Let's Go to Glee Club! 18" Doll Clothes Pattern

Step back into the 1950s with “Let’s Go to Glee Club!” a charming three-piece ensemble inspired by Butterick pattern #7029, published in 1954. The original pattern featured mix-and-match separates: a full, swirling four-gore skirt, a pretty blouse, and a fitted so-called weskit.

The weskit, a variation of the traditional menswear waistcoat, was a popular layering piece in the 1950s. Its close-fitting silhouette, clean neckline, shaped front hem, and tight button closure help define the torso while the full skirt creates the fashionable hourglass shape of the era.

This eighteen-inch doll adaptation captures the spirit of the original Butterick design. The lightly gathered circular skirt created from four panels has plenty of movement, while the lined weskit adds the tailored touch. The blouse features a sweet Peter Pan collar and a choice of short sleeves or cuffed long sleeves.

The skirt is constructed with a simple placket in the center back, and the long-sleeve blouse option also has plackets at the cuffs for a true dressmaker’s detail. Detailed instructions and photographs will guide you every step of the way as you create your own 1954 look. 

The short-sleeve blouse is a comfortable sew for a confident beginner, while the long-sleeve blouse is an interesting challenge for the intermediate sewist.

Techniques included in the pattern: applying a Peter Pan collar, making darts, setting a sleeve, adding a placket opening to a sleeve, adding a placket to a skirt back opening, sewing and gathering a gored skirt, applying a waistband, finishing a circular hemline with bias tape, constructing a lined vest.

Bonus instructions are included for a petticoat to give your skirt that swishy 1954 silhouette. 

This PDF sewing pattern, by Eighteen Cotton Lane, is designed to fit popular 18" dolls such as those shown in the photos.

Suggested Fabrics:  Skirt and weskit:  light- to medium-weight cotton, cotton blends, poplin, lightweight wool, fine-wale corduroy, velveteen.
Blouse:  light- to medium-weight cotton, cotton blends, shirting.   

Supplies Needed:

Fabric:

   •   Skirt: ½ yard. You may need more to match plaids or one-way prints.

   •   Blouse: ¼ yard for the short-sleeve blouse, 1/3 yard for the long-sleeve blouse

   •   Weskit: ¼ yard

   •   Petticoat: 2 ½ yards of 6” wide tulle ribbon OR ½ yard of tulle fabric 54” wide

Notions:

Blouse:

   •   Three snap sets OR three ¼”- 3/8” wide buttons OR  4 inches of soft ¼” wide hook and loop tape for blouse back closure.

   •   Two snap sets for long-sleeve blouse cuff closure.

   •   Lightweight fusible interfacing.

   •   Rickrack, lace or piping for optional embellishment of blouse. 

Weskit:

   •   Three snap sets for weskit front closure.

   •   Three ¼”- 3/8” wide buttons for faux button effect on weskit front. 

Skirt:

   •   One snap set for skirt back closure.

   •   Two yards of 1” wide single fold bias tape to hem skirt.

Petticoat:

   •   10 inches of ¼” elastic

   •   2 yards of 1” – 1 ¼” wide lace for bottom of petticoat.  Your choice of additional lace and ribbon trims.   

Skill Level: Confident Beginner/Intermediate
 

What You Get: One 59 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step instructions and full size pattern pieces. A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available.

Download, Print, Sew!