Sew the Contemporary Wardrobe for 18-Inch Dolls: Complete Instructions & Full-Size Patterns for 35 Clothing and Accessory Items (Paperback)

by Joan Hinds (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Hinds has to her credit eight books of sewing patterns for 18" dolls and is a widely recognized expert in doll costuming. What, you might ask, are 18" dolls? These include a number of brand-name dolls such as the American Girls, Creative Friends, and the Springfield Collection, which are all approximately that height. In planning for this book, Hinds gathered together a focus group of girls from ages five to 11 and asked them what type of clothing they wanted for their dolls. Their overwhelming desire was for doll clothes patterned after comfortable, fashionable clothing they might wear themselves. Included in this compendium are illustrated step-by-step instructions and full-size tissue pattern sheets (in a pocket in the back of the book) for sewing 16 mix-and-match outfits such as khaki cargo pants and a fleece vest or a tank top and boxer shorts. Eleven accessory items add spice to the collection. Public libraries with a demand for books on dolls and sewing for dolls will want to purchase this one.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Clear instructions with plenty of diagrams and advice..." -- Galatea Magazine, Autumn 2002.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; 2 edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873493753
• ISBN-13: 978-0873493758
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 8.2 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #27,988 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, August 16, 2003

By	L. Braun "hsm25" (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've borrowed several of Joan Hind's books from the library to use in teaching my eleven-year-old daughter to sew. The patterns are numbered and simple to read, and the directions clear and easy to follow. This book was my daughter's favorite because the clothing styles are "what girls wear." I liked that it was an easy text from which to teach. There's a section on "Helping Children Learn to Sew," and at the beginning of each project is a little blurb stating whether this is a good one for the beginner sewer. My daughter could go through the book and decide for herself which designs she wanted to try. She started with the Triangle Scarf and moved on to the A-Line skirt. I needed to help her a bit with the waistband on that one. The Pink Top was also simple, and we substituted ribbon for the shoulder straps to make the project even easier.

Sewing for the 18" doll is enjoyable because the projects are small enough to complete in a few hours, but large enough to work with comfortably, unlike sewing for smaller dolls. The teacher may need a bit of experience herself, but I'd recommend any of Joan Hinds' books for igniting in the older child an interest in sewing.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great patterns! A real money-saver!, May 18, 2006

By	Moni Bookworm (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

I love the American Girl Dolls, but the clothes can be expensive--more than $20 per outfit! The outfits in this book look at least as nice as what you can find in the catalog, and with a little imagination I'm sure you could duplicate a lot of their outfits. All of the patterns are included in an envelope in the back, which is nice but I could never figure out how to fold the gigantic sheet so it fits back in there! I'm not a very experienced sewer, yet I was still able to make 3 really cute outfits from these patterns. As a bonus, there are crochet patterns for a hat and purse.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Former Sewer, August 5, 2006

By	S. Steinhagen - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just love this book. Patterns are easy and the instructions are easy to follow. A lot of fun things to make. My granddaughter is so excited to have fun new things for her new doll.