Wearables Sewing Project: Monochrome [ Round 138 ]

Yay! New thread!

I'm joining this month, but I haven't decided exactly what to make yet. I don't have unlimited crafting time, but I think I should be able to get something done if I don't make it too ambitious.

 

I have a monochrome project needing finished...I think...just have to go find everything where I left it 2 yrs ago. ;}

 

Woohoo new thread!

As I mentioned in the previous round I have been in my Blanket Era(tm) so I haven't gotten much anything doll-related done in a while. But for this one, I had found some cotton ribbon that was just too cute and figured I'd dig out some browns and whites to go with it into an outfit. Probably into another dress for Clover. Because, ya know, if I can't get myself to make a simple pair of pants, might as well make a lolita dress with all the frills!

But as I found more stuff to use I couldn't figure out how to use the trims and fabrics that went together without a bulky mess, and thought about changing plans to a tiered skirt instead, since all the stuff was also very in line with Nova's clothes.

Spoiler alert, the skirt won! But I had fun getting a photo of Clover and Nova ready to pick a fight over who gets the project.

Spoiler: The Gals with Their Fabric and The Victor

(link if the photos break)

So, uh, might have gotten a bit ahead of myself, but there's plenty more to do! Will Nova get a matching top? Will I make Clover a dress from the brown fabric? Is this the round where I finally use that chunk of pink silk I've been hanging onto for over half a decade? Will Thalassus - or anyone, for that matter - ever get more pants? Can I make a meaningful dent in my stash? (Hah!)

 

So, I've dug through the stash, spent some time staring at my dolls and I think I've got something like a plan.

This is Petronella. She is a Withdoll Emma. I've had her for less than a year and her warderobe is still quite sparse, compared to my other girls. The only fashion rule for her is that things must not be boring, even each individual piece of an outfit needs to have some element of interest or fun.


So, partly to challenge myself and partly because I really want a project for these fabrics, I've chosen the possibly most boring colour in the universe: Beige.

One complicating factor is the fact that, because this is not sormally a colour I work in much, i have next to nothing that matches when it comes to ribbons, buttons etc. So I may have to come up with workarounds along the way, but I'll take it as it comes.I will have to rely on sewn details to keep things interesting.
I may make some small exceptions from the theme. I will allow myself to add muted colour accents, if it's that or loosing interest in the project. For exampel, there is a hint of blue in some of the flowers on the bird print fabric, so maybe I'll use that to bring the blue into some accessories, or something, but that's a last resort.

I don't have a solid plan for the outfit yet, either. Probably some kind on blouse + skirt combo, or a dress.

 

I haven't done one of these in a while but I think I'll try for this theme!

Recently I realized I quit most of my sewing projects because the small size is so finicky that the number of roadblocks I come across majorly demotivates me, but I tried sewing for 1/3 with a stable fabric a few days ago and it was honestly relaxing! So I think I'll try and make something for my DD this time, using an existing pattern and a fabric that's not so slippery.

I'm using this dress an inspo (pics in spoiler to avoid taking up space). I think this is monochrome? It's like 90% pink.

Spoiler: inspiration dress images (2)

I'm gonna use this pattern, which I already own. It's actually the pattern I was making a few days ago, except I altered it into a vest instead of a pinafore with skirt. This time I'll use it for it's actual purpose!

I probably won't include as many lace details or ruffles (it's quite a lot and I know I need to keep things simple if I want to stay motivated), but we'll see. I already have plain pink fabric, ribbon, and white lace!

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you make with your fabrics! The colours look absolutely gorgeous together!

 

I’d love to join this round, I’ll be sewing from scratch (can’t follow a pattern for the life of me) for my Broken Maiden Doll Lunl on a Huajing doll body, she needs painted but will have to wait, she needs clothes first.





These are the colors I’ll choose my made from scratch outfit, and lace not in photo. Unfortunately, it’s challenging to add photos since my computer is not an option to use and I’m having to do this through a photo image site that’s all new to me.

 

Yay! Lots of activity on the new thread already

Teddy

 

@Lillith Oooh, beige plus fun in every piece is gonna be a challenge. I could see some ruffles and/or piping with the smaller print fabrics? I know I've also seen a lot of folks playing with directionality on stripes and plaids, could be fun with the gingham. The little bit of blue in the bird fabric is very sweet, too.

@ashefaust @mydaffer Pink!! Gonna be a very pink round, haha! The dress and those fabrics are very cute, I'm excited to see what comes from those!

 

More pink for this round! I'm gonna have another go with this fabric from hell and sew Nuoyi a dress of some sort. Not sure if a slip dress or a selkie-inspired babydoll dress yet, I'll try to draft a pattern and see what seems less frustrating to sew

 

I’ve decided on the materials and lace and I decided it will be an overall set with a tank type top to go underneath. I’m going to create it using my imagination but will take progress photos. I’d like to make a hat or band for her too, but will see.

 

Your doll is so adorable, love the material too!

 

The material is so well matched, can’t wait to see it all together!

 

The photo with your girls altogether is just so fantastically adorable!

 

Wow what a beautiful dress pattern idea! Love it!

 

{laugh!} I'm boggled by the amount of pink in this round (It's not my least favourite colour but it has long held second place) I'm sure everyone will produce adorable outfits but, at this stage, I'm envisioning a sea of candyfloss.

Teddy

 

I was gifted all but the gingham from a friend and I think they were originally bought to go well together, so I can't take the credit for that. But it is an interesting challenge, because while I do like the fabrics and I especcially find that bird print absolutely adorable, it's not at all what I'd normally gravitate towards.
Some of them are quite small pieces, as well, so it will force some creativity.

I think ruffles, creative use of the print and pin tucks are probably all going to happen, beyond that, we'll see.

Personally, I am delighted to see so much pink. In my mind, it's one of those colours that actually works best when there is a lot of it.

@PoeticSoul Oh, pretty fabric choices as ususal. I always love to see what you come up with, your outfits tend to turn out so well!

 

{GRIN!!}

They're pretty fabrics - actually it's nice seeing the varieties and range of fabrics everyone is planning on using.

Teddy

 

So many pink projects this month. XD

 

+1 on purple I like the color and so have a lot of it in my fabric stash, and it is one of the colors I intend to use for Amadis' styling. (may even get to making her a light purple wig).
I've recently come across an interesting design of harem trousers, so I'll try that and figure out some kind of loose top to make a comfy lounging outfit.
Amadis is a Thel by Bardo Research.

 

Obviously my bias against pink puts me in the minority.

Nice.

I should look into making some harem trousers for Lula, my Magikademia Taliea, but not this month I think - I may have to put off any new sewing projects for my dolls until work closes down for christmas as I have other (full sized) projects I'm already committed to.

Teddy

 

I've washed and ironed the polkadot fabric. I'm going to try to get both a blouse and a pair of bloomers out of it.

 

I don't know if I'll jump in this round or not. Most of my fabric is scrap remnants from my family members, so I'll have to check if I even have enough in one color family for a piece of clothing.

 

Good hunting!

Teddy

 

Ooh, monochrome is right up my alley but there’s still lot going on IRL. I’ll definitely lurk and enjoy everyone’s projects.

 

I'm going to make a blue ensemble for my newly arrived Murasaki – a hakama, short kimono undershirt and haori.
First step is making a mockup out of my good old flesh toned bedsheet

 

Would cream and tan count as monochrome? It wouldn't be a full outfit, but I have a doll body that finally arrived and the character has a cream shirt and tan pants.

Otherwise I'll go back to the drawing board. I've probably got enough black variants for a gothic or emo outfit

 

The original post does say you are free to interpret the theme, so I'd say it's fine.
I am having a similar debate with myself thinking that beige is basicly just a darker offwhite and a lighter brow, right?

 

Loving all the pink project ideas that popped up in here!

Unfortunately after washing my pink fabric I ran into some issues. I let it air dry and then ironed it but the wrinkles simply won't come out!
The large wrinkles flatten out, but there's this persistent subtle wrinkle that's giving the fabric the visual texture of tree bark I'm not sure why, but I did get it as cheap discount fabric, so I guess I can't complain.

I'm going to be buying new, quality pink fabric on Monday hopefully, but in the meantime I'm working on the plain white blouse to match the JSK (I forgot to mention it in my first post).

I want to do a tiered ruffle at the bottom of the sleeves so I'm altering the pattern a little. (The bottom piece I cut off isn't part of the pattern anymore, I just wrote my notes on it)



I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's projects, especially all the pink

 

I found something! I was looking through my fabric stash for a color family I could use to make an outfit when I came across this:


This is a color family of fabric I got specifically to make a set of mix-and-match ballet basics for Amelie, one of my F60 Alans. I have been reminded it exists and will hopefully actually use it this time!

Meet Amelie:


I'll use the fluffy fabric for leg warmers, the patterned knit for shorts and a shrug, the spandex for a leotard, and the crepe for a practice skirt. I've also got some faux leather somewhere I got for ballet flats and some material for tights, but since those are pink I'll save them for another time.

 

Oh, what a shame. You could try using a press cloth, it sometimes work for stubborn wrinkles when just ordinary ironing doesn't.
Otherwise, if the wrinkles are somewhat evenly dirtributed, you could prehaps work it into the design and pretend it's intentional. Crinkled and crepped fabrics are a thing, after all. If it doesn't work for this project, perhaps in can work for something else in the future.

Pretty! And it sounds like a lovely project.

For my own progress:
I made the pattern for the bloomers, but was too much of a coward to actually cut them before I figured the blouse pattern out since I have so little of the fabric.
I strarted doing the blouse pattern, but, well, tell me if anyone else have had this happen:
I took a pattern I already made for a dress bodice that has a loose fit, but still some shape to get a good starting point. I then simplified the shape and fit to make it less structured and more blouse-like. I made a mock up, changed a few things to improve how it hangs on the doll. All good so far. Made a fresh copy of the altered pattern and found that I had almost exactly recreated the pattern for the dress bodice.
I could have saved a good hour of work by just using it as it was. And it's not the first time I've done this either.

On a more positive note, later today I'm going to a large fabric store to shop for fabrics for my halloween costume, so now I just have to resist the temptation to buy too much new doll fabrics. My stash is already way too big, but you know how it is, you rarely have right fabric at home when you need it. Logically, having a bigger stash should increase the chances, right.

 

You could try ironing through a damp cloth (I usually just run a tea towel under the tap and wring it out well) - I've gotten some very stubborn wrinkles out of synthetics like that. Do a test first to see if the fabric behaves weirdly with moisture, though.

As for my own progress there is none Everyone's fabric choices look excellent, though!

 

Have you tried ironing it while it's damp? That might help.

Nice!

Teddy

 

Patterns acquired! I already bought the SD mix-and-match pattern set from Raccoon's Rags that will make a bodysuit/leotard, leggings, tights, socks, shorts, etc; I'll use that for the leotard, shorts, and leg warmers (socks minus feet, basically). I found a free shrug pattern on the site So Sew Simple, and will be using that for, well, the shrug - I'll have to adjust the scale since it's a human pattern, but it's a simple enough one that I trust myself to manage it. The skirt, since I'm making it out of an actual ballet skirt (it was on sale and cheaper than buying fabric), I'll just replicate its pattern smaller. Fingers crossed! I'll plan to start sewing in the evenings, since I'm doing this all by hand.

 

Well...progress of a sort...after saying I would work on Josiah's burgundy coat, from a project I started 2 years ago, I have spent the past 2 weeks trying to think where I had set it for safe keeping. ;}
Today the mystery finally led to action. Various recent piles of useful doll fabrics & several other long set aside doll dress ideas got sorted & restacked. The velveteen was easily located where it's been waiting on the back of a chair under other fabric for safe keeping. All the wrong piles refiled in my brain for future spare time... And finally!
In the only place I hadn't thought to look was the taffeta lining fabric, embroidered fabric & embroidered trim I had pulled together for a monochrome burgundy Rococo coat for Josiah Dodson a minimee JD head on a Unidoll or Sr Delf body (trying to remember which I switched him to last... It's been a while...) plus the simplicity costume pattern pieces I resized for an SD doll a few years ago. Will probably needed enlarged a bit.

You'll have to take my word for it because now my computer won't tether to my phone to transfer photos. And then I'll have to remember my Photobucket password to add photos when they happen. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
In the meantime thanks for the inspiration to tidy the piles of too much doll fabric & locate the coat project!

 

Yes!!!

 

Well done for locating the project, Kathel!

It sounds so like me finally deciding to work on a specific project then being completely unable to find it.

Teddy

 

Is anyone like me and only got the fabric picked out?

It’s me, I’m so mentally motivated but my body isn’t cooperating at all! It’s a case of the (lazy syndrome) I think……. Possibly could be the Florida heat, taking every ounce of energy I have.

 

Ugh! @mydaffer that must be frustrating - I hope you can push past whatever's blocking you from making a start.

Teddy

 

I picked materials and then procrastinated for a week. I may well be the weather - September has been abnormally warm so far. But this week some sewing has finally been done (or a lot of sewing... by hand... ow, my fingers). Anyway, trousers:
Purple outfit - trousers by helgie, on Flickr
In the top left Amadis is sitting on most of the purple fabrics I managed to turn up. There's a heap, but it was hard to match them to each other, and this trousers design is asking for contrasting materials - I ended up using micro velvet and thinner patchwork cotton with contrasting textures, but later I also want to try to make similar trousers with more bright colors and thinner material - I hoped to gather the waist with an elastic, but it was far too thick, so I ended up adding darts on the sides and a closure with 2 snaps on the back.
The checkered pink is scrap cotton used for a mock-up to figure out the pattern - it is like a skirt, until it isn't, and took some calculation.
Now I need to figure out what I want for the top. I may go with several options. A crop top should look good, and I also found soft and somewhat thick silk in a nice lilac color that could be used for an oversize shirt.

 

@mydaffer not just you, I have fabrics sitting behind me right now and nothing further has happened Florida solidarity from Miami lol it's been brutal this summer, I am ready for livable weatherrrrrr

 

Have I completed anything? No. But I have started on the shrug! I scaled the pattern to what seemed to be the right size, and I have so much of the fabric I decided to go ahead and make it rather than make a test one first - worst case scenario, I have one or two that don't fit quite right and one that does, with almost a yard of fabric left over.

 

The trousers are certainly looking good @helgie

Good luck with the top(s)

Teddy

 

definitely in need of better weather!

 

Wow, those are super cute, love the color and the design! Great fit for your doll.

 

Very nice

Teddy

 

What fantastic sewing, I love the colors and design!

 

I really ought to have checked this before I started hemming Each side is just one piece of fabric, though, so I'm going to flip it inside-out, pin it, and stitch the arms longer and the body closer.



EDIT: Tightened and finished! I've got my first complete piece for one of these challenges!

Spoiler: Finished shrug photos

Up next, the shorts! Mostly because I'm already working with this fabric, so I might as well do my second piece with it, right?

 

Yay! It looks like a really good fit on her too.

Teddy

 

That’s very nice, it looks perfect for her!

 

Sorry for being so quiet, I atended a miniature fair this weekend and had a lot to prepare beforehand. But now it's over I will hopefully have time to get back to this project.
I still haven't cut anything out, but I do have patterns done and a bit more of a plan than I started with and still almost two weeks to go, so I should be able to catch up.

I love seeing all the stuff you guys made allready, you are way ahead of me.
@cthulhu Lovely colour. That is going to be an absolutely fabulous outfit.
@helgie Yay, trousers! They look great on her. A crop top sounds like a good choice to go with them, but an oversized shirt sounds nice too.
@PoeticSoul Oh, that's adorable! And it even matches her hair. I love how the deeper tones of the purple sort of soflty contast her pastel coloured mochanical parts. She looks so good!
@dm_sof Good job on finding a workaround for the fit. It looks great.

 

I tried steaming it (did nothing) but I'll try ironing it while damp.
Luckily I've now bought some nice pink broadcloth that washed and ironed just fine, so my project can still go ahead!

Here's my progress on the blouse so far. It's basically almost done, I just have to finish the other sleeve's ruffles and then I can sew all the pieces together (everything is just set down or pinned right now aside from the front and back of the blouse)

 

Looking good. I love those layered ruffles

Teddy

 

@ashefaust What Teddy said! It looks great so far.