| | | | |

Royal Smocked Dress Pattern for 18 Inch Dolls
Designed by Susan Kramer
Inspired by the smocked dresses of Princess Charlotte, daughter of Prince William and Princess Kate of Great Britain

Click here for 18 page E-pattern book with full size pattern pieces

(Above) American Girl 18 inch doll Gwen in Royal Smocked Dress standing in front of my 1:12 dollhouse with Floppy at her feet

(Above) Close up view of finished smocked dress, lounging in my 1:12 dollhouse showing my 3-D paper dog, Falkor.

Here are instructions for making short sleeve smocked dresses to fit 18inch (45cm) American Girl, other American historical dolls, Corolle dolls, Gotz Precious Day Girl Dolls, and dolls with similar body types. The model above is my American Girl doll, Gwen.

This design is my interpretation of the smocked dresses worn by Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Princess Kate and Prince William.

Under the skirt I made a half slip and a crinoline. Directions for these is below the dress pattern.

You’ll need one third yard (one quarter meter) of material for the skirt.

For the front and back bodice, you'll need one quarter yard material.

Also, for neckline facing, you'll need a 10 inch (25cm) long by one inch (2.5cm) wide bias strip, and as much pre-gathered lace for the white collar.

Pattern pieces for bodice and sleeves: The grid is 1 inch (2.5cm) squares. Pattern pieces include one quarter inch seam allowance. You may use the pattern for yourself or gifts but not commercially.

Try printing out the pattern pieces to see if they stay 1 inch square:

To make your 1-inch square (2.5cm) grid graph paper

First, take an 8.5x11 inch piece of plain paper and draw 1 inch squares - I do this by drawing horizontal lines 1 inch apart down the page, and then verticle lines 1 inch apart across the page.

Next, looking at the .jpg image you want to enlarge, copy what is in each of my squares into your larger squares.

If you'd rather have a full-size pattern click here to buy the inexpensive 18 page E-pattern version in an ebook.

Smocking Insert Pattern:

Top of Bodice:

Bodice Back:

Short Sleeve:

Skirt Pattern

Cut fabric 42 inches (105cm) wide and 9 inches (23cm) long for skirt to just below lower calf or 9.5 inches (24cm) long to just above ankle length.

General Sewing Instructions

Bodice Sewing Instructions

Gather top seam of smocking insert to match lower edge of upper bodice.

Sew ribbon between bodice top lower edge and gathered edge to hold gathers in place.

Gather several rows across insert as in photo.

Embroider your chosen pattern on insert.

Sew ribbon at lower edge to hold gathers in place.

Sew front to back shoulder seams.

Baste right side of lace to right side of neck opening.
Enclose neck edge in bias binding or a strip cut on bias from dress fabric as I did.
To finish back seam of bodice, turn in twice on each center edge and hand or machine stitch to make a on quarter inch hem. Overlap waist edge on quarter inch and tack together with a sticky dot.

Sleeves

Along armpit edge gather sleeve with basting stitch just inside the one-quarter inch line to fit armhole and with right side of sleeve facing right side of front and back bodice (which are just joined at shoulders and now lay out flat) stitch together with one-fourth inch seam. Clip curve. Repeat for other sleeve.
With right sides of sleeves and bodice facing, sew together sides of bodice and underside of sleeves at the same time. Repeat on other side.

At lower edge of sleeve gather and sew a binding of the dress material on the grain – not a bias strip. I made the arm opening 5.5 inches wide to slide over the hand.

Skirt construction

How to sew bodice to skirt

Sew back seam leaving 2 inches (5cm) open at top of seam to match back seam of bodice. Roll in raw edges and blind stitch hem. (This is for ease of dressing doll.)

The gathered waist seam should match the bodice lower edge. Sew skirt to bodice.

When dress is completed sew a velcro dot just above waistline and at neckline to overlap bodice back one quarter inch.

Turn right side out. On outside topstitch just above waistline on bodice all the way around.

Just below calf finished skirt length is 8 inches (20cm).

Article and photo credits Susan Kramer