Darice Rag Doll
Available at Craft Stores
This is an inexpensive ragdoll, produced by Darice. Darice makes a lot of doll paraphernalia, including some full size dolls which are sold nude and which you dress yourself. I have some of their 11.5-inch fashion dolls–similar to Barbie. Some of their stuff is pretty good quality, other stuff–not so much. This particular doll is very nice quality. I can recommend it quite readily.
They are made from good quality fabric, nicely stuffed, and pretty too. They are recommended for ages 3 and up, so it’s a perfect gift for a little girl who is not quite ready for anything more complicated. I found mine on sale for $5, but they usually cost between $7 and $10–depending on where you buy them. You can find them online at Sunshine Crafts and CR’s Crafts.
Darice Rag Doll in bloomers made from pattern below.
I’m very fond of craft dolls because they are usually a lot more affordable than name brand dolls and they have the same play benefits of any doll. Plus with craft dolls you add a lot of your own personality to them because you have to dress them yourself. When our daughters and granddaughters watch us sew for dolls, they get the idea that we can make our own resources instead of being trapped by the idea that the only way to procure resources to buy them with money. It teaches self-reliance and loosens the hold that television commercials and peer pressure have on our kids. Plus it makes you feel good too. I always feel a lot more pride when I can give away a doll that I’ve dressed myself, rather than one I’ve purchased clothing for.
Fully Dressed Darice Rag Doll. Made from pattern below.
I’ve scanned and uploaded a PDF file of baby doll clothes from 1968, a year before I was born. It’s a cute pattern, mostly classic, timeless styles. The main dress and bloomers are pictured above. I didn’t hem the dress as short as the pattern suggested. Like most older doll patterns, it had an inch of hem allowance. The dress went together pretty easily and so did the bloomers. The pattern is for a 12-inch baby doll and it fits this 13-3/4-inch rag doll perfectly.
McCall’s 9449
Size Small
Free PDF Pattern. Click to download.
Click Here To Download
The main dress (view B) has a gathered ruffled neckline reminiscent of Raggedy Ann. There are instructions for decorating the dress with either rickrack or lace. There’s a felt jumper that can be worn over the dress, or a lace pinafore, if you prefer. There’s also a pretty A-line dress with long sleeves, a lace collar and front pleat that is perfect for church. The bloomers are cut on the bias, so the hems are especially easy to turn. A felt coat with matching tam, nightgown and robe complete the pattern. All of the outfits are constructed without set in sleeves, so they are appropriate for beginner seamstresses.
While I’m recommending this pattern specifically for Darice Ragdolls, it will also fit most 12 to 14-inch baby dolls with chest measurements of 8.5 to 10-inch and neck measurements of 4 to 6-inches. The pattern has instructions for using snaps as closures but it’s a simple matter to use Velcro instead, if that’s what you prefer.
If anyone makes outfits with this pattern, please let me know. I’d love to share your pictures with my readers.
4 Responses to “Dressing a Darice Rag Doll – Free Patterns”
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Miss Maggie
I absolutely LOVE dolls. I love them so much I really enjoy making them myself. When the rabbit dolls were so popular I made 5 of them and the clothes included in the pattern envelope were gorgeous. They were all gifts and well received and appreciated. I have a very good friend that I’m teaching to sew and she has a collection of rabbits. (She loves rabbits the way I love cats!) So if I can locate the pattern in time i’ll try to make one for Brenda for Christmas. Along with a couple of changes of dresses.
A few years ago I made a “pancake ” doll. The pattern was in a book by Jodie Davis called “Teach Yourself to Make Cloth Dolls” It’s surely out of print now but I found a very pristine copy in used book store several years ago at a very reasonable price. Any book by Jodie Davis on stuffed toys is good. Also Venus Dodge is a doll maker in Great Britain, Her work is much more “upscale” than Jodie’s.
I, too, love the 18″ dolls. And I have 3 Springfield dolls.And I found an old pattern for a cloth 18″ doll and she was a challenge but turned out beautiful And Joan Hinds has several books on clothing and accessories for 18″ dolls. And she, too, uses Springfield Dolls.
Hope this fuels the creativity fires.
EB in Mo
Thanks for the suggestions EB. I love dolls too. It’s always nice to find another enthusiast. I like homemade dolls and store bought one’s too. They inspire me to get more creative and sew, sew, sew! Very satisfying.
Well, I didn’t get ANY Christmas gifts made this past year (2014). And it doesn’t look like it’s going to be much better this year. There was a time (here I go again!) that I made much better use of my time. When I worked I planned out what I was going to do and broke it down into certain steps to be accomplished in a certain block of time. Since I retired (be 10 yrs in December) the days just flow by and nothing really is accomplished. Just keeping up with the laundry seems to be about all I can do.
My Dad lived with us for about 8 months when he was on Hospice, and he made a remark right after he moved in. I was doing laundry late one night and he roused himself before he settled in for the night and asked me if I ever stopped working. I told him that as long as there was work to do and I wasn’t lying on the floor, semi comatose, I’ll keep going until I reached a stopping place. I’ve always been that way ever since I was a kid. Guess it’s programmed into my DNA? Ya think?
Almost supper time and I promised hubby salmon patties for din-din tonight with your seasoned potato chunks, salad and cauliflower. Fruit for dessert.
Bye for now.
Frankie
Oh yum, I love salmon patties. I don’t think my recipe is up yet, I’ll have to see about doing that. Hee! I always have a list of things to do too. I make sure to keep up with the laundry and dishes and then the rest of it gets done as I’m able. My to-do list is always longer than my available time. I try to be gentle with myself and do what I’m able to do and try not to worry over much about what doesn’t get done. As I get older there are some things I’m not as able to do as I once was, and I have to factor that into it too. I would like to do a lot more sewing than I’ve been able to manage lately, and my yard needs attention something fierce, but I’ve been busy with other things, and to be frank, sometimes I just need a nap more than I need to do chores. Best of luck to you Frankie, I wish I had answers, but I’ve only got questions. 😉