Inspiration: The Ginghams (Set 1)

When I was a little girl, I loved playing with my paper dolls just as much as my real dolls.  My favorite paper dolls were called the Ginghams, a series of four little girls wearing old-fashioned clothes, each trimmed in gingham fabric.  Last summer, I decided to recreate some of my favorite paper doll dresses for my American Girl Dolls.  While these dresses are not literal recreations, my fabric and design choices were directly inspired by the paper doll dresses.

The most difficult part for me was deciding which dress to recreate! I selected this one from "Carrie's Birthday Party."  For my dresses, instead of polka dots, I chose a white cotton fabric with small tulips. The paper doll dress looks as if it has a gathered ruffle on the bottom, but for mine, I used a flat seam.  I trimmed the neck and sleeves in mini rick-rack, and the bottom ruffle was trimmed in medium rick-rack.  I alternated colors to give each girl her own special look.  Since my dresses had a very springy look to them, I made the decision to use short sleeves instead of long.  For my pattern, I used Simplicity 9381, aka "Old Faithful."  This is my favorite go-to pattern for a quick, basic dress.

Of all the dresses I've sewn over the years, these three are among my very favorites.  It just goes to show a little creativity can dress up even the most basic of dresses! A classic style, such as this one, can be worn by nearly all of the historical characters.  Simply add a longer skirt for Felicity.