Sewing classes are a valuable tool and Craftsy has a number of great ones!
Would you like to see Sue’s Tiny Costumes offer classes? If so please let me know!
No comments
Category: Tips
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Miniatures Chart Measurements
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Miniatures Chart Measurements
| Miniature Doll Chart | |||
| The chart on this page is a list of all the measurement amounts for places within the drafting instructions that say ‘see chart’. It is divided so that you can find the right measurement for your size doll that you may currently be working with and use the correct numbers for the step you are on. Most are for all the different types of dolls but one or two are for specifically just lady dolls or just babies and say so in the doll column. The chart is for just the drafts of the basic blocks – bodice, sleeve, skirt, and pants for the lady, child, baby and man sections in section I. Separate charts will be in later sections for other measurements as needed. |
|||
| Pattern Piece | Doll Size | Measurement | Amount |
| Bodice | 6-10″ | Ease | 3/16 |
| 1:12 or 1″ Scale | 1/8 | ||
| 1:24 or 1/2 Scale | 1/16 | ||
| Skirt | 6-10″ | Skirt Ease | 1/4 |
| 1:12 or 1″ Scale | 1/4 | ||
| 1:24 or 1/2 Scale | 1/8 | ||
| Pants | 6-10″ | Pant Ease | 1/4 |
| 1:12 or 1″ Scale | 1/4 | ||
| 1:24 or 1/2 Scale | 1/8 | ||
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Sleeve
| Copy the following to your paper before you start and fill in with the correct measurements for the doll you are working with. The ones in italics can be found on the Miniature Draft Chart. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course for a Child Doll
This tutorial was originally created in 2000-2001 and tested on my daughter at about a year old (she’s 13 now). I have also used this tutorial to draft for a doll as small as 1/2″ tall of course using magnifying glasses and a very sharp pencil! This is a preview of the techniques used in Pattern Making for Dolls and Pattern Drafting For Miniatures which were originally sold as hard copy books, moved to CD and finally are now available only in PDF as an instant download.
Included in this tutorial series are all the items that will be needed for all the pattern drafts and even some of the items that will be needed for the stylization in following sections of the full book. Please feel free to draft patterns and critique anything you find that doesn’t work quite right for you. Please also remember the full book covers ladies clothing and babies clothing too along with stylization and construction tips and techniques. If you pass this on to anyone else please remember to give me credit and point them to my website or contact information. Feel free to contact me with any questions you have regarding my technique.
At some point in the future, I will be expanding this series of books to include Computerized Drafting and a book on Advanced Stylizations for Dolls and Miniatures. Keep an eye on the site and the blogs for announcements!
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Skirt Children
Here is a continuation of the Pattern Drafting Crash Course. A basic straight skirt and a bonus fuller skirt.
| Measurements Needed | |||
| Copy the following to your paper before you start and fill in with the correct measurements for the doll you are working with. The ones in italics can be found on the Miniature Draft Chart |
|||
| Waist Arc | Hip Depth | Front | Back |
| Hip Arc | Side Hip Depth | ||
 |
|||
| 1) Skirt Length- side seam | 2) Side or Back Hip Depth (whichever is deeper)- square out to either side to the left back hip arc and to the right front hip arc |
3) Back Hip Arc- at top square out back hip arc | 4) Center Back- square out back hip arc at bottom and then connect from top to bottom to form center back |
 |
|||
| 5) Back Hip Depth-Should be only slightly shorter than side hip depth, mark in. If you used Back Hip Depth in step 2 use Hip Depth here. |
6) Back Waist Arc- from center back line towards side seam Formula: waist arc + ease (see Miniature Draft Chart) |
7) Hip Line- curve from mark to hip level | 8 ) Waist Line- curve from back hip mark to hip |
 |
|||
| 9) Front Hip Arc- front hip arc. At top square out then square out front hip arc at bottom and connect from top to bottom to form center front |
10) Front Waist Arc- from center front line towards side seam Formula: waist arc + ease (see Miniature Draft Chart ) |
11) Hip Line- curve from mark to hip level | 12) Front Hip Depth – Should be only slightly shorter than side hip depth, mark in |
| 13) Waist Line- curve from front hip mark to hip | |||
This is a bonus skirt draft for a plain skirt that goes well with a simple
bodice and can be as full as can fit around the doll’s waist.
| Alternate Skirt | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
| Measurements Needed | ||||||||||||||||
| Skirt Length | ||||||||||||||||
| Skirt Width**** | ||||||||||||||||
| ****Skirt width- the amount of gathers you want (see chart above) | ||||||||||||||||
| Determine skirt length | ||||||||||||||||
| Multiply waist measurement by how full you want the skirt to be (see chart) |
||||||||||||||||
| Draw 1 skirt length line | ||||||||||||||||
| Square out full skirt width from top and bottom | ||||||||||||||||
| Draw opposite skirt length line |
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Specification Sheets
Why are they useful? Specification sheets are very useful to keep track of design details. This is including but not limited to what doll, fabrics, item numbers for those of us in a business or that have a huge doll collection. Most important cost of a project not to mention a copy of the actual design, front and back view with notes and swatches. You can also list where you bought a fabric or what else it might have been used for. Care instructions and anything else you think might be important for future reference.
A specification sheet would be kept with the measuring chart for the doll that the design goes with. If it goes with multiple dolls then the measurement chart for each doll and a copy of the specification sheet should be with each. Later you can also add copies of the patterns in Ziplock bags or file folders and any construction information you need too. It is best to have some form of file folder system for this information if you think you may have a large collection of doll patterns as they are very easily lost!
Permission given by author to photocopy this page.
| Specification sheet | |||||
| Doll: | Size of Doll: | ||||
| Name of Garment: | Style: | Number: | |||
| Season : | Designer: | ||||
| Yard Goods: | |||||
| Face Fabric: | Cost: | Sketch & Swatches | |||
| Width: | Length: | ||||
| Color: | Weight: | ||||
| Interfacing | Cost: | ||||
| Width: | Length: | ||||
| Color: | Weight: | ||||
| Lining: | Cost: | ||||
| Width: | Length: | ||||
| Color: | Weight: | ||||
| Trims: | Cost: | ||||
| Width: | Length: | ||||
| Color: | Weight: | ||||
| Total $: | |||||
| Notions: | |||||
| Fastners: | |||||
| Thread: | Spools: | Colors: | Size (Yds): | ||
| Total $: | |||||
| GRAND TOTAL $: | |||||
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Terms of Use
More information included in the full books! The terms of usage for my tutorial.
Please leave all copyright information in place and do not sell this Pattern Drafting Crash Course. If you want to link to it please go ahead but also let me know so I may link back. Any and all patterns you make using this information are yours and you may sell them just not my “How To Do It”. Please if you do sell the patterns made from this or any of my books, place a small note somewhere that you used my Pattern Drafting Crash Course or my books Pattern Making for Dolls and Pattern Drafting For Miniatures and list my URL or e-mail. This is a very small thing to do for me and otherwise I give the Pattern Drafting Crash Course freely with no expectations that you will buy the books or anything from me. Please feel free to drop me a line telling me what you used the Pattern Drafting Crash Course for or if you used it to make a pattern and sold it. I like to hear about your success!
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Pants Child
| Waist To Ankle (Inseam) | Waist Arc |
| Crotch Depth | Hip Depth |
| Outseam |
 |
| 1) Side seam- pants length. Square out at top & bottom to both sides |
2) Side hip depth- measure down and square out to both sides |
3) Crotch depth- measure down from top crotch depth and square out to both sides |
4) Waist to knee- square out to both sides |
5) Center back- formula: waist arc + dart intake (see Miniature Draft Chart) + ease (see Miniature Draft Chart) |
 |
| 6) Back hip arc- from center back towards side seam | 7) Back hip depth- from hip line measure up and mark |
8 ) Crotch bisect- at crotch level bisect (45° angle) and mark out according to Miniature Draft Chart) |
9) Crotch curve- using your French curve draw a curve from the mid-point to the crotch line touching the tip of the bisect |
10) ) Hip- Draw in hip line with French curve |
 |
| 11) Center front- formula: waist arc + dart intake (see Miniature Draft Chart) + ease (see Miniature Draft Chart) |
12) front hip arc- from center front towards side seam |
13) Back hip depth- from hip line measure up and mark |
14) Crotch bisect- at crotch level bisect (45° angle) and mark out according to Miniature Draft Chart |
15) Crotch curve- using your French curve draw a curve from the mid-point to the crotch line touching the tip of the bisect |
 |
| 16) Hip- Draw in hip line with French curve |
17) Inseam (crotch side)- square down to bottom Inseam measurement Outseam (side seam) -From Crotch level measure down Outseam measurement. The distance between the lines at the bottom should be no smaller than the Around Foot measurement. |
18) Inseam (crotch side)- square down to bottom Outseam (side seam) -measure over around foot measurement and mark connect mark to crotch level line |
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Supplies
Below is the supply list you will need to draft patterns for small or miniature children dolls. In future posts I will also try to list places to find some of the more unique items such as miniature French Curves suitable for drafting in the smaller scales.
- 1/8 or 1/4″ Ribbon -used to mark where the bust waist and hips land so that measurements are accurate. To help measure hard to get into places on small dolls. You can lay the ribbon on the doll and then use a pen dot to mark the desired amount and then measure the end to the dot.
- A plastic coated twist tie works very well for very tiny dolls as you can bend the wire to the exact amount you need and then use a ruler to do the measuring
- Eraser– pink pearl or kneaded gum
- French Curve, tape dispenser, or sets of “doll size” French curves
- Glue stick helps hold tiny pieces to cardstock for final blocks
- Light Table or A Box with a Light Inside and Clear Glass or Plastic Over the Top or A Child’s Light Table – used for tracing patterns easier
- Magnifying glass Lets you see small things easier
- Manila Envelopes, Thin Cardboard, Card Stock Or Junk Mail Post Cards Or Thin Cardboard Boxes- for creating permanent blocks
- Measuring Tape – a normal sized human one works well. Alternately the retractable purse size measuring tape found at Wal-Mart works very well too.
- Muslin– relatively inexpensive way to do test fits and be able to sew the pieces together along with marking on the pieces any changes*Paper- light weight for first drafts of the pattern
- Paper Towel, muslin, used dryer sheets- inexpensive way to test patterns*Pencil- mechanical pencil or a no. 2 normal pencil with a sharp point
- Ruler – an accurate one marked in 1/16ths and also centimeters (metal is best) There are clear rulers that are marked in 1/10ths that are very useful as well
- Scissors – fine tip sewing scissors some for paper and another pair for fabric
- Scotch Tape– taping parts of a pattern in place while adjusting or stylizing
- Small Rotary Cutter With A Sharp Blade– to ease cutting out pieces from fabric optional The 18mm size is perfect for cutting out even 1″ scale pieces accurately
- Small Rotary Mat– must be used if you use a rotary cutter optional
- Ultra-Fine Point Sharpie used for giving a very fine line that is more visible than pencil to a final pattern
- Xacto Knife– to aid cutting out permanent blocks
Share this:
Pattern Drafting Crash Course – Torso Draft
| Torso Skirt | |||
| Check to be sure your skirt and bodice waists are the same and adjust slightly if necessary |
|||
 |
|||
| Trace your bodice front except for the waist. Only mark where it is |
Line up the center front/back of the bodice and skirt and the side seams. |
Trace the skirt. | Blend the waist. |
| Repeat for back with side seam allowance | |||
| Torso Pants | |||
| Check to be sure your pant and bodice waists are the same and adjust slightly if necessary |
|||
 |
|||
| Trace your bodice front except for the waist. Only mark where it is. |
Line up the center front/back of the bodice and pant and the side seams. |
Trace the pant. | Blend the waistline. |
| Repeat for back | |||
