How to Sew a Simple Baby Doll Bonnet from a Handkerchief

Who doesn't love a sweet baby bonnet?  These two Effanbee Patsy Babies are wearing bonnets made from vintage hankies.

Here are some slightly larger dolls, a 17" Effanbee Bubbles and a 15" Effanbee Lovums, both wearing hanky bonnets.

This style of bonnet does not need to be made from a hanky...it could be cut from any piece of vintage linen that has a pretty lace border, such as a napkin, dresser scarf, tea towel, etc.

Remember this Madame Alexander PRECIOUS doll I showed you yesterday?

She is 12" tall and wears a white bonnet I made her because I couldn't find the right shade of yellow to match her original dress.

But I finally found the right shade of yellow in this beautiful, lace-edged hanky at the doll show this past weekend.  Would you like to see how I turned it into a bonnet?  Then follow me!

My hanky measured 11" x 11".  Measure your doll from earlobe to earlobe, going up over one side of her face down to the other.  In my doll's case, this measurement was 7".  In order for the bonnet to have a ruffle, you want your hanky to be about 1 1/2 times that measurement.  This would mean I would need a width of 10 1/2".  Since my hanky was 11", this was just right!  You don't have to have a ruffle--a little straight edged bonnet is precious, too.

Next step--turn back however much you want on the front edge.  Sometimes I turn back less, but this time  I decided to turn back the entire width of the wide border lace.  It just all depends on what kind of look you're going for.

Measure from the front of your doll's head back to the crown of her head--for my doll, this was about 3".  Add about 1/2" for the casing.  In this photo you can see that I have measured 3 1/2" over from the turned back lace edge.

Now comes the scary part--cut!  But if you've measured correctly, you have nothing to worry about.

I like to add another strip of lace across the very front edge of the bonnet.  This extra lace adds a little more ruffle, plus it helps to hide the gathering stitches you will be sewing next.  These are some of the laces from my stash that I was choosing between.

I think this one is it!  It has a slightly yellowish tint to it, so I think it's perfect.

Make a casing along the back edge of the hanky by pressing under 1/4", and folding it over again another 1/4" and pressing.  Stitch.

Cut your piece of lace just a little longer than the front of the bonnet so that you can turn under the raw edges 1/4" on each edge.

Attach lace by sewing a long gathering stitch along the edge of the bonnet.  Run another gathering stitch about 1/8" away from the first row.  Here you can see that the casing in back has been stitched, and the gathering rows have been added to the front.

Draw up your gathering threads to fit the measurement of your doll's head from earlobe to earlobe.  Tie off both ends securely.

Here I am testing the fit before I tie off the gathering stitches.

Take a small ribbon and thread it through the casing.  I use a bodkin (one of my favorite sewing tools!), but you could also use a tiny safety pin.  Draw up the ribbon to fit the back of your doll's head.

Attach some ribbon ties (I used vintage rayon ribbon in a pale yellow) to each front side and voila!  You have completed the bonnet.  Easy Peasy!

And just look how cute!

I finally found this little sweetie a pair of vintage shoes and socks.

Side view--I just love how the lace poofs out and frames her little face.

Back view

Now, there is no reason your little dolls (or bigger ones!) can't have a sweet bonnet.  Of course, you don't need to use a vintage hanky--you could also cut out a piece of fabric to the measurements you need, and then add some lace to the front.  You would also need to hem the sides since you are working with raw fabric.  Now, go make a bonnet!

 

New Sewing for American Girl Dolls SAMANTHA & REBECCA

This past week I made two new dresses.  Samantha received a Keeper's Dolly Duds pattern I've made before, called "1914 Pleated Frock", and Rebecca got a dress from the book "Doll Dress Boutique" by Erin Hentzel.  I have a couple of Erin's books, but this was the first time I've actually sewed something from them.

I don't know why I decided to sew the 1914 Pleated Frock again, except that I came across the fabric the other day while I was organizing my sewing drawers, and thought how pretty the colors and pattern would be in a dress for Samantha.

It has details which are so pretty, like the pleated skirt, the curved waistband that folds down over the pleated skirt, the cuffed sleeves, and the bodice lapels.  It's actually a fairly easy sew if you take it slowly.  

The pattern calls for little, decorative buttons to be sewn down the front of the bodice which I did in my first dress, but this time I left them off.  I felt like the fabric was busy enough and didn't really need them.  Besides, I also couldn't find the exact shade of white I wanted in my button stash, and goodness knows I'm not going to go to JoAnn's right now to stand in the horrific long lines for some buttons.

The sleeve cuffs and bodice lapels are from a cotton/linen blend fabric with a window-pane check.  I've had it forever and can't even remember where I bought it.  I must have originally bought a few yards, and have used it in numerous outfits, both for people and dolls.  I will be sad when it's finally gone.

Isn't my Samantha so sweet?

Matching hair bow on a clip

The back opens all the way to the hem and fastens with snaps under decorative buttons.

And here is Rebecca, in her new dress.  It is from Chapter Seven in the book, titled "Princess-Seamed Dresses".

I used the same linen/cotton window-pane check fabric for her collar and hem-band.  

I embroidered flowers on the collars to match the ones in the fabric.  The sleeve ruffles are from a cotton voile.

She also got a matching hair bow!

Dress opens partially down the back and is secured again with snaps under decorative buttons.

Rebecca makes such a pretty model.

Here it looks as though Rebecca has spotted something in the grass.  In reality, I was having a very difficult time getting her to balance, and this was as good as it was going to get!

I will be keeping Samantha's dress (unless I decide to sell it), but Rebecca's dress is getting mailed away soon to a complete stranger!  I'll be sad to see it go, but I joined a doll dress swap on a Facebook group I'm a part of, and this is the dress I made to mail off to my swap partner.  In return, I will be receiving one from her, too!  Now I'm seriously considering making myself another one of these dresses, just so I'll have one to keep.

Front cover of the book which has many delightful patterns inside.

Back cover

It was a perfectly sunny day to just lie in the grass and tell secrets.

New Dress for Zwergnase ASTE

I bought this doll, Aste, at the same time as my previous doll, Thordis.

She is 21.5" tall, and a limited edition of only 50 in blonde (there were also 50 made as a redhead) from 2017.

I just happened to stumble across the last one when I was browsing this shop.

I was really surprised she was still available, since she was a limited edition from two years earlier!

Since I really wanted a blonde Zwergnase, I decided to splurge and get her, along with Thordis from my previous post!  (The shop was having a 20% off sale, so I didn't feel too bad!)

I'm so glad I did!  Isn't she beautiful?

Of course, I had to make her a new outfit.  Her original outfit was nicely made, but nothing special, in my opinion.

Here's a photo (not mine) found on the internet of how she looked when she first arrived.

I think she looks so much sweeter now!

Her pinafore was cut from a soft, cotton, ladies blouse.  It is a simple front and back that ties under the arms and buttons on the shoulders (I used snaps under buttons)  The dress is pretty, quilter's cotton, trimmed with vintage eyelet.

The blouse already had the tucks in it, so I didn't have to do those!

Here she is, with her little sister.  I hand-smocked her pinafore.  I used to smock a lot for my older girls when they were little, but haven't done as much lately.  

Aste's new name here is LIESL.  I've always loved that name, ever since watching Sound of Music.  I am now debating on switching Thordis' name to GRETEL, also from the same movie.  I was going to call her "Adalie", but somehow, it's not really sticking.  And the more I say it, the more I like it!  Sound of Music was (and still is!) my absolute favorite movie of all time.  

So, what do you think?  Do they look like a Liesl and Gretel to you?  

And lest you think I only sew for dolls, here is evidence that I also sew for real people:

My almost 3-year-old granddaughter, modeling the Lulu pinafore pattern from Violette Field Threads.

We went to a tulip farm yesterday, and she had so much fun running among the rows of tulips!

I also made her this sweet dress recently, another Violette Field Threads pattern, Primrose.  Lucky for me, I have a huge fabric stash, so finding fabric to sew dresses during this time when we can't easily go out shopping has not been an issue for me!

I love that my granddaughter LOVES her dresses.  She asks me frequently to make her new ones.  I hope someday I can teach her how to sew!