Review of Dalai Mama Patterns Waldorf Doll Clothing Patterns–and a Giveaway!

doll clothing made from Dalai Mama Patterns

Making clothes for your Waldorf dolls is a cinch with the right patterns. Doll clothing is small, so it’s a great way to use up your scrap bin or remake a kid’s favorite outgrown clothing into something cute. Check out my review of Dalai Mama Patterns, and stay tuned for a Waldorf doll clothing pattern giveaway!

 

Waldorf dolls wearing clothing made from Dalai Mama Patterns

If I’m going to like a Waldorf doll clothing pattern, it has to be:

  1. easy–Ideally, my kiddos should be able to use these patterns to make their own doll clothing.
  2. versatile–I don’t want to buy a different pattern for every outfit that my kids’ dolls wear; I want to make a variety of styles from each pattern.
  3. scrap-friendly–I try not to buy new fabric, so to be usable, a doll clothing pattern can’t require large cuts of cloth. It should also work well with fabrics in a wide range of weights, so that I can upcycle old clothes into new doll outfits.
  4. kid-friendly–The kids have to think that their doll’s clothes are cute, or what’s the point? They also have to be able to dress and undress their dolls in these clothes independently, or my life will become a waking nightmare.

Are these Dalai Mama Waldorf doll clothing patterns easy?

My kiddos and I made their Waldorf dolls the Zoe Dress and the Hunter and Cameron Pants. The patterns are definitely easy enough for my six- and eight-year-olds to complete independently, although I kept shoving them out of the way so that I could make just one more outfit “as a treat for their dolls.”

The pdf patterns require a bit of assembly straight off of the printer, which is a convention that anyone who enjoys using indie sewing patterns should be quite used to. The Hunter pants are the easiest of the three, suitable for a first sewing project, although separating the Zoe Dress into a halter top and elastic-waisted skirt is just as easy. The Cameron Pants add a ruffle to the sewing repertoire, and the Zoe Dress, when completing the pattern as written, is suitable for the advancing beginner with a little sewing experience under his/her belt. None of the outfits require the fiddly finishing bits or teeny-tiny fussy details that many doll clothing projects look for, but the results are well-proportioned to the Waldorf doll and look contemporary, yet kid-appropriate.

Are these patterns versatile?

Using the Hunter and Cameron Pants patterns, I made the two different styles of pants, with and without ruffles on each, and shorts and capris in any length. Using the Zoe Dress pattern, I made two different styles of dresses, a halter top, and skirts in two different lengths. Honestly, all I need to do is find a shirt pattern that includes sleeves, and our Waldorf dolls will have everything that they need for their wardrobe!

Are the patterns scrap-friendly?

The pattern that’s the greediest for fabric is the long skirt that goes with the Zoe Dress, and even that can be pieced from smaller bits. The kiddos and I had a lot of success making all of the patterns using outgrown clothing–my older daughter managed to make the bodice of the Zoe Dress and all of the Cameron Pants using one toddler-sized T-shirt, so that the dolls can have coordinating outfits. Other selections from our scrap bin that worked well include felt, denim, quilting cotton, and silky scraps from formal wear.

Are the clothes kid-friendly?

Both of my children can dress and undress their Waldorf dolls completely independently in these clothes. There are no snaps, buttons, or zippers, and although the Zoe Dress does include one tie, I actually substituted a loop of elastic that can simply be slipped over the doll’s head in place of this tie. The elastic waists on the pants and on the skirt made from the Zoe Dress pattern should enable even a quite young child to handle the clothing independently.

Hey, isn’t there supposed to be a giveaway?

You bet there’s a giveaway! Check back here at Crafting a Green World tomorrow, when Dalai Mama Patterns will be giving away the winner’s choice of three Waldorf doll clothing patterns from the Dalai Mama Patterns etsy shop.

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