I’ve been sewing for our American Girl dolls again! Today I’ve got more free doll patterns for you. I’ve had this one on my list to make for quite some time. I decided it would be perfect to make for our dolls just before Easter. That way they can use their reversible tote bags as Easter bags/baskets when they go to all those egg hunts and such. 😉
Aren’t they adorable? I just love how these reversible tote bags turned out. So cute and with our Easter fabrics, they are the perfect bag for using for an American Girl doll Easter egg hunt.
I got the free pattern from Daydream Doll Boutique. {Scrap Saver 18″ Doll Stylish Tote} This one pattern has three different versions of the bag: a simple bag, a bag with ruffles and the bag I made with the flower.
The pattern is easy to make and straightforward to follow. I made one change that made this little project take a bit longer, but it is what my girls wanted.
My girls wanted the flower on their tote bag to be removable so that when the bag was being used with the flower on the inside, they could still fit things inside their bag. The pattern calls for hot gluing the flower to the front of the bag. it would have been lots faster and easier, but what I did worked as well.
If you want your flower to be removable, start by following the patterns instructions for making the ruffle for the flower. Rather than hot gluing the flower, follow these steps below.
- Start by gathering a small section of the ruffle you sewed and gathered.
- After the initial gather and a few turns around, for me, it was easier to turn the flower over and gently lay the fabric around the circle.
- Winding it up somewhat loosely that way and making sure to line the bottom of the ruffle as you go.
- Done with the winding.
Now you need to sew the flower together and add Velcro to make it hold together and be removable.
After completing three of these flowers, here is what I found that worked for me.
- Using a needle and thread, pick a location to start. Push your needle all the way through the flower.
- I found it easiest to pick a direction and continuing going in that direction, sewing the flower to hold together. So, each time I pulled my needle out, I moved it to the right and went back through the flower and going to the right again. Until, I had gone completely around the flower securing it.
- Next up is adding a small piece of Velcro Fist, sew it on going around the edge, pushing your needle through the Velcro and flower and back up again. Next, to completely secure the Velcro and to try to make the gathered portion look more neat, use a whip stitch going around the edge of the Velcro and gathering extra fabric up as you go. So that, in the end, it is almost all tucked up under the Velcro.
- Finished and fluffed flower.
Make sure to add the opposite piece of Velcro to the center piece of your outer fabric before proceeding with the rest of the pattern. I did this on the machine because I don’t like hand sewing. Blech…and after three flowers I was about to go batty!
I love how the flowers turned out…so you get to look at a few pictures of them. 🙂
I caught Julie and Saige taking a little break while they were out an egg hunt with their new bags.
Snowflake picked out this Easter fabric. The flower and inside fabric were from a fat quarter, which was more than enough fabric for this project.
Pumpkin picked out this Easter fabric. Once again the flower and inside fabric were from a fat quarter. I did have to sew together two strips of fabric the correct width in order to make the flower because it calls for a strip 44″ long. A fat quarter is not that wide. Easy fix, but just giving you the info. in case you try using a fat quarter for this project as well.
Gorgeous Easter bag with flower for our American Girl dolls.
The flower easily comes off and goes on. On the fabric Snowflake picked, the Velcro piece on the bag doesn’t stand out too much, so it could be used without the flower any time.
When the girls were done with their egg hunt, they were off for a day of shopping. They needed their tote bags to carry the goodies they bought.
The other side of the tote bags.
Now some fun news. I made three of these bags. I made one for Snowflake, one for Pumpkin and one for one of you! I am giving away the bag pictured above. It will be filled with the paper grass and hopefully a couple of eggs for you, too. Though our cat has been eating and destroying the other eggs…so if he has eaten them before the giveaway is over, they won’t be included. Boo!
Below you will see the Rafflecopter widget. It is also on my link party post (Real Family Fun #4), if you are a blogger, you can earn extra entries by linking up a post or two over there.
Tune back in on Wednesday for another AG sewing project. I have another giveaway this week for that post as well! I am just full of things to giveaway to you all!
More American Girl Doll Fun:
I’ll have to make these for my daughter and neice. Thanks for the idea!
I bet they will enjoy them!
KC
Very cute KC!
Thanks!
i love it very cute!
Pumpkin
Thank you, Pumpkin! I am glad you are liking the bag Mommy made you!
Love,
Mommy
Love playing with them. So much fun.
Snowflake
Thank you, Snowflake! I’m so happy that you love the bag and love playing with them.
Love,
Mommy
awe, These are adorable! And perfect for Easter. I’d love if you would share this pattern @ Tell Me Tuesdays today https://mothersniche.com/free-printablelinkparty/
Thank you!
KC
Very cute. Makes me wish that my mom had gotten me an AG doll when I was little. 🙂
-Vicky
https://veryvic.blogspot.com
Thanks! I think I would have had fun with an AG doll when I was little, but they weren’t around.
Take care,
KC
Thanks for the free pattern- I referred a friend who will love it!
You are welcome! Thanks so much for sending your friend over as well.
Take care,
KC
My 3 year old daughter hasn’t heard of American Girl yet, but I”m sure she will soon!
Carrie
I’m sure she will, too. The Bitty Babies are a very cute start!
KC
every Christmas I make matching nightgowns for my granddaughters and their dolls.
That sounds so cute! Someday I need to get brave and make things for daughters as well as their dolls.
KC
These are so cute! Thank you for sharing. I’d love for you to check out our Pattern Party! Those with patterns and templates to share are invited to link up!
https://getyourcraptogether.blogspot.com/search/label/Pattern%20Party
Thanks!
KC
We’re doing a Josefina unit study right now–made tortillas tonight!
–Gena at ichoosejoy.org
I was on your blog today and I can’t wait to see some of your Josefina activities.
Take care,
KC
The little bags are so cute. I am offering a LJ 1930’s dress and a Beatrix Potter doll quilt as giveaways on my blog. Come check it out.
https://aretrocatholicfamily.blogspot.ca/
Thank you!
KC
Love these! Thanks so much for linking up this week.
Thanks so much, Marie!
KC
lots of dresses for Christmas
Sounds fun!
KC
So cute! You always make your crafts look so easy but I can only imagine what I’d end up with if I tried. 🙂
Thanks, Cheryl…that is really sweet of you to say! I have fun with most things I do and make, so whether it is easy or not it satisfies a craft need in me. 🙂
KC
Cute little bags and the fabric flowers are just adorable. I can think of several uses for flowers that can be attached with velcro.
Thanks, Pam! I hadn’t even thought of other ways to use the flowers…now I will have to think about other ways to use them.
Take care,
KC
So cute! You are such an expert at doll clothes. I keep finding you on link parties, and I’m so glad. What a great resource!! Thank you.
Haha! Thanks so much for your kind words, but I am super far from an expert! I just am willing to give most anything a try. Sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t Glad I can help you out!
Take care,
KC
YOU HAVE ALOT OF AMERICAN DOLL PATTERNS I WANT TRY TO MAKE .OUR GRAND DAUTHER GOT ISABELLE FOR CHRISTMAS
Hi KC, just wanted to let you know that the link is not working for the tote on the Daydreams website.
Thanks for letting me know. When I click on it, it is working just fine. Let me know if it happens again and I will investigate further.
Thanks!
It takes you to the page for the pattern but when you click on the “Click Here for Pattern” it says “Error 404 – Page NOT Found”
I’m sorry. I wish I could help you, but I’m not getting that same error anytime I try. I click the link for the tote bag and it opens up the correct page. Sorry, I’m no help.
I’m sorry to be such a pain. It’s still doing the same thing for me. It’s really not a big deal, I think I can figure it out on my own. It’s just so cute! Thanks KC!
No pain at all. I wish I could recreate what you are seeing so I could fix it, but I click it and it still comes up for me. Hopefully, you got it all figured out. Good luck!