About 1 1/2 yrs. ago, I used McCall's, Simplicity and Butterick patterns for l8" dolls. I made dresses, jumpers, jeans, blouses, panties, slips, nightgowns, bathrobes, winter coats and hats, shoulder bags, backpacks, even sleeping bags - everything you can think of. Made them for my granddaughters and also for craft shows. They fit the American Girl dolls and 2 generic l8" dolls I bought at a craft shop (Pat Catan's), all of which had slightly different waist and hip sizes and back neck-to-waist measurements. There was enough ease built into the patterns that everything fit all the dolls. Just go ahead and buy the patterns. Joann's usually has one of the pattern brands on sale for $1.99 every week. Hope you have as much fun as I did!