My niece has a lot of dolls but almost no clothes for them, and my sister asked me if I could make some...I thought I'd try to cut up and use some of my old clothes that I don't use anymore, but I can't think of any 'shortcuts' to use (other than making an ugly dress out of a sleeve, and so on). Any ideas? The dolls are of various sizes (from Barbie size to baby size) and the clothes don't have to _look_ that good (ie no intricate details...) as my niece is only 18 months (she really likes to dress and undress her dolls though, so that's why we're making clothes).

Kneesocks and trouser socks make lingerie and evening gowns. You can cut holes just below the top for arms and do a running stitch around the top for a pull string neck.

Fake fur doesn't have to be hemmed for doll clothes, make simple vests and jackets.

Bias tape makes a great tube top sorta for Barbie. Get the 1 inch or wider kind, wrap around her and velcro or snap. Taper the front under her boobs and tack a couple of contrasting stitches for prettyness.

Sleeves from shirts are good for evening gowns, too, but some will actually require some sewing or binding with iron on tape.

Make saris or sarongs out of pretty light weight material.

Caftans and ponchos are easy to stitch up for dolls.

Babydolls can use a-line dresses you might make from a tiny old T shirt of yours, just stitch them in under the arms to take up the excess.

Kids, even babies, are kinda rough on dressing their dolls and usually can't handle teeny buttons. So use sash belts to hold things on, but for a baby, you might want to stitch them on so they don't get swallowed.

Circle skirts are good for dolls, use a draw string waist since it's a PIA to put in an elastic.

Go for brights. The younger the kid, the more they like brights and will be happy with that instead of glitter and tulle and lace.

Beth, is there nothing you can't do? ;)

Back in the day when I had 2 Barbies (mom refused to buy them for me, so I relied on gifts. she did buy me one on my 21st b-day, saying I was finally old enough. She's a little smartass), my mom made evening gowns and matching capes out of leftover silver lame.

The gowns were tubes with a little drawstring on top and at the waist, but the cape was my favorite. Simple half circle of lame with an overlay of ruffled tulle. God I was so girly.

Go for simple shapes, and use the hems on your old clothes to minimize sewing.

Jen

I never had my own Barbie either. My sister was given someone's castoff, and then I got it after I bit off the toes and stuck pins in her head.

When I was thirty some, maybe just 30, my niece reluctantly gave me one of her damaged Barbies without a head so I could sew her clothes. Finally, when she was in high school and no longer had any of the stuff I made for her, she gave me the doll head. I will treasure that always. Ah, the charity of youth!

I'm agoraphobic, Jen, sometimes suicidal, and have to quit my career in a few months if my stalker doesn't end it for me. Then move to where no one knows me and start my life over again. Yeah, I'd say there are a few things I can't do.

This board is nice distraction from the real world. But it ain't enough.

FWIW, I've always wanted to do a super glammed Barbie and have her set up at Christmas or other holidays. I feel like all my best ideas have been taken by the collector series already. Say, have they done a Tarzan and Jane ensemble yet? I could handle that! I try not to look at them in magazines so I can do it myself. Maybe a Glynda the Good Witch, bubble and all... I really wanted the whole Scarlett O'Hara thing but I know they've done that one for sure.

Back to the thread... You can make pants from some gloves. I only did it with gardening gloves, but I bet leatherette would be neat looking if you get a glove with long enough fingers.

Thanks for all the ideas - now I just have to go over to their house to measure all the dolls :-) I actually stayed up until midnight last night sewing a pyjamas for one of my niece's favourite dolls...I found an old pyjama top that I never use, so I cut it up.

I actually had a couple of Barbies when I was little (I have two older sisters so I always got their old toys) but I never played with them! What a waste...

- matilda
(who has social phobia - I know the phobia deal... :-)

For the circle skirt that beth suggested, I would put a velcro piece or a snap on instead....the child could choke or swallow on the string.

I'm shocked! I had no idea that I wasn't the only kid in the world who only had one Barbie doll! Mine was one I found in the woodbox of a house we'd just moved into. It's actually pretty cool - bendable knees & stuff. :) My dog got to it, though, and now Barbie has swiss-cheese-esque hands and feet.

Heh Heh. I only ever had a brown haired Ken doll. I asked for it because I needed a "Dave" for my Alvin, Simon and Theodore toys.

Oh, well there is a cure for swiss cheese barbie hands and feet. It involves radical trimming. I prefer the bite method myself, but then I only operated on the old rigid Barbies, the ones who could never spread their legs, even if I knew what that was for. <g>