18″ Doll Sleeping Bag Tutorial

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Hi! I’m Linda from Sew Happily Ever After, where I blog mostly about sewing, but occasionally about my wellness journey and educating my kids at home.

I love this 18 inch doll sleeping bag tutorial. It looks cute and easy to sew. Great DIY idea. Perfect my girl's American Girl Doll. It’s so exciting for me to be guest posting here on Fleece Fun. I love to blog about sewing projects. This year I released my first sewing pattern. I really hope you enjoy the tutorial that I have for you today! My girls love their 18 inch dolls, but those dolls always need a place to sleep. I created this cozy fleece sleeping bag to be a little roomy for your dolls whether they are on a camping adventure or just a simple overnight slumber party. It also completely unzips to double as a picnic blanket if you wish.
Supplies needed to complete the project:1/2 yard fleece (for the outer sleeping bag)

1/2 yard flannel (for the lining and ruffles–you could also use more fleece if you wish)

30 inch separating sport zipper

30 inch piece of 1/2 inch (or wider) ribbon

18 Inch Doll Sleeping Bag Tutorial

Step 1 – cut out pieces

From the fleece for the outer cut 1 rectangle 20 inches tall by 26 inches long

from the flannel for the lining cut 1 rectangle the same as above

from the flannel cut 3 pieces each 3 inches tall by 20 inches long

Fold the lining rectangle in half lengthwise. You should now have a tall rectangle with the measurements of 20 inches tall by 13 inches long. Place the fold to the left and the open part of the rectangle to the right. Place a cup or glass on the open end of the rectangle. Warning! Do not cut the curve from the fold! Trace the curved edge of the cup with chalk or other disappearing fabric pen.

Cut along the marked line to reveal a curved edge

 Repeat with the fleece outer piece. Remember to cut the curve shape on the opening of the fleece, not on the fold.

Step 2 – Make the Ruffle

 Make the ruffles. Sew all three pieces of the ruffles together at the short ends so that you have one long strip. Use a half inch seam allowance. You should have a long strip that is 3 inches tall by approximately 58 inches. The actual finished length isn’t critical because you will be gathering it.
Hem your ruffle strip with a narrow hem. I folded under a scant 1/4 inch and then folded it another scant 1/4 inch and top-stitched, but you could also do a rolled hem if you prefer.
 Gather the ruffle strip. Sew 2 rows of basting stitches at the top of the ruffle stitch withing the half inch seam allowance. Gently pull the thread to gather the strip. You want to gather it until it is 26 inches long.

Step 3 – Add the Ruffle to the Exterior

Place the ruffle onto the outer fleece fabric. Measure down an inch and a half from the top edge and pin the ruffle in place.

Sew the ruffle to the fleece outer piece within the half inch seam allowance. Remove any basting stitches.

Attach the ribbon. Lay the piece of ribbon on top of the ruffle. This will cover the line of stitching that you just used to attach the ruffle to the main outer piece. Sew the ribbon in place with a line of stitching at the top of the ribbon and another line of stitching at the bottom of the ribbon.

Step 4 – Add the Zipper

Attach the zipper. Unzip the zipper all the way so that it is in 2 pieces. Start at the right hand side of the sleeping bag outer piece. Line the top edge of the zipper up with the top edge of the outer piece of the sleeping bag fleece. The zipper teeth should be facing away from the edge of the sleeping bag and the zipper should be right side down on the right side of the fleece. Use clips or pins to hold the zipper in place all the way down the length of the sleeping bag. Carefully ease the zipper around the corner curve. It may not want to lay flat. If you need to you can make little snips into the zipper tape, but don’t cut all the way through your zipper! Continue attaching the zipper onto the bottom of the sleeping bag. It won’t go quite all the way to the middle of the piece of fleece, but it will go pretty close. Now use your zipper foot to slowly attach the zipper to the right side of the fleece. You will have to move the zipper pull out of the way when you get to that part. Repeat this step to attach the other half of the zipper to the left hand side of the outer sleeping bag.

Step 4 – Attach the lining

Attach the lining. Place the lining fabric right sides together with the fleece outer. The ruffle and zipper should be sandwiched in between the lining and the outer. Use clips or pins to hold the lining in place. Sew all the way around the entire project using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. You don’t want to sew over the zipper teeth as you sew. You can also follow the previous line of stitching from attaching the zipper. You will need to move the zipper pull out of the way as you sew. Leave an opening at the top of the project for turning.

Clip the corners and the rounded edges before proceeding.

Step 4 – Attach the lining

Turn the project right side out and top-stitch all the way around the sleeping bag. Use a pointed tool to poke out the corners at the top. Tuck in the fabric at the opening so your top-stitching will sew it closed. You will want to sew slowly as you go around the zipper pull. You may even have to stop sewing and move the zipper pull out of the way. Now fold the sleeping bag in half and zip the zipper together. And you are finished!

I hope your girls and their dolls enjoy this sleeping bag project as much as my girls and their dolls do! I hope you will check out my site. I have several quick and easy sewing projects that are perfect for beginning sewers.

Or maybe you are looking for a free pattern to sew a little something for Valentine’s Day.
Don’t forget to check out my first sewing pattern in my Etsy shop.
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