Looking everywhere on the net for patterns, I ran across a few I really liked!
Here is one of them by Elaine Phillips
American Girl Doll Empire waist dress with ruffles
This is not my pattern, I simply tweaked it. Credit goes to Elaine for the wonderful inspiration.
I'm very new at writing a pattern out. I can do them in my house by trial and error. So please write me if you have questions.
Work the skirt as Elaine has said, but I only did about 18 rows of it. I wanted something more "tween"
I chose to do the bodice just a bit different. After Elaine has you do the opening part at the waist. (dc, ch 2, dc, sk 2, sc, sk 2) etc. I worked in the round for 3 rows of hdc. Then did a ch 2 and worked hdc in 9 stitches, ch 2 and turn. work 9 st of hdc for a total of 4 rows. finish off.
That made the left back. Then I went again to the start of the bodice and did the same thing on the right back. Finish off
Going back to the left back now, skip 5 hdc and attach yarn in the 6th st. Hdc across for 20 stitches. ch 2, turn. Repeat that for a total of 4 rows.
I didn't finish off at that point and instead ch 7 and attached it to the top of the back with sl st. and sc across the top of the back part.
ch 1, turn and sc across to the end of the front bodice part. Now we're going to do another ch 7 to attach the other back to the front. and then again sc to the end.
I chose to make that back open part a bit more finished off. (see photo) So from the point you are now, hdc down that opening flap and end there. This makes a sturdy area for you to put the buttons or velcro.
The front looked a bit plain so around the neck I took the color from the skirt and just added a row of sc to give it some color.
The shrug pattern I got from here.
I used an F hook and I had to add a couple rows because Am. Girl dolls have chubby arms *grins*
I followed the pattern exactly until I got the slp st part. Before I did the joining I added 2 more rows like this...
row 10 - sc in next 8 st, slp st across to the remaining 8 sc and sc in each of those. ch 1 and turn. Repeat back across for Row 11.
Then I just followed her instructions again :)
I hope you understood this
Laura
A great designer is Darski at Crochetville forums.
Here is one of her amazing outfits!
