The world-famous Kentucky Derby is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May. Though this year the race has been postponed, this springtime event can still be recreated at home for our dolls. Sure, some think the focus is on the horses, but we know it's really all about the fashion! If you were going to the Derby, we would have two questions for you:
You’ll be dressing for warm weather, so easy to wear dresses and sundresses are a great choice. Pair them with the perfect hat to keep the sun off your face and to stand out in the crowd! Whatever look you choose we're sure you'll be looking fantastic on Derby Day!
Giveaway Alert! Be sure to scroll to the end to enter our doll-sized horse giveaway!
We've put together the ultimate Derby Day Pattern Collection for Dolls, which includes great spring dresses and stylish statement hats.
Amelia Dress from Love From Lola
Primrose Dress from Buzzin Bea
Winner's Circle from Karen Lorraine Designs
Jane Ruhl of Sweet Pea Fashions shares, "I hail from Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby! While you might think that the Kentucky Derby is just a horse race, those of us who live here know that what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans, the Derby is to Louisville. It’s a three-week-long festival that begins with one of the largest fireworks shows in North America and ends when the parties break up late on Derby Day. In between, there are parades, races of all kinds (involving people, rodents, steamboats, hot air balloons, and even beds), and PARTIES!"
Get your doll ready for summer with the Palmetto Swimsuit, and then use that pattern to get her ready for the Derby! In this pattern hack, Jane shows you how to convert the top of the swimsuit into a sundress that is perfect for al fresco dining, a barn wedding, or even the Kentucky Derby!
You can create the perfect straw hat for your doll with the Springtime Straw Hat crochet pattern from Sweet Pea Fashions! This wide brimmed hat can be crocheted in synthetic raffia to look like straw, in cotton for a casual look, or in any medium weight yarn. It is very easy, worked all in single crochet, a perfect beginner project. It can be left plain or decorated to the nines.
Check out the Fabric Flower Tutorial from Sweet Pea Fashions to add fun and flare to your hat!
Derby Day Hats
Derby Day Fedora from Rondeletia
Lady Sarah Rick Rack Hat from Genniewren Designs
1940s Pleated Felt Hat from Thimbles and Acorns
Derby Day Shoes and Bags
Espadrilles from Eden Ava Couture
Art Deco Bags Accessory Pattern from DKinley Designs
Flower Sandals from Dena's Doll Designs
Fun Accessories For Your Horse
If you need a horse for your Derby Day celebration, check out the Our Generation® Doll Sized Horse!
ENTER TO WIN An Our Generation® Doll-Sized Horse!
To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!
Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the toy horse. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and Pixie Faire. This contest and article are not endorsed by or affiliated with Our Generation®.
We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - what kind of Derby Day look would you like to make? Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win one Our Generation® Horse!
Thanks, everyone!
The Pixie Faire Team
I love the Derby Day Fedora. I would pair it with a nice blazer and a pencil skirt.
Love Pixie Faire patterns! My youngest granddaughter would be beside herself over this horse.
I would make hats!
Love the Straw Hat and Rick Rack patterns.
I like the winner’s circle dress, with the 1940 red pleated hat. She needs a red boa, and sandals. Her horse needs a white blanket with horses applicade on running along the bottom edges.
Thank you for the opportunity to enter this contest.
My husband and I raise mini horses and I collect dolls and fashion doll clothing. I would love to win a horse for my displays!
I would make one of each so I would have one for each of my great granddaughters. I really like them both.
I would make a flirty sundress with a hat as large as a cart wheel!
Love to make the promise dress. It is adorable!
I really like all the fancy hats, especially with the flowers and ribbons on them.
I would love the turquoise look that Sydney did in her photoshoot!
I’d like the prettiest blue dress and. fabulous stunning hat with a brim so there would be no squinting.
Love to make the promise dress. It is adorable!
I’d like the prettiest blue dress and. fabulous stunning hat with a brim so there would be no squinting.
Live to make the promise dress. It is adorable!
My granddaughter agrees with me…the turquoise outfit fashioned by Sweet Pea is the best! She would love the horse too!
I love the primrose dress! It’s so cute!
I would go in a yellow suit with a double breasted suit coat and a mid-calf length pencil skirt with a slit on the side. I would wear either a floral print or paisley print blouse with it and a yellow brimmed hat with a peacock feather.
I’d love to make a dress and hat with flowers
Would love to make the Derby hats! Just beautiful and soo Kentucky!!
I would make a floral sundress and top it off with a stylish wide brim hat. Don’t forget the shoes, a pair of open toed Janes!
Thanks so very much!!! All are adorable. My fave is the turquoise dress with its matching hat. Perfect for spring. I love the horse so much and it would be fun to make the cozy blanket to keep it warm.
I’d make the Amelia dress & the 1940’s Pleated Felt hat. Would love the horse to complete my Derby Day ensemble!
I would love to make the Derby Day Fedora Hat Pattern from Rondeletia.
My grand daughters would love a horse. One with a birthday coming up in May.
Al the outfits are so cute.
I would like to make a replica of the brown polka dot dress ensemble Julia Robert’s wore in Pretty Woman.
I love the Winners Circle dress. And the hat!! Always beautiful patterns here. Thank you so much!
I love the turquoise dress with the sunglasses dangling from the neckline. But, I have to admit that my doll clothes creating has taken a backseat for the moment. I have been sewing CoVID-19 masks for my Daughter-in-law who is a RN and for other family and friends. So, I would hope to win a horse for my Granddaughter who, of course, is quarantined just as all of us are during this trying time.
All winners.
I love the turquoise dress with the sunglasses dangling from the neckline. But, I have to admit that my doll clothes creating has taken a backseat for the moment. I have been sewing CoVID-19 masks for my Daughter-in-law who is a RN and for other family and friends. So, I would hope to win a horse for my Granddaughter who, of course, is quarantined just as all of us are during this trying time.
I’d like to make a matching dress and hat, possibly with a matching dress for my little neighbor that I sew for.
I am loving the teal dress towards the bottom of the page- so classic and simple, especially with the added accessories laid out with it! I am a horse lover but have never been to the Kentucky Derby so it is just so much fun to think about!
The Amelia dress.
This is right up my alley!! I LOVE the derby season! Definitely The Winner’s Circle dress with an adorable fascinator hat! Would so love to win the Our Generation horse, maybe paint a white section to his face and muzzle to make him look like Justify! Thank you for the giveaway!!
who else attends the derby just to oggle at the hats? is it just me?
Love the Primrose Dress. I’d do it in a turquoise, pink and white floral pattern and pair it with a straw hat with flowers that would match the floral fabric.
I love the derby hats, especially the rick rack one.
Can’t wait for Derby Day!
I love the turquoise flower dress and matching hat by Sweet Pea Fashions. Very chic!
Love Derby ideas. Can’t wait to try new patterns since I loooooooove hats
Living in Southern Indiana, we know from tv that the Derby is all about the HATS.
I like the pink dress
The blue one is beautiful!
My granddaughter’s doll will be wearing a flowered dress with decorated straw hat.
I love the frilly, floral style dresses for Derby Day.
Emma my granddaughter would love to have horse for her dolls
They are all so pretty and feminine but I like the aqua one – says spring to me.
Love the horse. It would be great to complete my Derby Day photos. Thank you to all the staff and designers at pixie Faire You are a bright light in a chaotic world right now. God Bless you all!!
I like the blue dress with sunglasses
They all look like winners to me!
I would make the primrose dress!
Derby day with my horsexand breezy flowing dress with matching hat will be so much fun!
The primrose with a hat! So cute
I love the hundreds and hat
Love the turquoise dress and hat.
I like the blue dress & hat.
pink and blue love them both
I would make the gingham dress and the rick rack hat.
I like the Buzzin Bea Primrose Dress, and Is add a jazzy straw hat!
My dolls will be wearing a matching floral print dress with a wide brim hat covered in flowers to the derby.
I’d make some black palazzo pants in either linen or a raw silk, a beautiful white linen blouse, and a stunning Derby hat!
I love the turquoise dress and hat. But I’d also like to make the saddle and horse blanket for my horse – if I win one. I hope the Kentucky Derby goes on despite the copic virus.
My granddaughter would love the horse to go along with her doll. I already make her doll clothes and then I could make her horse accessories. Fun!!!
i love the 50s circle dress i have just made and think it stylish enough for the Derby. would love to try the fedora. mixing eras.
I love the 1940s Pleated Felt Hat from Thimbles and Acorns.
I would make the blue dress!
I would make a gingham pattern sundress.
Absolutely love the springtime dress with flowers ! I would totally chose that dress.
I would make the blue one. Buy I would make the hat brim wider.
the pink one and the blue one
i like the dress between the pink and the blue; but, can’t figure out which pattern it is
I would make the winners circle dress. So cute.
what i would mke for derby day a new hat like rick rack hat pttern love the look
Morgan L.
April 21, 2020
I would wear the Amelia dress with a straw hat.