How to make a handkerchief dress
Fit for an afternoon summer luncheon in the finest company, Natalia Fatale looks most refined in our exclusive vintage handkerchief dress. You can make one yourself using the pattern and instructions. Natalia has matching shoes, bag, and shades from the Vivette’s ‘Touring Provence’ outfit. The ‘cushion’ is actually a beret from the same set. Natalia sports a vintage Sindy bubble-cut wig found on eBay. The chair is based on the ‘Swan’ chair, a vintage design by Arne Jacobsen.
By using a vintage handkerchief you not only save yourself a lot of work by using the hanky’s original hemmed edges as a feature of the dress, but you can also produce something quite unique for your doll. This is a very easy pattern that even a beginner can tackle. There’s not too much sewing involved because you’ll be re-using the existing edges of the handkerchief. If you’re not confident at machine sewing, or if you don’t have a sewing machine at all, this dress can be made by hand sewing using small neat stitches. The majority of the work has already been done for you by the manufacturer of the original item.
Choose a hanky with a small all-over pattern that will work at doll-scale. I found this one with a contrasting yellow edging that made a great feature for a summer dress for Natalia. I used a hanky measuring about 8” x 8”
You can download the hanky dress pattern here. Copy or trace the bodice pattern and cut out this new paper pattern. Place the top edge (the one with the X’s) exactly on the edge of the handkerchief – this will form the top edge of the dress bodice. Trace the pattern piece accurately using dress-makers’ chalk or a disappearing-ink fabric pen. Cut outside the rest of the bodice pattern lines. Leave as much room outside the lines as you can for comfortable sewing – at least 1/4 inch – you can always trim after you sew. On the bodice, be sure to leave at least 1/2 inch outside the waist seam and the center back seam. Always make sure you give yourself a large seam allowance at the back of the garment – allow yourself some room for adjustments. You don’t want to get to the end and not have enough fabric to work with for the back closure.
The X’s on the bodice show the points for the front placement of shoulder straps (optional). You might use narrow ribbon in a coordinating color for the straps.Sew the darts of the bodice, bringing point ‘a’ to point ‘a’ and point ‘b’ to point ‘b’.
Cut out the two skirt panels, the extra back panel has been added to create a little extra fullness. To make the skirt shown, join the two skirt panels, attaching point ‘c’ to point ‘c’ and point ‘d’ to point ‘d’. The skirt will still have the original hems on three sides, the two short edges and the long lower edge. You should have a piece measuring about 10” x 4” if you started with a 8” x 8“ hanky. Experienced stitchers might want to experiment at this point – you could decide to create a pencil skirt for example.
Gather the skirt above the waistline, matching the width of the lower edge of the bodice. Press the gathers flat with a steam iron. Attach the skirt to the bodice with right sides facing.
Finish the back of the dress with a doll-sized fastening. If sewing in a zipper, check the center back seam for correct placement by wrapping the garment on your doll and checking the fit. Sew up the centre back seam from the bottom edge to the place for the zipper opening, then baste all the rest of the way up to the top.
Press down the flaps and line up the zipper on the basted seam (Sulky Spray adhesive will keep the zipper in position), and handsew the zipper to the garment. Here’s a tip from Lisa Barger at Tiny Zippers: “I like to sew the portion of the zipper below the waist onto the seam allowance only, I just think it looks nicer that way.” Finally, turn the dress right side out and take out the basting stitches.
If you are using flaps and putting in snaps or Velcro, sew up the center back seam from the bottom edge to the point of the opening. Then put the garment on your doll, right side out. Work the bottom flap (seam allowance) to lay flat, and fold under the top flap to line up with the center seam. Iron that flap flat and mark it’s position. Now you can sew in the snaps or the Velcro.
Trade secrets
I always get my doll-size fasteners from www.zipperthatdoll.com Here you can find all kinds of doll sewing notions such as zippers, thin Velcro, Dritz for Dolls, buckles, buttons, snaps, charms, eyelets, and custom fashion doll sewing patterns.
This is an edited version of a story that first ran in Haute Doll magazine, March/April 2009