Beginner Sewing Tutorial: How to Sew a Doll Dress

Are you in a hurry to sew your bunny doll and dress before Easter? Do you need a cute gift for a baby shower next month? You may want to skip the pattern and go straight to the cut and sew doll fabric panel I've designed for Spoonflower!

Before diving into your doll dress project, gather these materials. Affiliate links to Amazon are used in this post to link to relevant, tested products at no additional cost to you.

Fabrics

• ½-yard pink or floral printed fabric for dress and panties
• 1-yard of ½-inch wide white crocheted lace

Notions and Hardware:

• 3 decorative heart-shaped buttons (optional)
• ½-inch wide Velcro OR 3 sew-on snaps OR 3 small buttons for closure
• ½-yard of ¼-inch wide elastic
• Cotton piecing thread to match fabric color

Sewing Tools:

• Hand sewing needles, embroidery needle, tapestry needle
• Fabric marking pen or pencil
• Basic sewing supplies including patchwork foot and zigzag foot

Lightweight woven cotton is the ideal choice for most doll garments. Visit your local quilt shop and look for small scale prints.

Look for motifs that are 1/4 inch or smaller. To visualize proper scale, think about how prints look on your own clothing compared to the size of your hand. A large-scale print (about hand-sized) makes a bold statement on human garments.

Apply this same principle when selecting fabrics for doll garments: if the printed shapes are bigger than your doll's hand, the print is too large. Choose smaller-scale prints or solid fabrics for the best results in your doll outfits.

I've also created multiple colors of this bright calico flower print. You can use the Fill-A-Yard option to get 1/2 yard of two prints to create two beautiful dresses for Ms. Bunny and Mally.

If you are working with normal woven cotton fabric (not the Spoonflower doll fabric panel linked above) I do recommend washing the fabric before cutting.

If you don't have time to wash your fabric, that's just fine. Do take the extra minute to spray on starch (the cheap stuff available at the grocery store), flip the fabric over, and press. The additional step of starching the fabric is worth it – it stabilizes the fibers and makes tricky seams much less likely to distort. 

Click Here to learn more about pressing fabric!

If you are new to sewing or brushing up on old skills, it's important to remember these fundamental dressmaking tips.

Seam Allowance Consistency: We'll use 1/4-inch seam allowances throughout this project and when sewing your Ms. Bunny doll. I recommend using a 1/4-inch foot or patchwork foot to make sewing this seam allowance easier.

With this foot, all you'll have to do is line up the edge of the pieces with the right edge of the foot. Stitch slowly and keep the seam allowance consistent through each seam to achieve professional results.

Pressing Techniques: Take time to press each seam as you work. For curved seams like the dress neckline and hems, you may want to press over a pressing ham. This stuffed, shaping device will help you achieve nice shape to your garments.

Always use a pressing cloth (a 12-inch square scrap of cotton fabric will work just fine) to protect your doll dress from direct contact with the iron. After pressing, lay your hand over the seam to encourage the fabrics to "learn" their new shape.

Topstitching Secrets - When topstitching any garment, you may find seam allowances below the doll dress fighting against your sewing machine's feed dogs.

Go slow and use a stiletto or tip of a seam ripper to help feed the dress evenly and consistently through the machine. If your sewing machine seems to gag the second something bulky comes in contact with it, consider using a walking foot. This is a special foot designed to evenly feed bulky fabrics - including whole quilts - through your sewing machine successfully.

Start by cutting out all pattern pieces according to the layout guide. When working with doll dress patterns, precision is crucial since there's little room for error at this small scale. Take time to transfer all markings accurately, as these will guide your construction process.

One of the joys of working with these doll dress sewing patterns is the opportunity to experiment with fabric combinations. Consider using contrasting fabrics for sleeves and skirt, or mixing prints and solids for a unique look that showcases your creativity.

The lined bodice is what elevates this doll dress from a simple craft project to a sophisticated garment. Begin by sewing the bodice fronts to backs at the shoulder seams for both the outer fabric and lining pieces.

The genius of this doll dress sewing pattern lies in its construction method. Instead of struggling with tiny neckline facings, you'll stitch the two bodice layers together, then turn the entire piece right side out. This technique creates a professional finish that's much easier than traditional methods.

Pro tip: When clipping curved seams on doll dress projects, try trimming the seam allowance to ⅛-inch rather than making multiple clips. This reduces bulk while allowing the fabric to turn smoothly.

After turning the bodice right side out, topstitch along the neckline and back opening. This finishing touch not only looks professional but also helps the edges lie flat – essential for a polished doll dress appearance.

The Ms. Bunny Doll Pattern includes over 30 photos and diagrams to guide you through making this doll dress. But for visual learners, I know a video is essential! Watch and see how to sew a doll dress in this beginner-friendly video tutorial:

Sleeve insertion often intimidates new sewers, but this doll dress pattern makes the process manageable through smart design and clear techniques. Start by finishing the sleeve hem with lace trim, creating a decorative detail that's both functional and beautiful.

The key to easy sleeve insertion is the basting stitch. Sew a wide basting stitch (4.5mm) around the sleeve cap, leaving long thread tails. This gathering stitch allows you to ease the sleeve into the armhole without puckering or struggling with excess fabric.

The skirt portion of this doll dress combines several important sewing techniques in miniature scale. Begin by attaching lace trim ⅛-inch from the bottom edge – this positioning ensures the lace peeks out beautifully from the finished hem.

For the hem, use the enclosed seam method detailed in the pattern. This technique creates a clean, professional finish without visible raw edges – perfect for doll dresses that will be handled frequently during play.

When finishing the skirt back opening, take extra care with the zigzag stitching. Use a narrow zigzag (2.5mm wide, 1.5mm long) positioned just inside the fabric edge to prevent rolling and ensure clean finishing.

The final assembly of your doll dress requires careful attention to gathering and alignment. Use the same basting technique employed for the sleeves to gather the skirt to fit the bodice. Pin at center points first, then distribute gathers evenly for a professional appearance.

After stitching the skirt to bodice, press the seam allowance toward the bodice and topstitch ⅛-inch from the seam line. This finishing technique flattens the seam and adds durability – important considerations for doll dresses that need to withstand wild toddler play!

The back closure of your doll dress can be finished three ways, each offering different advantages:

Velcro Closure: The fastest and most child-friendly option. Velcro allows for easy dressing and undressing, making this doll dress perfect for young children. Velcro can now be found in lots of colors and sizes to coordinate with your doll dress.

Snap Closure: Provides a good middle ground between ease of use and professional appearance. Hand-sewn snaps offer satisfying handwork practice while creating functional closures.

Button and Buttonhole Closure: Offers the most authentic garment appearance. While requiring more advanced skills, buttonholes on doll dresses teach valuable techniques that transfer to full-size sewing projects.

Would you like to see how to sew Velcro, hand stitch snaps, and plan and make buttons and buttonholes? See each closure option step-by-step in this video:

No doll dress is complete without proper undergarments! The matching panties included in this doll dress sewing pattern teach elastic casing techniques that are fundamental to many sewing projects.

Start by sewing the curved crotch seam, taking care to maintain the ¼-inch seam allowance. The small scale of doll garments makes precision crucial – use your zigzag foot and adjust needle position for consistent results.

Finish all seams with narrow zigzag stitching, trimming excess fabric close to the stitching line. This technique prevents fraying while minimizing bulk in the tiny garment.

The elastic casings for both legs and waistband use identical techniques, making this an excellent learning project. Fold raw edges ¼-inch twice to fully encase them, creating tunnels for elastic insertion.

Threading tip: Don't cut elastic pieces before threading them through casings. Working with longer lengths makes the process much easier and prevents lost elastic ends inside narrow tunnels.

Use a tapestry needle to thread elastic through casings, and don't hesitate to use pliers for better grip when pulling the needle through tight spaces. Secure elastic ends with multiple backstitches to ensure durability during wear and washing.

The Ms. Bunny doll and Mally Rag Doll are sister sewing patterns, so both dolls can be dressed in the garments included with both patterns. Continue building your sewing skills by learning how to sew a doll t-shirt and blue jeans!