What do you use to make your doll outfits

I didn’t know where to put but I wanted to ask for those who sew your own clothes what’s your preferred method?

I draft the clothes, make a pattern based on it, cut the pattern out, and test it by cutting some muslin or scrap fabric to make sure it works cause it usually doesn't fit that well on the first try. I will use other patterns and my doll for measurement reference. I primarily use cotton even though it's not the best to use for doll clothes. The cotton I use is primarily used for quilting, which is a tad too thick and heavy for some doll clothes, but it's alright to use solids or smaller prints if you're going for an older fashion style. Make sure to wash all of your fabric before use because they can stain your dolls, even the lighter ones. I have trouble hemming, but it's easier to do the larger your doll is. Most of my smaller dolls have unfinished edges but since they're so small and I rarely take their clothes off, it doesn't matter. You can use fabric glue to seal the edges if you don't want to hem. When making socks, underwear, or things that stretch, I use knits or spandex. But mostly it's cotton. I do use synthetics for some clothes since I want a lighter or gauzy outfit or the outfit just calls for it. The color selection for synthetics is also better in my area. For example, I found a synthetic silk taffeta in the exact shade of navy I want and it feels alright. The hardest part of the process is probably finding the correct fabric type for the drape and in the color/print that you want and sometimes, you're going to hate working with that fabric (velvet and fake fur shed a lot). Sometimes the doll is so small that I'll hand sew all of it but the larger doll clothes usually get the sewing machine, with some touching up with hand sewing.

There will be a lot of trial and error involved and scrap fabric and unwanted clothes are good things to use/test things with.

Edited February 22, 2025 by Amapola

I sew my doll clothes the same way I sew human clothing, for the most part. The only real difference I can think of is the order of certain seams. So you'll set the sleeves in before you sew the side seams, for example, because it's far too fiddly to do it the usual way.
My usual process is draping/drafting -> mockup -> fitting -> alter the pattern, and then repeat until I'm happy enough with how it looks that I can move onto the actual garment. If I'm sewing from a commercial pattern I often only make one mockup, though.

FYI, if you're planning on making a lot of knit garments, put a piece of tissue paper under the fabric before you sew. Makes a world of a difference. Exoflex thread also helps a lot.

I would look at some beginner books for sewing at your local library or archive.org to get the basics down. A lot of the techniques used for human clothes can also be applied at doll size.

Here are a few question that i would like to ask.

What is your skill level?

What type of clothes do you want to make?

Do you own a sewing machine and do need some advice about them

Do you need advice on what tools to use?

I personally tend to hand draft patterns on either cardstock or thin bristol board by just tracing the contours of a dolls body measurements.

For my 1/6 scale girl, everything she has is hand sewn, but I feel more comfortable using a sewing machine when I get up to 1/4.

Pro tip: doll sewing is the perfect art for recycling human clothing fabrics. There's been plenty of times when an article of my clothing has worn out in an area that can't be easily mended, and instead of tossing the fabric, I typically just run things through the washer one last time and salvage panels from the human garments to make things at a doll scale. Saves me money, and helps keep polyester out of landills 

A dream and a lot of YOLO-ing lol. Seriously.

I watch tutorials of human (or somtimes already doll scale) clothes and just follow from there. If I can find patterns laid out for similar to what I want I'll draw some myself based on it. Sometimes I just lay the body down on the fabric for drawing these. Sometimes I do it on paper. It really just depends. Is it always perfect? No. But I figure things out, and I make it work.

If you're a beginner, I highly recommend medieval patterns. Tunics and the like. They are generally straight up rectangles with occasionally-stay with me now- triangles. They were meant to be easy and quick to make. And they absolutley are. Coats/jackets are also basically just a bunch of rectangles. Do not discount the humble rectangle.

If you have other doll clothing, you can use them to trace out patterns for similar garments if you're a little more advanced.

I have a huge stockpile of fabric from my cosplay days so I use a lot of that. But I also recycle my own/family members' clothing. If you want sweater type, get cheap socks (or recycle some you own, but only if they still look mostly new. Don't use pilling, threadbare socks). I only hand sew sock material, my machine likes to eat them. For small prints and small rib knits, underwear is actually really good. Check out the clearance at the store. You can get some for very cheap and usually a pretty nice amount or the really big sizes that get left over. (Big size undies means more material so I always find the biggest one if I can). Again, I hand sew these because my machine eats them. If it's cotton or a sturdier fabric->machine sew because I'm impatient.

I also cannot stress this enough: don't make your item for the first time with the fabric you actually want for it. Practice it with some muslin or ugly fabric you don't care about. ESPECIALLY if you're flying by the seat of your pants on something. Unless you REALLY sort of know what you're doing, don't use your nice fabric the first time you're making something new. Use things you don't care about to figure it out. They don't even all have to be the same fabric, use scraps for each piece if you have to. It's just to make sure you have an idea of how to construct the garment. Save yourself the frustration on messing up your nice fabrics right off the bat. (Unless you have an abundance of it.) I'll be real, I do this to myself a lot. I gotta stop that lol.

Go forth and throw together doll clothes. Do it badly. It's fine. You will get better. The dolls don't care if the inside is rough. Does it look ok on the outside? Fantastic. A+ job. Don't ever flip the seams, no one cares about that. Dont think too hard. You can do it!

Edited December 6, 2025 by GirlWiththeDragoonTattoo

I use a combination of purchased patterns, and my own.

I wouldn't recommend drafting patterns from scratch for a beginner, though.  I'd start with easy stuff:  look for patterns for pajama pants, elastic-waistband skirts, and a basic T-shirt.

 

For fabrics, start with basic cotton wovens and jersey knit.  Don't use spandex-heavy, shiny, or slippery fabrics until you've got the hang of the basics.  Quilting cotton isn't the best material, but it's cheap, super-easy to sew with, and can make OK pajama pants.  You can also use it to make a practice copy (called a toile) when you're learning new techniques.

 

If you're using a sewing machine, buy ball-point needles for knits, satins, and stretch materials.  It makes a world of difference.