I found 2 Malibu Barbie dolls at a yard sale for five cents each. They were nude and I'm trying to get Doll Shop to produce patterns so that I can make evening clothing for them. The problem is that even after measuring her 3 times I'm still getting sloper patterns that have wrong dimensions. The pieces are either too wide or too long or both. Also the blue line has some strange bends and twists in it. I'm using the detailed measurement set in DS. So I have some questions:

1. Are all of the Barbie dolls except the life size ones the same general measurements?
2. Does DS have problems with measurements that are less than an inch?
3. Does someone have a set of Barbie measurements I can use to check my measurements against and see if the program gives strange lines and shapes with them?

Thanks for the help.

quote:

I found 2 Malibu Barbie dolls at a yard sale for five cents each. They were nude and I'm trying to get Doll Shop to produce patterns so that I can make evening clothing for them. The problem is that even after measuring her 3 times I'm still getting sloper patterns that have wrong dimensions. The pieces are either too wide or too long or both. Also the blue line has some strange bends and twists in it. I'm using the detailed measurement set in DS. So I have some questions:

1. Are all of the Barbie dolls except the life size ones the same general measurements?
2. Does DS have problems with measurements that are less than an inch?
3. Does someone have a set of Barbie measurements I can use to check my measurements against and see if the program gives strange lines and shapes with them?

1. I believe that all Barbie's are essentially the same.

2. In Doll Shop, the 11.5" Fashion Doll is Barbie. Mattel does not approve of anyone using that name without a license.

3. Measurements under an inch are common for dolls and work. Measuring dolls is very, very difficult as even slight variations cause dramatic pattern failures. The current doll measurement sets were the result of a lot of trial and error by many people, mostly long gone.

All Barbies went thru a design change around 1997 with an increase in waist to "better suited to contemporary fashion designs" according to Mattel. All my old Barbie doll patterns do not fit my girls new Barbie dolls. Other than this Barbies seem to be made from the same molds. Sorry, I don't have good measurements for the dolls since the girls are to young to for tight fitting clothes for their dolls.

Good luck

Bobbie in Tennessee