Doll sewing.

 A while back Abby was invited to two birthday parties for little friends in the neighborhood, both who I know love their 18" dolls, so I sewed them each a few outfits for their dolls.

I made the first friend doll clothes for her last birthday too, and Abby told me how much she just loved them and that she rarely saw her doll without one of the outfits on, so I knew it would be a good choice.

I used the book Sew Trendy that I picked up recently from Jo-anns, with coupon stacking I got it for under $7.  It had a lot of basics that I figured would be good building blocks if I ever get brave enough (or crazy enough) to start matching the girls Oliver + S outfits like they have been begging me to try.

I made these as I was making Georgie's Carousel Dress so the purple was an easy decision.  The bottom was a heavier denim that was a PITA to gather.

I didn't like the way most of the items were put together, so I used my own construction methods, ie, easier ways I have learned in my few years of sewing experience.  The instructions weren't bad, I just knew there were easier ways to do it.

Then the following week we got an invitation for another friend, being I had the patterns already traced I just made up the same patterns again... the day of the party, because I am a procrastinator like that.

I started a top for Abby in the pants material, I really should finish it...

I bought these fabrics before I even started sewing, ha!  When Abby was a baby I thought I'd learn to make her a blanket, that never happened, so I had some fat quarters that have been hanging around for forever and ever.

On both of the dresses I used snaps, I was out of velcro and made both the prezzies at the last minute.

A little more birthday sewing.

Abby was invited to a birthday party today, and in typical me fashion, I waited until the last minute to make a gift! (I actually had bought something yesterday when I didn't feel up to sewing and wasn't thinking I would want to today either, so that will have to be returned now.)  I find it hard to buy gifts for girls from 7-10 years, are dolls to babyish?  Nail polish and lotions to grown up?  Is handmade lame?  Abby plays with this little girl quite a bit and so I asked if she had an 18" doll, yes, she did.  So why not make a couple of outfits for the doll?  M'kay.  Abby was supposed to nonchalantly ask after her doll, if she likes to play with it as much as Abby does, but I am guessing it wasn't so smooth and it probably raised her suspicion as she had just invited Abs to her birthday.   Oh well. 

 



 

First off, I hate doll hair.  Hate it with a flipping passion.  It is gets so yucky so quickly! 

I used this pattern but quite modified the construction.  I lengthened the skirt, left off the overlay, flower and waistband as I was strapped for time (also no cool overlay fabric)- but this isn't what changed the construction.  I read through the instructions and knew there was a better way to put it together.  I pretty much put it together like the Geranium Dress (which I am long overdue making another one or five of those!), the only difference being I made the opening all the way down the back so as to be able to dress her by putting her arms in the holes, not over the head.  Clear as mud?  I have a picture later to show what I mean.  Though I am totally thinking of making it a true mini geranium, cap sleeves and u-notch, anyone?

So I heart this fabric.  I first used it waaaay back when, when the twins were only nine months (and I still had a crummy camera that sucked indoors).  I saw it a while back on clearance and bought up the rest of the bolt, like 4 yards, so it will be seen again.

So this ended up really short.  I am thinking it is because I left off the waistband, probably is... I think... because it wasn't this short in the pattern picture. 

 

M'kay, here is what I was talking about.  The geranium dress only opens a little under the bodice and I made mine open to the bottom, again, for easy doll dressing.

Also, my way (okay, Rae's way) of construction just leaves such a nice finish on the inside.  Perfect for gift giving.  (the pattern instructions weren't so nicely finished on the insides, at least the side seam for the arm holes). 

So randomness, the girl whose birthday it was is also named Georgia.  When we picked that name we looked it up on the social security website and it was like #750 something in  popularity so I didn't think I would ever meet anyone else with that name!

I have managed to misplace my hot glue gun or I would have made her some dolly headbands too, so I dipped in to my stash of purchased doll accessories and also packed a pair of shoes and a necklace/bracelet set.  Gotta love $2 Wal-Mart doll stuff.  Abby said it the gift was well received, so hopefully they will get some use!

Dolls for a birthday.

Nearing the end of what has been a big birthday season for us over here, I just finished up some gifts for two cousins of ours, B + A.  One is turning 7 and one 3, both seemed to like playing with Abby's 18" doll, so I thought to myself, why not get them each a doll and sew a few dresses for them?  Brilliant, right? 

 

 

First up, I made a Sofia Blazer intending for it to go to B, but then I realized I would have to make bottoms and a shirt to go with it... so I ended up letting Abby have it as she beeegged me for one just like it.  (Also, there was a mistake or two)

 

Cah-ute, right?  The whole time I was thinking to myself, I wish Oliver and S would just come out with a blazer already!!

You're supposed to be able to add a button to the front, but this particular doll has hair that "grows" so she has a knob on her back that makes it impossible to close the blazer. 

I made the pants a while ago, the deets can be found here.

 

I love making doll clothes because they use those "too big to throw away" kind of scraps.  Like this gray?  From Jack's pants, and the lining is from Abby's maxi dress.

 

Funny story about the blazer.  So, I was all excited to get it finished, right?  I was sewing waaay to late at night, nearly midnight, knowing I only had a few more steps.  You see those teensy tiny sleeves?  Well, you turn them under and are instructed to sew them in the machine if you can- I accepted that challenge.  The first sleeve went off without a hitch, perfect in fact, the second... not so much.  I got a little too confident and stitched a leeeeettle too fast and ended up stitching through my finger tip, ha!! Never fear, dear friends, I managed not to get any blood on the fabric, bandaged up and soldiered on.  The fact that I literally had only a half inch left to sew helped my decision to finish that night.  So my finger tip is still in a bit of pain and is missing a chunk of skin, but on the plus side this time I didn't break the needle off in my finger! 

 

So I pressed it one last time since the iron was still hot and Abby woke me up the next morning with a "IS THAT BLAZER FOR ME?!", I would call that success. 

 



This one is the same pattern I drafted here for a knock-off Roller Skate dress (can't believe I never blogged that dress! hm!) If you follow that link, there is a picture of the back.  It is constructed identical to the kid sized dress, aside from the elastic casing.  For the elastic I just stitched it directly on the inside of the dress after it was completed since I wasn't worried about the doll's comfort, ha!

This yellow is left over from Abby's geranium, which was left over originally from 4 skirts I made for  a wedding reception.

This dress is the Oliver + S popover sundress (free pattern) made from scraps left from this skirt.

I actually made three of the sundresses, two of the roller skate dresses and some headbands to go along.  Abby is keeping the pink one, she thought it would be fun to have "best friend" dresses.

Abby made her doll and B's doll a keychain using charms found on the jewelry aisle.

Our local Wal-Mart has a big selection of doll shoes, jewelry, backpacks, hats, etc (so much fun stuff!) most for $2-3 so we threw in a few pairs of shoes to go with.  In fact, I bought a stockpile and that is now how Abby is rewarded for doing her chores for the week. 


One doll all ready to be packaged and gifted to her new owner, hope she loves hers as much as Abby does!

A hopscotch knock off, dolly style.

Abby has been having so much fun playing with her new doll clothes, I searched pinterest for some inspiration and ran across this gem. Doesn't it remind you of the hopscotch skirt by Oliver + S?? My mind immediately began spinning, and I came up with what I think is a pretty close rendition- in dolly size of course.

 

 

Cute, eh?  This is actually my second one, the first I wasn't quite satisfied with (I'll get to that later).  I modified the Liberty Jane free shirt by eyeballing my big kid size pieces.  Not completely satisfied with it, it's quite baggy and the front didn't end up having enough to gather like the real one.  (it is folded up in the picture to show the skirt better)

This was my original try.  The pockets ended up a little too narrow, and I pretty much just hated this material, it is a cotton I picked up to try out- glad  I didn't use it for a kids garment, it has a weird feel, and that is what I was worried about. 



Okay, back to the better one (in my opinion).  Do you want to make one of your own??  Yay!  I'll assume you have the Oliver and S pattern then and give the measurement and pattern piece numbers.  Sorry, I didn't take the time to do a tutorial, this was a quick break in between 10 (yes 10!!) maxi skirts that I am working on.  No, not all for me... Sadly... ;)  they are very comfy!

Piece 1:  front skirt, width 5", length 6"- cut 2
Piece 2: back skirt, width 10", length 71/2"- cut 1
Piece 3: front placket, width 2", length 6"- cut 2
Piece 4: front waistband, width 2", length 7"- cut 2

I skipped the pockets the second time around because I was in a hurry.  For the first one, I again just eyeballed the shape of the pattern piece and played around folding the paper until I *thought* I had what I wanted.  One of these days I will try again. 

I used a 1/4" seam allowance, and pretty much folded my pieces over with what "felt right".  Sorry, not very scientific, some spots (like the front waistband raw edges, placket raw edges) I folded over 1/4".  The placket top I think was closer to 1/2", again, what ever made it look "right".  Oh, and this is a 18" doll, in case you couldn't tell:)  If anything wasn't clear, which  I wouldn't be surprised, I will gladly answer in the comment section! 

A day of dolls.

I recently made some doll clothes and hair bands for Abby's 18" doll, and she and her cousin Beth spent the afternoon dressing, posing and taking pictures of the dolls.  (okay, I took the pictures, but the girls chose where to place them and what angles to take them from)

 

All the outfits were made from scraps left over from other projects or fat quarters, love that! 

The tops are the free popover sundress, dolly sized, from Oliver + S and the bottoms are Liberty Jane Skinny jeans. 

The headbands are just felt circles sewn together with a button, then hot glued to 1/4" elastic.

I decided to add a little flair with some pom pom trim.  These pants are the same pattern just shortened some.

You might be wondering what this yellow thing she is standing on in our back yard is... it is what I like to call the puke machine.  It is a Ben made merry-go-round, and yes, it has made kids puke (none of my kids, though).  It goes so fast!  But the kids love it, especially the twins.

Some lace on this one, and a cool idea we saw online (sorry, can't remember the source!) to use a scrapbooking brad as a ring. 

A little flair on the back of the jeans never hurt anyone.  I struggled with the topstitching on these because the pieces were so tiny!

I scored this bookshelf a while back at a garage sale for $10, she was originally asking $50 but I went back late in the afternoon and she just wanted it gone!  So my awesome MIL haggled for me:)  The kids had tons of fun making decorations and using my "special tape" aka washi tape. 

These cool chandeliers are a free printable from here.  We used cardstock instead of cardboard, but we probably should have used the light cardboard as suggested.  Oh well. One is covered in red glitter and one is colored by Abby and Jack.

 

 

Jack drew all the kids in photo frames, while Abby drew the Declaration of Independence, ha!  She cracks me up.  

All in all, a fun, creative day with the kids!  And, um, doll clothes are kind of addictive!