Sewing Goals: Keepers Dolly Duds

 I do most of my sewing in fall/winter/early spring. When it is nice enough to be outside, I want to spend all of my days off works kayaking, hiking and swimming and enjoying the nice weather.

I do swim in an indoor pool throughout the year, but it's not the same.

I also suffer from seasonal depression, which makes it harder to do anything when the days are cold and short. I want to use my time to DO something, but I may feel too tired or sick.

I have set myself a goal to make it easier to get some sewing done. My goal is to sew every Keepers Dolly Duds doll clothes pattern.

There are 47 digital patterns available in American Girl doll size. This is not counting the Simplicity patterns, the Stitch and Switch Collars pattern that is no longer sold separately, or the patterns that have been resized for other dolls.

When I started my goal, I had already sewn 18 of the patterns. I have counted those towards my goal. 

I am now further on my way, and have made more than half of the patterns.

This is a different approach than I usually use. Sometimes I am inspired to sew for a particular doll, or a particular person, or to use a particular piece of fabric. 

Now I am looking at it from a different angle, looking a the pattern, thinking about what fabric I can use for it. Mostly I am using fabric from my stash. It is creative in a different way.

It's also really bolstering my confidence. Some of the patterns I thought, oh, that looks so complicated, and I feel great when I am able to make it easily. Other patterns I felt unlikely to use just because they didn't seem appropriate for a doll that I owned.

I actually already owned most of these patterns. I wanted to justify the money that I spent on them by using them. Otherwise, it's just a weird form of digital hoarding.

This is also an exercise in enjoying what I have. Instead of looking at new dolls online, I am dressing the ones that I have. I am using fabric from my stash. It is sparking joy.

I don't know how long this project will take. It may not be done this year. That's okay. It's helping me to be happy, and that is what counts.