Here is a super easy dress you can make for your American Girl doll using a bandanna.
Actually, half a bandanna!
My bandanna was quite large (about 19 or 20″) so I cut it in half. I wanted to use the existing hem so I measured for the length based on that.
I made a simple casing to run the ribbon through at the neckline.
I also cut an opening for the arm holes, turned and hemmed them.
I ended up with my seam in the front. I would normally sew a seam up the back but most of the pretty pattern on the bandanna would not have shown.
That’s why you see the ribbon down the front – it hides the seam.
The dress closes with ribbons at the shoulder. I think it could have been a tad shorter, but it’s okay.
While I was at it, I made a little flower for her hair – a bobby-pin covered with some of the leftover scraps. It’s just petal-shaped pieces, sewn then turned, with a little cotton ball covered with fabric in the middle.
The sandals were fun to make. Foam soles, ribbon trimmed with little beads to make a flower shape, and a hair elastic. Quick.
One of the easiest dresses I’ve made. I encourage you to try it and let us see what you do!
dollthings.wordpress.com 
This is very pretty and looks darling. Now to find my bandannas I must have saved for such a purpose! Do you have a tutorial for the cute little shoes?
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I don’t … yet. I am planning to do a tutorial soon for some shoes. I just always forget to take pictures… most of the time I’m making it up as I go along. But if that is something you would like to see, I’ll make an effort to do that soon. Thanks!
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How do you cover the bobby pin and how do you insert it?
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The pin isn’t totally covered, but you can’t see it. This is a very small bobby pin; not sure where I bought them but they are about 1/2 the size of normal ones (made for little girls I think). I actually sewed the little flower onto the bobby pin. After I made the flower, I just tacked it onto the pin. It’s inserted into her hair just like a normal pin, but since it’s small, it doesn’t show. Hope this answers your question, Jane.
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Thanks and thanks for replying back. I think this is a real cute pattern.
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i can’t get my flower to turn over after sewing it. Any suggestions?
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Do you mean turning it right side out? I used to go crazy trying to turn tiny little things like this. But I have found a way to turn things like this!
First, you need a tube – like a drinking straw – it just has to fit inside the hole.
Then you need a poker that will fit inside of the straw.
What you do is put your straw inside the hole, then take your poker and stick it into the straw from the fabric side – so that you’re pushing the fabric into the end of the straw with your poker.
Just start pushing. It should slip right through. Takes a teeny bit of practice at first but once you get it, you’ll never try to turn anything any other way. By the way, your poker should be something stiff that wont bend; preferably round and not sharp. I have literally used a straw and a coffee stirrer.
You can turn anything this way – It just needs to be a tube that fits in the hole and a poker that fits in the tube. Hope this makes sense.
– Dawn
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By the way, Jane, I’d love to see your finished piece!
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I’m planning on sending it to you
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I’m still having problems with the flower petal. I think it’s too small to do anything with it.
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I am still planning on sending you a picture of my finished product. This is such an easy pattern but I am having so many problems with it, such as keeping my stitches on the edge of the ribbon I am thinking of taking it off and trying it again. Maybe i am using the wrong type of needle? And it doesn’t help that I just has cataract surgery!
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I hear you, Jane. Sometimes I will use a little bit of glue stick to help hold down small things like ribbon. I like the glue stick because it’s not wet.
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