How to Sew Bermuda Shorts for an 18-Inch Doll? (Sewing Tutorial + Free PDF Printable Sewing Pattern)

Today I would like to guide you through the step-by-step sewing tutorial for the free Bermuda shorts PDF sewing pattern for 18-inch dolls I have posted here.

The measurements of the doll I used are

Chest 11.5 inches

Waist 11 inches

Hip 11.75 inches

This pattern will fit 18-inch dolls such as the American Girl® Doll and Our Generation® Doll and dolls with similar body measurements.

Materials needed:

1. Free PDF sewing pattern

2. Fabric

3. Elastic (width 3/8 inch, length 10 inches)

4. Scissors

5. Sewing machine

6. Matching thread

7. Measuring tape

8. Serger (optional)

How to cut the pattern pieces?

Print out the pattern on an A4 paper and cut out your pattern pieces.

Here's how you cut out the pattern pieces from the fabric.

Place your shorts back pattern on the fabric and cut for the left side.

Flip the paper pattern on the fabric and cut for the right side.

Repeat this step for the front of the shorts as well.

Lay out the shorts front and back pattern pieces cut from the fabric like this:

How to sew the shorts?

Let's start sewing.

Step 1: Join the sides.

Flip the front left and with right sides facing, place it over the back left. Similarly, flip the front right with right sides facing, and place it over the back right, as shown in the picture below. 

Place the front and back fabric pieces (both the left and right) right sides together, and join the sides of the shorts (with a 0.25-inch seam allowance). Finish the seam edges with a serger, or clip the seam edges with pinking shears.

You can also serge the seam edges before joining the pieces.  and after sewing them together, you can open the seams and press them flat... You can do whichever way you prefer.

Step 2: Join the crotch seams.

After joining the side seams, place the fabric pieces like so, with right sides facing each other.

Make sure you align the front pieces together (the seam line shown in blue in the image) and the back pieces together (the seam line shown in red in the image). Now sew over these seam lines (with a 0.25-inch seam allowance). These are called the center seams or crotch seams. Stop at the bottom of the crotch seams and leave the leg seam open.

Step 3: Join the leg seams.

Pin the the leg seams together and sew (with a 0.25-inch seam allowance) as shown in the image below.

Step 4: Hem the bottom edge of each leg of the shorts.

Fold the right leg hemline 0.25 inch inward and press.

Then fold again 0.5 inch inward and press. 

Sew along the folded edge. Repeat the same steps for the left leg.

Step 5: Create a casing at the waistline and insert the elastic.

Fold the waistline down by 0.25 inch and again by 0.50 inch.

Sew along the folded edge leaving a 2-inch gap to insert the elastic.

Take a 3/8-inch-wide, 10-inch-long elastic.

Insert the elastic through the casing using a safety pin, Overlap the edges by 0.25 inch, and secure the ends of the elastic by running zig-zag stitches over it a few times. Then, sew the 2-inch gap closed.

Turn the shorts inside out.

Now you have made a beautiful pair of shorts for your little girl's doll.

I have posted lots of free PDF printable sewing patterns on this page on my blog. Browse through this page to find the patterns you are looking for. You can download and use them to make your own clothes.

You can also click the Free Sewing Patterns Page at the top of this blog page (under the blog title) to find more free sewing patterns.

Click the below links to browse through all the pattern drafting and sewing tutorials on my blog.

Pattern drafting tutorials

Sewing tutorials

These links appear at the top of my blog on the navigation bar as well.

These links appear at the top of my blog as well.

Happy sewing!  

---Flora