Haliana’s Muumuu

Meet Haliana, my hand-made felt Kitty Friend doll. Haliana is from Lahaina, Maui. I used photoshop to add her to the background image of Maui’s Big Beach (photo courtesy of dronepicr on Wikimedia Commons). You can make your own travel doll using the Flexible Kitty Friend tutorial, and now you can make her a muumuu dress, which fits most 6 to 6.5 inch dolls, including Hitty. The muumuu (or mu’umu’u) is a loose-fitting Hawaiian dress made of colorful cotton fabric. This cool and comfortable garment makes the perfect travel dress. Don’t forget to make a lei for your doll to complete her outfit.

Click here to download Haliana’s muumuu pattern!

Haliana’s muumuu pattern was originally published in the Summer 20024 issue of Doll News, the quarterly magazine of the United Federation of Doll Clubs (UFDC). Now that the 2-year copyright agreement with Doll News has ended, I am free to share the muumuu pattern with my readers.

UFDC is dedicated to supporting doll collectors everywhere through research, education and conservation initiatives. By joining, you help support the organization, and the yearly membership fee includes access to all their digital issues, which makes it a great value. You can also connect with doll collectors in your area through local clubs.

When we think of traveling with our dolls, we often focus on the fun and adventure. But on a more serious note, travel isn’t just about having fun. Sometimes it is about healing as well, as in the case of Lahaina.

A wildfire caused by sparks from broken power lines swept through Lahaina, Maui on August 8, 2023. Over one hundred people lost their lives, more than 4,000 homes were destroyed, and the town of 12,000 people was devastated. Three years later, many survivors are still displaced. Some stayed in the area, but a large number have had to relocate to other parts of Hawaii and the U.S. An ongoing lawsuit against the utility company that started the fire has kept 20,000 victims from collecting their insurance settlements, so they have not been able to rebuild.

The community spirit of Lahaina remains strong. Parts of the town have reopened to tourists. But in Lahaina Banyan Court Park, where a 150-year-old Banyan tree has survived, the struggle is still very real. Although badly burned, the tree began sprouting new leaves and showing signs of recovery. Arborists had to cut back about 40% of the tree, and they are now conducting a thorough inspection to check for internal damage caused by the heat of the fire.

Lahaina lost over 20,000 trees in the fire, and those will take millions of dollars to replace. A fire can wipe out an entire town in a day, but rebuilding takes decades. If you would like to help, check out Treecovery Hawaii whose mission is to plant replacement trees for the community.

My heart goes out to the people of Lahaina, Maui as they continue to rebuild. I’m not likely to be able to visit in person any time soon. But I can at least try to bring awareness of their plight. Rebuilding is never easy. My hope is that with time, healing will happen. Mahalo.

Haliana’s Muumuu Pattern Instructions

Small dresses for Hitty can be challenging to make. Please read the instructions before you begin. All seams are sewn with RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. Use 1/4-inch seams and a stitch length of 1.5 to 2 mm. If your sewing machine allows, you can change the needle position to be 1/4-inch from the edge of the presser foot. Go slowly around curves. If your fabric tends to fray, use Fray Block or Fray Check on seams after sewing and trimming. It is easier to apply if you put the Fray Block in a glue bottle with a precision applicator (available from craft stores).

MATERIALS

1/8 yard lightweight cotton fabric
Size 4/0 snaps
Two colors of thread
Fray Block or Fray Check

Photo 1: Precision is extremely important at this tiny scale. Cut out pattern pieces from fabric one piece at a time. Make sure to reverse one of the Dress Back pieces. Use the solid black lines for the longer version and the gray lines for the shorter version. Test the Fray Block (if needed) on a fabric scrap before using. Mark centers of Dress Front and Yoke pieces. Mark dots on Dress Front and Dress Back. If your fabric is a dark color, use tailor’s tacks for marking.

Photo 2: Finish bottom edge of Sleeves with a narrow hem. Press flat. Sew Sleeves to Dress Front at armholes, ending just above dot. Sew Dress Back pieces to other sides of Sleeves at armholes. Clip curves, press seams open and trim seam allowance to 1/8-inch.

Photo 3: Hand gather each Sleeve top but don’t tie them off yet — leave the thread tails for adjusting later.
Tip: Gathering is easier if you dampen the fabric first with wet fingers.

Photo 4: Match center notches on Yoke and Dress Front and pin pieces together (the Yoke will be upside down). Pin back edges of Dress Back pieces to back edges of Yoke.

Photo 5: Pull gathering threads of Sleeve tops to fit around edge of Yoke, then tie off gathering threads. Pin gathered edges of Sleeves to Yoke. Joining an inside curve to an outside curve can be tricky. Use as many pins as needed to secure.

Photo 6: Hand baste Yoke to Dress with a contrasting thread color, removing pins as you go. Check both sides of Yoke to see if any adjustments are needed before machine sewing.

Photo 7: With Yoke side down and gathers facing up, machine sew a 1/4-inch seam all the way around Yoke. Go slowly and carefully over gathers, and turn as you sew. You may also need to lift up the presser foot occasionally to pivot. After sewing, check stitching on both sides. Sometimes the fabric can get caught as you stitch. If this happens, remove the stitching with a seam ripper and try again.

Photo 8: Remove basting stitches. Carefully clip curves and trim seam allowance to 1/8-inch. Press seam towards Yoke. If desired, topstitch on right side of dress near edge of Yoke.

Photo 9: Place second Yoke piece on top of attached Yoke piece. Pin pieces together. Sew slowly around neckline seam.

Photo 10: Clip curves, trim seam to 1/8-inch and turn Yoke right side out, then press. Finish the lower edge of Yoke lining with Fray Block, or you can use an overcast stitch.

Photo 11: Align side seams of Dress Front and Dress Back pieces. Starting at underarm dot, backstitch, then sew Dress Front to Dress Back at side seams. Be careful not to catch bottom edges of Sleeves in side seams. Press seams open.

Note: You may decide to leave the back completely open (for ease of dressing). If that is the case, you will not need to sew the center back seam in the next step.

Photo 12: Align edges of Dress Back pieces at center back. Starting at center back dot, backstitch, then sew Dress Back pieces together. Fold over edge of Dress Back all the way to Yoke. Press seams open.

Photo 13: Hem open edge of Dress Back. Fold down Yoke and slip stitch closed. Repeat for other side of Dress Back. To keep Yoke from sliding up, hand tack Yoke lining along seams.