Wearables Sewing Project: Mori Style/Dark Mori/Cottagecore [ Round 149 ]

I love Mori Style. know I am going to use my girl Emily, because she vibes with that. But I need to pick out what I am going to do exactly, and what material I am going to use, or if none of my material piles will work, and I need more.

Also, she is just lounging in her pyjamas, and even though she does have clothes, I know she would like something special!

 

Oh this fits right in with my plans for new clothes for Sorrel (Doll Leaves Hily) and Manon (Iplehouse Peekaboo). I’m excited to see what everyone comes up with!

 

I've been meaning to make some skirts and dresses for my two SD sized girls, and they're fairly mori-style/country chic, so I figure this is as good a time as any to get a move on. My two models are Crobidoll Zia and HTT Bambee (mod/hybrid).



And here are my fabrics:



One tiered skirt and one sun dress for each girl. The pink and the bee print are those like, "cheater" fabrics, with the elastic bands already sewn in, meant to make quick dresses for children. I don't have any reference images, but I do have links. I'm using tutorials meant for humans here and here. If I have extra time and energy, I might make some tops to go with the skirts, and I'd like to make at least one accessory.

Edit: oops, I forgot the lace. Of course we gotta have lace.

 

Hm...do I have anyone who wants to wear one of these styles...

 

I have a new/old doll (Arwen Grune 'Rubenesque Claudette) after a long hiatus, which has got me thinking about sewing again! I used to love mori girl style about 15yrs ago so I'd love to sew something for this round but as usual no suitable fabric, as I'm not really into muted, washed out natural colours or lace! (I'm more into pjs as a rule LOL)

But to get myself started I spent last night watching dozens of youtube vids on mori girl style - the gist of which seems to be a long sleeved top or cardigan over a tunic dress over a longish skirt, with a very long scarf wound around the neck several times, so if I find some fabric that's what I'm aiming for.

I can't remember where I read this but somewhere online many years ago, I read that mori style is based on the romantic notion of a fairytale princess lost in the woods, finding a little cottage & setting up home there to survive the elements. As the years pass, her fine clothes become more and more shabby, faded and torn, and she is forced to 'make do and mend' - hence the shabby-chic vibe (don't anyone ask me where she got food & water from, let alone a sewing kit LOL) Can't find this story anywhere online now but I love it!

 

Hmm...I might make an alternate outfit for Faolán for this round, since a lot of the pins I have for him are sort of solarpunk/mori kei esque, but I don't have any concrete design for it...I'll have to think about what else I could make for him!
I have an off topic doll coming in a couple of months too, and I think her measurements are online, so I could try making something for her from some smaller pieces I have, since she's msd sized, though I won't know if/ how well they'll fit until I get her. That might be ok though since mori kei tends to be a little less structured and form fitting.

@elve I heard the same thing about mori kei! No idea where I read it either lol

 

Honestly I would love to see Mori style in some other colour palettes! Dark Mori very much appeals to me and can sometimes have a more witchy aesthetic. That story you shared is really interesting, and I didn't know that about this style. I feel like something similar could be adapted so it could include other colour palettes. I think the most important part of Mori is the general silhouette -- the loose clothing, layers, different textures. It would be very hard to make bright colours work with it, but jewel tones might look really lovely (and I kind of wish I'd thought of that sooner!). I don't think lace is necessary either, but if you pass on that, I think some sort of knitted or crocheted item or knit fabric would help tie the look together.

I've been meaning to post in this thread with my plans but am going to wait a few more days. The fabric I ordered should be here on Monday so I'll wait until then so I can include a pic of it along with my dolly models.

 

At least I know I didn't dream it now LOL


Thanks @Leenah - Yes I think layering is key to this look, whatever the colour although I've seen some summer mori girl with just a sleeveless white (or black) dress, boots and scarf, it's ideally a cosy winter style

 

It’s been too long since I joined a sewing round! This round is perfect for motivating me to finally sew something for Minifee I call Lyla. She was originally supposed to have a mori style but I haven’t finished anything for her yet Not sure yet which fabric I will be using, I’ve got lots in my stash that have potential. I might also switch to cottagecore vs mori. We’ll see how it goes!

 

Mori time! I'll probably make something for Nova, she's perfect for this aesthetic. I've pulled out some scrap fabrics (a couple whites including some leftover linen, a light green, and a dark green) and I'll see what I can put together with them. Hopefully some pants, not just a million more skirts and dresses. Of course, I choose this round to decide I oughta get around to making pants...

 

@PoeticSoul I just love your inspirations this round and that dress, that’s so me, where do I get one! LOL
It’s going to be an exciting round, this is one of my favorite styles.

@BlackSheep your dolls are adorable, love your material choices and the lace is beautiful!

I’d like to join: My doll is an old sd10 Nono on the older body. I’m not sure what I’m making other then dress layers I’m not even sure I’ll use the material I picked. So it will be a surprise to us all.

 

@mydaffer Thank you! Your doll and fabric choices are lovely as well!

I got everything cut, but I'm not posting a photo because it's just a bunch of long rectangles. I also gave the lace that was on the card a wash, because it came out of my vintage collection, which must have been stored in someone's basement at some point. It all has just a hint of mildew smell until I wash it. The wash also brightened it up, so now it matches the fabric even better!

 

@mydaffer The fabrics you have picked out are darling! I am really looking forward to seeing what you make because I really loved your creations in the last thread. I was also hoping that you’d be joining this round because Mori seems like a style you’d have a real knack for doing well

 

@Leenah ❤️ thank you so much, that is so kind of you, I hope I don’t disappoint and appreciate your kind comment!

Melissa

@BlackSheep thank you very much!

 

Mori outfit sketch
I changed my mind for which doll to sew for. I’m going to make an outfit for my Doll Chateau named Morhirwen instead of Lyla. Her original character was a forest witch, so Mori is suited for her as well! Here’s a sketch of what I intend to make. I have a few fabrics and trims in mind but I haven’t pulled them out yet to see if they work together. I’m excited cuz along with sewing, I want to try a little embroidery and knit her a scarf!

 

@mydaffer Nono! Those fabrics and the lace look fantastic together. That lighter brown fabric with the flowers is lovely. But yeah I feel ya on rounds where it's all a process of discovery!

@lully.lullers Aww, the drawing is adorable! The flower detail on the pockets is so fun, too, with the flowers on the shirt.

 

Well, this round is my favorite and sewing dresses for sd dolls is my favorite as well, so I ended up working on my dolls outfit off and on (mostly on) from 7pm to 430am I cut out the bodice and lined it, I was determined to make it as perfect as I could and it’s probably my best sewn outfit I ever made. I also made a top to go over out of the Alice material but its not as flowing as I’d like (I’ll add a photo later but may alter it so thinking how to make it work if possible) The under part is a skirt and the lighter material looked so pretty on the opposite side, when I realized it I’d wished I’d used it for the bodice so I used it for a head band but may work on that more and add to it. Well, I guess I’ll try to finish this and start a new dress if I can find an sd that needs one!

PS should I add long fluffy sleeves? I could out of the top lace dress material, I have more of that.

@JaxxCapta thank you so much!

@lully.lullers I absolutely love your drawing and outfit ideas, so adorable, my weakness! ❤️

 

That's so cute @mydaffer ! I hope you were able to get some sleep though!

 

@mydaffer This is so pretty! You have done an awesome job! Maybe short puffy sleeves that come just above the elbows? The lace looks airy so shorter sleeves might work.

 

@mydaffer it looks lovely already!

I agree with what others have said, sleeves would look great and I think either of these would work:
-attaching sleeves to the bodice, with the same lace fabric on top
-or using the same white fabric as the bottom ruffle to make some loose sleeves, maybe that go a little further than the elbow. Might give the top more of a rustic layered effect

In other news…

My fabric arrived so hopefully I should be posting some pictures soon. I had to order a lamp for the section of my room that’s now set up for sewing, but it’s not here yet. Right now that part of the room is a bit too dark. I’m tempted to take all of this fabric and a few dollies to my mom’s office where the lighting is much better

 

I got materials! I had the lace, but even though I have tons of material, I had to buy special material for Emily's new outfit. I want to make some undergarments, bloomers and a camisole and petticoat. I also want to do a skirt with the lace trims, and a loose flowy shirt. Not quite certain how I want to do the shirt, but it has to be a bit modern. Emily is a modern girl with old fashioned taste, I want to show that in the clothing so that the style suits her.

Here my victim, -er model Emily with the fabrics and laces.

IMG_9330 by Rabbid Bunnies, on Flickr

 

The lighting situation wasn’t much better at the office, but better than at home for sure.

My goal is to make two mori outfits, one for each of my girls. I would like to knit one piece per outfit, but am unsure if I will have time for that.

First pic is Jane, my Luts KDF Bory. She desperately needs a new face-up as the pinks have faded quite a bit but digressing, I am going with a Dark Mori outfit for her. I am unsure if I will be using the gold and purple lace yet — that was one fabric I got without a project in mind yet, just loved it. It looks nice with the rest of what I got for her and included it in the pic in case I do use it. When I came up with her outfit, I had a lot of black, deep greys, and dark purple in mind and I don’t want the gold-ish fabric to take away from that colour palette too much. I am also unsure if I will be using the purple yarn to knit her something, I might opt for something grey instead.

The second pic is Adelheid, my Soulkid Katie.A. Her outfit’s colour palette will have mostly muted blues and softer greys. It’s kind of hard to see in the pic, but the cotton gauze below the lace is a pale grey-ish blue and the plaid beneath that is also more blue. I might add some ivory trim lace later, but I can get that whenever at a local store and want to see how the outfit comes together before I buy it.

I need to figure out a shoe situation for both of them too Making them is a little daunting for me (I’ve never made shoes before) but I might have to do that if I can’t find anything else that works. If I do, I might not have time for knitting. We’ll see how it all goes this month.

Not pictured is one of the Hanon books — not the Tiny Wardrobe book, I think it might translate to “Doll Sewing Book.” I don’t intend to copy any of the patterns directly, but I will be using this book as inspiration and somewhat of a guide. I probably should have made a mood board or drawn some pictures of my plans, but for these outfits I kind of wanted to wait until I had the fabrics in hand before totally planning them out. My ideas are still in somewhat of a rough stage.

 

@quilleth thank you so much! Yes, I got almost 2 1/2 hours of sleep! I sew from scratch so when I start a project it’s hard to stop.

@PoeticSoul thank you for the lovely comment and I am going to add sleeves!

@RabbidBunnies thank you and sleeves it is! The material is awesome, I know what you make is going suit your beautiful doll so well! I’m excited to see it! ❤️

@Leenah I love your dolls, I have a Luts Litchi and she will always be with me! I’m super excited to see the outfits you make, I know they will be amazing!

 

@mydaffer thank you! I had to have a look at your Litchi, I love a lot of the KDFs that are names after fruit and she’s one of the ones I’ve always liked better. You don’t see very many around though! Her pink braided wig is so cute I have a fruit KDF on the way (Lemon) and badly want to sew for her but I don’t know when she will be here (I’m hoping to do October’s prompt for her though lol)

 

I chose the fabrics for my project! I have a few green scraps of fabric that I think look pretty together.
I sewed these pants for her years ago. 2020 I think? They were apart of an outfit I don’t really have anymore, but I kept these. Makes this project round a little easier for me
This is how I plan to decorate the pockets. I’ll have to hand sew the pockets onto the pants since attempting by machine would be a major pain.

 

@lully.lullers those have to be the cutest pants I’ve ever seen! I love them and they look adorable on your doll. Those pockets will be a perfect addition to your already adorable doll pants. The colors are so lovely, great choice. ❤️

 

Finished Mori pants
The pants are completed! I added some embroidery floss at the bottom to be a pull tie for creating the bloomer-like cuff.

Drafting the lace shirt
And here’s a pic of me mapping out the lace t-shirt. It’s just a length of stretchy, lace ribbon with a hole cut in the middle lol Doesn’t have to be modest, cuz it will be an undershirt.

 

@lully.lullers Those pants are perfect!

 

@lully.lullers the additions to the pants turned out so adorable and I love the direction you’re going with the top. Very nice!

 

Oh my goodness all the cute so far! Such a delight.

I did end up getting started with a skirt made from the long strip of white fabric I had. I did also use up some white-on-white fabric scraps I had left over as well! I'd found a length of lace hanging out in my bag o' lace that was just about the right length for the white fabric, so I figured I'd throw it all together to use up odds and ends. I then used the linen scrap and my t-shirt sloper to make a tunic. It's loose around the top, but I think it'll look less exaggerated when it's not going over a skirt. Right now, I'm just happy the overlap between the tunic and skirt doesn't look wildly lumpy!

I think next, I'm going to try and make a vest and a pair of shorts with my green fabrics.

(link)

 

It’s not often I draft my own pattern, but it’s fun when I do! Hopefully this piece work out. So far it looks like it will fit her.

Mori outfit progress
Blocking out the tunic. I’m pushing myself to be experimental. While I do love adding lace to just about any outfit, I don’t normally pattern mix or work with so many layers at once! It’s fun and challenging! My vision for her is OTT and like she rolled around in scrap pile of fabric and trim haha

The recycling of old projects continues as well! The pleated portion was a rejected skirt from a different project. It’s pretty and neat, but the scale of the pleats was too big. But it’s perfect for Morhirwen! Right now I’m figuring out in which order to sew all these layers together.

And thank you everyone for all the nice words!!

 

Mori tunic
The tunic is finished! It was a bit of a challenge and it’s messy on the inside lol but it’s pretty on the right side! The floral fabric at the top is from an old dress of mine, and I forgot I had matching buttons! So when I noticed them in my stash I decided to use them. Her top is like a pinafore with embroidery floss straps. Now I’m working on her accessories to finish off the outfit

 

@lully.lullers its so cute! I love the little buttons on the shoulder straps

 

That is so adorable @lully.lullers - you are almost finished! I had a DC Charles on the girl body & she was such fun to sew for - I love that body shape it's so quirky

Meanwhile because I'm such an incorrigible flake at these things I am not allowing myself to buy the cute fabric & lace I found on amzon & am instead forcing myself to cut up bedding etc. and NO LACE unless I'm a very good girl and actually sew something LOL

Slow progress getting that fabric washed though as I don't have an automatic washer & am disabled so it's a major chore - I am getting there though and the advantage with Arwen Grune's 'Claudette' is she came with sewing patterns so that's one less thing to worry about!

I've got a cream bedsheet waiting to be washed, which will make an underskirt or dress, this pin-striped pillowcase for an overdress or tunic & some cream t-shirt fabric to make a scarf with - but my mori sewing may run into next month too at this rate LOL

mori sewing project by elve, on Flickr

 

@lully.lullers Awe that’s entire outfit is so adorable, I love the design and it was fun watching you post all the updates. I love the colors and how everything looks so fun and stylish, well done! I’m looking forward to see the post of the accessories.

@elve your project sounds great especially having patterns that are a fit for your sweet doll. I love being thrifty and repurposing materials, this is a fun thread, it’s to be enjoyable so no time limit on posting, I’ve seen other come back later the next month and post.

 

Thank you @mydaffer - no rush then I've just checked and apparently the next round for the sewing project is 'Designer's Choice' - so I will no doubt be choosing Mori Kei LOL

 

Thank you @PoeticSoul

 

This time I want to sew for my sdm, Mako. (be nice about the shoes plz, my 9 year old made them out of air dry clay for my birthday) I find sewing for 1/4 a bit more of a challenge than I do for my 1/3 girl, but regardless, I think it's time Mako got something sewn by me that isn't a shirt with a trash can on it. My daughter worries Mako is being neglected lol. So lets hope this type of style suits her.



The patterns I'm using are featured in Dolly Dolly 18. I'm making the tired sleeveless dress, and tiered overdress with puff sleeves. I have the patterns all cut out. I'd be farther along if I wasn't continuously going back and forth about which fabric to use. I really wanted the pieces to be more pink house inspired, but I don't have much fabric that would suit that look on hand. Of course, my dolly budget for the month has already been spent so I can't buy anything for my project. We can blame Volks. I was also thinking of maybe designing and printing some fabric myself if I have time.

 

@SunnyPinkSky I am with you on the harder to sew for msd rather sd. Perfect doll choice to sew for and the shoes your daughter made are adorable. Love the dress choices and I’m looking forward to seeing your progress photos. The idea of printing your own fabric design is awesome, I’d ofter thought of that but have so many things I need to complete before I ever take on new sewing adventures.

 

No pictures yet, I finally finished a tunic for Jane after a whole lot of trial and error. Still not happy with the final result, but maybe it won’t look so bad once it’s layered on top of something else like it’s meant to be. I have quite a ways to go before finishing either outfit so I’m not sure if there will be time to remake it again — ideally that’s what I’d do at least. And I probably will if there’s time.

Most of the past week I tried working on Adelheid’s outfit but got stuck on the dress which wasn’t working out. The fabric wasn’t draping right at such a small scale so I have to change the dress entirely.

@SunnyPinkSky She’s cute, mori would suit her very well!

 

Mori Morhirwen
All finished! I ended changing some of the accessories. I switched the handbag for a basket, the headscarf for a beret, and the flats for boots. They just fit the look better. I knitted the beret for a YO-SD with a big head so it fits her well too! The finishing was just knitting the scarf and making simple bracelets.

Mori Morhirwen
Here’s another look with her hair braided this time

I finished a lot sooner than I thought I would, I’m thinking of making another outfit with this round theme! Maybe a cottagecore dress for my Impldoll Susu?

 

That's beautiful @PoeticSoul - Amazing attention to detail!

Cuteness overload @lully.lullers - I would say that's the perfect outfit for her but having just seen all your photos on the doll profiles, she is just so photogenic whatever her style!

 

I’d hang with her too! Thank you!

Thank you! She has gone through a few transformations haha Though I’d say this is her most complete look yet! And the most “her”

 

@Leenah It’s challenging when things don’t work out they way you expected, I find that to be the way most my sewing projects go but it’s always a learning curve. You take the time needed to do what makes you happy, you can always come back and post or finish it on the next round.

@lully.lullers I love the accessories, that go so well to complete the outfit, I’d wear that myself if I seen it in the store on a display, it’s that cute! It really suits your doll so well

@PoeticSoul I’d say this is one of my favorite that you’ve made in this wardrobe. I think the wig just brings it together so well, I love it! Did you make them for a seasonal wardrobe? Love them all, I’m looking forward to your next sewing project!

 

@mydaffer Thank you for the words of encouragement. At least with the next attempt it shouldn't take as long. And it turns out the first tunic is kind of not working for other reasons, so now I feel more motivated to rework it. Without anything underneath, I can get it on her, but with something...nope. So it will be remade (and this time with snaps or something for the straps lol). I think I will focus on one doll's outfit for now rather than try to work on both at the same time.

@lully.lullers I would love to see another outfit for your other doll!

@PoeticSoul I love her hairbows! I know that's probably not where the focus should be, but I love little details like that and love how it brings the outfit together

 

Thank you for the encouragement. I 100% understand what you mean about trying to finish your current projects before taking on a new one. Hopefully I'm able to do that myself this time around. My daughter said thank you for complimenting her shoes. They may look a bit rough, but they are one of my favorite items because of how sweet her handmade gift was.

@lully.lullers Your outfit is amazing! I love all the thoughtful details that pull the look together, like using the shirt fabrics for the pants pockets, and your use of covered buttons. Even though it was technically made for Yo-SD, that beret looks like it was made for her. In fact, the entire outfit suits her really well; she's gorgeous.

@PoeticSoul The blouse and bloomers you've made are adorable, and the wig brings it together so nicely! I'm always inspired by how clean your sewing looks. All those beautifully made pintucks and frills must have taken quite some time.

 

So many cute outfits already! I'm a bit late, but I'm joining this round with Isora, my Dollzone Hanged Man. She's my angsty ghost (originally was meant to be angry, but is a bit too cute to me), so Dark Mori is fitting style for her. Here's my model and some the materials I thought might work-
Potential Materials

I've started sewing the top, and decided to use the pale grey in the front instead of the striped fabric. The cobweb print is also being eliminated from this project. I'm making a tunic style top from recycled jersey and a skirt.

 

@Leo Pheonix your doll is so cute, I’m looking forward to see what you make for her!

 

sorry, I give up on the outfit I started. I put all my effort in making it sewn as perfectly as I could and I’m really happy with that and it was the first bodice I figured out how to sew together properly. The darker bodice material is just not what I was hoping for! I did cut lovely sleeves and sewed one on by hand but I already have the bodice sewn together, and It just wasn’t working the way I envisioned.

The bodice is a bit big as I wanted it that way but the material plus backing makes it a bit stiffer and I don’t like that. I sewed a complete long vest with lining and it just didn’t fit and I even worked hard on trying to revamp it but that was a flop. Since there is still time. I’m going to just sew from scratch and stick with the theme and have fun with whatever I make and whomever it fits.

 

@Leo Pheonix the fabrics you’ve picked out look interesting! Can’t wait to see what you make

@mydaffer I really like it and don’t think the bodice looks too stiff. I think its structure helps make the skirt look more loose and flowy, something harder to achieve at doll scale. I think the contrast helps with that effect. The sleeves may not have worked out, but the sleeveless bodice makes for a more airy and summer mori look. A long crochet vest or shawl would look good with it — maybe something to keep in mind if you shelve this project for now.

 

@mydaffer it looks really cute even if it didn't come out as you hoped. I've mad progress on mine. Here's the shirt mostly done with the planned skirt layers-

Progress

I made the bottom layer a separate underskirt for future mix and match possibilities. It came out a little loose, but then my girl should have custom made bloomers rather than the ill-fitting purchased MSD panties she has. So once I make her those, it'll fit better. The underskirt still needs a back fastener, but after laying the overskirt fabric and wide lace like the progress photo, it looked like a big blank space in the middle. So 2 tiers it is. It's one of those projects that keeps evolving as I work on it.

 

I LOVE your outfit and luckily it doesn’t look too thick on camera at all. Your doll is adorable in her new dress.

 

Susu Cottagecore wip
Yes I’ve decided to double dip on this round! Here is my sketch for Susu. I’ll be using this ditsy floral fabric I’ve had in my stash for years. I’ve used it for every size bjd I have! It’s my fav

Susu Cottagecore wip
Putting together the skirt to part of the bodice. It looks so obscene lol so I covered her boobies with flower stickers lol Working on the gathered bust piece right now!