Bedding, Linens, and More for the 18 inch Dolls!
Doll Bedding for the 18" Amercian Girl Style Doll
Pillow cases. These can be done for the historical AG "girls" and in prints for the AGOT. Option: stencil matching decorative motifs in what will be the center portion of the top side of each pillow case before you cut. Cut a piece of fabric 9" x 8". Zigzag the 9" edges and one 8" edge. Fold the 9" edges together and sew. Turn and hem as for the towels before or, as an option, sew on a piece of eyelet edging or lace.
Flat sheets (fitted sheets are too hard for the youngest sewers, and weren't used before the invention of box springs anyway). Cut a piece of fabric 24" x 20" (which gives plenty of margin for "tucking in" on almost all doll beds). Hem as for the towels. white for the historical AG girls; prints to match pillow cases for AGOT. You can make a set: top sheet and bottom sheet.
NOTE: If you do make fitted sheets (per the instructions posted by others), remember that if you are making them for a gift, doll mattresses simply do not come in standardized sizes. Be sure to know the measurements of the receiving mattress.
Blankets. Cut two pieces of fabric, one a heavier weight and one lightweight for lining, each 20 1/2" x 20 1/2" (or slightly narrower if you have a single bed for your doll). Place right sides together, sew except for a 4" space in one side. Turn, catch together the turn space by hand. Topstitch. For the AGOT, these can be made to match the pillow cases.
How to make a quilt for the bed:
1. Measure across the bed ( mine is 14 and 1/2 inches) right to left...
2. Measure the mattress thickness times 2, frorm right and left sides , and add this to #1 figure....( mine is 3 inches X 2 = 6 inches)
3. Measure the part you tuck under the mattress ( I use 3" X 2 = 6 inches )
4. Measure the width of the doll from front to the back ( like 3 or 4 inches) and times this by 2 again... ( my doll measures 4 inches X 2 =8 inches )
5. Measure top to bottom...(mine is 24 and 1/2 inches)
6. Add numbers from 2 one times and #3 one times and #4 one times for your north and south measurements...( mine is 34 inches)
Now comes the part ...do you want to cover the pillow...if so measure your pillow and measure the thickness and the tuck in's times two ( only on the tuck in's)....
If you want the quilt to cover the bed only then don't do #4....and if you don't want tuck in's then don't do #3....I like to tuck my quilts in to show off the dust ruffle.
For the size of blocks , tiny is fine but 2 to 2 1/2 inch blocks will work just fine for the 18 inch doll and plan your border so they are in the tuck in's...or the part the quilt hangs over...Number of blocks for this size quilt would be 15 across and 15 down with 2 one inch borders going around.... Sunshine and shadows would be easy and could be stripped pieced....Just to give you an idea..
You each need to measure your own beds...I don't have a AG doll bed and everyones beds and mattresses will be a different size... So it would be hard to set a standard size.. just to dress this bed of mine with out a doll going under it would be about 28" by 28"... Jo Miller
Subj: Re: How to make a fitted sheet
To make a fitted sheet, measure the mattress surface and the depth of the mattress. If the mattress surface measures 18" x 24" and the mattress is 2" thick, then add 18 + 4 = 22; 24 + 2 = 26, then add 1/2" (4 x's) to that for a double turned hem. Cut sheet fabric to whatever that measurement is. From each of the 4 corners cut out a square the size of the depth of the mattress plus the hem allowance. This is where you need to look to see what I am doing. lol. Place the short cut edge of one corner right sides together and sew. Do this to all for corners. Now the sheet is fitted. Now I would serge around the whole edge or you could do the double rolled hem if you don't have a serger. Next thing is to put elastic around each corner. Look at your sheets at home to see how they did it. The sheet is finished. I like my sheets to come well under the mattress. Lynn
BTW, the size of the pattern piece for the quilt in McCalls 8510 is 20" x 16 1/2" Since they show it displayed on Samantha's bed on the pattern jacket it's probably a pretty good fit.
If you want to tuck a pillow under, a great way to reduce bulk is to have the top section of quilt turned in the opposite direction. In other words, Let's say the whole quilt were 20" long. One side of the quilt would have the backing showing for the top, say, 6", then the pieced side for the remaining length(14"). The other side would be pieced the top 6", then backing the rest of the way. I have an queen-size quilt made by the Amish, and it is done like this.
2. Measure the mattress thickness times 2, frorm right and left sides , and add this to #1 figure....( mine is 3 inches X 2 = 6 inches)
3. Measure the part you tuck under the mattress ( I use 3" X 2 = 6 inches )
4. Measure the width of the doll from front to the back ( like 3 or 4 inches) and times this by 2 again... ( my doll measures 4 inches X 2 =8 inches )
5. Measure top to bottom...(mine is 24 and 1/2 inches)
6. Add numbers from 2 one times and #3 one times and #4 one times for your north and south measurements...( mine is 34 inches)
Now comes the part ...do you want to cover the pillow...if so measure your pillow and measure the thickness and the tuck in's times two ( only on the tuck in's)....
If you want the quilt to cover the bed only then don't do #4....and if you don't want tuck in's then don't do #3....I like to tuck my quilts in to show off the dust ruffle.
For the size of blocks , tiny is fine but 2 to 2 1/2 inch blocks will work just fine for the 18 inch doll and plan your border so they are in the tuck in's...or the part the quilt hangs over...Number of blocks for this size quilt would be 15 across and 15 down with 2 one inch borders going around.... Sunshine and shadows would be easy and could be stripped pieced....Just to give you an idea..
You each need to measure your own beds...I don't have a AG doll bed and everyones beds and mattresses will be a different size... So it would be hard to set a standard size.. just to dress this bed of mine with out a doll going under it would be about 28" by 28"... Jo Miller
Subj: Re: How to make a fitted sheet
To make a fitted sheet, measure the mattress surface and the depth of the mattress. If the mattress surface measures 18" x 24" and the mattress is 2" thick, then add 18 + 4 = 22; 24 + 2 = 26, then add 1/2" (4 x's) to that for a double turned hem. Cut sheet fabric to whatever that measurement is. From each of the 4 corners cut out a square the size of the depth of the mattress plus the hem allowance. This is where you need to look to see what I am doing. lol. Place the short cut edge of one corner right sides together and sew. Do this to all for corners. Now the sheet is fitted. Now I would serge around the whole edge or you could do the double rolled hem if you don't have a serger. Next thing is to put elastic around each corner. Look at your sheets at home to see how they did it. The sheet is finished. I like my sheets to come well under the mattress. Lynn
BTW, the size of the pattern piece for the quilt in McCalls 8510 is 20" x 16 1/2" Since they show it displayed on Samantha's bed on the pattern jacket it's probably a pretty good fit.
If you want to tuck a pillow under, a great way to reduce bulk is to have the top section of quilt turned in the opposite direction. In other words, Let's say the whole quilt were 20" long. One side of the quilt would have the backing showing for the top, say, 6", then the pieced side for the remaining length(14"). The other side would be pieced the top 6", then backing the rest of the way. I have an queen-size quilt made by the Amish, and it is done like this.
