I see a real need for this. It’s a simple, easy dress to fit any Barbie shape. We have a pile of naked Barbies! They need clothes quick, and they should be able to share. Let’s go.
Here’s a pull-on shift dress, about as basic as it can be. The other is a basic peasant dress with Velcro closure. Both have only one pattern piece.
I’ve tested with Bellybutton, Original/Vintage and Curvy. I don’t own a Disney Princesses doll to test. Curvy and Lammily are similar dimensions, and the shift pulls on over Curvy’s hips exactly right, so I bet it would fit Lammily, and the peasant dress definitely would. I’m confident it would fit Fashionistas Tall and Petite. I also have a 10″ slim fashion model doll called Zuru Glitzees Princess with a tiny 2.5″ waist. It’s a bit generous on her but fits well enough that it’s acceptable to play with, and that’s the point: sharing, and playing dress up together.
NOTE scroll down for Swing Dress too!
The shift dress doesn’t even need any fastener. It takes literally a few minutes to make on a sewing machine.
It can be a gown if you use shiny fabric, or it can be playful in a print. It’s a blank canvas for your decoration. Try patchwork, lace, whatever.
I’m actually excited about this.
I mean, I understand that the 1966 Barbie shape needed an update. The 1999 Bellybutton Barbie was a good solution. There were no patterns for the new shape at first, so I made one up and shared it. Then Simplicity came out with a couple paid ones that were extremely cute. Okay, now there’s a new shape and there are patterns. I would have called that done.
But they just couldn’t leave well enough alone, and now there’s a crazy variety of body shapes and sizes, all called Barbie, so that, like a bird watcher, you need a field guide with a flowchart to help you figure out which species any particular girl is. That’s kinda nuts.
I’ve had some troubles that kept me busy for a while, and my also, baby girls grew up. But I’ve liked sewing for dolls since I was little. When I had a moment, I came back and looked at the internet to see if there were any spaces that needed a contribution from me. It didn’t seem so. All those new bodies have been covered (haha) with tons of patterns.
The one thing that hasn’t been done is to sweep all that aside and offer a solution to this nonsense: ONE dress to conceal the nakedness of any approximately-Barbie.
I don’t think adult hobbyists will be interested in this. Grown ups who sew doll clothes for art’s sake probably have money and time for beautiful, complex patterns. I enjoy admiring their masterpieces, but what I’d like to do is help out the moms and grandmas who need something simple and quick that can expected to fit their “11.5 inch fashion doll”.
Can there really be a cute dress from just one pattern piece to fit any doll? Well, here it is. Not once but twice. So that’s my contribution and I’m happy again.
I’m looking forward to making more models and more designs. I’d like to turn the halter dress into a OSFA too.
But I am in such a rush right now! Life’s moving, we’re moving. We have difficult but possible challenges that we must rise to meet. I’ve gotten this project this far by thinking about it before falling asleep, then working on it in snatches of stolen time when I should be doing real life stuff.
Let me know if you have suggestions.
I want to do something like this for the 28″ dolls too, Barbie, Curvy, and Descendants. I already have a peasant top for 28″, it just needs a wider skirt and there we go. I haven’t made anything for 28″ Curvy Barbie yet! She’s been lying in a dresser drawer for a year. Must sew. Possibly… summer 2023? Or when I get snowed in, winter 2023 which I’m looking forward to 
The Patterns are HERE
Free printable pattern in PDF format – Barbie OSFA shift dress for all 11.5″ tall dolls.
And here’s the pattern for Barbie OSFA peasant dress
Instructions for Shift Dress
Use lightweight fabric that won’t fray much. Cut the pattern piece on fold.
Make tiny clips at the corners where indicated
Fold over barely 1/4” at neckline and armhole edges and topstitch. (“Barely” means “almost 1/4″ but not quite, and definitely not as wide as half your presser foot”)
Sew side seams together, up to the clip
Add a bottom ruffle at this point if you’re doing one.
Sew up back seam to the clip
Hem the bottom.
Instructions for Peasant Dress
Cut one pattern piece on fold of fabric.
Make tiny clips at corners where indicated
Fold over neckline and sleeves shy 1/4“ (almost 1/4″ but err towards the narrow side) and zigzag over a piece of cord, then pull up to the measurements given (printed on the pattern for your convenience if hand sewing while travelling) – sleeve edges 2.5 inches and neck to 5 inches.
Sew side seams.
Fold over back edges to finish, then add velcro.
Narrow hem or a ruffle – in the picture I used a piece 2” x 16”
2024 – Swing dress fits ALL
It’s a lil bit wider around the armpits, more graceful around the sleeves and shoulders, and absolutely FITS (definition of fits – easily goes on) 13″ First Barbie, 12″ Darci / Jem, 11.5″ all Barbies incl Curvy.
The shift dress doesn’t fit First and Jem, but the swing dress does.
Here’s the whole range:
Pattern for 2024 Swing Dress
Swing dress, 2024, for 13″ First Barbie, 12″ Darci/Jem, 11.5″ everybody
Just the pattern piece PDF file, make sure to print 100%, not “fit to page”
Fold over and stitch neck and arms, then side seams, fold over back edges and use velcro
Story to make a point
When I was maybe nine or ten years old, a girl came to stay at the place across the road and we compared Barbie collections. Mine was fabulous compared to hers – I had busy parents, and a brother and sister 16 and 19 years older than I was who both had jobs – she had only a mother. What she had that I didn’t was a grandma. So, my collection consisted of Mattel everything, bought new. But she had one particular dress that was handmade by a grandma, from an interesting-textured Hawaiian print. It was basically a tube with a ruffle, but it was HANDSTITCHED by a GRANDMA. Envy so possessed rich little me that I was ready to give “anything” / everything necessary to swap for that, and I eventually got it, in exchange for a huge pile of store-bought gowns and accessories.
Years later, I realized what I had done, and if there had been any way to find that girl and give that grandma-made dress back, I would have.
The point is, that’s the value of a handstitched Barbie dress to little girls. Tailoring and “looking right” to the eyes of adults is a different thing.
Slow Stitching
Slow stitching is a newish, cool idea, rather to sewing what zentangle is to drawing, when the activity isn’t a need any more, only a way to soothe yourself. Basically take scraps of fabric, lace, buttons, and stitch them together with no particular purpose but joy and beauty.
I love the relaxing quality of handling textiles, but I don’t think I can relax to the point of COMPLETELY wasting time. Stitching with NO results in mind doesn’t attract me.
In old times, women always had their workbasket nearby, so at any slow moment they could make a little progress. When boring people are talking? Stitch. When riding in any conveyance that you’re not the actual driver / pilot? Stitch. Movies that are more about the company than the movie? Stitching away here. Or while enjoying audiobooks.
They sell beautiful kits with coordinating pieces, or we can carve fabrics and trimmings out of all kinds of things.
Here are a couple random images I could find with sharing allowed. If you search for “slow stitching” you’ll find the really pretty stuff.
Crazy quilts were slow stitching projects for rich Victorian wives.
Anyhoo. I have a vision for slow stitching and Barbie clothes. Once this pattern is at the place where I trust it, I find it VERY relaxing to stitch the whole thing by hand. It’s actually easier by hand, and works out faster in that more models tend to get done sooner than if you’re waiting for time to sit down in front of the sewing machine.
There were a few blissful days this summer when I needed to stand by to help Darling with his construction project. There’s me stitching in the shade on a hot day, and a dress I’m pretty sure would not have been gottn around to being made otherwise. Good times.
Just ONE pattern piece is great for portable sewing. No little pieces to lose!
