Bitty Baby in boy shirt and pants

New Born Baby in boy shirt and pants

Here are instructions for making shirts and pants to fit 14 to 16inch (35 to 40cm) American Girl Boy or Girl Bitty Baby, Zapf New Born Baby, and medium baby dolls with similar body types.

Supplies needed:

You’ll need one quarter yard (one quarter meter) of material for the pants. And, one quarter yard (one quarter meter) of material for the shirt.

Also, for neckline facing, you'll need a 27 inch (68cm) long by one inch (2.5cm) wide bias strip.

One sticky dot for front shirt closing, (no buttons for kids doll clothes, please).

15 inch (37.5 cm) piece of narrow elastic for waist of pants.

Shirt Sewing Directions:

This is a very easy to make shirt pattern with just 2 pieces - front and back with cap sleeves built in.  The pattern pieces are below. To make the shirt sew front and back shoulder seams and press to back. Iron up one quarter inch twice for hems at lower sleeves. Ironing the hems first makes sewing so much easier.  Using a 27 inch strip of 1 inch wide bias material that matches the shirt sew to right side of shirt front, up around neck edge and back down to lower front edge. Turn to inside, turn 1/4 inch in and stitch to inside to form a nice finish. Sew under arm and side seams and sew sleeve hem. Could that be easier! Trim or not to suit the outfit.

Pants Sewing Directions:

Using the pattern below cut 2 pieces on fold line. Open out pieces and place right sides together. Sew together at body center seams starting at waist edge down to crotch. Next, line up the body front and body back and sew the lower leg seam from lower edge up through crotch and back down to the other lower leg. At lower leg turn up fabric 1/4 inch twice and stitch hem. At waist line fold in 1/4 inch and then 1/2 inch and stitch closed leaving 1 inch open to run narrow elastic for waist. Tie elastic in a knot and stitch seam closed. 

This is a photo showing inside seams and hems of pants:



Pattern Pieces:

The patterns are traced onto 1 inch (2.5cm) squares of graph paper. You can try printing out the patterns and see if the squares are 1 inch square, then cut out the patterns.

Pattern pieces include 1/4 inch seam allowance unless noted differently, such as waist of pants.

These patterns are my copyright but you may use them for personal use and gifts but not commercially.


Boy Pants Pattern:





Boy Shirt Pattern Piece - Back:





Boy Shirt Pattern Piece - Front:




 
Article and photo credits Susan Kramer