I’m sewing up McCalls 4338 Dolls Romper in this cute Halloween fabric left over from sewing my kids adorable matching Halloween outfits. So now their dolls can match too – how cute is that!!?
McCalls 4338 Sewing Pattern
I picked out this sewing pattern from McCalls because it includes sizes for most of my children’s dolls as well as including lots of clothing options for both boy and girl doll clothes.
I made a complete mess of this sewing project!! I’ll own it, this one is a total failure. It’s only worth “wearing” because it’s wearer is made of plastic and doesn’t care that it doesn’t fit properly – at all!
I started my mistakes by cutting two identical pieces of fabric, not a mirror image. A stupid mistake that I’ve made many times before. I’m often cutting fabric pieces out of scraps and it’s easy to forget the layer them up with the right sides facing.
Normally I’d have started over but I didn’t have enough fabric left over so I just ploughed forwards regardless. I should have quit but having already sewn the matching dress for Little Miss I knew that my Little Dude would want a matching outfit for his matching doll.
I couldn’t even tell you how I did it, other than most of it by hand! I basically forced the fabric pieces to match at key points and called it good.
Given the circumstances I’m actually really pleased with how the outfit came together in the end. Little Dude has no idea how much of a mess I made of his doll’s Halloween costume.
Sewing Fabric
I’m sewing with this fabulous Haunted Hill cotton fabric from Clothworks. It’s 100% cotton and lovely quality.
I picked it up on sale from Patches and Buttons in Clitheroe. Sadly they’ve since closed down but I have heard the business was bought and rebranded. I’m looking forward to checking out the new shop when I get the chance.
I’ve already sewed up a shirt for my Little Dude last year. I have some scraps leftover that were just perfect for making matching doll outfits.
I get most of my fabric from Minerva Crafts. They have a great selection and very reasonable prices.
Sewing Thread
I use Coats Moon Thread for all of my sewing projects. It’s a fantastic all rounder great for machine sewing, hand sewing, quilting and top stitching. Best of all it’s fantastic value. I use it for literally everything!
I buy it in bulk and put the surplus in my Etsy shop. There’s loads of colours to choose from.
Money Saving Tip
Grey sewing thread shows up the least on most colours of fabric. Invest in large spools of grey thread which is cheaper than buying lots of different colours in smaller spools. It will also save you time because you won’t have to change your thread so often.
Sewing Techniques
Here are the sewing techniques I used to sew this dolls dress. You can click on the images for full step
Sewing Darts
Darts are wedges of fabric sewn and pressed to one side on the inside of the garment. They help to create a three dimensional form so that the garment fits around the curves of the body better. Darts can be straight or curved, single pointed triangles or double pointed diamonds.
Follow these simple steps to making darts.
Sewing Set in Sleeves
Sewing sleeves can be intimidating but it’s a key skill that you will need for a lot of sewing projects. Keep practicing and it will get easier with time.
Follow these simple steps to sewing sleeves.
Sewing a Hem
The final step in many sewing projects is sewing the hem.
Follow these simple steps to sewing hems.
More Toy Sewing Projects
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The Great British Sewing Bee is back for 2026!
Patrick and Esmé are back for another series of The Great British Sewing Bee! The new season starts on Tuesday 14th July on BBC One at 8pm!
To celebrate the return of our favourite sewing show, Minerva are offering 20% off all fabric for the whole run of the series! This includes fabrics inspired by the show, Minerva Exclusive prints, Core Range essentials, ex-designer deadstock and much more.
- Use the code AWBEEBACK to save 10% off all fabric – Minerva Craft Club members save 20%
- If you’re not a member yet, treat yourself and sign up today! You’ll save an extra 10% off everything you spend at Minerva for the next 12 months!!
- Shop all fabric at https://www.minerva.com/mp/GBP?page=1&sort=trending&type=Fabrics
- Offer ends Wednesday 30th September
A Little Bit About Me . . .
Hi there! Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the interweb. I’m Bridie.
I’m a busy mum to two small humans, two guinea pigs and a bouncing bundle of border collie puppy. We live in not so sunny Lancashire in the north of England.
I’m a very frugal crafter so I sew with a lot of free patterns, repurposed fabrics and thrifty hacks. I’m always on the look out for deals and ways to cut the cost of sewing.
I’ll show you all the best ways to craft on a tight budget so you can still create a life you love.
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