Make gathering easy. Mark the desired final width onto the side of the thread you will hold tight. The width for the body bodice is 9.3 cm. The width of the tapered bodice is 8.3 cm.
Tie the thread off on one end, pull it to the desired width. Tie off the other end. Now you can shuffle the fabric around until the gather is all even and balanced.
Spread the side seam and iron it as flat as possible.
Just tack the skirt into position so the machine won't mangle it.
Sew the skirt to the bodice. Try to keep the ruffles of fabric at a 90 degree angle to the seam. If the machine drags it at an angle, the skirt can get mangled up into the seam, or the final gather can be askew.
Trim away excess fabric bulk at the waist.
Iron the waist flat and then topstitch it.
detail view
Fold over the back edge of the bodice, iron the edge flat, and hem that. If you want to add a ribbon around the waist, tack it in place before this step. If you want to add velcro, add it now.
detail view
Sew up the back seam. Leave ¾ an inch of skirt open so it will fit over the hips.
Press that seam.
detail view
Add snaps.
Add snaps.
Sew an optional ribbon bow to the front, and you're done!
I usually wash doll clothes after sewing, but I won't on this, because this would be very hard to iron back into good shape.
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