My new doll Lillie arrived this month and I couldn’t resist dressing her as a Christmas elf. I decided to make her a simple circle skirt out of wool felt and also a matching bodice. The hat is made of cloth-covered craft foam (see the hat project from earlier this month). This skirt is”waltz-length” but it can easily be made longer or shorter with the use of a compass. This skirt was completely hand-sewn in an overcast stitch. It can also be assembled with a sewing machine.
Materials:
PDF pattern – 1skirt
wool or wool blend felt (mine came from Prairie Point Junction)
snap fasteners
skirt decorations (skirt shown has embroidery floss & feather boa for trim)
Note: When I made this pattern, instead of a circular opening for the waist, I designed it with an oval to conform to the waist shape.
This pattern can be adjusted to fit other 1/6 size dolls just by changing the waist size. As Lillie is a slim doll, other 1/6 size dolls may require a larger waist. You can print this pattern and make a mock-up of the skirt in paper. Then you can play with the opening to find the correct waist size for your doll. I made my pattern a little loose at the waist. Sewing the waistband added bulk at the waist and made it fit.
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Making the skirt:
1.a. Fold material once and once again. Pin on pattern.
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Making the skirt:
1.a. Fold material once and once again. Pin on pattern.
1.b. Cut out the skirt. When the material is unfolded, it should be a circle. Cut a slit as shown.
2. Sew the slit partially leaving an opening below the waist to allow the doll to be dressed. Cut a strip of material approximately 3/4 inches wide and longer than the circumference of the doll’s waist. I wrapped the strip around my doll’s waist, leaving extra 1/3 inch for overlap. (This is where the fastener will go.) As this doll is small and my wool felt is bulky, I did not fold the waistband material over as it would be too thick. For thinner material, I suggest cutting a waistband strip twice as wide and folding it over.
I also sewed down the remainder of the seam on either side of the skirt opening. When complete you may wish to press flat the seam at the back with an iron. Iron the seam on a low heat setting. Put a towel on the felt before ironing. Ironing your seams will help make the skirt hang smoothly.
Felt doesn’t fray, but it can stretch, so I finished off the top edge of the waistband with a blanket stitch. Here is the skirt with the snap and the trim added to the bottom.
Here is the finished waistband.
I made a bodice to match the skirt. It is outlined with blanket-stitching. The bodice goes over the skirt waistband. at the back there are two snaps to hold it on.
I made a simple tulle petticoat by folding a piece of the netting and sewing it to a piece of elastic. I then trimmed it to the length I wanted. This made the skirt nice and “pouffy”.
