Wearables Even tinier BTSSB- SDM Babydoll JSK

As I mentioned in my previous project journal thread, after completing the Elizabeth OP for my SD I got myself a SDM little sister for her and decided she needs an iconic BTSSB dress too. I definitely don't want to do something as complex as Elizabeth in 1/4, and I want something where I can use materials I already have. After a quick look at the back-catalog of BTSSB's Classical Series, I decided the Babydoll JSK would be perfect!

Unlike Elizabeth, I don't own this dress to reference, but I do have the Volks Charlotte Boire set which includes the similar Karami Babydoll and there's a babydoll pattern in Otome no Sewing 10 I can work with. I printed out a few reference images to help figure out the correct proportions, brought Felicity down to my workroom for measuring, and drew up a sketch of the dress.

Now to draft a pattern! This should be quite straightforward; a trapezoid skirt and a high waist bodice with sections of shirring in the front and back. The shirring will allow some wiggle room so I don't have to get a perfect fit. Having looked at the construction of the Karami Babydoll, I will need a lining fabric. While I have some scraps of white lining, I think I'll order some in pink as there's a project I've been working on for myself to could use some too. I'm looking forward to my first big project of this year!

 

While drafting a skirt pattern was very easy, I had so much trouble with the bodice! I first tried using drafting instructions from ONS10, then I tried modifying some MSD patterns from Dollybird 8, but nothing was looking quite right. In the end, I went with the tried-and-true method of masking tape on the doll and taking a pattern from that.

I transferred this pattern to paper and trued up the lines, then made a quick mockup to check the fit. You can see in this photo a few of my other pattern attempts.

I'm going to do shirring across the back, so I just had to make the front and check the side seams were sitting in the right place.

In the end, I'm really happy with how this is fitting! Now to cut some fabric...

 

I cut out all pieces of the pattern in the pink cotton (I still have loads of this left!) and transferred the necessary markings with a pinwheel, then made them clearer with erasable marker. I threadmarked the ones on the skirts, and started applying lace to all the pattern pieces I can while they're still flat.


I did the darts on the side panels and then had to join them to the centre piece. I was struggling to get this seam as accurate as I want on the machine, so I did it by hand instead.

 

Thank you all! I finally have time for another update to this project.

With the front of the bodice assembled, I then tacked on the upper edge lace to the front and back.

Then it was time to make the straps and waistties. These tubes did not want to turn easily! I think I spent a few hours trying to coax them right side out, and then topstitched them and stitched a line down the straps to make two channels for elastic.

The bodice pieces are all ready to go together, but I need to attach the skirts to them first.

I stitched lace onto the hem of the ruffles, overlocked the raw edge, pressed the edge under, then topstitched it. I marked where the lace needs to go on the seam and tacked it on, then ran a gathering stitch along the seam. Top tip: use up old bobbins as gathering thread!

These ruffles now need to be gathered and stitched to the skirt front and back pieces.

 

Whew, time for a big update!

After adding the frill to the skirts, I added the ladder lace which also doubles as topstitching for this seam. I overlocked the edges and gathered the waist seams to attach to the bodice pieces. I haven't overlocked the bodice seams because they will be enclosed within the lining.


Next, I attached the shoulder straps to the back bodice and stitch the lining to the top edge. The end of the straps enclosed in the seams gets cut down to reduce bulk.

I turned and pressed this seam, so the lining is inside and there's lace along the edge, and topstitched this seam. I then turned under the waist seam of the lining and used a hand whipstitch to enclose the seam. I believe this technique was used more commonly historically and it creates a very neat finish. I topstitched this seam and then stitched the channels for the elastic shirring.

I threaded the channels with three pieces of 3mm elastic and secured them at both edges with a few tacking stitches, and then stitched over the ends of the channels with the machine.

With this, the back is complete! Now, onto the front...

 

First things first, I attached the waistties to the seams in the front bodice.

The straps are already attached to the back, so I make sure the right sides are facing each other before stitching them to the front.

Next, I need a lining for the front, which is much easier this time as I don't have to fiddle with all that lace!

I then stitch the top seam just like I did with the back, turning, pressing, cutting bulk, and topstitching. Unlike the back, I leave the ends of this seam open by ~8mm so I can turn under the lining seam later.

Finally I can stitch the side seams! This is the last of the machine stitching and from here out it's all hand work.

I cleaned up the loose threads where I could by snipping or burying the ends. I deliberately made the lace on the back bodice longer than the seam so I could fold it over at the side seam to enclose the raw edges and felled it down. I then turned and whipstitched the lining to the side seams and waist seam, and finished the topstitching on the front bodice.

At this point, the dress is now technically complete! I brought Felicity downstairs to try her new dress on her. It was a bit of a squeeze getting it on her, but it otherwise fits perfectly! I threaded the ribbon lacing at the front while she was wearing it.

The final piece is the ribbons at the intersections of the ladder lace. On the full size BTSSB dress these are the loose ends of the ribbon threaded through the lace, but I know from experience it's a nightmare keeping those sorts of bows tied. I decided instead to make bows from ribbon and stitch them on so they stay tied.

This was a nice and easy job to work on while watching the Lion King last Friday, and the dress is done! Last Saturday I went to the Stitch Festival in London, so what better way for Felicity to show off her new dress?

I temporarily let her borrow Maddie's Elizabeth headdress, but I think she needs something of her own. I'm working on resizing the GLB34 Innocent World SD bonnet and that's a fairly quick project, so once that's done I'll make sure to take and post some photos of the complete look!

 

The bonnet is finished and I took some photos





I also took a photo to show the size comparison with the SD bonnet. I resized the pattern in Photoshop to 85% size and I'd say it fits very well