Customer Reviews

Sew Today's Fashions for 18-Inch Dolls: Full-Size Patterns for Clothing and Accessories

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have very limited sewing experience. In fact, I have never successfully completed an adult sized article. Nevertheless, I have been very successful in creating several outfits from this book. Working with this size is much more manageable than either full-sized clothing or Barbie-doll size clothing.

The instructions are straight forward with enough illustrations to help a beginner figure out what to do.

I do believe that the author is counting on the reader to have some sewing knowledge. After all, this is not a learn-to-sew book, but a book of patterns.

The other nice thing is that all of the patterns for a wide variety of fashions are included in a large envelope in the back of the book. In addition, patterns and instructions are included for accessories such as shoes (flip-flops) and purses, which really complete the outfits.

My thanks to the author for creating such a wonderful book. My 9 yr. old daughter and I are having so much fun working on these clothes together.

As the mom of a child newly into the American Girl dolls, and as someone with a reasonable amount of experience in general sewing and following patterns, I thought I would give this book a try. The book itself is quite good at a general level - the pictures are good and the directions are easy to understand. If you are primarily buying this book as a source of patterns, however, I can't recommend it. To start with, the pattern sheets are absolutely enormous and completely overwhelming for younger girls who might be hoping to help with the sewing. We also got completely frustrated trying to find pieces. Perhaps we happened upon the only item with problems as our first attempt, but here are the issues we ran into when trying to cut the pieces for the Asian Style dress:

1) The piece for the collar of the dress overlaps with a piece from another project (the front of the dress coat), so in cutting it out, we had to damage the pattern for the other item. Not earth shattering, but it's a tiny piece - surely there was somewhere else it could have been fit in without that problem.

2) The sleeves are in a separate area - not just a separate area, but on another sheet entirely because they double as the sleeves for the pajama sets. This isn't uncommon in standard patterns, but in those cases, the pieces are normally labeled with large letters and the instructions give the letter in addition to the name of the piece (so for example, a piece will be labeled "Facing for versions 1 and 3", but it will also have a huge "A" on it and the A will be listed as the reference for cutting out the piece in the directions for both versions). Also, since the pajamas and the Asian-style dress are in different chapters, the heading on the pajamas doesn't match the heading ("All Dressed Up") that all the other pieces were labeled with.

3) Most frustrating, however, is the complete absence of the upper front of the Asian-style dress. We've got a lower front. We've got a back. But the upper front just. isn't. there. I read through the entire decription of each piece on BOTH sheets (an eye-crossing prospect in and of itself) to make sure it hadn't somehow ended up playing a dual role with another piece and was in some completely different area with a completely different heading. It wasn't. Perhaps the piece is there and is either mislabeled or just labeled for a project that also uses it, but I don't have any way of figuring that out, particularly since the book does not illustrate the layout of the pieces in the way a standard pattern typically does.

Great idea, but the execution is lacking.

I haven't sewed in years, and I have already made 2 outfits that look perfect! The instructions are very easy to follow. This is a good way to get back into sewing.

This book is great. My daughter loves to study the designs. Attractive photos, relatively simple patterns and instructions.Great way to augment your American Girl's wardrobe!

My daughter was excited when I purchased this book. So was I. We both thought this would be a great and fun way to make clothes for her doll. However, so far I'm not having great experience. I am searching and searching for all the parts to a dress I am trying to make. The layout of all the patterns makes it very difficult to find what you are looking for. The pattern pieces are not numbered. This would be a great idea. Also, in looking for the pieces I wanted I noticed the coat I wanted to make next there is a misprint in the pattern. One piece overlaps another, this will be a problem. I supposed I can trace the piece and make my own pattern piece. I also notice that another part of that pattern is not completely printed.

The other issue I see is that these are not professionally made patterns and instructions. Really not a problem if you have used patterns before then you already have the idea of how everything goes together. But if someone has never had much experience with patterns I have a feeling it won't be easy to use.

I will still look for the pattern pieces I am trying to find and hopefully will be able to make the clothes I planned to make, however, next time I will invest in more professional patterns and buy them all separately. It will be much more worth the money in the long run.

Joan Hinds does a great job of turning simple patterns into lovely designs. Most styles are very versatile. The instructions are short and direct. Most beginners should not encounter too mamy problems following along. Full size pattern pieces are included in an envelope attached to the back of the book. This is a much appreciated feature.

The only negative comment that I have is that the clothes tend to fit slightly too big. I understand that this is because the patterns are designed for several different manufacturers of dolls. Therefore it is imperative that you try the clothes on the doll before completing the outfit.

The patterns in this book were designed for an 18" doll with an 11-1/2" waist. My 18" doll has a 10" waist, so I had to make some small adjustments to the patterns. The author gives some guidance at the beginning of the book for making the adjustments for slimmer dolls. A full-sized tissue pattern for every outfit is included in the book. There are patterns for dresses, jackets, coats, pants, capris, a bathing suit, warm-up suit, basketball and other sports outfits, jeans, t-shirts, dress shirt, scarves, nightgown, bathrobe, pajamas, hats, handbags, sandals, and a beach bag/towel combo. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. At the beginning of the instructions for each outfit is a list of supplies you need to complete the outfit. This is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to make clothes for 18" dolls.

I absolutely love this book. My daughter got her American Girl doll from Santa last Christmas, and she keeps asking for outfits for her. At $25 per outfit on average, it will get too expensive so soon. I found this book on a different website that offers a snapshot and description of each outfit, but of course the book is cheaper on Amazon.
I have some experience in sewing, so the outfits are a breeze to make in just a few hours. They all turn out looking very professional, fit the doll quite well, and my daughter is very very excited. She is only 5, but by watching me make them she is getting interested in sewing herself. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an 18-inch doll and some familiarity with sewing.

I ordered this book because I've made scores of clothes using Hinds' EXCELLENT book, "Contemporary Wardobe for 18-inch Dolls," which has very fine instructions. I like "Today's Fashions" except for one difficulty: THE PATTERN PIECES ARE NOT NUMBERED. Numbered pieces are much easier to find and keep organized.

I also ordered Hinds' books, "International Wardrobe" and "Baby Doll Clothes," both with numbered pieces. The Spanish huipil (International)turned out nicely; however, one step was omitted in the instructions: finishing the back edges.

Hinds does wonderful, imaginative work; I'm eager to try many more outfits in "International," "Baby Doll" and "Today's." I've made doll clothes for many years; your delightful books are encouraging me to keep at it. Thank you, Joan!

While the fashions are super (per my 9 year old daughter), the patterns do not seem easy to follow for someone with somewhat limited sewing experience.