In particular 'Amazing Amanda'. I've tried googling and got some very dodgy sites !!!! It was my daughter Ellie's 6th birthday on Wednesday and against my better judgement (DH said aahh but she'll love it - on seeing it in action , the thought 'Chucky lives' went through my mind - one spooky doll !!!!!) So I'm calling on the expertise here for knitting and sewing ref. pages . Is Amazing Amanda the same size as the American Girl dolls ? as I found some pieces about those. Many thanks in anticipation. Jan (In a very cold UK , still feeling extremely bushed after hosting a party for 6 year olds - where do they get their energy and obsession with 'toilet' stories ?!!!!!!!)
The American Girl dolls are 18" dolls, while Amazing Amanda appears to be 20". Also, the AG dolls are proportioned like an older girl while Amazing Amanda is a baby/toddler. My hunch is that the patterns for the AG dolls would be a tad small as a result, but maybe you could adapt some of the patterns (or just use them outright if they weren't very fitted). The AG baby dolls (Bitty Baby) is, IIRC, 15 inches, so patterns for that doll wouldn't work so well either. You could google for 20 inch doll clothing patterns. I turned up quite a few sources that way.
If you have read Elisabeth Zimmerman on knitting, then you know it's possible to make your own knitting patterns, simply by measuring and multiplying your stitches per inch by the inches you need.
Since dolls are rarely mfd to human proportions, you'll have to take all the measurements separately instead of percentaging them. But the same theory applies. If doll is 6" around and you get 4/inch, then the body of the sweater needs to be 24 stitches, and when you've reached the waist-to-armpit measurement, start shaping for the sleeves.
Since a lot of dolls have ridiculously large heads, you'll have to make sure to factor the head size into the minimum number of stitches you can have at the neck for any clothing that goes over the head.
Oh, dear me, you ARE a knitting novice if you haven't heard of her!
"Schoolhouse Press was founded in 1959 by British-born master knitter, Elizabeth Zimmermann , who wanted to supply handknitters with pure wool and circular needles (both a rarity in those days), as well as books, tools, and original designs. Elizabeth's humor and unique approach to seamless garment construction gradually attracted followers through her semi-annual Newsletter, her steady stream of designs in magazines, her two television series taped for PBS-TV, her annual summer Knitting Camp and the publication of her four books. Elizabeth's philosophy was received with glad cries by knitters who were eager to think for themselves and, through EPS (Elizabeth's Percentage System) were able to achieve perfectly-fitted garments while applying their own ideas to their knitting."
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if you can google up a UK source for her books. If not, my US address is your US address, and I'm sure we can come up with some acceptable arrangement to cover postage from me to you. Note that the videos ARE available in European format as well as US. If you're going to get only one book, I'd suggest Knitting Workshop, which is the companion to the videos.
As I said, you would take the usual dressmaking measurements and do calculations from those for how many stitches around, where to begin increasing/decreasing, etc. Personally, I work with the doll at hand so I can try the pieces on and make sure they fit.
When you have the doll in-hand, e-mail/IM me and I'll talk you through the whole process.
Looking at Amazing Amanda on a web site she appears to be wearing clothes. Couldn't you put an article of clothing on a piece of fabric and use it as a pattern? That's what I do. Also you could use an American Girl knitting pattern with slightly thicker yarn and a size larger needles.
Jan, if you want to sew clothes for 'mazing 'manda, can I suggest the method I use?
I get pieces of el-cheapo interfacing (or, indeed, plastic supermarket bag) and wrap them around the doll as neatly as I can. Using my imagination, I make 'darts' and draw the seamlines onto the 'fabric' with permanent marker. Next, I add seam allowances and a bit of 'ease' (about 1.5cm for most larger dollies: ie. larger than a Barbidol). Cut out the pattern and use it to cut a sloper pattern from some el cheapo fabric (eg. calico or old school uniform - gives kid a school-flavoured dolly!) You'd be surprised how easy it is to make sleeves fit and bodices neat, so have a go and see what you can accomplish.
Suggestions for easy beginner's patterns:
Baby-doll dress with an empire-line bodice and frilled sleeves (easy to make a pattern for the bodice and you can gather a straight bit on for the skirt). Closure can be buttons and buttonholes (make loops with perle cotton if you like) or even velcro for little fingers to manage more easily.
Sleeveless A-line dress with lined 'top half'. Make a pattern to fit the neck and armholes. Taper the dress outward from the hips and add tiny darts from the waist pointing toward the bust (but not actually arriving at the bust-point). Cut out front and back pieces (neckline higher at back and extra fabric allowed for back closure). Cut a lining for the top. That is, same pattern, only truncate it at waist level. Stitch the shoulder seams for dress then for lining and then, with right sides facing, stitch around the neckline and armholes. (This assumes you've left the back seam entirely open). Turn inside out (this can be challenging - it's almost impossible to describe the technique for doing this, but it's the same one used for human bodice linings: any seamstress could show you!) Sew back seam in whichever way you like (ie with buttons or velcro or even a very short zipper) and add a pretty hem treatment.
If you're familiar with sewing lycra, it's as easy as anything to make swimmers and really-truly ballet costumes! Just draw a well-enough-is good-enough pattern for front and back and use very slender elastic in the neck and armholes. You can make tights from organza or any sheer stretch stuff. You can cut the leotard in half and sandwich a few layers of gathered tulle or lace for a tutu. Possibilities are endless here!
Of course, the *best* thing you can do is to haunt the remnant bin at your local fabric shoppe and purchase appropriately sized pieces of you-beaut fabrics (velvet, brocade, organza) and allow DD to wrap them around her dolly and make her own no-sew costumes. You can provide safety pins and bits of rat-tail cord or ribbon for ties and fastenings. Bits of scrap lace work for hats and veils. A long narrow strip of tulle can have a zillion uses. My DD has always loved making her own designs for her Barbidols and I bet yours will astound you with her own creations too! ;-D
I'm not an effective knitter, but I do crochet pretty well. It's not too hard to sketch out a fabric pattern and then knit or crochet a fair facsimile of each piece in 3- or 4-ply baby wool. If you want to get
*real* advanced, you can knit or crochet in a strand of lamé or thread sparkly beads onto your yarn before starting and incorporate them into your work. I've knitted and crocheted a few small things for Barbidols out of perle cotton. It's OK, but gives a pretty stiff, unsoft fabric...
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