Dolls’ Berry Bubbles

Pattern Markings

Transfer all pattern markings using a disappearing ink pen or tailors’ chalk.

Bias Tape

There are two pattern pieces which are for making bias tape: the Pocket Binding, and the Leg Binding.

If you have purchased double fold bias tape, you don’t need to do anything with this just yet. 

If you have purchased single fold bias tape, you will need to fold it in half lengthways (so that the raw edges are hidden inside) and press all the way down its length.

If you are making your own bias tape using the pattern pieces provided, follow this free tutorial to create the pieces.

Pleats

Careful measuring and marking is the key to achieve successful pleats and avoid ending up with pieces that don’t fit together. 

There are many ways of putting pleats together. If you have a method you are more familiar with, please use this. Alternatively, here is how I like to do it:

B1. Place the pattern piece on top of the Main Front, lining it up accurately on the wrong side of the fabric. 

To transfer the pleat markings, I like to punch a small hole with a pin through the paper where I want to mark either with an awl or a pin.

B2. Using a washable marker or some tailors chalk mark the bottom of the pleat with a dot. Mark the top of the pleat. Trace a line to connect the top and the bottom of the pleat.

B3. I find the most accurate way of completing the pleat is to fold the lines of the pleat together, right sides together and secure with a pin. Sew the pleat directly on the line. 

Alternatively, you can just fold the two lines together neatly in the direction of the arrows and pin (no sewing).

B4. Press the pleats from the wrong side of the fabric towards the sides and baste the top of the pleats using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

Repeat for all the other Main Front, both Front Lining, both Back Main and Lining pieces. 

NOTE – This photo shows the pleats from the wrong side of the fabric. When looking at the fabric from the wrong side the folded edge of the pleat should point towards the crotch. When looking from the right side of the fabric, the folded edge should point towards the side seam.

With the right sides of the fabric together, place the Main Front Yoke onto the Front Yoke Lining and pin around the sides and top. 

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance leaving the bottom open. 

To get a nice sharp corner on the yoke, go slowly and put the needle down when you get ½ from the edge. Then lift your presser foot and rotate the fabric before putting your presser foot down again.

Cut the corners of the yoke off (don’t cut all the way to the stitching or it will fray, just cut the bulk off so it’s easier when we turn it right way out). 

If any of your edges are uneven, now is a good time to trim these too so it’s all nice and neat inside when you turn it.

Turn the Front Yoke right side out and press. 

TIP – I use a blunt chopstick to poke the corners of the yoke out, so they are nice and neat.

Topstitch approximately ⅛ inch from the edge along the sides and top of the Front Yoke.

Baste the bottom of the Front Yoke shut using a ¼ inch seam allowance. This helps keep the layers smooth and flat later on as we assemble the front of the shorts.

TIP – Basting is just like normal stitching except the stitches need to be long and loose so that they can be removed later, if needed. Stitch within the seam allowance, so that the basting stitches are not seen in the final garment, while keeping the stitches loose enough to pull out just in case they are visible. The purpose is to hold a piece of fabric in place until that section is properly sewn. Set the machine to a long loose stitch. Test it on a piece of fabric first to make sure that the stitches can easily be removed. Do not backstitch at either end. Leave the ends loose, with approximately 1 inch of thread tails at either end of the stitching.

BUTTON OPTION – Stitch 4 buttonholes according to how your sewing machine does it as marked on the Front Yoke. 

POPPERS / SNAPS OPTION – If you are using poppers or snaps, skip to step 2.

Fold each Front Side Yoke lengthways wrong side to wrong side down the center fold line. Press.

Top stitch a straight line ¾ inch from the folded edge and press. Set aside.

Baste one Pocket Bag to one short front along the curved edge positioning the pocket on the shorts front wrong side to wrong side.

Slip one double folded Pocket Binding or bias tape over the raw edge along the pocket curve of the shorts front. Make sure the raw edge of the top is right up inside the middle of the bias tape.

Pin in place and topstitch close to the edge of the bias tape making sure to catch both sides of the binding while you sew (approx. ⅛ inch from the edge). Trim off the excess binding in line with the edges.

Place one Side Front Pocket over one Pocket Bag right side together and pin making sure not to catch the front of the shorts under your pins.

Stitch around the outside curved edge to join the Side Front Pocket to the Pocket Bag. 

Stitch again along the same seam at ¼ inch seam allowance so you have two parallel rows of stitching. This helps reinforce the pocket.

Using a ¼ inch seam allowance and a long stitch, baste the pocket top and side to the shorts front.

Repeat steps 3.1 to 3.6 with the other Side Front Pocket and Pocket Bag.

Place the two Main Front pieces right side together and pin along the front rise. Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Clip the inner curve of the front rise by making little snips about ¾ of the way into your seam allowance. Make these snips about ½ inch (1.3cm) apart. Do not snip too close or you’ll end up with a hole! Just go far enough to help the curve sit flat when we turn it right way out. 

TIP – Use the very end of the scissors for maximum control. If you use mid-way through the blade, you’ll have less control and are much more likely to accidentally cut through your stitching.

From the inside, press the seam towards the left.

On the outside, topstitch at ⅛ inch from the right side of the seam.

Repeat steps 4.1 and 4.2 with the Front Lining front rise.

From the wrong side, press the seam towards the left.  Do not topstitch. 

NOTE – You may notice that when we put the garment together, the seams will be sitting in opposite directions. This is so when you assemble the main fabric front and lining wrong side to wrong side later on, the seam allowances will go in opposite directions to reduce bulk.  This is especially important if you are using medium or heavy weight fabric.

Take your Front Yoke and fold it in half lengthwise. Mark the center point with a pin.

Position the Main Front right side up. Pin the Front Yoke upside down onto the front (with right sides together). Match the middle point pin on the yoke with the shorts front center seam. Also match the edges of the yoke with the folded edges of the pocket binding. Pin together.

NOTE – You need to stretch the Front Yoke slightly as you pin and then stitch it. Otherwise it won’t fit and will look a little wavy after top stitching. Stretching it a little keeps it sitting flat on the finished garment.

Pin both Side Yokes upside down on the right side of the shorts front and wrong side of the Front Yoke as pictured. 

The edges of the Side Yokes should match up with the edge of the shorts. The side yokes will then overlap the front yoke. In the larger sizes they overlap quite a bit more than in the photo. This is correct, just make sure the edge of the side yoke lines up with the side seam of the shorts.

The bit that is the trickiest is to make sure the side yokes are the right way up. The curved edge is the one you need to stitch to the shorts. The straight edge will later get stitched to the waistband.

Baste through all layers using a ¼ inch seam allowance (go slowly or use a walking foot if you have one to stop all layers from moving about). 

TIP – I like to position a pin on each pleat to make sure they are folded in the right direction when basting.

Place the Front Lining right side down on top of it all and pin. 

You should now have formed a sandwich in this order: Main Front, Front Yoke, Side Yoke and Front Lining. 

Stitch ½ inch seam through all layers.

TIP – I recommend sewing this seam with the main fabric side upward (on top of the yokes and lining as you feed it into your sewing machine). This way, you will make sure there are no unexpected wrinkles on the outside.

Turn the shorts inside out and carefully press with the seam allowance down and away from the yoke.

If any of your basting stitches are visible from the front of the shorts, remove these now.

Press the shorts front to help flatten where the binding is on the pockets. Then top stitch continuously across the base of the whole yoke using a ⅛ inch seam allowance. If you desire, topstitch a second row ⅛ inch from your first topstitching line (¼ inch from the base of the yoke).  Your topstitching will run along the base of both sides and front yokes.

Both rows of topstitching are decorative and purely to give a tailored finish. As the seam allowance is pressed downwards, you won’t be catching it in your topstitching.

TIP – Depending on the bulk of your fabric, you might find topstitching using a ⅛ inch seam allowance to be challenging, especially when crossing the pocket binding. To make this easier, try using a regular zipper foot. Align the left edge of the foot along the seam base of the yokes and stitch slowly. Alternatively, you could use a walking foot if you have one. 

TWIN NEEDLE OPTION – Another option to help with topstitching is instead of the above, use a twin needle with a width of ¼ inch between the needles. Align the left needle ⅛ inch from the base of the yoke and topstitch.

With the right sides of the fabric together, place one Back Yoke on one Main Back and pin. 

NOTE – Check you have the correct Back Yoke on the correct Main Back. The left Back Yoke needs to go with the left Back piece and vice versa. 

To check this, look at the shape of the Back Yoke. The taller end of the back yoke aligns with the center back of the shorts. The shorter end aligns with what will be the shorts side seam. There is a note on the Back Yoke pattern piece that marks center back if you are unsure.

The bit that is the trickiest is to make sure the back yoke is the right way up. The long curved edge is the one you need to stitch to the shorts back. The straight edge will later get stitched to the waistband.

You will need to stretch the Back Yoke slightly when pinning to have it fit nicely and not pucker. This helps the waist sit firm and the ‘bubble’ look of the shorts really pop away in the finished garment. 

NOTE – You only need to stretch it slightly. If it is too short, or you have to stretch it a lot, check the yoke is the correct way up. It may be upside down.

Stitch using a ½ seam allowance.

Press the seam allowance up towards the yoke.  From the right side of the fabric topstitch using a ⅛ inch seam allowance. If you did a second row of topstitching of the Front Yoke, do a second row on the back yoke as well, ⅛ inch from your first topstitching line.

Repeat steps 5.1 and 5.2 for the other Main Back and Back Yoke.

Place the Back Yoke Lining and Back Lining right sides together. Pin. 

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance. Press the seam allowance up. Do not topstitch.

Repeat for the other Back Lining and Back Yoke Lining.

Align the two Main Back pieces right side together and pin along the curved center back seam. Peek inside and check if the topstitching and seam lines are lined up neatly before pinning. Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance.

Clip the inner curve of the center back seam by making little snips about ¾ of the way into your seam allowance (as you did in step 4.2 for the center front seam).

From the inside, press the seam towards the right.  On the outside, topstitch at ⅛ inch from the left side of the seam. 

NOTE – When you topstitched the center front seam, you topstitched from the right side of the seam. You are doing the opposite on the center back seam. By doing so, when you assemble the front and back, the topstitching line will appear continuous at the crotch.

Align the two Back Lining pieces right side together and pin along the curved center back seam. Peek inside and check the seam is lined up neatly before pinning.  Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance. Clip the seam as in step 6.2. Press the seam allowance towards the right. Do not topstitch.

We are now going to put it all together. Place the Back Lining right side facing up. Place Front Lining on top, right sides together. Place Main Front on top of Front Lining, wrong sides together with Front Lining. Place Main Back on top, right sides together with Main Front.

Align one side seam at a time, making sure to neatly match all the layers. Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance.

NOTE – The back shorts and back shorts lining are wider than the front shorts so it will not sit flat when you align and pin the second side seam through all layers. Stitch slowly using a ½ inch seam allowance.  Use a walking foot if you have one to keep all layers from sliding around when stitching.

TIP – Stitch from the top of the shorts downwards on each side. This will help ensure your top stitching stays neatly lined up at the side seams.

Turn the shorts inside out and carefully press both sides seam allowances towards the back.

Baste the back and the Back Lining together along the raw edge of the back waistline using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

This step is the same for any of the length options.

Pull the main fabric out of the way and with the right sides of the fabrics together, pin and stitch the inner leg seam of the shorts lining using a ½ inch seam allowance. Press the seam open.

With the right sides of the fabrics together, stitch the shorts main fabric inner leg seam. To do this, fold the main fabric up and away from the lining and pin at the crotch (you will need to twist it a bit oddly to line these up). Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance and press the seam open. 

NOTE – On the very smallest sizes it might be easier to stitch this step by hand.

Turn the shorts inside out. Align the leg openings of the main fabric and lining wrong side to wrong side and baste along each raw edge to hold them together.

If you are adding regular elastic, skip to step 10. If you are adding buttonhole elastic, follow below.

Stitch the buttonholes according to how your sewing machine does it. When assembled, the buttonhole should go nearly the width of the waistband, but not into the seam allowance (it might help you visualize this if you mark your seam allowances on both sides at buttonhole levels). 

If you are using lightweight or delicate lining fabric, iron a small piece (approx. 1 by 1 inch square) of fusible interfacing on the wrong side of the waistband lining behind where each buttonhole will go. This is to reinforce the fabric and avoid putting stress on the fabric when pulling the elastic to adjust for the dolls’ waist.

TIP – I have an automatic buttonhole option on my sewing machine and I find that if I use a ¾ inch button as a guide, it ends up the right length between the seam allowances to fit the ¾ inch buttonholes elastic. If you have this feature, test on a scrap of fabric first to check the buttonhole is the correct size.

Fold the bottom of the Waistband Lining towards the wrong side of the fabric by ½ inch and press.  Align the waistband lining and waistband right side together and pin along both short sides and along the top. Stitch using a ½ seam allowance. Do not stitch along the bottom.

Clip the corners of the waistband off (don’t cut all the way to the stitching or it will fray, just cut the bulk off so it’s easier when we turn it right way out).

Turn the right way out and press carefully.

On the outside, pin the raw edges of waistband and of the shorts waist with the right sides of the fabrics together. 

Line up the Waistband short edges to meet the edges of the side yokes first, then pin the rest of the waistband. Again, you may need to stretch the Yokes slightly to have the Waistband fit and have it sit properly in the finished garment.

Stitch using a ½ seam allowance.

TIP – When pinning around the Waistband, hold the lining out of the way and pin from end to end. Position your pins directly on the seam line parallel to the raw edge. Before stitching, fold the Waistband up to make sure it is exactly the same length as the front yoke. At this point, make any adjustments you need to, so the waistband and front yoke end up the same height.

TIP – In the very smallest sizes the last sections of this seam (right near the edges) might be easier to do by hand.

Unfold the Waistband up and press the seam allowance up and away from the shorts.

Working from the right side of the shorts, pin the folded edge of the waistband lining down around the waistline. You should be aiming to pin the hem of the waistband lining just below the stitching line where the waistband meets the shorts. Make sure all raw edges are tucked up inside.

From the outside, topstitch all the way around the Waistband using a ⅛ inch seam allowance.

Fold both ends of your buttonhole elastic under ¼ inch and topstitch.

Pin one end of your buttonhole elastic to the garment (it doesn’t matter where. This is just to stop it slipping into the waistband as you thread the elastic in). Pin a safety pin to the other end of your elastic, and thread it into the waistband. Thread it all the way through until it comes out the other end.

Stitch 2x buttons on the Waistband Lining as marked (one at either end of the elastic).

To secure the buttonhole elastic at either end of the waistband, slip one hole in the elastic over your button, then fold the leftover elastic back towards the center of the shorts and slip another hole that’s near the end of the elastic onto the button. Repeat with the other end of the elastic and other buttonhole. You can move the elastic so it’s tighter or looser whenever you like, meaning it’s adjustable.

Try the shorts on before going any further. Adjust the elastic length if necessary.

If you have added buttonhole elastic, skip to step 11. If you are adding regular elastic, follow below.

Fold the bottom of the Waistband Lining towards the wrong side of the fabric by ½ inch and press.  Align the waistband lining and waistband right side together and pin along both short sides and along the top. Stitch using a ½ seam allowance. Do not stitch along the bottom.

Clip the corners of the waistband off (don’t cut all the way to the stitching or it will fray, just cut the bulk off so it’s easier when we turn it right way out).

Turn the right way out and press carefully.

On the outside, pin the raw edges of waistband and of the shorts waist with the right sides of the fabrics together. 

Line up the Waistband short edges to meet the edges of the side yokes first, then pin the rest of the waistband. Again, you may need to stretch the Yokes slightly to have the Waistband fit and have it sit properly in the finished garment.

Stitch using a ½ seam allowance.

TIP – When pinning around the Waistband, hold the lining out of the way and pin from end to end. Position your pins directly on the seam line parallel to the raw edge. Before stitching, fold the Waistband up to make sure it is exactly the same length as the front yoke. At this point, make any adjustments you need to, so the waistband and front yoke end up the same height.

TIP – In the very smallest sizes the last sections of this seam (right near the edges) might be easier to do by hand.

Unfold the Waistband up and press the seam allowance up and away from the shorts.

From the outside, topstitch along the top of Waistband using a ⅛ inch seam allowance only. Do not stitch the bottom edge down yet. Do not stitch across the short edges either.

Lift the lining up and push one end of the elastic into the very corner of one side yoke. Pin in place and repeat with the other end of the elastic into the other side yoke. Make sure that the elastic is not twisted.

Try the shorts on before going any further. Adjust the elastic length if necessary.

NOTE – The elastic will be much shorter than your Waistband and will be loose inside the garment at this stage. This is correct.

TIP – Depending on the thickness of your elastic, you may find this method (steps 10.7 to 10.8) a little tricky. If you find it hard, skip this step and go to step 10.9 but leave a 2 inch gap in either end. Then thread the elastic through the gaps with a safety pin, secure and finish top stitching.

Fold the Waistband Lining down and transfer the pins from step 10.7 to the outside of fabric. 

Stitch through all layers (shorts, elastic and lining) to hold both ends of the elastic in place using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

Working from the right side of the shorts, pin the folded edge of the Waistband Lining down and over the elastic around the waistline. You should be aiming to pin the hem of the Waistband Lining just below the stitching line where the waistband meets the shorts. Make sure all raw edges are tucked up inside.

From the outside, topstitch all the way around the waistband using a ⅛ inch seam allowance and without catching the elastic while you sew. 

There should now be top stitching all the way around the waistband in a rectangle.

NOTE – You will need to stretch the elastic while you topstitch to keep the waistband flat. This can be a bit tricky. Try not to pull at the fabric or it could slip backwards in your sewing machine, just stretch the elastic inside the fabric while letting your sewing machine guide the fabric at the speed you are sewing. Using a walking foot can help with this if you have one. Go slowly.

BUTTONS – If you are doing buttons on the Front Yoke, stitch one button on each side yoke, and one button on each Waistband as marked. 

POPPERS / SNAPS – If you are doing poppers/snaps on the Front Yoke, apply these where the button and buttonhole markings are on the front, side yokes and waistband, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Position the male parts on the Front Yoke and the female parts on the Waistband and Side Yokes.

SERGER / OVERLOCKER OPTION – If you have a serger or overlocker that can gather and stitch, you may find it faster to serge and gather the hem instead of using a gathering stitch on your sewing machine.

REGULAR SEWING MACHINE OPTION – Follow below.

We are now going to stitch two rows of gathering stitches across each leg hemline.

Set your sewing machine to a gathering stitch. This will be the longest stitch length possible with no locking stitch at the beginning or end, and a loose tension. Depending on your machine you may also need to loosen your bobbin tension.

Stitch your first row of gathering stitches close to the edge of the fabric (approx. ¼ inch). Stitch your second row of gathering stitches approx. ¾ inch from the edge.

When you do your rows of gatherings stitches, I like to start at one seam and sew to the next seam. This gives several sections of gathering which are much easier to gather later than one big long section. Cut your thread, leaving a long tail of thread hanging off (like in the photo). Start stitching again just after the side seam, and stitch around to the next seam. 

You should now have two rows of gathering stitches all the way across each leg hemline.

TIP – Stitch in the same direction for both rows of stitches (e.g. clockwise or counterclockwise). It doesn’t matter which direction so long as both lines of stitches go the same way. It’ll make gathering a lot easier.

TIP – Use a different colored top thread to your bobbin thread. That way you can differentiate them more easily later when you come to gather it. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all those left over bobbin threads I find I have!

NOTE – Change your sewing machine back to a normal length stitch after you sew the gathering stitch so it’s ready for the following steps.

Unfold the ends of one Leg Binding. With the right sides of the fabric together, pin the short ends together. Check if the Leg Binding is the right length for your leg. It shouldn’t be tight but have quite a bit of ease in it so the shorts can move about as you move. Stitch the seam with a ½ inch seam allowance.

Press the seam allowance open.

Press the bias tape folds back into a leg binding shape. You should now have a circle of leg binding that looks like a circle of bias tape. Fold the binding circle in half and place a pin to mark the fold. You will now have your binding separated into 2x equal sections.

Repeat steps 12.2 to 12.4 for the other Leg Binding.

We are now going to gather one leg hemline, so it is the same circumference as the leg binding. The best way I find to do this is in sections. Back in step 12.1 you did your gathering stitches from seam to seam. Now gather from seam to seam.

Starting at a side seam, find a pair of bobbin threads and very gently pull on both equally to gather the leg. Gather the leg all the way across the half you are working on until the leg hemline fits one half of leg binding.   

You will need to spread the gathering out gently with your fingers, so it looks evenly gathered.  Then move onto the next half and so on until the 2x leg hemlines have been gathered and now fits the bindings.

TIP – Before gathering, tie your two bobbin threads together in a knot to ensure you pull each row of gathering thread evenly.  

TIP – On how to gather heavy fabrics – It might be challenging to gather on heavier weight fabrics like denim, heavy corduroy, or wool.  If you are worried about snapping the delicate threads while pulling to gather the leg, you can add a third row of gathering stitches between the first two rows.  Another good way to gather heavier fabrics is to zigzag over a cord, embroidery floss or a thin ribbon.  To do so, place the cord in the middle of your presser foot (use a cording foot if you have one) stitch from the wrong side of the fabric leaving a tail of about 2 inches before you start. Test your stitch width and length to make sure to clear the cord on either side (make sure not to catch the cord with your needle). Pull the cord slowly while pushing on the fabric to form your gathers with your fingers. 

TIP – For gathering lighter or delicate fabrics – If you are using a lighter or delicate fabric, you might want to do your two rows of gathering stitches INSIDE the seam allowance.  Do your first row just under the seam allowance. Aim to do your second row between the first row and the raw edge of the leg hemline.

Slip your binding over the gathered edge of one leg hemline to fully encase it. Make sure the raw edge of the hemline is butted right up inside the middle of the leg binding. Align the binding seam with the crotch seam and pin. Align the pin marking the half of the binding with the outside seam of the shorts.  Pin in place. Adjust the gathers evenly into the binding all around the leg hemline.

NOTE – If you are using a bulkier fabric and/or you are sewing one of the smaller sizes, you may find this method a little tricky. An alternative to steps 12.7 to 12.8 is, unfold your bias tape, pin it right sides together to the lining (e.g. the inside of the leg hole) and stitch along the fold line. Re-fold your bias tape all the way over the raw edge and pin in place as pictured in step 12.7.  Then topstitch as in 12.8.

From the outside, topstitch close to the edge of the bias tape making sure to catch both sides of the binding while you sew (approx. ⅛ inch from the edge). Press the leg binding carefully. 

Remove the gathering stitches by gently pulling the ends of the gathering threads so that they come all the way through the hemline. Find the thread from the underside and pull this out too.  Remove any loose threads you can see.

TIP – You may find the thread snaps if you pull it too hard or your fabric is quite thick. If this happens, just pull the other end and the rest of the thread should come out there.

NOTE – For such as small size as this dolls version, the opening of the leg can be quite small and the binding hard to sew. I like to turn the garment inside out and topstitch the binding in the round (see photo of garment on my sewing machine).

Repeat steps 12.2 to 12.8 with the other Leg Binding and leg hemline.

Pin one strip of Leg Binding to one leg hem. Make sure the raw edge of the hemline is butted right up inside the middle of the leg binding.

As you get around to the start again, trim the Leg Binding if needed so it is approximately ½ inch longer than you need. Fold this edge under and clip the corners so the raw end of the Leg Binding is hidden.

Topstitch all the way around the Leg Binding. Pin in place and topstitch all around close to the edge of the bias tape making sure to catch both sides of the binding while you sew (approximately ⅛ inch from the edge). 

Repeat steps 13.1 to 13.3 for the other leg hem and Leg Binding.