Let's Meet the Teacher! 18" Doll Clothes Pattern

Let's Meet the Teacher!  A 1942 School Dress “Let’s Meet the Teacher!” is all about that exciting first day of school. The design is inspired by an image of a sweet dress from the 1942 Fall/Winter Sears Roebuck catalog. The dress features an elongated bodice with princess seams, short straight sleeves with gathered and slightly elevated caps, self-fabric ties that define the natural waist, and a front button placket with a straight collar.  The two-tier, lightly gathered skirt provides an illusion of greater fullness, as manufacturers and home sewists grappled with fabric rationing measures that began in 1942.  There are two additional options provided for the skirt, giving you plenty of scope for creativity. The three options for the skirt are:   View A: Gathered skirt with no ruffle or contrast. View B: Gathered skirt with contrast band at hemline. View C: Gathered skirt with two tiers.  The small floral print of the inspiration image is typical of the cotton prints popular for everyday dresses in the early 1940s. In the pattern introduction, you'll find some sample images of fabrics available in 1942, as well as tips on sourcing vintage-look fabric to inspire you in your search for the perfect fabric for your dress. The placket and collar can be made in contrasting solid fabrics to complement the main dress fabric. Rick rack trim can be used on the sleeves, collar, waist and on the skirt to provide a cheerful finishing touch perfectly suited to 1942. The pattern instructions include tips on how to use rick rack skillfully in your sewing. This PDF sewing pattern, by Eighteen Cotton Lane, is designed to fit popular 18" dolls such as those shown in the photos.  Suggested Fabrics:  Light to medium weight cotton, cotton blends, rayon, poplin, pinwale corduroy, shirting. Supplies Needed:    •   Fabric: ½ yard of 44” wide fabric for View A, B and C.     •   For contrast features like the skirt band in View B, or collar and placket in any of the views, you will need a fabric that complements your main fabric, using anywhere from a small scrap to a quarter yard, depending on how much contrast you plan to use. Consult the pattern pieces for guidance.    •   Lightweight fusible interfacing.    •   Five snap sets OR five ¼”- ⅜” wide buttons OR  9 inches of soft ¼” wide hook and loop tape for dress back closure.  One snap set for collar.    •   One to three ¼” wide buttons for the front placket, if desired.     •   Rick rack if desired. The best size of rick rack for 18” doll clothing measures ¼” to ⅜” wide. Skill Level: Confident Beginner   What You Get: One 50 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step instructions and full size pattern pieces. A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available. Download, Print, Sew! *Creating a customer account will ensure that you have the ability to access your purchased (and free) files at any time. For detailed information and answers to the most common questions, be sure to read the Terms of Use and FAQ's related to the doll clothes patterns sold at Pixie Faire. Pixie Faire and the designers featured are not affiliated with doll brands pictured. No endorsement is implied. Dolls are used to show the fit of the designed garments. The product and photography shown in this listing are original content, copyright of the pattern designer.