Sock Monkey Shorts: Doll Days Book Review + Giveaway!
Let’s talk about doll clothes for a moment. I have to admit that I never played with dolls much growing up. And being a mom to a little boy, we don’t have any traditional 18″ dolls laying around the house.
But Elliot LOVES his blue monkey, and sleeps with it every night. I thought this would be the perfect chance to dress him up, just for fun.
The fabric is from Ann Kelle’s Urban Zoologie Minis collection for Robert Kaufman. Isn’t it cute? I’m tempted to make Elliot some matching shorts!
When I opened up Erin’s book, Doll Days! Sew and Everyday Wardrobe for 18″ Dolls (affiliate link), I found the perfect little shorts pattern! Here is the Modern Camp Shorts pattern.
The difficulty level of this project is advanced beginner. I printed the patterns from my ebook right on my computer, and resized them to about 90% of the actual size, since I knew my monkey was a little smaller than a traditional 18″ doll.
Here is my version! I’m so proud of myself for making this, because I was definitely intimidated by the idea of sewing clothing that is so small. In case you can’t tell, this pattern has REAL, WORKING POCKETS. Whoa. Those things are tiny!
What’s the different between sewing regular-sized clothes and doll clothes? For me, the main challenge was the number of starts and stops. I did a lot more trimming of threads while I worked. I also used pinking shears to finish the seams instead of sewing raw edges on a serger.
If you are new to sewing clothing, this is actually a great way to get
started. Erin’s step-by-step directions include photos,
so you’ll know exactly how to assemble your pieces. Make any modifications you’d like. On my version of the Modern Camp Shorts, I extended the elastic all the
way around instead of just in the back, to fit the monkey’s tiny waist.
You can
learn some garment construction techniques on a small piece of clothing
that you can later apply to your own sewing. I’ve never sewn
pockets into a garment before, but after sewing these little shorts, I now understand how they work.
If you are sewing for a monkey, make sure to keep your seam ripper handy, because you might need to make a hole for the tail.
Giveaway!
Want to win a copy of Erin’s book, Doll Days? Leave a comment on this post telling me the smallest thing you’ve ever sewn for your chance to win. I’ll choose one random winner on 6/27!
Winners living outside the US will receive an eBook version, and winners in the U.S. will receive a paper copy.
