The world-famous Kentucky Derby is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May. Though this year the race has been postponed, this springtime event can still be recreated at home for our dolls. Sure, some think the focus is on the horses, but we know it's really all about the fashion! If you were going to the Derby, we would have two questions for you:
You’ll be dressing for warm weather, so easy to wear dresses and sundresses are a great choice. Pair them with the perfect hat to keep the sun off your face and to stand out in the crowd! Whatever look you choose we're sure you'll be looking fantastic on Derby Day!
Giveaway Alert! Be sure to scroll to the end to enter our doll-sized horse giveaway!
We've put together the ultimate Derby Day Pattern Collection for Dolls, which includes great spring dresses and stylish statement hats.
Amelia Dress from Love From Lola
Primrose Dress from Buzzin Bea
Winner's Circle from Karen Lorraine Designs
Jane Ruhl of Sweet Pea Fashions shares, "I hail from Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby! While you might think that the Kentucky Derby is just a horse race, those of us who live here know that what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans, the Derby is to Louisville. It’s a three-week-long festival that begins with one of the largest fireworks shows in North America and ends when the parties break up late on Derby Day. In between, there are parades, races of all kinds (involving people, rodents, steamboats, hot air balloons, and even beds), and PARTIES!"
Get your doll ready for summer with the Palmetto Swimsuit, and then use that pattern to get her ready for the Derby! In this pattern hack, Jane shows you how to convert the top of the swimsuit into a sundress that is perfect for al fresco dining, a barn wedding, or even the Kentucky Derby!
You can create the perfect straw hat for your doll with the Springtime Straw Hat crochet pattern from Sweet Pea Fashions! This wide brimmed hat can be crocheted in synthetic raffia to look like straw, in cotton for a casual look, or in any medium weight yarn. It is very easy, worked all in single crochet, a perfect beginner project. It can be left plain or decorated to the nines.
Check out the Fabric Flower Tutorial from Sweet Pea Fashions to add fun and flare to your hat!
Derby Day Hats
Derby Day Fedora from Rondeletia
Lady Sarah Rick Rack Hat from Genniewren Designs
1940s Pleated Felt Hat from Thimbles and Acorns
Derby Day Shoes and Bags
Espadrilles from Eden Ava Couture
Art Deco Bags Accessory Pattern from DKinley Designs
Flower Sandals from Dena's Doll Designs
Fun Accessories For Your Horse
If you need a horse for your Derby Day celebration, check out the Our Generation® Doll Sized Horse!
ENTER TO WIN An Our Generation® Doll-Sized Horse!
To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!
Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the toy horse. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and Pixie Faire. This contest and article are not endorsed by or affiliated with Our Generation®.
We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - what kind of Derby Day look would you like to make? Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win one Our Generation® Horse!
Thanks, everyone!
The Pixie Faire Team
Polka dots, any color!
A bright floral dress and floppy hat.
I would love to make the Primrose Dress and the flower sandals for Derby day.
The primrose dress!
Well I’ve been to the derby what fun, so I would make a beautiful colorful dress with stunning hat for my Great Granddaughter, her mommy is expecting another little one and I am sure she would be delighted to have a horse for her doll.
I would love to make the Ptimrose dress. I love the sleeves!
I like the Primrose dress. The sleeves give it an interesting look.
I’d make a Winner’s Circle dress in a bright flowery print with a big floppy hat. Thanks for such a great giveaway. I’ve enjoyed watching Derby Day on television for many, many years now. I’d love a horse for my dolls.
I’ve had the Winner’s Circle dress on my wish list for a while now! I just need to find the time to get arou
I’ve had the Winner’s Circle dress on my wish list for a while now! I just need to find the time to get around to it…
I will wear an oversized white hat with a big orange bow and assorted peach colored flowers on the brim. I will wear a white and orange color blocked sundress and strappy white sandals. Says Samantha Parkinson.
what a great way to bring in spring. Love the look
For our fair girls, hats are absolutely a must! Love the variety shown in this post.
I live in Kentucky and I am very proud of my Bluegrass state. I would wear an outfit in the color of our soft bluegrass. Since the Goldenrod is our state flower, my bonnet would have those on it, mixed in with roses, since it is a ‘Run for the Roses’ derby. I love horses and am lucky to live in a state that has some beautiful horse farms. I would love to win the doll-size horse for my only granddaughter, who is 9, it would be a thrill for her and for me.
That is so awesome.
My granddaughter has wanted a horse for so long. I appreciate the pattern for the horse blanket. So exciting.
Thank you for all you do!
Love the hats!!!! for me and my dolly
Such a lovely ideas! I absolutely adore the Buzzin Bea primrose dress!
How great are these ideas! A new horse is just lovely
I love the ruffled dresses and the english saddle. Thank you for this chance to win, my dolls would love their own horse.
Periwinkle-colored dress with yellow tiny daisies embelishments and a sun-kissed yellow-brimed hat.
Periwinkle-colored dress with yellow tiny daisies embelishments.
Think I would like to make the riding outfit and saddle. The straw hat and dress is also in the running. A horse would kind of help to complete my collection. Working on making a pool and accessories. Pool party after a day at the track would be fun I do believe.
I would like to make a floral, flowey dress and a big floppy hat.
My girl would want purple jockey silks!
I would wear mint green and have a straw hat with a pink ribbon~
My selection for the upcoming Kentucky Derby would be Winners circle by Karen Loraine. Next I would make the English riding saddle and horse coat since I recently visited my mothers home country of England. I hope someone makes a pattern for the winner’s wreath and a winners circle. I will be ready for the Kentucky derby.
I would love to win the horse, thanks for the chance. I love the big floppy hats
My parents were really into horse racing. My mother loved the Kentucky Derby! She watched it like it was the Olympics. Of course, she watched all the races that lead up to the Derby. She knew and would share all the horses’ backgrounds with anyone who was willing to listen. I would wear a white sleeveless dress so that I could change it with jewelry and scarves and my hat would get all the attention!
This looks like fun to sew for. Can’t wait to make one
My daughter loves horses, so derby day is always a hit here.
like all things to do with horses
I think a bright blue sundress with a floppy hat and matching horse blanket would be lovely!
A flowered sundress with a white wide brimmed hat with flowers attached..
I would definitely wear a rose-patterned sundress (to celebrate the run for the roses!), strappy sandals for comfort and style, and a large wide brimmed hat decorated with mesh and roses, of course.
I would make a sundress and hat
I’d like to make a riding outfit, maybe riding silks. I wanted to be a jockey when I was young.
I would love to wear a bright and flowery sundress with a big floppy hat with flowers to match the dress and a really cute pair of sandals to match one of the colors in the dress. Of course I would use one of the colors that are in my racing silks so when my horse won, we would look good for pictures.
I like the Lady Sarah pattern.
I would like to make it all.
I think it would be fun to make the rick rack hat in different colors to match derby day dresses and decorate with all sorts of flowers and ribbons.
I think it would be fun to make the rick rack hat in different colors to match derby day dresses and decorate with all sorts of flowers and ribbons.
It’s postponed until August so hoping it will still happen! I’d wear a huge hat and outfit to match in a spring color.
The primrose dress is very sweet. With a straw hat
I would like to make a pretty sundress with large floppy hat.
A yellow dotted Swiss sundress trimmed in lace or piping. A large straw hat with flowers and ribbons.
I’d like to make the Aspen dress for Derby Day. It’s been on my “to do” list for a while!
A light flowing dress with a very big hat.
I love the old fashioned dresses in a light yellow color with a trim small straw hat or bonnet to complement the dress.
i love the derby hats! would love to win a horse
A fun cheery hat to signify the end of this virus!
I think the hats are great fun and with a festive dress and new pair of shoes. But also to complete an outfit for the stable girl that cares for the horse to look her best.
I find the derby day hats really a lot of fun, so that’s what I would like to make, using ribbons, feathers and lots of flowers.
A drapy, flowy long green dress and a a huge white hat, with wedges and some fresh wildflowers here and there for me.
My look for the derby would be a flowing polka dot sundress and matching hat. A Julia Roberts look as in Pretty Woman!!!
The lovely flowery primrose dress would be perfect, along with a richly decorated wide brim hat. Would love to win the horse so I can make Medieval/Renaissance decorations for him.
What fun hats! I would like something wide brimmed and flowery.
I would love a dress with a lovely Spring floral print, a sunhat, and comfy yet stylish shoes.
I would make a crocheted Springtime Hats for the horse and doll. I think it would be cute to put a hat on a horse, maybe a derby would be better! :)
A fancy horse blanket for the horse that I win.
OF COURSE a huge hat with lots of flowers on it! And I’m thinking a white dress with black polka dots.
I’d like a periwinkle,floral print dress with a matching wide brimmed hat.
Horse blanket – the horses definitely deserve some attention too!
My 3 granddaughters would easily share this wonderful horse! They are so loving with each other. Thanks for the chance!
My granddaughter just got one of these dolls and has been a horse girl since birth! This would be perfect for her!
I would love to make the springtime straw hat and a nice flowered dress
I would be wearing my navy and white dress with matching fascinator!!
Someday I hope to have the opportunity to go the Derby! I actually just purchased a bonnet, nothing fancy, but i would spruce it up for the Derhy! I also have a real and white flowered sundress I think in would wear. It would be such an exciting day! Thanks for tee he opportunity to giveaway!!
For sunny weather, I would wear a sundress and big floppy hat. For rain, I would wear a fun raincoat, boots, and waterproof hat!
I do historical clothing for my doll. I would be fun to do the start of the derby and wow, need a horse.
I love the winners circle dress. I would use bright colors and a big hat with flowers. Thank you so much for all you do. This would be a great prize to win.
I would love to make a springy floral dress and matching hat and shoes. Unfortunately, the chemotherapy I’m doing right now has left my fingers and hands and feet very numb, so sewing is kind of a disaster. It will pass and I will be able to sew again someday.
All of them! But we sure would love a horse to celebrate the Derby!
Love the Winner’s Circle Dress ! ! You do so many great outfits for the Dolls ! ! Thank You ! !
I’m a fan of the Primrose dress with a big flowered picture hat. Looking forward to Derby Day!
Having been to the Derby, you need a pattern for a parasol!
Love Pixiefaire, cant wait till I have time to sew.
My grand daughter would love to have a horse for her doll and I already have the patterns for blanket and food and cowboy outfits just waiting on the horse to make them all.
Love the springtime straw hats
I would really love to have this horse! Made a lot of clothes for my grand daughters American girl doll. She is now in college, so I continue to add to her collection and hopefully one day she will have a daughter and she can pass all these things to her!. I have made clothes from family items of clothing as part of the story and also crocheted items . I really enjoy you website and I can find almost everything I need!! THANKS SO MUCH!!
I would wear a flowery dress and a pink sunhat!!
I love the Winner’s Circle and fancy Picture Hat!
I love the hats!
I love the hats!
During this stay-at-home time, my granddaughters have been “designing” their own doll dresses. It’s nice to see how creative they can be!
I’m going with the Winners Circle dress and hat in bright colors.
My granddaughter would love a horse….but in the meantime…I think I’ll be making some fancy hats for her dolls…after all….hats are what a derby is all about. :D
Oh how fun it would be to win my “Pretty” a pony ;} Thank you for the opportunity!
I love the one with the hat…, but I love the colors on the other!! Oh boy! Tough choice. I will choose the beautiful robin egg blue one. It just says the wonderful outdoors!
I would love to create a sunny look with an over the top fascinator!!!
I like all the decorations on the hats and the detail on the dresses.
Love the Primrose dress and 1940’s hat, too — the English saddle is perfect.
I adore hats, the more flowers the better!
Forget the sundresses and hats – my girls want to be jockeys! Racing silks and high boots are the ultimate Derby fashion.
The outfit my doll wants is the jockey uniform!
I would love to make a cute hat and saddle and sundress.
I love the spring/summer doll fashions. I’m especially anxious to try my hand at making sandals.
Every little girl wants/needs/has to have a horse. :) Me too!
If I were going to the Kentucky Derby, I would wear an ankle length, floral dress with lovely strappy sandals (heels are a killer on grass) and a huge (Edwardian era huge) hat with a wide, stiff brim and a sheer chiffon scarf to tie under my chin, in case an errant breeze should threaten. Sigh… and lemonade…there would have to be lemonade….
A fun sundress with cardigan and hat that’s elegant, but not too over the top!
A pretty soft dress and matching hat.
Maretta
April 22, 2020
Jeans, boots and a hat