Custom Color Guard Outfit

I can't seem to get off the ground with doll sewing besides putzing around with patterns. I'm too much of a perfectionist, although a struggle with allergies for about a month or so did not help. However, I did take the time last week to make an outfit for a friend of my daughter's. It was for her American Girl doll, and it is based on an outfit for the Color Guard at the local high school. This girl wants to join the group when she gets to high school, and she already practices. When this girl opened her gift, her older sister quipped, "Your doll got into Color Guard before you did!" The girl liked the outfit, and since I used scraps, it was essentially no cost to make except for the dowel and the ball on top for the flag. Once again I used the Jean Becker and Joan Hinds book, adapting the patterns slightly to fit my needs.

Success!

I have achieved a pattern that I can work with and made a trial dress. Now to get creative and see what kind of things I can do with the pattern.

The light is not very good for this picture. It's very gray and rainy here today.

Progress of a Sort

I have discovered that the armscye of a dress for an 8" doll is not really suited to being finished by a conventional serger. I have experienced the same problem sewing for the smaller dolls before, but I'm stubborn and like everything finished by serger. However, I took a good look inside all the dresses by Tonner for his Kripplebush Kids that I own, and only one is serged on the armscye. The rest are finished by a double row of stitching. I will probably use a zig-zag stitch. Hoping to finish a dress this week! Sunday is usually a day of rest, after church.

Still Sewing, Different Doll

Well. This past year has been a ride. Health issues, unemployment, a move forced upon us. I was suffering from so much depression that I didn't get much sewing done in the old place, and we moved to the new place right before Thanksgiving and the long parade of holidays (and in my house, birthdays.) It took a while to even get a functional sewing area set up here, but I am thankful that I am still able to have one!

Once I got back to sewing for dolls, I had a different inspiration, to sew for Robert Tonner's 8" Kripplebush Kids. I have spent many hours tweaking a pattern and I think I have finally come up with something that suits. I have had no formal pattern drafting training, for either little people or big people, so I have had some difficulties and setbacks. However, I find that I prefer my own doll patterns rather than other people's. Too many of the patterns I have tried do not fit the doll for which I am sewing properly. Others online who sew for dolls have said that a pattern must be slightly fixed for every doll. Well, if I have to do that, I'd just as soon work on my own pattern, however long it might take me. Besides, like many stay-at-home moms, I have more time than money. :)

This is not meant to disparage any particular pattern or pattern maker. If you design patterns, please do not assume I mean you and get angry at me. Everyone has a different experience, your mileage may vary, etc.

Now that I have a working pattern, I am hoping to get a new dollie creation up here very soon!

New Year, New Hopes

It's taken me a long while to even think about getting back to sewing. Part of it was the move, and the unpacking (and even finding) all the things I need to sew. Part of it is feeling strange about getting into sewing again. I haven't done it for months, and I almost dread trying it again for some reason, like I won't be any good at it anymore. However, I still have the desire to create, so I have to make myself proverbially get back on the horse.

Another issue is pattern drafting. I would like to use my own patterns to sew as much as possible. I hate having to make a muslin trial for a purchased doll pattern! I'm not always happy with how the pattern turns out. I also want to sew different types of dresses than the patterns I generally see. I have no experience in pattern drafting, but I imagined that at least for a little girl type doll, making a pattern would not be terribly difficult. They do not need the shaping required for a full-figured doll, and of course with a doll, "ease" is not so much of an issue! But I have not created slopers yet that my perfectionist self is entirely pleased with. I think I'm getting close, though! And I am trying to learn more about pattern drafting, particularly for dolls.

Watch This Space

After a lot of the usual trial and error, I think I have created workable patterns for Robert Tonner's Alice in Wonderland. Now I need to create clothes for her that are not muslin test pieces. Pictures will be forthcoming as this happens. I'm looking forward to the fun part of doll costuming now that the pattern design appears to over.

Welcome to Barb's Doll Designs!

Here is where I will be posting pictures and updates about the doll fashions I'm hoping to make. The project I'm currently working is clothes for Robert Tonner's Alice in Wonderland, and I hope to get pictures up soon. In the meantime, here's a picture of my daughter holding her American Girl doll who is wearing the Fourth of July dress I made using a pattern by Joan Hinds and Jean Becker. I can't seem to find the book online, but here is the picture of my daughter and her doll.