Another fun blog tour – this time featuring doll clothes. When Nancy Zieman and veteran doll clothes maker Joan Hinds asked me to participate in this blog tour, I cringed at the thought of cutting and piecing tiny fabric pieces but I didn’t hesitate to accept the challenge. I knew I could use my embroidery machine to do the pattern tracing and embroidery all in one step. It was so easy and brought back fond memories of doll clothes I made when my daughter was small. All you need is a scanner, a digitizing software program and an embroidery machine.
Follow along as I guide you through the simple steps for tracing the pattern and adding embroidery in one step in Floriani Software. If you’re using another digitizing program, the steps are very similar.
First, scan the Crossover Top Front, Crossover Top Back and Capri pattern pieces from the 30-Minute Doll Clothes book. Measure and make a note of the width of each pattern section (from side seam to side seam).
Open a new file in your digitizing software. Load the Crossover Back pattern as a backdrop. Select the Run tool, trace the outer line of the pattern. Left click to end the line.
Right click at one end of the rickrack placement guide and trace the line, right click to end it. Repeat for the remaining rickrack placement guide.
Select the last two lines and go to Properties, Command and enter 2 in the Color box click Apply.
Select the Shape Tool.
Click on the rickrack placement line at the neck. Move the end points approximately ¼” away from the seam lines.
Repeat for the other line.
Measure the pattern from the book to set the size. Select Transform and change the width and height to match the measurements in the book.
Select the rickrack line at the waist and click on Run in the Properties menu, select Symbol, Anchor, Apply.
Select the rickrack line at the neckline and transform it in the anchor symbols as you did at the waist.
Hoop the top fabric with tear-away. stabilizer. Stitch all the colors of the design. Mirror image the design and repeat. Remove the fabric from the hoop.
Cut the fabric close to the stitched outline. Repeat for the remaining pattern pieces.
Use these pieces to cut lining sections and follow the directions in the 30-Minute Doll Clothes book to make the garment. How sweet is that?
Stop by all of the blogs on the list and you can win some great prizes.
| July 10 | Nancy Zieman | Nancy Zieman – The Blog | nancyzieman.com/blog |
| July 11 | Jina Barney | Jina Barney Designz | jinabarneydesignz.blogspot.com |
| July 12 | Eileen Roche | Eileen’s Machine Embroidery Blog | dzgns.com/blog |
| July 13 | Heather Valentine | The Sewing Loft | thesewingloftblog.com |
| July 14 | Shari Butler | Doohikey Designs Studio | doohikeydesignstudio.com/blog |
| July 16 | Lori Holt | A bee in my bonnet | beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com |
| July 17 | Amy Barickman | Indygo Junction | indygojunction.com/blog |
| July 18 | The Long Ladies | Marie-Madeline Studio | mariemadelinestudio.typepad.com |
| July 19 | Ingrid Pinto | Freddies Friends | freddiesfriendsblog.blogspot.com |
| July 20 | Page Hill | Riley Blake Designs | rileyblakedesigns.com/blog |
| July 21 | Joan Hinds & Nancy Zieman | Nancy Zieman – The Blog | nancyzieman.com/blog |
$25 Nancy’s Notions Gift Certificate from Nancy’s Notions Fun Prizes will be awarded to random readers at the close of the blog tour. To be eligible for the following prizes, post a comment at the bottom of Nancy’s July 10 blog tour posting. Winners will be posted on Tuesday, July 24th.
30-Minute Doll Clothes book by Nancy Zieman with Joan Hinds from Nancy’s Notions
Dress Up Days Fat Quarter Fabric Pack and Panel from Riley Blake Designs
Dress Up Days Fat Quarter Fabric Pack from Riley Blake Designs
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That is so COOL! I never would have thought of doing it that way. Do you know if the patterns in that 30-Minute Doll Clothes book would fit Build-A-Bear teddy bears? I promised my son that I would make frog pajamas for his bear, but I don’t know where to source the pattern.
While I haven’t got around to trying, I do know it will depend on the measurements of the stuffed animal…compare the measurements of the frog with the measurements of the pattern. It is easy to adjust the pattern to fit whatever doll or animal you have.
That is such a neat idea thanks for the info
The doll clothes book sounds great, especially with 5 granddaughters.
I would love to be able to make doll clothes in the hoop. My granddaughter has 2 American girl dolls and this would be a fun activity to do with her. It would give her some sewing experience in learning how to make her own doll clothes.
Gail
This would be great for the charity dolls our embroidery club dresses every Christmas to be given to low income families.
I’m looking forward to trying this. My granddaughter will love “helping” me. I like the idea of making some clothes for my grandson’s special stuffy friends, too. They will both definitely want to be involved with choosing fabric, thread colors, etc.
I am just starting to make doll clothes for my granddaughter and she is so excited about this. And I am so excited about this book and wonderful techniques. Making doll clothes has come a long way since I was a girl — what fun!
I love making dolls and clothes, this book looks like a great one to have for all types of clothing. I love how you did the embroidery on the clothing, something I have been wanting to try.
Debbie
I want to try this method. Have made doll clothes for Barbie and American Girl dolls but never with this method. It should make it easier. Would love to win this book.
Thanks for the information.
I love Nancy and her show .. fan for years ! What a fantastic book and love the embroidery work you did.
I never enjoyed making doll clothes for my daughter or my grand daughters because, for me,in those days, it was such a laborious, tedious task. After seeing how easy it is to make these doll clothes,I can’t wait to sew some doll clothes for my great grand daughters…if I am fortunate enough to be blessed with great grand daughters!
Thanks for the ideas about digitizing doll clothes from the patterns in the book! What a great idea!
Love this “tours.” It is interesting to see each different idea. This one will be fun to try to do
I make a lot of doll clothes and this book of patterns along with Elaine’s in-the-hoop instructions will certainly make embroidering them much easier. Thanks, ladies.
What a great idea! I just starting making doll clothes for my granddaughter’s American Girl doll and it’s been a lot of fun! Now I can have more fun!
I got Joan’s book when Nancy first aired her segment. I made 4 outfits for my granddaughter, which were cute, but I never thought of using the embroidery machine! I can’t wait to give it a try.
Wonderful…one more use for my embroidery machine. Looking forward to more fun!
Cool way to embellish prior to assembly too! Gotta try that
Thanks
This is a great option for making doll clothes. Can’t wait to try it.
Your post gave me ideas! I’m dressing a doll for a benefit & needed ideas-thanks!
Wow absolutely love it. Have been trying to get inspired to sew dolls clothes again as I now have a 2 1/2 year old granddaughter who needs cloths for all her doll’s and as I am the only sewer in the family you can guess who is the chosen one. thanks heaps
Wow – I’m excited! I just got started making clothes for 18″ dolls and never thought of using my embroidery machine! I just purchased the Floriani software. Now I can combine all my projects – doll clothes, embroidery, and software. How mind-boggling, but fun!!!
What a terrific idea. I’ve always stayed away from doll cloths, but this method may really work for me.
Great Idea! Need to get busy making these for my granddaughter’s 4th birthday present.
Hi everybody,
I make doll clothes, not for dolls but for the moose I sell in a Christmas craft fair. They were outfitted with jeans or cords, turtle neck and a jean jacket. Now that I have an embroidery machine and can scan the pattern to apply the embroidery before I sew them together is amazing and it will save time as well. I wasn’t looking forward in trying to get a small jean jacket in the right position to put embroidery on it.
Thanks! Anna
I just purchased the Floriani software! This is a perfect project for me to get started with this new software.
What a wonderful idea! I have always made my own patterns and struggled with some of the expected shortcomings of that method. This is a wonderful solution!
I love all the different ways to make dolls clothes. GDaughter is 9 mts old so will be starting on doll clothes soon. She will certainly have the best looking doll clothes around.
My GRAND is just starting to ask for doll clothes. I really really need this information seeing as how I grew up with all males (so my toys were footballs and mitts and bats). Then I had 2 boys. Enjoying having a GRAND daughter but there IS a learning curve!
This looks like so much fun to do and you have made the steps so easy to follow.
I love making doll clothes, it all started with my grandma letting me design my own doll clothes when I was little. I would cut out pictures in magazines, paste them on paper, and dig through her fabric drawer until I found just the right color/pattern. By my next visit to grandma’s I had new doll clothes! I wish I was half the seamstress she was! I cannot imagine what she could create if she had the tools we have now.
I love this and can not wait to try it…I have Floriani software…
I am just starting to make doll clothes. Since my two granddaughters are now really getting into their dolls. I am now able to start making them clothes for their dolls. I love to win this book, it looks like they would be great to make for them…
Thanks for the oppotunity to win this.
With 2 young granddaughters I really need to get with the program and make some of these wonderful doll clothes. The idea of being able to use my embroidery software to personalize and simplify the work is a great.
With 2 young granddaughters I really need to get with the program and make some of these wonderful doll clothes. The idea of being able to use my embroidery software to personalize and simplify the work would be a great technique.
Love this idea. I appreciate all in the hoop projects.
I’ve been wanting to try this method.Thank you for showing me how!
Thanks so much for the great idea! I have the book and I have the software…I just hadn’t thought of using them together like that.
Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial!!!! There are always such great ideas here!!!
Looks like great fun! Thanks for info on the blog tour. I’d love to own this
book/video set on making doll clothes the easy way.
Oh….grandmother special….love to do this
Love the doll clothes. I am going to be working with my granddaughter, and would love to get the book!
How cool! I’ve been putting off making clothes for my granddaughter’s dolls, but now I’m sure I can make a collection this winter for her! Thanks so much for the idea!
I learn something new each time I read your blog. I can’t wait to try this. I hope I can do it. Thanks again.
Karen
Thanks for the great tutorial, I love how you combined the two!
Very cute. It gave me another idea for how I might place embroidery on some upcoming projects.
What a great idea! I love it. Thanks for the great info and tutorial. Definitely gonna try this!!
This looks like a wonderful book! I have 6 granddaughters and so far 2 have American Girl dolls. It would be great fun to sew with and for them.
Love this idea! Can’t wait to try it out.
I love these patterns. I need to get the book and video.
Great idea for making doll clothes. so much better making them at home that buying them in stores where they fall apart. can’t beat hand made items for durability.
Since I don’t have grands to sew for, my own doll needs a new wardrobe. I have the software, now to get the book.
Eileen,
What a great variation on the 30-Minute Doll Clothes patterns! Thanks for being part of my Sewing Doll Clothes Blog Tour. Your friend! N
I would love to make doll clothes in the hoop.
I have the book and CD and have made several of the outfits. They truly are quick and easy and can be made from scraps of left over fabric. I don’t digitize but have just embroidered on several of the outfits. Your presentation make me think I might need to look into digitizing.
Great idea! Just shows how many techniques and methods can be adapted to our machine embroidery, and how much embelishment can be done using our tools.
What a great idea! You gave great step by step details that can be translated to make other in the hoop projects! Thank you so much!
Hope this will become In The Hoop Designs for sale!
My new granddaughter would love these for her doll.
Have an “added blessing” age 10 mos in the family…so I’m back to making doll clothes again! And the 14 & 10 yr old can play dolls again without kidding from peers as they are just playing with baby sister! Of course it’ll be a few yrs before she’ll actually leave the clothes on any doll!!
Thank you so much for the tutorial. I have Bernina software and this seems to be an easy project for me to try digitzing. I would love to win this book. I made doll clothes for my daughter and my 3 Grandaughters still play with them, but they are old enough to start sewing some newer style clothes. I like Joan’s quick methods.
Thank you for sharing 18 inch doll ideas.
love the 18 inch doll clothes.
Love the 18 inch doll clothes suggest.
I remember when I was young and my mother made doll clothes for me. She did it by hand. I still have one of the dresses. This would “blow her mind” if she could see this!!!
I was so excited when I saw your blog. I have a five year old coming to stay with me and had recently purchased a pattern for her Molly doll. Also been working through my Floriani workbook and trying to familiarize myself with the software. so glad to see you apply it. I missed the bucket list , but went back and printed those thoughts. What a great idea to get yourself unafraid of the machine. I will be eager to see any other software help or usages as well. thanks for the inspiration.
I have loved these doll clothes patterns since I first saw them on Nancy’s show. Now they’re even better. What fun!!
I saw these segments on Sewing with Nancy and fell in love with these doll clothes. I would love to make them for my little AG lover friends.
The best thing I can think of is the title of a very old song, “Ain’t We Got Fun”!!!
I just bought a new Baby Lock sewing machine, but I do not have an embroidery machine. I do have two grand daughters though that love these dolls and I should get the book!
OMG!!! How cool is this! I’ve seen very expensive dvd’s that have ITH doll patterns for the American Girl Dolls, but I had no idea it was this easy to make them myself. I will definitely be doing this, as my grand daughter has two of these dolls & I too do not like cutting out these teeny tiny patterns. Cutting them directly on the fabric with embroidery already stitched on. OMG…do I need to say more?
Thanks for the great post I can’t wait to try it.
What a fun idea, thanks for sharing. love this blog tour
This is so cute. I have a new grandaughter and before the year is over I will have a three year old grandaughter. My daughter is adopting. Would love this book. tThanks for the ideas.
This book looks so awesome. I first learned to sew when I was in 4th grade by making Barbie doll clothes and then sewed doll clothes for my 2 daughters when they were young. . I guess that’s why even now at 50 years old I still love making doll clothes.
I would love to make doll clothes for my grandchildren.
What a great technique!! I love it and that book looks like fun. It is definitely on my list of books to buy! Thank you
Can’t wait to try this one, I will surprise my little princess and make some dresses for her dolls. Thanks Eileen! xo
The embroidery really makes that outfit! Thanks for showing how to do it.
That’s a great idea to digitize the pattern and add embroidery trim. That would be good to use with Barbie Doll patterns, too. That would save on wear and tear of the paper patterns.
I think I may try this.
What file format did you use to scan the pattern? Does file format make a difference in the Floriani software?
Hi Sonya – I saved the pattern scan as a jpg. I’m not sure if it matters or not but the jpg worked just fine.
This is such an exciting concept! This will be one of my upcoming projects for sure. Can’t wait to try it!
What a great idea to think outside the box and utilize both our sewing machines and our software. Granddaughter loves to help sew the AG clothes now she can help design them too. Thanks for the idea.
I have been sewing for 40+ years and have always avoided doll clothes because they seemed so labor-intensive! Now I have three granddaughters with dolls, and this is an exciting concept to create beautiful doll clothes with time-saving techniques! I can hardly wait to get my hands on this book and get started! Thank you so much for this information!
Sounds Great! Just told Grand daughters we would make doll clothes when they come over.
I am going to try this. I make doll clothes for my granddaughters American Girl dolls and would love to make the cross over shirt for them. Thanks for the idea.
My granddaughter likes to dress up her dolls, so I’m starting to make her some clothes for her dolls. This would help alot.
Terrific outfit. Thanks for the tutorial.
I have been wanting this book for a long time. Winning would be extrodinary. I want to try the digitiozing project as soon as I get the book. Win or Purchase?
I’m going to try this. I didn’t realize my software would do this. Very clever idea.
My granddaughters and I have been sewing dresses for their american girl dolls and having so much fun this would be really great to dress them up some more. putting lace on is so hard for them-they are so scared about getting their fingers sewn in. Thanks for this idea we would really have fun.
I have an Ellisimo Gold, Floriani Total Control Software, and twin nieces with American Girl dolls. This is just the perfect combination of ingredients for a recipe of summer fun!
Wonderful option for all the doll clothes I am going to be making for my 3 granddaughters. Have Joan’s regular sewing doll clothes books but would love to incorporate my embroidery machine to speed up the process.
Super Neat Idea! Thanks Nancy!
How very special to have custom embroidery on doll clothes!
HELLO! SUCH A NEAT TUTORIAL! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
The outfit is quick and cute-you can’t beat that.
This book looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing your method of using your embroidery machine. I love my embroidery machine, but do not have software that can perform miracles like that. It’s time for me to invest in some new software.
That software looks amazing. Something to add to my Christmas list!
Always look forward to new ways to use my machine to personalize gifts for nieces and nephews.
Your embroidery is beautiful! I would love to try the patterns.
Love your ideas, can’t wait to try them.
I am loving the blog tours!!
Love this Blog. I wish I had known about before. I bought the pattern set for little girls/w matching outfits for her doll from Nancy Ziemann. My granddaughter loved them.
Thanks for this blog.
love the look, love how simple you’ve made it! Thanks.
susan in ct
I need to try to figure the instructions out. It looks sofun to do.
Just bought an embroidery/sewing machine at Nancy Zieman’s lecture at Quilt Beginnings in columbus, OH. Can’t wait to use the above technique to make doll clothes.
I used to make Barbie clothes when I was little. Can’t wait to help my grandaughter make clothing for her 18″ dolls.
Have been a fan of Nancy’s since my girls have been small. In their 20′s now.
What a fun blog
This book is so sweet! I want to make some doll clothes!!!
Love to sew quick & easy!!
Love the fabric selection for playful doll clothes.
Deborah
homemakerhoney @gmail .com
Since I have 6 great granddaughters and 8 step great granddaughters there are lots of reasons to use this book, and it sounds really fun to make the doll clothes, but since I also have 1 great grandson with 2 more on the way and 3 step great grandsons I would have to have something for them too, and I don’t know what I could embroider for tractors and trucks etc. The girls ages range from 15 down to 6 months and the boys ages range from 12 down to unborn with many more of each to come later also.
I love that outfit. The embroidery is such a great touch.
[...] July 12 Eileen Roche dzgns.com/blog [...]
Your ideas are so much fun! This book looks so good — I will really need to find a copy so I can help my granddaughters make some doll clothes.
[...] July 12 Eileen Roche dzgns.com/blog [...]
So happy to have started this tour because I found your blog. Loved the embroidery and the software.
Thanks Tammy! Glad to have you here.
Thank you for the neat idea and the resizing.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I have Nancy’s book and have made many, many outfits for my 3 granddaughter’s. I am so impressed with your directions for doing embroidery on them. I can’t wait to make more. They have the 18′ dolls from Nancy’s Notions and call them their American Girl dolls. I enjoy your blog so much and learn alot. Is there anyway to print your blog without getting all the ads. I’m looking for a print article only button! They are great to refer back to.Thanks, mary Ann
Thank you so much. The dolly clothes are so cute. My little grand daughter wants me to make some for her new doll and these look so quick. Your tips are great. Marsha
Thank you so much for sharing the information on how it is possible to do this with doll clothes. They are so cute.
What a great idea. I love the work on the embroidery. Very cute.
I love the embroidery work, wish I had a machine that could do this. Maybe someday. I love the doll clothes tutorials, my nine year old and I will have to create her doll at bunch of clothes.
shuttermom77 at gmail dotcom
I’m looking for a tuxedo pattern for 22-36 inch puppets.
This is just awesome. Thanks for the explanation. Can’t wait to do the digitizing.
I have a Janome 11000 Memory Craft.I’m having problems with the tension on the machine. It seems loose on the bottom and the top is not that tight. I was cleaning the machine and I touched the default would that make a difference in the stitching I’ve rethreaded it many times but doesn’t seem to make a difference. I’m and old lady and can’t make the trip to Kelowna. Any help would be appreciated. Could yoou send it on my e-mail. Thank You
My wife and i have been really fulfilled that Michael could finish up his researching from the ideas he grabbed in your weblog. It is now and again perplexing to simply find yourself freely giving methods which often others could have been making money from. We really know we have got the blog owner to appreciate for that. The explanations you’ve made, the easy site menu, the relationships your site help to instill – it is all unbelievable, and it is helping our son and our family reckon that the article is amusing, which is extremely fundamental. Thank you for all!
What fun! I have sewn lots of doll clothes for 18″ dolls, but, never in the hoop. I will definitely give this a try. My 3 year old granddaughter will soon be ready for doll clothes. Thanks for the hints.
My oldest granddaughter whats to sew and make these doll cloths . This is such a good idea . And y’all are amazing . Thank you for all you do to help .
Blessings the Johnson family
I have this book and dvd. But I have misplaced the dvd. Look everywhere for it. Cant find it . Went to the web site was going to buy another copy but didnt. came back today and it on sale yeh and yes I bought aother copy. Thanks these pattern are great and easy to make.