Adding Belt Loops, Waistband and Pockets to Pants and shorts for dolls
This is not a short tutorial to say the least. I tried to cover all the questions I thought might crop up with this along the way and added pictures to help explain as I go.
To start you will need your basic pants pattern. It doesn't really matter what pattern or the fit. If you like the pattern and it has a outside leg seam then it will work for this tutorial. However, I must warn you that drafting a waistband to fit the doll will require a separate tutorial and extra steps to ensure it works with your pattern. If your pattern has one included that would be best. For the purposes of this tutorial and simplicity I will not include that step.
Trust me when I say the frustration included in this one will be enough for the time being.
Okay, on to the instructions.
To start you will need your basic pants pattern. It doesn't really matter what pattern or the fit. If you like the pattern and it has a outside leg seam then it will work for this tutorial. However, I must warn you that drafting a waistband to fit the doll will require a separate tutorial and extra steps to ensure it works with your pattern. If your pattern has one included that would be best. For the purposes of this tutorial and simplicity I will not include that step.
Trust me when I say the frustration included in this one will be enough for the time being.
Okay, on to the instructions.
Right, the start of your pattern should look something like this, with a front and back pant leg. Forgive the drawing being so lacking. It was a quick one just to show what you are looking for.
For the first step we are going to add a front hip pocket to this pattern. It's rather simple to do. First you need to decide the size of the opening for the pocket. Lay the doll's hand on the panel as shown. You will create a curve starting from the top of the pant line down to the side seam just wide enough for the hand to slip into.
Once you have this curve and you've added seam allowances to it the pattern should look like it does in the image with the red lines. You are now ready to start drafting the pattern for the pocket bag once you have cut this piece out while leaving the original lines intact for now. We need that full side seam up to the top of the pant line to create the whole pocket. It will make sense. |
Now you need to fold a scrap piece of paper in half. It doesn't have to be much but you will want it to be wider than the pants front from side seam to crotch seam and at least half an inch to 3/4ths and inch down from the bottom of the pocket opening in length where it meets the side seam.
Lay the pants front with the side seam on the folded paper and the crotch seam off of it. Roughly halfway between the two seams is where you want the fold to be. Trace around the pattern as shown by the red lines.
Now you cut out the notch for the side pocket on your front pant leg pattern piece. The reason we waited to do so was because we wanted that whole seam. Trace the pocket curve after lining the piece back up with the traced lines on your folded paper. Carefully cut out the folded piece with the whole side seam first and a straight cut from the side to the fold that 1/2 to 3/4ths inch you left. Unfold it and then remove the pocket opening curve. Once you do you will have a pattern piece that looks like this. |
That's it. You've now added a pocket bag. This can be done to any pants or shorts pattern that has a side seam. The next pocket doesn't require the cutting or drafting of a pocket opening on the pattern. It's the back pocket.
The typical back pants pocket is a square with a pointed end like this. In doll scale, due to the usual back opening they are slightly smaller than to scale. If you draft one to fit your dolls hand once sewn the back of the pants look crowded and a little sloppy. Simply trimming down the pattern by 1/16 inch around will help and still function.
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Belt loops are simple to make. You want them to be half an inch wide at the most in 1/6th scale and at least 1/4th inch longer than the width of your waistband pattern piece. This will allow for them to fold down to a little more than 1/16 inch wide and give just enough poof once sewn in place to allow for a belt to slip through.
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To add a button placket to the waist band is simple. Fold it in half along the front and draw the shape in green out from the fold as show in the image. No more than 1/4th inch is needed. Once cut on the fold later this extra will serve as your placket. Be sure to cut one with this new shape attached and one of the old waistband shape for a liner for two waistband pieces total.
Now we are ready to start putting all these new pieces into your pattern. Honestly, if you had a pattern with the waistband this is all the drafting of new pattern pieces you needed to do. I know many have patterns with even these pieces included but figured I'd put these steps here for just incase purposes.
Two things before you start. One, I would find a way to seal the edges of your fabric before you start once you've cut it or before you do. Unless the fabric doesn't fray this step will save you a cry later.
And two: mark the placement of your back pocket on the fabric before you cut the piece out. It may seem logical that to place them you simply line them up straight but that isn't the case at all. They slope down toward the side seam along the top of the pocket. Once on the doll they will look straight but due to the curve this slope is needed.
Marking the placement also means that you will evenly space them on either side.
Two things before you start. One, I would find a way to seal the edges of your fabric before you start once you've cut it or before you do. Unless the fabric doesn't fray this step will save you a cry later.
And two: mark the placement of your back pocket on the fabric before you cut the piece out. It may seem logical that to place them you simply line them up straight but that isn't the case at all. They slope down toward the side seam along the top of the pocket. Once on the doll they will look straight but due to the curve this slope is needed.
Marking the placement also means that you will evenly space them on either side.
Sewing the details.
Yep, we are starting with what many think are the finishing touches. Doing it now will honestly have you time later and it will also help you to keep some of these tiny pieces from falling apart or getting lost.
First those tiny belt loops.
Yep, we are starting with what many think are the finishing touches. Doing it now will honestly have you time later and it will also help you to keep some of these tiny pieces from falling apart or getting lost.
First those tiny belt loops.
This is an image of the belt loops from start to finish before adding to the pants. I use a bit of glue to help with this step as it results in a much neater result. My preferred glue is Liquid Stitch but you can use what you are comfortable with so long as it doesn't stiffen the fabric much. You will need at least four or six of these loops.
First fold the loop in to thirds and glue the folds down. Then simply do a running stitch down the center to keep those folds closed long term. The stitches also add a bit of detail in the final product. I used to add two rows with one on either side but it looked crowed in this scale. I quickly learned sometimes less is more.
Now if you are not careful you will loose those tiny bits of frustration you just finished. So let's pin those suckers down.
First fold the loop in to thirds and glue the folds down. Then simply do a running stitch down the center to keep those folds closed long term. The stitches also add a bit of detail in the final product. I used to add two rows with one on either side but it looked crowed in this scale. I quickly learned sometimes less is more.
Now if you are not careful you will loose those tiny bits of frustration you just finished. So let's pin those suckers down.
What? I meant it literally.
I just take a pin and pin them to my pin cushion for two reasons. One, I've lost I don't know how many of these and had to recut and remake them. Frustration isn't good on me. And two, at least if I pin them to the cushion I will remember where they are when I need them later. My brain likes to play, "Hide the Object" games on me. I've lost bottle caps I've just sat down only to find them sitting on something they should've stood out on like a sore thumb later. This way, every time I use a pin I see them and remember their location. It's the little things in life and sewing that keep me insane... I meant sane. |
Let's get constructing! First up, Hip Pockets.
The first thing I do to make sure I have even openings on both sides is draw a sewing line on the pieces. You can see the red line in the first image. Since I sew by hand my seams are 1/8 inch wide or smaller. They never get wider for some strange reason. However, in this scale even a small amount either way will affect the fit of the finished product. So if the item is supposed to be fitted like pants I will draw a guideline in certain areas along the way. You'll see them crop up in the pictures as we go.
Once I have sew the seams for the pocket opening together along the line I clip my curves. That's the little shark tooth bites in the second image. It helps with turning the piece with a smoother result. Then I pin the devil out of it.
I know these are basic sewing steps but I know I've forgotten to clip my curves often enough to get mad at myself. Don't take it the wrong way. It helps me to remember if I have it in instructions. It never hurts to write it down.
Once I have sew the seams for the pocket opening together along the line I clip my curves. That's the little shark tooth bites in the second image. It helps with turning the piece with a smoother result. Then I pin the devil out of it.
I know these are basic sewing steps but I know I've forgotten to clip my curves often enough to get mad at myself. Don't take it the wrong way. It helps me to remember if I have it in instructions. It never hurts to write it down.
Once I've top stitched the pocket opening I fold the Pocket bag in half to match the side seam. I then pin it in place to tack it down where the two pins are in the image at the corners of the pocket opening. I typically do this by sewing back down the top stitch to fill in the spaces between my stitches. I make sure to only catch the back of the pocket bag at the very top stitch and the very last stitch at the side, as shown in the two below.
Repeat that for the second one and you're done adding the side pockets to pant legs. Now to make them functional pockets you need to do one last step to them. Close the bottom of the bag. I close it by stitching straight across the bottom of the bag. You don't need to worry about the side of the bag at the side seam as it will get closed when you sew that seam. Now those pockets will function as pockets!
Back Pockets
The first thing to do is stitch the top of the pockets. It's a lot easier to do it now.
Pin the pocket and sew down the remaining sides.
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The second step is to line the pockets up with your placement marks at the top of the pocket. I usually use tiny dots of ink and place them to where the top is just above that.
Here's and inside and outside view of the pockets sewn into place.
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The next thing is to sew the side seams. Now you can leave it at that and you're done with it but I usually take the time to add just a touch more detail. That's why in this image you see a basic running stitch. It doesn't need to be stronger as the next step will do all that.
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Most pants have their side seams top stitched. It's for esthetics as much as comfort as a flat seam doesn't rub the skin. Most fold that seam to where the seam over laps with it pointed toward the back on the insde.
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So that's what I do and then stitch it down. It also keeps the pocket in place so it doesn't bunch up in the hip joint of the doll and keeps that thick corner looking flatter.
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Next seems out of order but it really isn't. Go ahead and hem the back closure now. Trust me, this part is important to do before you get to the waistband.
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Then decide the placement of your belt loops and pin them down. I typically place two in the front one on each side seam and two in the back for a total of six. This gives enough for a working belt without crowding the work.
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Make sure all the loops are face down. I've made that mistake often enough. Tack the loops in place. Two stitches 1/16 from the edge will do as they will be sewn down again soon. This is just to keep them in place without the pins later.
And now we start on the waistband. You should still have that folded in half. First you will want to sew down the center as close to the edge as you can get.
Then you lay this along the waistband without the shape lining up the edges while both are folded you can fold the extra over to form the placket. Doing it this way will ensure that the waistband piece with the placket will be the same shape and size of the lining waistband piece. It will look like the image to the right. |
Simply sew down the new fold to keep it in place while leaving the other edge free. You should end up with two stitch lines on the placket in the end.
Yep, my sewing guideline is back. I line the waistband with the placket up with the bottom of it to the top of the pants right sides together as shown and pin. A curve and a curve don't like to stay lined up if they are not perfect so I pin the devil out of it.
I know it seems wrong to have the waistband extend beyond the back edge of the pants but the reason for that is when we turn it we need a bit of extra room.
I line the edges of the outer and lining waistband tops up and pin them once I've drawn a guideline 1/16 to 1/8 inch from the edges. You will also fold up the loops at this point tucking them between the two waistband layers. |
Once sewn you can turn it up with the seam allowance up toward the top. The loops will automatically want to stay laying down if you have that allowance pointed right.
This is why we hemmed the back opening. It's easier to do that before we attached the waistbands. I hate seam ripping with a passion so... Yeah, I sew that sucker down first. You can see the top of the loops peeking out along the top in this pic,
Clip your corners. They will not be sharp at this scale but that's okay. This is in the back and is the closure area of the pants. The more important thing is this now has all the raw edges contained. No fraying over time due to rubbing. |
Once I've turned the waistband I sew the lining bottom edge in place while folding up the edge to the inside. A tip for an easier time with this is to glue that edge down first. That way you can stitch as close as possible without worrying about the edge unfolding on you. Curves don 't like to stay folded in my experience.
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Here's what it will all look like from the outside. The top and bottom of the belt loops are sewing into the seams of the waistband. This keeps those small ends out of danger of belts rubbing them to ribbons later.
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That's my methods for adding pockets, belt loops and waistbands to the pants and shorts for dolls I make. From here you just simply finish the construction of the pants as you normally would.
I hope this helps anyone who is struggling to get those tiny pieces to work with them and turn out in the end.
I hope this helps anyone who is struggling to get those tiny pieces to work with them and turn out in the end.