The Doll's Storybook Join-Along

"You know," Mandy told Veronika, "This is a good time of year to refresh our wardrobes, don't you think?

"I think so, too," Veronika replied. "I was just remembering when we did that fashion show. Let's have another look at that story. It was our 200th story."

And so they did. I'll let them tell you....

Knitting and sewing for us is what got The Writer started writing the stories, so we decided to give you a fashion show using all of her designs. By way of a disclaimer, The Writer is very grateful to all the designers of the patterns she has also used for us.

These are patterns she made up for us when she couldn't find exactly what she wanted among the many beautiful knitting and sewing patterns already available. The names of the designs are linked to where you can find the free patterns or instructions online.

Please check with an adult before you start clicking on links, though. It's always best to do that when you're online, to make sure it's OK. There are dangers for human children in the internet, and your grownup human people will know how to keep you safe.

Mandy, why don't you go first, since you're our knitter. More of The Writer's patterns are for knitting.

Sure, Veronika! We'll start with the simple patterns first. First we have our Everyday Play dress. It's very simple. The stripes in this one Charlotte is wearing are made by using special yarn for knitting socks. This kind of yarn changes color, so it makes stripes as you knit.

There is a smaller size of this pattern that fits Pippa. It's called Everyday Play for Little Kidz Doll. There's a jacket that comes in both sizes. Pippa's is the Small Everyday Play Jacket. For the larger size, we use the Everyday Play Jacket.

Of course, you can use yarn that's all one color, or a tweed (yarn that has little flecks of color) is nice, too. Here's Pam, wearing the dress in a tweed yarn The Writer dyed using Kool Aid drink mix. Isn't it Kool?

I made it for Pam,, so she would have something new to wear when she moved into our neighborhood.

If you're looking for something fancier, there's the Viipuri Dress. You say it like VEE-poor-ee, which is the Finnish name for a city in Russia that used to belong to Finland. It only comes in the size for the larger dolls, like us, but a clever knitter might be able to figure out how to make it smaller using lace weight yarn and smaller needles. Thank you, Jolena!

Sweaters or jumpers are very useful. This is our Wonderland Turtle turtleneck pullover, modeled by Veronika. This design is called a pullover because it looks like the kind of thing a human person can just pull on over their head, but dolls don't like to have things pulled over our heads. That's why all of our pullovers button down the back. So they're really pullovers in our imagination, then.

Pippa has the smaller size, Pippa's Wonderland Turtle. Hers is made from the same tweed yarn The Writer dyed with Kool Aid.

This turtleneck pullover is good for boys, too. Emil and Billy don't like dresses, but they like to wear turtleneck sweaters. Here's Pippa wearing a plain orange version and Emil in purple.

Another "pullover" is Pauly's Stripy Pullover, modeled by Pippa. It's suitable for both boys and girls, too. It uses two different colors of yarn, but you're only knitting with one at a time. 

Here Veronika is wearing Charlotte's Twinset. The sweater underneath has short sleeves and buttons in the back. The outer one is like a jacket. It's called a cardigan. A cardigan buttons in the front.

We have some other cardigans, too. This one is the Cables and Herringbones cardigan, modeled by Mariah. The pattern is a little more complicated, but fun for knitters who have been knitting longer.

Billy likes to wear a vest over his best shirt. This vest is called Dapper Doll, because he looks very dapper in it. Girls like to wear vests, too, of course.

We also have a knitted polo shirt. It's called the Everyday Play Shirt. You make it just the same as the Everyday Play Dress, only  it stops before you get to the skirt, and it has a collar. Thank you Billy! (That was a quick change!)

Another pullover for knitters who have been knitting longer is this one, Lotte's Lotta Colors, worn by Charlotte. You have to know how to knit with two colors at a time to make this one. This kind of knitting is called stranded colorwork.

Almost the same, but smaller and with different motifs (moh-TEEFS)––those are the things that look like lines, flowers or stars––is Pippa's Chilly Days of Fall, modeled, of course, by Pippa. (Pippa wore this in the story "Sky Blue," from our book More Classic Tales Retold.)

As I said, we don't like to have things pulled over our heads, so all of these sweaters that look like pullovers actually button down the back. That means you can turn them around and wear them as cardigans if you want, as Charlotte did with this one.

Some sweaters are just made to open in the front, like this jacket of mine. It's called the Stavanger Cardigan. Instead of buttons, it has something called clasps to keep it closed. Jolena has one with kittens and fish on it and green trim instead of this cranberry color.

That's all the knitted stuff. I'll let Veronika tell you about the sewing projects.

Thank you, Mandy! It's so nice having knitted things, especially when the weather is cool. Many really important items of clothing, though, are more often made from pieces of fabric that are sewn together, like pajamas. Pippa's Bedtime is the pattern we used to make Pippa's PJs.

All of us, even the boys, like these Easy Pajama Pants. There's only one pattern piece. You cut out two of them. You fold the fabric in half, place the pattern piece down on one side and then cut out both at the same time. You get two pieces that are mirror images of each other. That means that one piece looks like what you would see in a mirror if you held up the other. Besides the hems at the waist and the bottom, there are only three seams to sew. Elastic goes in the waist. Then you can sew a piece of cotton yarn in the front and tie it in a bow, so it looks like the pants have a drawstring. Thank you, Mandy!

The girls really like to have underwear, especially panties or knickers. Dolls don't always come with panties. It's important if you wear dresses and skirts, unless you have tights on. The pattern we like is Gotz Doll Underwear and Bathing Suit. It has a camisole, (KAM-uh-sohl) as well. (A camisole is sort of a top you can wear under your clothes, like an undershirt, only fancier.) Here are Jolena and Charlotte modeling the camisole and panties for you.

The panties and camisole are made from girls' socks. The socks we used for these came with lace around the cuff. It adds a nice touch, I think, at the bottom of the camisole.

We also make our bathing suits out of socks. We bought a package of socks that had different colors. It was easy to make a one-piece bathing suit. Here's Jolena, wearing one of the one-piece bathing suits I made.

You can also make a two-piece bathing suit using the top of the cuff for the top. These socks had animal faces on the heel of a very short cuff. Another nice touch we were able to use. Here's Mandy again, this time, wearing the two-piece version.

You may have noticed our pleated skirts in some of the photos with sweaters. They are all made from the Lotte's Pleated Skirt Instructions. You can do the pleats different ways. If the fabric has lines in it, like a plaid, you can follow the lines to make pleats. There are instructions included for Pippa's size. too. Here's Mariah wearing the Wonderland Turtle in purple and the pleated skirt in lilac.

The Happy Kidz Checkered Shirt Pattern can be made with long sleeves or short. Charlotte's uses pink checks.

We like to put the buttons on the other side for the boys. Billy's shirt is made from a plaid fabric.

Sewing with knits, like making underwear and bathing suits out of socks, can be a challenge, but it's worth the effort. This sweat suit for Pippa uses some girls' size large stretch leggings. We just cut the pattern pieces out of the leggings fabric. Here's Pippa's Hooded Sweatshirt and Pants. A sewing machine that can make a zigzag stitch is helpful, although you can use a straight-stitch machine. You can find short separating zippers for doll jackets online, or get a longer one and cut it down. Pippa likes the pockets in front, because it helps her keep her hands warm when she's outdoors.

Children can learn to knit and to sew with a sewing machine. There are videos online to help you learn, if you don't have an adult handy who can teach you, but check with your grownups first to make sure it's OK to use the machine. All of the patterns we have are free. There are lots of sewing and knitting patterns available online. Many are free, like ours, and most of the ones that you have to pay for don't cost that much. They often show you step-by-step how to use the pattern, which is nice. That's what's known as a tutorial.

Well, that's our fashion show. We hope you enjoyed it. Maybe you will do some knitting or sewing for your dolls, too. If you do, it will make them happy.

Well, Veronika, that went well, I think.

Yes, Mandy, it did, and it was fun.

"You know, Veronika," Mandy said when the Fashion Show story was done, "we should give this list to The Writer. Maybe she can use it for a join-along in one of the Ravelry doll groups."

"That's a great idea!" Veronika exclaimed. "The theme can be The Writer's patterns! I wonder what the human people will make for their dolls."

A join-along is like a knit-along, only instead of only knitting, you can knit, crochet or sew your project. Everyone makes a project based on a theme the leaders come up with. The Writer doesn't have any crochet patterns, but there are a lot of them on a website called Ravelry. (Ask your grownup humans if it's OK to go and look.)

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta

Pam: Götz Little Kidz Springtime, from My Doll Best Friend

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Do you have questions or comments for us? Would you like to order an autographed copy of one of our books? You can email us at thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.

"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.

Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook, Our Favorite Verses: Poems from The Doll's Storybook and More Classic Tales Untold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are available from BookBaby and other booksellers worldwide, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Author's page on Amazon. 

Royalties (net proceeds) go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to charity (specific information available upon request). Autographed copies of all three books are available from the author. (Multiple books to the same address have a discount on shipping.) To inquire, email thedollsstorybook@icloud.com.

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Copyright © 2022, 2025 by Peggy Stuart

Disappointment

Billy wanted to take photos of some things outdoors with the camera he got for Christmas for an art project for school. He took pictures of trees and flowers. 

Then he looked at the pictures on the computer. They had looked better through his camera. He was disappointed.

Pippa thought Billy looked sad when he was putting the computer away.

Charlotte wanted to learn a new piece of music, so she could try out for the advanced orchestra. She practiced and practiced. Finally she thought she had it right. She was ready to play it at school for her teacher.

Then when she played it for her teacher at school, she made some mistakes. It wasn't as good as when she had practiced at home. Her teacher said Charlotte wasn't ready yet. Charlotte was disappointed.

Pippa thought Charlotte looked sad when she came home from school.

Emil wanted to grow some vegetables for the Writer and her husband. He planted the seeds. He watered them. He waited. Finally, he thought they would be big enough to eat soon.

Then it snowed. It was fun to play in the snow, but Emil's vegetables froze. He found out when he went out to the garden after playing in the snow. He was disappointed.

Pippa thought Emil looked sad when he came back into the house.

Jolena was learning a new dance for the school talent show. She practiced and practiced. When it was time for the talent show, she was sure she was ready. 

When she performed it in front of the whole school, though, it didn't go as well as she wanted. She was disappointed.

Pippa thought Jolena looked sad when she came in the front door.

Veronika was making some pajamas for Pippa. She pinned and cut and sewed carefully. The pants were perfect. When Veronika had the pajama top all ready for the buttons, she thought she should try it on Pippa before she sewed them on.

When Veronika tried the pajama top on Pippa, though, she discovered that the sleeves were too long. She was disappointed.

Pippa thought Veronika looked sad when she saw how the pajama top fit.

But there's more to the story, of course!

Billy got a book from the library and found out that his new camera had different settings. He went back outside and took some more photos. This time, he changed how he set his camera. He paid attention to where the light was coming from and how much light there was. He tried lots of different things until he liked what he saw on the computer. Some of his new photos were so good that the art teacher put them up on the wall in the school library. Billy felt very proud and happy. He was very glad he hadn't given up.

Charlotte talked with her music teacher, who told her it helps to practice in the same place where she would be trying out. She could practice in the music room when no one was using it. Charlotte went there and practiced every day after school. Sometimes other dolls would come in and listen. Charlotte tried to ignore them and keep practicing. She got used to having other dolls watching and listening. She got used to playing in the music room. After a week she performed for her music teacher again. This time she was accepted! She was so excited, she couldn't wait to tell her friends and family.

Emil borrowed some books about gardening from the library. He found out that you need to wait until all danger of frost is past for the vegetables he planted. He found out he could start the plants indoors earlier than that and then put them in the ground outdoors later, when it was sure not to freeze. He found out that if it does get too cold, he can cover the plants up to keep them warm. He tried again and grew some nice vegetables. He was so happy to watch The Writer and her husband eat the vegetables he had grown.

Jolena added another dance class to her busy week. When the dance teacher kept telling her the same things, she remembered to pay attention to those things. She asked questions when she didn't understand. She signed up for the next talent show when she thought she was ready. This time she won a ribbon for her performance! Jolena was very proud and happy.

Meanwhile, back in the workroom, Veronika got out a tool called a seam ripper. It's something she uses when the stitches aren't right. She used it to pick out the threads holding the cuffs on Pippa's pajama top sleeves.

Without the cuffs, the sleeves would be the right length. All she had to do was hem the bottom edges of the sleeves. Finally she was happy with her work! She was ready to put the buttons on.

"I've been wondering something, Veronika," Pippa said. "Why don't dolls give up when something doesn't go well? I thought maybe Billy wasn't good at taking photos after all," she said. "I thought maybe Charlotte should find something else to do besides play the violin, and that Emil maybe should buy the vegetables at the store, and that Jolena should stick to cooking and skiing, because she's already good at those things. I wondered why you didn't just throw the pajama top into the trash and buy me one."

"That's easy, Pippa," the older, wiser doll said. "We know that there is nothing that makes a doll happier than meeting a challenge. If we do something that's easy, it feels good, but when we do something that's very difficult for us, and it doesn't go well, we're disappointed. We know that if we work at something we've failed at before, it's the best feeling in the world when we finally get it right! The disappointment adds to the joy in the end."

Pippa thought about what she was disappointed about. "I haven't grown since I came out of my box," Pippa said. "Should I try very hard to grow? It would make me very happy to be big, like the other dolls."

Veronika knew that Pippa would never grow, no matter how hard she tried. She didn't know what to say, so she was quiet for a bit. Then she bumped the buttons with her hand, spilling them onto the floor. She got down on the floor to pick them up, but one had gone under the closet door. Veronika tried to reach under the door to get the button, but her hand was too big to fit. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "I can't reach the last button. My hand is too big to fit, and I can't open the door, even if you help! I will have to wait for The Writer to open it for me!"

Pippa climbed down onto the floor to help Veronika pick up the buttons. "Let me try," she suggested. While Veronika watched, Pippa reached under the door. 

Her hand just barely fit under the door. She could feel the button with her fingers. Carefully, Pippa pulled out the button and showed it to Veronika, who put the other buttons down and threw her arms around the smaller doll.

"Thank you, Pippa!" Veronika exclaimed as Pippa placed the button in her hand. "I would have been so disappointed if I didn't have enough buttons to finish your pajamas, after finally getting the sleeves the right length!"

"Maybe it's better if I don't try to grow," Pippa said thoughtfully. "I think you need me!"

"We do need you, Pippa!" Veronika exclaimed, tapping her little sister gently on the nose. "We need you just the way you are!"

Cast--
Veronika: Götz Classic Kidz Vroni
Jolena: Götz Happy Kidz Lena in Aspen
Charlotte: Götz Happy Kidz Anna in Paris
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia

Pippa: Götz Little Kidz Lotta

You can follow The Doll's Storybook here.

Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment.

"The Doll's Storybook" is not affiliated with Gotz Dolls USA Inc. or Götz Puppenmanufaktur International GmbH.
Watch for the next story each Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM Pacific Time.

Mariah: Stories from the Doll's Storybook and Emil: Stories from the Doll's Storybook are available from Amazon worldwide. Also available from Barnes & Noble,  BookBaby and other booksellers. Royalties go to support pediatric cancer research and treatment. If you don't get free shipping elsewhere, buy from Book Baby. Half of the price goes to St. Jude.

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Copyright © 2022 by Peggy Stuart