FREE 18″ Doll Clothes Pattern and Tutorial: Blue Hawaii Outfit

You Will Need:

❖ The pattern! Get the full printout by putting your name and email in above, or add it to your cart and checkout for free by clicking here.

❖ 1 Fat Quarter lightweight woven fabric without “show through”
■ Suggested Fabrics: Main fabric and lining/reversible side in medium weight cotton, cotton blends, gingham, silk, or linen.

❖ Hook and loop tape:
■ For Bodice: ¼” x 1”
■ For Skirt: ¼” x ¾”

❖(Optional) ½” Button (1-2)

❖(Optional) Lace:
■ Bodice: 12”
■ Skirt: 13.25”
■ Total: 25.25”

❖ Thread
❖Sewing Machine
❖Sewing Machine Needles (for lightweight fabric, sizes 11/75 or 12/80)
❖Iron and Pressing Tools

Seam Allowance: ¼”

I recommend pairing these instructions with my free video tutorial here:

Cutting Instructions:

Cutting Layout: 18” by 22” folded in half lengthwise.

Pattern Pieces:
❖ Front (Cut 2. 1 for the main fabric, 1 lining/reversible fabric.)
❖ Sides (Cut 4. 2 for the main fabric, 2 lining/reversible fabric.)
❖ Tie (Cut 2 on main fabric. Optionally, cut 1 main fabric and 1 lining/reversible fabric, aware that when tying, showing only one side will require a bit more finesse.)
❖ Skirt (Cut 2. 1 for the main fabric, 1 lining/reversible fabric):
➢ 13.75” wide (6.875” wide cut on fold)
➢ 5” long
❖ Straps (Cut 2 on main fabric):
➢ 9” long (4.5” wide cut on fold)
➢ 1” wide

Printing Instructions:

This pattern is designed to fit on 8.5” x 11” paper. To print, be sure that your printer scaling is set to “none,” “actual size,” or “100%” to ensure proper sizing. Because all printers are different, check the 1” measurement and/or the 1 cm measurement on the pattern piece pages to be certain the pattern is sized properly.

Doll Measurements:

This pattern was designed to fit a modern American Girl DollⓇ with an 11” chest, 11 ⅛” waist, and 12” hip. If you have a doll with similar measurements, this pattern should fit. Be sure to measure your doll and adjust if needed. This pattern was made as a free 18″ doll clothes pattern.

Project Basics:

❖ Seam allowance in ¼”
❖ Standard stitch is a length of 2.5 mm (2 mm also works!) unless otherwise stated.
❖ For more guidance on project steps, I advise watching the video tutorial.

Sewing Instructions:

Marking:

2. For the Skirt’s hook and loop tape, mark where the angled tape should go on the main fabric’s right side. To help in the marking process, cut the outline out, lay pattern piece on top of the fabric, and mark the outline with tailor’s chalk.

Straps:

3. On Straps, press ¼” in on one short side. Then, press both long sides into the middle. Fold in half, and sew along the open edge to close the Straps (recommend using an edging foot here).

Bodice:

4. With right sides together, match the notches of the Sides and Front. Sew. Do for main fabric and lining/reversible fabric.

5. Press seams open.

7. To avoid sewing over the straps, bundle Straps in a clip or something similar to condense their size and make them more noticeable while sewing.

8. Right sides together, pin the bodices together. To help with sewing “v”s, mark your seam allowance for the v neck on the side you will be sewing. Sew along the bodice’s edges, leaving the one of the bodice’s Sides unsewn. When starting and ending sewing around, be sure not to sew over the open Side’s 1/4″ seam allowance, as this will be pressed back later.

11. On the open edge, press each Side’s 1/4″ seam allowance back over itself, wrong sides together. This will make sewing this edge easier after turning the bodice right side out.

14. Iron bodice flat. Pin 1″ hook and loop tape on either side of the fabric along the edge. Sew. I recommend using 2 mm stitch length to have more control over sewing the corners. Bodice completed.

Tie:

16. Clip edges. Like the bodice, on the open edge, press each 1/4″ seam allowance over itself, wrong sides together.

18. To attach the tie to the bodice:
1. Put bodice on doll.
2. Slip tie behind the middle of the bodice.
3. Tie a single knot.
4. Done!

Skirt

19. If using lace, pin lace facing upwards to the right side of either Skirt fabric, according to markings (which are just outside of the seam allowance). Baste with a stitch length of 4 mm or higher.

20. Right sides together, pin Skirt pieces together. Sew along the sides, leaving a 3″ opening on one side to turn right side out. I did this on a short edge. Feel free to change if you believe elsewhere will have a cleaner finish.

22. Iron Skirt flat. Pin 3/4″ long hook and loop tape to each side of Skirt. Place one on an angle according to the markings, and place the other on the other side of the fabric along the matching corner edge. After pinning, I recommend putting it on your doll to make sure Skirt fits. Adjust if needed. Sew hook and loop tape with a 2 mm stitch length.

23. Optionally, sew a button over either or both the hook and loop tape. For a cleaner finish, hand sew button by only pulling the needle through the top layer of fabric. Skirt completed.

Finished! Thank you for choosing to make the Blue Hawaii outfit!

I hope you enjoyed this FREE 18″ doll clothes pattern, and I’d love to see how your outfit turned out! If you share any pics of the project, please tag me; it’s wonderful to see your creations! You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at:

@joanierosesewing

This is my first pattern release and I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you have any questions or thoughts, message me on social media or email me at joanierosesewing@gmail.com.

Special Thanks

Creating my first pattern was a long journey. In 2022, I drafted the first version of these free 18″ doll clothes pattern pieces as a beginner myself. Two years later, I made these pieces into a pdf pattern, and sent it off to some amazing pattern testers. Without their feedback, I never would have digitized the pattern pieces, made it reversible, made it fit properly (!!), and plenty of other details. Thank you so much to my version 1 and 2 pattern testers: