Make an 1800's Doll's Gown
The look was long, narrow, and tubular. The Empire style of 1800 originated with Empress Josephine. Everyone wanted to dress like the ancient Greeks, with thin muslin dresses and long trains in the back. Hair was worn Grecian style, with curls around the face, pulled back to a cluster of curls. Long, soft, warm paisley shawls drooped gracefully in back.
Click on the image for a detailed view.
Materials:
- Thin, cream colored fabric
- Needle and Thread or sewing machine
- Narrow white trim for headband
- Embroidery Floss (hair and fringe)
- Mod Podge (hair stiffener)
- Small piece of dark Jersey knit fabric or paisly print for shawl
- Fine point felt tipped marker
Instructions
- Use thin, cream colored batiste. Print this pattern file or save the image and import it into a Word document—this will maintain the proportions correctly.
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Make bodice and fit over doll by sewing the bodice backs to bodice front at shoulders and curved back seam. Gather the neckline and waistline to create a gathered look across the bodice, so that the bodice fits snugly around the doll. Clip the curved back seam so that it lays flat.
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Measure from the bottom of the bodice to the floor and, allowing seams and hems, cut skirt to this length. Skirt front should be only wide enough to fit from one underarm to the other, with enough added for very slight gathers. Back skirt should be twice as wide as the length from one underarm to the other. Leave a slit in the top center back of skirt. The back section should also be cut 2-3” longer than the front section, and round the sides to make a train.
Sew skirt seams and sew skirt to bodice, gathering as necessary, with most of the gathers in the back and a smooth line in front.
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Face or hem the neckline and back slit. Hem the long under sleeves and the short puff sleeves. Gather puff sleeves and baste them over the long under sleeves. Seam both puff and long sleeves together, turn and insert into armhole, and stitch in place.
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We’ve used a bald doll and have created curls around her face by dipping embroidery floss into Mod Podge and wrapping it around a large needle to dry. Glue straight strands to the back of her head for a pulled back look and glue clusters of curls in a chignon at the back. Glue narrow white braid around her head as in the photo.
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The Paisly shawl was made with a strip of jersey fabric with a paisley design drawn on with a fine point felt tipped marker. The fringe was made of embroidery floss.
Pattern Notes:
- We have used a doll that has a porcelain head and hands and is 8” tall at the shoulder. Most dolls follow the scale of being 6 “heads” tall. If you wish to make this pattern for a larger doll, keep this in mind when you enlarge the pattern. You can enlarge the pattern using the enlarge by percentage key on a standard copier.
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There are no seam allowances on these patterns. Be sure to add the seam allowance you are comfortable with when cutting out the patterns.
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Although you carefully follow the pattern outline, each pattern will need fitting and adjusting to your doll. Even two dolls made from the same pattern will vary slightly; even a slight difference in the stuffing will make a difference in the size. Armholes of dresses may need to be larger or smaller, waistlines may need to be lengthened, bustlines may need to be enlarged or reduced, etc. Plan to have a few “try on” sessions and take in or let out the seams before the final stitching.
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Fold fabric in half and cut pieces double when cutting two sleeves, dress sides, etc. If you are able to only cut one piece at a time, be sure to reverse the pattern.
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A great place to order doll parts for making your own porcelain dolls is Doll Repair Parts. Their 3 1/2" lady would make a lovely Regency doll.
This pattern for a gown comes from Dolls of Long Ago by Jeri Wiseman and Eleanor Zimmerman.
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