The Versatility Dress Pattern

Hello everyone! I'm so excited to start this blog. I've been sewing for years and after having problems with many doll clothes patterns and not finding anything online to help, I decided I'd start reviewing 18 inch doll clothes patterns here on my blog. 

The first pattern I'm reviewing is from Pixie Faire, an online store that's all about patterns for doll clothes and accessories. I've bought many patterns off Pixie Faire and they do have reviews on their website for most of the patterns, but I thought it would be nice to go a little more in depth into this pattern. The Versatility Dress Pattern by Forever 18 Inches. 

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The Versatility Dress Pattern is a sleeveless dress for 18” dolls with a variety of options including two bodice styles, three skirt styles, and three belt styles. It can be made in knit or woven fabrics. 

​So let's dive right into the pattern! I made three versions. The Dark Blue is a cotton fabric with a lined bodice and a circle skirt. The Light Teal dress is a knit fabric with an unlined simple bodice and a circle skirt. And finally the White dress is a lined bodice with a gathered skirt and a sash tie belt you'll see in future photos.

Pattern Sizing:
Most patterns are one size fits all for Doll Clothes but I've often had problems where my dolls barely fit into the completed clothes. This pattern they told me ahead of time the measurements of the doll used to create the pattern. That allowed me to compare it to my doll's measurements. I realized that my 2008 doll (the newest one I currently own) was about an inch thicker and needed extra fabric added to the center back of the dress to make it fit correctly. I really liked that they had this feature. I added about 5/8" to the center back of the pattern pieces before cutting them out.

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Were the instructions easy to follow?
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I personally feel the instructions were a too detailed and too long. There are over sixty pages of instructions! That's a lot for you to print and read through. I understand there are a lot of variations but it still seemed like a lot for me. Fewer details would have made the instructions easier to follow. That being said, they had photos of almost every step in there so even if the words confused you you could follow the photos to see what you were doing. 

They also had a great tutorial for how to sew a lined bodice that would be extremely helpful for first time sewers. 

What did you like about the pattern?
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I really liked the fitted bodice with the princess seams. It has a lovely look and lays very nicely on the doll, giving them the illusion of a waist. The circle skirt and gathered skirt options as well as the ties make it nice to be able to change up the look of the pattern. They also told you which style to use for which types of fabrics. 

I liked that they have the measurements of their doll so you could compare and make sure it would fit your own doll as well. 

The pattern pieces all came together very easily and looked professional.

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What did you not like about the pattern?

The instructions seemed a bit confusing when I think they could have been simplified. I also wish there were sleeve options although it shouldn't be too hard to add sleeves from another pattern. I'll update this when I try that out soon! 

There are almost seventy pages to the pattern which is a lot to read through, print out, and follow along with. It seemed a bit excessive.

​Did it look like the photos once you were done sewing? 
Overall it looked very close. The woven fabric dresses I feel turned out almost identical to the pattern. The knit dresses weren't as neat and I'm not sure if that's because I did the unlined simple bodice or if it was my fabric choice. I think next time I'll try lining the knit fabric and see if it works out any better.

Pattern Alterations/Design Changes
Added 5/8” to the center back seams so it would fit nicely on my older dolls.

Would you sew it again or recommend it to others? Yes. I wouldn’t suggest it be the first pattern you sew, but especially if you already know the basics of making doll clothes it’s a great pattern. I especially liked the lined bodice and plan on making more styles with this pattern, weather in cotton or knit.
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Conclusion: A very cute pattern that fits the doll nicely and comes together really well. A staple for any doll wardrobe.​

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