Hello friends!
Today we have two more tools to help with your Building Block Dress book designs. You may already be familiar with the first one. It’s our free handy measurement chart to help you keep track of the growing child(ren) in your life. Of course you can also use it for yourself, if you want. Download it, print it, and keep it handy. It’s wallet-sized so you can always have it with you when you need it.
The second is a miniature version of the dress pattern itself. I used this little tool when I taught the workshops that turned into the book. The seamlines are already marked on these mini pattern pieces, so they’re quick and easy to use for practice before you trace and alter the full-sized pattern. You could even save your practice pattern pieces as visual reminders for each technique in the book if you want.
And don’t forget our Building Block Dress Pinterest board! I’m adding images almost every day, so you’re sure to find inspiration for your next dress there.
this skirt pattern was too small. would not go around the waist. about a fourth of an inch too small.
This isn’t meant for actual sewing, just for practicing the techniques in the book. If you sewed it you may have used a different seam allowance?
Need an “inch” marker to print out right size.
The size for this is unimportant–it’s just meant for practicing the techniques in the book, not for actual sewing!
Can You recommend what size to scale it up to to fit a 14.5 inch doll?
As I’ve replied to other comments, this practice pattern is not designed for dolls. It’s a miniature version of the actual dress pattern in the book and is not scaled for dolls bodies.
If this pattern can’t be used for an actual doll then what good is it? A waste of material and time. I’d just as soon practice on something that I could actually use.
Joanne, as I’ve explained multiple times in these comments as well as in the post, this is not a pattern for making doll clothes. This mini pattern is designed to help you practice the pattern alteration techniques in the book on a small scale before you begin working with the full-sized pattern.
“The seamlines are already marked on these mini pattern pieces, so they’re quick and easy to use for practice before you trace and alter the full-sized pattern. You could even save your practice pattern pieces as visual reminders for each technique in the book if you want.”
You’re not supposed to sew the pattern, you’re supposed to practice the pattern alteration techniques with the pattern. The pattern is a smaller scale pattern of the actual dress pattern in the book. This is a tool to be used with my Building Block Dress book. Please don’t use it to sew actual dresses for dolls!
Then why does the website say “free pattern for 13- and 14.5-inch doll skirts”
and also… “The pattern piece
Print out the mini building block dress practice pattern which is a miniature version of the Oliver + S Building Block Dress book dress pattern. Print it according to these specifications:
For a 13-inch doll print it out at scale 100%
For a 14.5-inch doll print it out at scale 115%
You will just be using the skirt pattern pieces. I printed out two copies, then I taped all four pattern pieces together to make one continuous pattern piece.”
Very confusing…
Sandra C.
That other post that led you here was published after this one. This was not developed originally to be used as a dress pattern for doll clothes. But after it was published our blog editor found a way to use it to make a doll skirt.