Bratz dolls are indeed very popular. Maybe you are a Bratz doll fan, too! If you would love to sew some clothes for them to wear, try some of these great doll-clothing design tips. My clothes are very easy to make, and they are quite fashionable, too. I try to design styles that are both kid-friendly and parent pleasing, using bright complimentary colors and textures.
Doll clothes patterns are available to purchase in many fabric stores, but I have not yet found any patterns for Bratz dolls. So, I came up with these designs through trial and error. Using inexpensive fabric such as muslin, I experimented with new items until I had some that fit the Bratz dolls “just right.” I then traced the muslin clothing items onto paper to use as patterns for future sewing. This sounds scary, I know. But actually, it allowed for greater freedom when sewing dolls clothes to fit “exactly the way you pictured them in your mind.” Sometimes I had to resize and sew up a muslin item many times before getting it to fit well. In other instances, I got things “right the first time.”
Designing your own patterns allows you to incorporate your own style ideas into the clothes. For instance, I made a dress with only one sleeve, and added a vinyl belt that fastens with Velcro. I also created a night shirt pattern that has sleeves cut right in. For that reason, they did not have to be sewn in separately. This worked out well, because I have never really enjoyed sewing sleeves onto the bodice of a garment. Also, I prefer to put an elastic waistband on pants so that it is easier to slide the pants onto the dolls. Being able to adjust patterns, I was able to include this elastic waistband feature on the doll pants.
The best way to go about a project like this is to make sure that you are in a calm, relaxed state of mind. You do not want to feel rushed or irritable, or you may be setting yourself up for frustration. Be patient and allow yourself to make mistakes with the muslin. You may have to “fine tune” your attempts to make the clothes. For remember, some of the best ideas start out as mistakes!