Vintage Inspiration

 

Lately I've enjoyed looking around the internet at all the vintage patterns that are available for the humans among us and this one appealed to me.  I think it's from 1956.  So I tried to recreate it.  

I really struggled with making the pattern, specifically getting the bodice to fit but after many muslins, I finally got it.  The fabric is raw silk from Cocomaran on Etsy and I love it.  It's like a soft shantung and comes in about 70 colors.  The bag is made from faux leather.  

The jacket turned out pretty well I would have liked the collar to be a little lower and more shawl-like.  But I'm learning with every piece I attempt. 

 This was first time taking pics with my new camera.  I broke down and bought a Canon EOS Rebel T7, a beginner level SLR with a learning curve that I could manage.  I remembered that somewhere out in the garage I thought I had a 30"x30" photo tent and, amazingly (you should see the sorry state of my garage), I found it.  I used the same lights that I used to use for taking pics of my jewelry.  The only hitch was that I had to watch three different YouTube videos to figure out to twist that thing up again and get it back in it's bag.  Some YouTubers are heroes!  

Sequins--Love and Hate

I love the unnatural shade of red hair on this Tyler but someone please put me out of my misery if I ever decide to sew with sequined fabric again. I didn't realize until I watched some YouTube videos that you have to cut all the sequins out of the seam allowances. That alone took hours and gave me blisters on my thumb, not to mention creating a pattern that fit.

But it turned out not too bad. The bracelet is made from sew-on rhinestones and seed beads. My original idea to make it with two rows of rhinestones worked in theory but in real life my eyes couldn't handle it.

Wondering is she needs a fur stole to go with it.  

All About the Fabric

 Today I'm going to show you a couple of outfits made with fabric from my new favorite vendor. 

This silk brocade sheath was inspired by a Gucci ad I clipped out of a magazine.  I sewed tiny beads onto the bodice, and made the matching clutch bag.  

This gorgeous jacquard fabric came from the same vendor.  The first pic isn't very good but it shows the true colors better.  And the vendor is......French Fashions.  What I love about her website, aside from the gorgeous fabrics curated especially for doll sewing, is that you can buy fat quarters and other small amounts without having to spend a fortune for a whole yard of some of these luxury fabrics.  She also sells trims, buttons, buckles, you name it.  Check it out.  

How It Started--How it Ended

 

It started with a couple of pictures that I found on Pinterest and a piece of silk charmeuse that I found in a closet.  It then involved doing lots of enlargements on my printer.  This is a human pattern and NEWSFLASH--dolls aren't built like humans.  This doll is proportionately taller, has a longer waist and bigger bust than a normal human.  This meant I had to completely redo the upper bodice along with altering the pieces it attached to, as well as increase the length of everything.  

There is some instruction on how to create patterns for dolls from human pattern instruction sheets on Dale Rae Designs which was helpful.  

How it ended.  Not too bad.  I would raise the upper edge of the bodice if I did it again.  After I finished this and actually looked at the website on the picture, modafacil.com, I found that they offer all sorts of free human patterns to download.  And Google will translate it into English!  It won't save you from having to spend hours altering the patterns but still pretty cool.  

The earrings were made from little daisy spacers with jump rings and rhinestones epoxied on.  If you can find little stud ball earring findings with a loop attached, they will work for dolls.  I found that a corsage pin is just about the right size for enlarging the holes in the doll's ears.  Holding it with a pair of needle nose pliers is helpful.  The bangle bracelet is a piece of pattern wire that I cut, filed and shaped.  I then epoxied the rhinestones to it. 

 Have a great weekend!

Tonner Dolls-My New Thing

 Although Robert Tonner dolls were introduced 30 years ago I never knew they existed until a couple of years ago.  I thought they were so beautiful I started picking up naked ones on Ebay so I could dress them, as well as make jewelry for them.  Another advantage is their 16" height.  I used to sew a lot for my nieces' Barbie dolls, as well as making miniatures, but that size is now a challenge to my failing eyesight.  I started out using commercial patterns for my dolls.  Two good ones are DB Doll Patterns and Designs by Jude.  You can also find old McCall's patterns on Etsy.  These are all things I made last year before I started getting more adventurous.  

This dress on Esme is a variation on a pattern from DB Doll.  The hat and crocheted bag are also from DB although I made my hat from crinoline which necessitated changing the construction from all sewing to some gluing.  The necklace and earrings were made by using various bits and beads.  

This hat was made from needlepoint canvas that I applied a watery glue solution to and shaped the crown over a form.  A 2" styrofoam ball from the craft store is the perfect size for this.  I made sure and covered it with plastic wrap first.  This was all completed with tacky glue.  The necklace was inspired by and falls very short of the beautiful work of Isabelle from Paris.  

This outfit for Kit was inspired by a 30-year-old skirt that I will never fit into or wear again but still hangs in my closet.  The hat and bag are made from needlepoint canvas.  The jewelry was fun to do though.  

Esme is wearing a jacket that was made from a pattern I bought from Brenda at Matisse doll fashion.  I think these are human patterns that she somehow resizes to fit 12" and 16" dolls.  These are for people who like a challenge;  they don't come with instructions or seam allowances.  But even if you don't sew, you should click the link and look at Brenda's gorgeous work.  

I haven't figured out a good way to get the dolls to stand pretty for photos so I made the table to lean them against out of a candle pedestal I found on Amazon and a 6" round mirror from Michael's.  The photo background is from Facets Boutique. 

 

The jacket that Esme is wearing is from a pattern by DB Doll Patterns.  The skirt is silk that I pleated in an ancient gadget called the Pretty Pleater that I used to use to make dollhouse stuff.  NEVER throw anything away.  You might need it 30 years down the road.  The lambskin bag is one of my first attempts at working with leather.  I have improved since then as you'll see when I get around to that post.