May 31, 2019 

We're proud to reintroduce Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science Unisex Lab Coat or Unlined Coat and Safety Goggles for 18 inch, 16 inch and 14 1/2 inch dolls, now available for purchase in the Lee & Pearl Etsy shop!

Already know what you want? CLICK THE PATTERN COVERS ABOVE to go directly to the corresponding pattern pages in our Etsy shop — or read on to find out more about the pattern and use the shopping links below when you're done.

Got dolls who love STEM?

This pattern for a UNISEX LAB COAT (or UNLINED COAT) and SAFETY GOGGLES is near to our hearts. "Lee" and "Pearl" spent many happy hours playing with test tubes and Erlenmeyer flasks when we were kids because our dad was a physics professor with a real-life laboratory. Then "Lee" went on to get an undergraduate degree in chemistry, and '80s hit She Blinded Me with Science was her college theme song!

When designing this pattern, we researched real-life STEM wear and found that modern lab coats feature all kinds of stylish new features — like the inverse pleat we used to fit the back, and the angled lower pockets that we spotted in a fashionable medical layout.

We also included just-like-the-real-thing details like faced lapels, a button (or snap) front closure and a neatly stitched fabric tab in back to control the extra fullness created by the inverse pleat — because real-world scientists can't have loose, flapping belts in labs full of glassware!

Then we added a couture feature that you're unlikely to see on any other mass-market pattern: a curved back yoke seam that invisibly builds in shape, allowing the coat to fit smoothly over rounded doll shoulders.

The yoke seam on the yellow coat above appears straight, doesn't it? But if you look closely at the grain of the fabric underneath the seam, you can see that a curve has been built in. It's essentially a hidden dart. The seam only appears straight because it matches the curve of the doll underneath. Neat, huh?

That's the kind of tailoring detail you might find in a real coat pattern, so we've included directions to transform the lab coat into a cinched-waist lightweight coat or raincoat, using your choice of fashion fabric and contrasting lapels. With the same comfortable, slightly wide-set shoulders and relaxed sleeve opening as the lab versions, these pretty coats are great for layering.

Doesn't that fabric cap work perfectly with the coat? We made the cap — and the slip dress under the coat — using our Pattern 1943: Molly Waves Goodbye 1940s Suit for 18 Inch Dolls, which is also available in our Etsy shop.

And finally, because we don't want anyone actually blinded with science, we've included patterns and directions to make doll-scale clear vinyl safety goggles, the perfect science lab accessory craft.

Did we mention that this pattern was versatile?

Since She Blinded Me with Science's debut as an exclusive FREE pattern for 2017/18 mailing list subscribers, we've found so many wonderful opportunities to use it.

The first was Halloween, of course.

With lab coats made from spooky cotton fabrics, we set our Mad Scientist dolls lose in a steampunk-themed lab created from thrift shop, antique mall and craft store finds (and a few creepy craft tutorials of our own).

CLICK HERE to revisit the Mad Scientist Laboratory doll craft feature — with tutorials and details on all the props and costumes — in our Newsletter Archive.

Next, we celebrated the release of American Girl Girl of the Year™ 2018 Luciana Vega™ with a futuristic space station pictorial, featuring Luciana's spacesuit and a whole crew of doll scientists in sleek, white She Blinded Me with Science lab coats.

These were some of our favorite doll pictures to plan and execute. It was like making our own little sci-fi movie with the dolls!

CLICK HERE to revisit the Lee & Pearl ♥ SPACE feature — with details on the costumes and information about the use of the NASA logo — in our Newsletter Archive.

A few months later, we needed those lab coats again as we just couldn't resist bringing home an Our Generation Healthy Paws Vet Clinic play set from our local Target. Our dolls — and our growing collection of doll scale animals — took to this set right away!

CLICK HERE to revisit the detailed, picture-filled review of the Our Generation Healthy Paws Vet Clinic in our Newsletter Archive.

We've enjoyed sharing our friends' STEM and fashion explorations using this versatile pattern as well!

Sewbig dressed her custom A Girl for All Time and American Girl dolls in crisp white lab coats for a school science lecture.

Mary H. made the sweetest little vintage-inspired coat for her WellieWisher Emerson using a tweed-look cotton print.

Beate R. took the vintage inspiration one step further with this sleek, black vinyl coat for 1960s-themed A Girl for All Time, Sam.

Looking groovy, Sam!

And Liana G. made our lab coat / unlined coat the centerpiece of her doll's amazing Mary Poppins transformation.

Here's what Liana had to say about this outfit:

"Mary’s coat started with Lee & Pearl’s Blinded Me with Science lab coat which can be an unlined coat with belt. I added the cape from Liberty Jane’s Ginza Girl coat pattern. ... I think the key to how it turned out was finding the right fabrics. Love the dots and stripes together.”

We do too, Liana!

Here are all the Etsy shopping links for Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science, for your convenience:

CLICK HERE for Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science Unisex Lab Coat and Safety Goggles for ALL THREE DOLL SIZES

CLICK HERE for Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science Unisex Lab Coat and Safety Goggles for 18 Inch American Girl® Dolls

CLICK HERE for Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science Unisex Lab Coat and Safety Goggles for 16 Inch A Girl for All Time® Dolls

CLICK HERE for Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science Unisex Lab Coat and Safety Goggles for 14 1/2 Inch WellieWishers® and similar dolls

Note that in the linked newsletter features from 2017 and 2018, Pattern 1025: She Blinded Me with Science is described as our FREE pattern for mailing list subscribers. In 2019, that exclusive reward for membership is Pattern 1038: The Gift Bow Front Dress for 18 Inch, 16 Inch and 14 1/2 Inch Dolls.

Don't miss out on this new pattern during its exclusive FREE availability. If you are not already on our mailing list, be sure to sign up now!

CLICK HERE to sign up for the Lee & Pearl mailing list.

See you next time...