Morgan Doane, the talented Blythe dressmaker I mentioned Friday, is the subject of today’s Grand Rapids Press column. Her story in inspiring in the way it reminds us all to follow our own interests and do what we love. Good things happen when you follow your passion.

As a young girl, Morgan Doane spent many hours crafting with her mom and styling Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

“I was a doll maniac,” she said. “I had 7 million Barbies.”

Fast forward two decades and Doane, 27, of Grand Rapids, still is crafting and playing with dolls. The difference is she makes money at it. A lifetime of experience is paying off in the form of a crafty side business — selling handmade doll dresses online.

After a day of work as the youth librarian in the Walker branch of the Kent District Library, Doane heads to her sewing room to make party dresses for the popular Blythe dolls many adult women clamor for on the Internet.

Doane’s dresses, many made from Japanese prints, sell quickly for $10 to $15 each. She has made more than 200 dresses since opening her online shop in April and has shipped them to Blythe fans around the globe.

Please continue reading the column at mlive.com.

Below is Morgan’s pattern for a crochet Blythe top and fabric skirt. The outfit will also fit skipper dolls and can be adapted to fit other dolls, too. For example, the skirt will fit Barbie, but you’ll have to adjust the top to allow for her unrealistic curves. :) You can download a printable pdf.

Skirt
* Cut a 11 1/2” x 3 3/4” piece of fabric.
* Sew a 1/4” hem along the bottom.
* Fold down a 1/2” on top to create casing for elastic
waist.
* Use at least 6” of elastic and mark it at the 3” mark.
* Pull elastic through waist and sew into a circle at the
3” mark. Cut excess off.
* Sew the back of the dress up with a 1/4” seam.
* Embellish with trim, beads or embroidery.

Crochet Top:
Row 1: Using bedspread cotton and size 7/1.65mm
crochet hook, chain 32.
Rows 2-8:  32 sc (single crochet).
Row 9: *6 sc, increase 1*, repeat across.
Row 10: 6 sc, chain 6, skip next 6 sc, sc in next 14,
chain 6, skip next 6 sc, sc in next 6.
Rows 11-12: 38 sc.
For back button loops:
* At the end of row 12, chain 5 and attach to row 8
with a sc. Chain 5 and attach to row 4 with a sc. Chain
5 and attach to row 1 with a sc.
*Weave in loose ends.
* Sew on three micro buttons to opposite side of the
button loops.