How do I know if my pattern is complete?

First, know your seller. Most folks who love patterns take the time to personally inspect each and every pattern and will tell you about any problems found. If you're buying from a new source and the listing is not perfectly clear, email and ask before you buy.

Once you're pattern arrives, making sure you've got all the parts of your vintage toy or rag doll pattern takes a little detective work. Start by checking the back of the envelope. It'll usually tell you if the pattern has a transfer sheet, tissue sheet, or both. Sewing instructions may be a separate sheet, on the tissue sheets, or on the back of the envelope. Individual pattern or transfer pieces are not usually listed, so use the envelope photo as a guide. If you've got pieces to make everything pictured, then your pattern is complete.

  Tutorials - adapting patterns to fit an 18 inch doll

Wishing you could use authentic period patterns for your American Girl doll? Good news -- it's very easy to enlarge or reduce vintage doll clothes patterns using a flatbed scanner and a printer. We've put together two tutorials that will walk you through the entire process (don't worry -- it's a short walk) so you can use those gorgeous vintage patterns even if you can't find just the right size for your doll.

Adapting vintage doll clothes patterns for 18 inch dolls covers the basic technique. (We include some size charts specifically for 18 inch dolls, but the same method works for other dolls, too.)

Adapting doll clothes patterns with IrfanView is a companion tutorial. (Irfanview is a small photo editing software program that's free for non-commerical use and can be downloaded from their website.) Our screenshots show you exactly how to use the program to adapt your patterns.

  Is it ok to buy or sell copies of patterns?

Most of the folks who sell reproductions or photocopies of vintage doll clothes patterns have obviously done their homework. You'll notice that they only offer patterns whose copyrights have expired, and they don't use the names of the companies who originally sold the patterns (which would be a violation of the company's tradename rights).

That being said, a few sellers strike us as careless about copyright or trademark protection that still exists on licensed characters. As we understand it, Raggedy Ann, Barbie, and many other well-known characters are still protected by intellectual property laws and can only be used with permission.

Keep in mind that the quality of reproductions varies tremendously. Read through the seller's web site and be sure you understand exactly what you'll be receiving. A reputable seller will be happy to answer your questions, but do take a moment to read the listing carefully before you email.