Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Pattern Review: KayandMay Civil War Dress

 I saw a dress made from the Kay and May 1860s Civil War Dress pattern made by someone in a Facebook group.

I thought it was really cute. I really liked the sleeves and the square bodice. The belt was also unique among doll patterns that I have seen.

The pattern was affordable, so I was happy to buy it and give it a try.


I ended up not being very happy with the skirt. I felt that the skirt was the right length for a 1950s dress, but too short for a 1860s dress.

I also felt that the way the hem was curved made it harder to hem it neatly.

I think that the skirt should be about two inches longer than it is. You can see the dress sewn to the original pattern in the picture above.



I made a second, longer skirt, that could be worn under the dress that I had made. This gave the skirt three tiers.

I wasn't really happy the way it looked. It didn't look like it was planned, because it wasn't.

I did not give up on this pattern.

I have made two more dresses, in which I used the bodice pattern and a skirt that I just cut as a rectangle about 25 inches wide by 8 inches long. I gave up on making the skirt tiered.

I will share the other dresses I made from this pattern when I have a picture of them. I still think it's a cute pattern, but I am annoyed by the skirt debacle. 

1 comment:

  1. Hmm, I get what you're saying about the hem length. That said, the fabrics you chose are adorable and it's a very pretty bodice! I'm looking forward to seeing your other dresses from this pattern.
    A question for you: where do you usually find your doll clothes patterns? I've got a bunch of patterns I've made that I'm intending to digitize and sell and just wondered where people found their patterns.
    (I should also note that I'm a long-time lurker on your blog and I love seeing all the beautiful creations you make!)
    -ForestPoodle88 (https://hedgehoghollow.home.blog/)

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