Helena's Party

This dress for Honoria, a Blythe Alexis Emerald, uses two lovely Liberty print fabrics evocatively named Helena's Party in Turquoise and Dolphin in Teal. Small sample pieces were purchased first. When I saw them I knew at once I wanted to use these so I went ahead and constructed the bodice whilst I waited for the skirt material to arrive! That is the fun of dress-making in miniature!

The cotton lawn fabric was so fine and the sewing line so near the edges that my first attempts puckered up the thin material disastrously. Online research here suggested I needed to change my needle to a 70/10 and try out a roller foot. The two other suggestions of using spray starch and cotton embroidery thread may be part of future experiments. The roller foot, ordered online with next day free delivery, duly arrived. It turned out to be a very natty little arrangement with glistening, minute rollers. The foot fitted easily onto my vintage machine and away it went, stitching the fabric with a competent purr.

Periwinkle Calico WIP

Caitlin, sitting pretty amongst the periwinkle and celandine, is wearing her new A-line, panel skirt.

Before cutting into this lovely Spring with a zing fabric by Dashwood Studios, Wild 1041, I made up a prototype skirt in calico. As a learning exercise this was invaluable. It showed up the trickier seams where it was helpful to tack before machine stitching.

Her First Full Set

An interest in creating and photographing worlds and avatars has this year metamorphosed into the world of dolls. Perhaps 'merged' would be a more accurate verb to use. Beyond the computer, I found a hands on need to fashion and photograph items in my surroundings. Work with dolls satisfyingly combines the creative and handmade skills I would like to acquire and hopefully will keep old fingers nimble. I like this small size of doll, about 19-20 cms high. A BJD, a Secretdoll Studio Person 21, is due to arrive in November.

So, here is a record of the first full set I've worked. (I love too that there is a whole new vocabulary to learn.) The sewing and gluing is far from perfect. Let's see if it can improve.

The tulip design rompers came first from my own pattern. The waist size was quite tricky to estimate and I needed to keep taking tucks. The tulip motif was perfect for the first photos taken abroad. We travelled to Holland. She, who is nameless, is a Blythe Middie Doll. Photographs in foreign locations are part of the Blythe cultural group fun. You can see her in Amsterdam here.

I made the shoes as I was worried about losing her only other pair, the true Blythe shoes. This web tutorial helped me.
The jacket is not finished. I'm trying to decide how to introduce another element along the hemline, perhaps involving pockets. Liberty Tana Lawn is perfect for this miniature sewing as it possesses such a fine close-weave and has strong colour and design. I'm hoping I might be able to obtain this All Kinds of Families fabric to finish the outfit. That is a neat idea to use their designers' finger prints; it makes the design so special and personal. Alternatively Wild At Heart might work. What do you think?