will take you over to the Dawn doll clothes pattern gallery. And as you know, my patterns are all free.
If you stumbled across this blog post because you want to buy doll clothes for your 6 inch dolls or action figures, I’ve recently listed this three-piece ensemble for 6 inch dolls in my Etsy store.
The multi-colored polka dot dress is the View C dress from McCall’s 2970. It fits a number of different small dolls, including Chelsea, quite well. The View D pants are too big for her though.
But I’ll do a blog post on who fits in these outfits another day.
Questions: Are you ever disappointed by the actual pattern pieces inside a commercial sewing pattern? Do you ever get misled by the image on the envelope cover, thinking the project will be a lot easier than it turns out to be? Please share your stories in the comments!
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Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:
*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on the ChellyWood.com 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.
Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with the pattern company or companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly finds inspiration in the doll clothes designed by these pattern companies. To purchase patterns from Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue, or other pattern companies shown and discussed in this blog post, please click on the links provided here. These links below the “Disclaimer” section do not help raise money for this free pattern website; they are only offered to give credit to the company that made these patterns.