How to Make Fleece Mittens for American Girl Dolls

Place the palm of the doll's hand as flat as possible on a sheet of paper. With a pencil, trace the shape of the hand, making a smooth arc around the fingers and continuing into an arc around the thumb. Start the tracing just blow the wrist on one side and stop just below the wrist on the other. Move the doll and connect the ends of the hand outline with a straight line. Trace the other hand in the same way. You must trace both hands because the fingers will be in a different position on each hand. The tracing should look like a mitten.

Make the patterns by drawing all the way around the mitten shape on the paper, 1/2 inch outside the edge, to allow for seam allowances and ease. Ease is the extra fabric in a garment that allows you to move comfortably while wearing it and to put it on and take it off. Cut out the patterns with craft scissors. The mittens will have 1/2 inch cuffs.

Pin the pattern pieces to a small piece of solid-colored fleece and cut out two pieces of fabric for each mitten, a front piece and a back piece. Use the same pattern for the front and the back. You will have four pieces of fleece. Place the front and back of the mittens for one hand together with the thumbs aligned, matching all the edges. Do the same with the other two pieces.

Sew around the sides and top of the mittens with a 1/4 inch seam allowance with a small straight stitch.

Clip the curves by snipping the seam allowance almost to the seam, every 1/4 inch around the curves. Turn the mittens right side out.