I'm about ready to pull my hair out..... I'm trying to draft a jumpsuit pattern for an 18" Effanbee Katie doll. I have tried numerous times to get the measurements right, but I'm obviously doing something wrong. I cannot make a pattern fit her the way I would like it to. Is there a trick to measuring a toddler doll with a protruding tummy? I've had to "fudge" the numbers to make pieces the correct shape... or what I think should be the correct shape. Also.... this is true of all dolls.... the Peter Pan collar doesn't fit the opening, no matter what the shape of the neckline. I have to force the collar to fit the curve of the neckline, and that skews the whole bodice. Is it supposed to be cut on a fold? If so, it would be too long, and still not fit the actual curve of the neck. I've spent all day trying to make a jumpsuit for Katie.... and I've failed at every attempt. This is for a Christmas swap, and I'm running out of time. I can always take an 18" commercial pattern and alter it, but I'd rather get Doll Shop to work for me! Stubborn, lol.

Karen

Okay.... I've finally gotten a pattern that will work for Katie.... don't quite understand the instructions for fixing inseam problem... with the back inseam being shorter than the front, but I just cut the front crotch lower, and that fixes that. For some reason, the back bodice is longer than the front.... and the shoulder seam falls forward... fixed that by clipping off the seam allowance of the back bodice. The general shape of the pattern is right now, which is good, but it took looking at another doll's measurements (Sasha) and fudging the Katie measurements to be more in line with the proportions of Sasha (Katie isn't shaped at all like Sasha, though) to get the pattern to look reasonable.

I know my problem must be in the way I'm measuring, but when I read the instructions I feel I'm doing it correctly. The doll does have a toddler body and I suppose that throws the program off? I'd really be interested in hearing if others have had this problem with fitting a doll of this shape, and what they did.

Karen