Original 1916 McCall Pattern No. 5640 - Doll's Set

Original 1916 McCall Pattern No. 5640, a complete doll's set for a 26-inch doll: a one-piece dress, a button-on undergarment, a kimono, a nightgown, and a boudoir cap. An unprinted, perforated McCall pattern from the World War I years. Complete Nice Condition.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall No. 5640
• Year: Dated 1916, found in McCall 1916 Catalog, Page 104
• Designed For: Dolls 26 Inches Long, Size 26
• Views Included: One-Piece Dress (High or Low Waistline), Undergarment, Kimono, Nightgown, Boudoir Cap
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition

Design

McCall Pattern 5640 dresses a doll from morning to night. The one-piece dress is gathered at the neck, with short puffed sleeves finished by a sleeveband, and can be shirred for either a high or a low waistline, shown with a wide sash. The back is slashed and bound for the opening. Beneath it goes a one-piece undergarment that buttons at the shoulder and at a lower lap in front. For bedtime there is a long nightgown, its neck slashed for a drawing ribbon tied at center front, and a boudoir cap made from a single gathered circle. The short-sleeved kimono is finished with a folded trimming band along the front and neck that rolls over at the back like a collar. The pattern comes in seven pieces, with only half of each given, as was usual, and the seams, basting, and sewing lines are all marked by perforations rather than printed lines. McCall's 1916 catalog suggested finishing the set with McCall Transfer Design No. 318, sold separately.

Doll Details

McCall sized its doll patterns of the 1910s by the doll's overall length, head to toe, rather than by body measurements. This pattern is a Size 26, for a doll 26 inches long. The envelope gives no chest or waist measurements, so measure your doll's height to confirm the fit. At 26 inches, this is a large doll, the size of the bisque- and composition-headed child dolls of the period. The table shows the full size range and the dress fabric each size requires.