Sew Adorable Doll Overalls For Your Luckyjuju Cat

Hi, it’s Katia from Luckyjuju. Since one of my favorite things about doll-making is the opportunity to play dress-up, I’m delighted to share a new doll overalls pattern for your handmade cat! In this sewing tutorial, we’ll create darling kitty overalls that can be easily dressed up or down. Two length options give you more ways to style them, and they’re perfect for mixing and matching with fun accessories like the knit scarf from my Puppy Doll class or the pompoms and bowtie from my Owl Doll class. Make a pair or two or three and your cat doll will be ready to join you on all your summer adventures!

Whether you’re climbing trees or hosting tea parties, road-tripping or fishing, cozying up with a good book or crafting the day away, your kitty will be the perfect — and perfectly-dressed — companion for a summer of fun.

Supplies

Materials:

• Pattern pieces
• 1⁄4” [6mm] – 1⁄2” [13mm] wide elastic, 2 pieces 4.5” [11.5cm] long each
• Fabric – Most light to medium weight woven fabric will work, such as quilting cotton, linen, twill, light denim, etc.
  – For 3⁄4 length overalls – 1⁄3 yard [30cm] or a fat quarter – For shorts – 1⁄4 yard [23cm]
• Optional:
  – Small piece of contrasting fabric for pocket, 2 1⁄2” [6.5 cm] x 5” [13cm] – Muslin or scrap fabric for facing

Tools & notions:

• Sewing machine or hand sewing needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Pinking shears
• Pins
• Marking pen/tool
• Optional: iron
• Optional: chopstick

Instructions for Sewing Doll Overalls

Notes:

• The pattern offers two length options, 3⁄4 length and shorts length.
• A 1⁄4” [6mm] seam allowance is included in the pattern.
• Use a short stitch length, such as 2mm, for strong seams.
• Backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to secure.
• Once sewn, trim seam allowances with pinking shears being very careful not to cut through the stitch line. This is especially important on curved seams.
• The pocket is optional but very handy for carrying wild flowers or secret notes.
• The same fabric may be used for all pattern pieces including pocket and facing pieces.

1. Cut all fabric pieces.
   • For Front and Back pieces, fabric should be folded in half in order to cut 2 mirrored pieces at once.
   • For Facing pieces, fold fabric then line up the fold edge indicated on the pattern with the folded edge of the fabric.
   • For pocket, cut a 2 1⁄2” [6.5 cm] wide x 5” [13cm] high piece of fabric. If you’re using a patterned fabric, be mindful of the direction your pattern will go.
2. Using pinking shears, trim off bottom edges of facing pieces.
3. Lay 2 Front pieces right sides together and using a 1⁄4” [6mm] seam allowance, sew along curved edge as indicated on pattern with a dotted line. Then, trim seam allowance with pinking shears then press seams open. Repeat for Back pieces.
4. With right sides facing, lay Front Facing piece over Front piece. Using a 1⁄4” [6mm] seam allowance, sew along curves and across top edge as indicated with a dotted line on Facing pattern piece. Clip off corners and trim seam allowances along curved edges with pinking shears. Repeat for Back pieces. Turn right sides out and press out seams. You can use a chop stick to gently push out the corners.
5. Optional but recommended, sew a line of topstitching along the top, very close to the edge. This will give your project a nice clean look.
6. Add pocket, optional.
   • Fold pocket piece in half crosswise with right sides facing, making a square shape. Sew along the 2 sides perpendicular to folded edge leaving an opening at the top. Turn right side out and press neatly.
   • Fold the open edge over 1⁄2” [13mm] (to the back side if patterned) and sew across, just above the raw edge. Then, topstitch along the top of the pocket, creating two parallel lines of stitching.
   • Center the pocket on the Front piece about a 1⁄2” [13mm] down from the top edge and pin in place, making sure that both pieces are right sides up. Sew right along the edge on sides and bottom leaving the top open. Be sure to secure beginning and end of seam strongly with backstitching.
7. With right sides facing, sew Front and Back pieces together at sides. Trim seam allowances with pinking shears and press open.
8. Hem pants. Fold bottom edge of pant leg 1⁄4” [6mm] towards the wrong side twice encasing the raw edge. Stitch along the top fold to secure. Repeat for other leg.
9. Sew inseam. With right sides facing, sew up one pant leg and down the other. Trim seam allowance with pinking shears.
10. Attach shoulder straps.
    • Cut 2 pieces of elastic to 4.5” [11.5cm]
    • Place elastic at either corner of top of the doll overalls. Place at a slight angle and pin to the inside of the overalls.
    • Next attach each elastic to the back side in the same manner taking care not to twist. Note that the straps on the overalls do not cross.
    • Attach elastic using zig zag stitch. If your machine is adjustable, decrease zig zag stitch length to 1.0 – 1.5mm and increase stitch width to 4.0 – 5.0mm. It’s a good idea to test on a scrap piece of elastic or fabric to determine the perfect combination of stitch width and stitch length for your elastic. To ensure that your stitches are centered on the elastic, sew from the inside of the overalls. Run zig zag stitch back and forth along elastic a couple times to ensure a strong attachment.

Et voilà! Kitty doll overalls. Don’t forget to share your photos in the Cat Doll class gallery so we can admire your kitty in their adorable new ensembles. I can’t wait to see where your creativity, imagination, and adventures take you!