Wearables Sewing Project: Theater/Masquerade [ Round 139 ]

Once again I will try to find ime to squeee in an entry on this round but I'm not holding out much hope - purely based on my lack of participation in previous rounds this year.

Teddy

 

I'm definitely hopping in next round, but this month is a bit busy for me already on the sewing front. I'm definitely following along though, to see what wonderful creations others have!

 

One of my fave themes, however Oct is always a busy month so I will likely just lurk once again.

 

I will attempt this round.
Beatrice needs something to wear for halloween, so I will kill two birds by doing a jester outfit for her, that I kind of planned to do anyway.

This is her. She is a a Dollmore Narsha and quite a veteran of these projects by now.


So, because I will have other things to do with halloween coming up for us humans as well, I will challenge myself by trying to keep it simple.

The idea is this:
Some of you may remember Benny and his jester costume that I've worked on during a few rounds in the past. I've decided to make Beatrice something of an apprentice to him, in a sort of a non canon side story, just for fun.
Considering that she is a growing child and probably isn't able to fully earn her keep yet, it makes sense that she has something less elaborate then Benny's costume. Something that is probably a hand me down and possibly chosen to have some room to grow in.
So, a pair of baggy trousers. And a simple tunic, perhaps particolored and maybe with a dagged hem. And some sort of a hat, probably something less structured than what Benny's got.
If I got time, some accessories would be nice too, but I'm not counting on that.

For materials, I'll probably stick with plain cotton and minimum decorations. I do still have some of the tiny bells I used for Benny's hat, so maybe I'll try to incorporate them in some way.

Spoiler: Benny's jester costume, for reference.

 

I hope I can finally join this round. My health is not very good since many months. v_v But I really want to make something for this round !

Again, I will chose Torrie for this. I had an idea for last round "Monochrome" but couldn't make it. :/ I have some green fabrics with green and purple tulle. I wand to try something to go with their little sister, something "circus vibe".
My big project is to make circus outfits for all my Unoa. But well, let make this one first if I can. XD

 

Moonycat31

I hope you feel better soon! Sorry to hear your health is not well.

Happy healing hugs sent your way!

I hope too see the outfit you want to create and you’re able to make it, how exciting!

 

The jester outfit is so amazing! Love your sewing skills!

 

What delightful idea

Fingers crossed thst your health will allow you to join in.

Teddy

 

It's going to be a busy month so I'm not sure if I'll end up finishing something but I've been sketching out a hat with either ears or horns I'd like to make and it'd be a perfect round for this. It'll be for Nonoo because she has the biggest head with a lot of real estate to play around with and I can't use her magnetic horns on the other wig I like her to wear.

 

This month I'm hoping to make something for Scuti, my AoD Bo!

(This also reminds me that I need to get some new pics of him now that his faceup is done, whoops lol)

I'm planning to make something along the lines of his current outfit, but with a little more wizard-y flare! In addition to the shirt and pants, I want to make a decorative waist cincher and cloak.

 

So... I got started. And then I got stuck...

I made a pair of baggy pants yesterday. So far so good, no mysteries here.


And then I started to hunt for fabrics for the tunic and hit a brick wall.
I don't do a lot of color in my regular wardrobe and a lot of the fabrics I use for dolls are left overs from my own sewing projects, so the selection is slim.
I want two colors for the tunic and I did find a nice blue one that i think i will use. It's clearly blue, but slightly muted and has a hint of lavender in it that makes it look less flat. But for the other fabric, I'm stuck. I would love something is the yellow-orange-red range, but not too bright. The closest I have is a yellow a good color but that is too thick and a red that is the color of a freshly painted fire engine and would stand out a lot and probably even make Benny's outfit look dull in comparison.
Options:
1. Dig out some white cotton and dye it. = More work than I'd like, but at least I can do it with things I have at home.
2. Similarly, I could use the red fabric that is just a bit too intense and carefully bleach it. = Less work than dying, but a bigger risk for failure.
3. Try to find something in the local store. = The selection is rather slim and I'd rather use scraps as I need so little fabric.
4. Compromise with the color and pick something I don't quite feel and just hope it will be all right. = Least work out of the options, but I'm afraid the project will stall if I don't trust the fabric choice.

Right now I am leaning towards option 1.
It's still annoying, though. I was so confident I would be able to dig up something I could use from the scrap bin.

 

How about if I send you some from my of my mountian of fabric scrps, it shouldn't take long to get to Sweden from the UK...?

TeddyI could see what I have and take sme pictuires when I get home from work this evening.

Or, if your red fabric is a natural fibre, perhaps you could dull the vibrancy of the red by giving it a soak in a tea or a coffee solution....?

Teddy

 

Thanks for the offer, that's very kind of you, but shipping, even for small stuff has gotten so expensive. I appreciate the offer, though!

Hmmm... Overdying the red, rather than bleaching it is actually a great idea. I'll give that a try before anything else.
It's pure cotton, so that's not a problem.

Thank you!

 

Hope to actually finish an outfit this round! I'm sewing for Ginseng, my Creatures Dolls Absinthe. I'm planning a skirt of silk fall leaves and coordinating top. I have patterns that should fit her YoSD shoulders and MSD hips.
She Stands!

 

Evening update.
The dyeing failed completely. I tried both fabric dyes, with very limited results. I ironed it dry and tested it with a damp press cloth to check for bleeding and it looked fine, just almost identical to the starting color. So I rewashed the fabric and gave it a coffee bath and that did next to nothing either. I think it may just be possible that there is so much pigment locked in the fibers already that it would be very difficult to add anything more to it.

So, I went back to stash digging and I have found another possible candidate. This one is yellow and has a similar thickness and drape to the blue fabric, but a different weave so I can't be sure if they will behave well together. but I might just try it.

 

Poop! What a shame.

Fingers crossed for the two textures to work well together

It will be interesting to see how this works out. I don't envy you the job of dealing with clothing arounbd those fabulous arms of his.

Teddy

 

Option 5: Check secondhand shops for fabric remnants or clothing that's the right color?

 

Thank you. I'll see what I can come up with. I may fail at the "keep it simple" challenge I set for myself, though...

I can't wait to see what you'll make out of those fabrics, they are amazing. An for such a wonderful doll, as well. This is going to be good!

Thanks!

Not many around anymore, sadly and those there are only have one or a few days open a week, so they are not very accessible unless you plan for it ahead of time. Good thinking, though.

 

@Lillith Hope you will find your fabric !

 

@PoeticSoul Oh ! A matador ! It's my origins, my grand-parents were from Spain. ^^ I'm really curious to see the result. =)

 

@PoeticSoul
Is this theme with theater, the same as broadway? I’m not sure if I join this one what I need to make. I did find an orphan dress that I possibly can do from scratch but want to stick to the theme. Thank you

ps your choice this round is amazing! Can’t wait to see it complete and the material is remarkable.

@Lillith
I wish you the best with obtaining the material you desire to make the outfit, I’m eager to see the outcome as the one you made already is so professional!

 

Any interpretation YOU choose... so Operating theatres, and Movie theatres, and Lecture theatres would work, as well as stage theateres for plays, musicals, pantos, variety acts, standup comedians, ballet, or even Opera.

The musical "Annie" is full of orphans....

Teddy

 

Thank you for the idea! The dress I found was an Annie broadway play orphan dress, it seems like something I may be able to do since it’s not too complicated looking, and I like simple to sew since I sew from scratch. Now I just need to hunt through my scrap cabinet to see what I can find to match, I’m excited because originally looking for an inspiration everything looked to complicated and I didn’t think I’d be able to join.

 

This theme sounds really fun! I'm going to be sitting out and finishing last round's project, but I'll keep an eye out for everyone's projects, the ideas shown so far look really cool!

 

Well it's only been ages since I've actually done something lol, I finally got Crocus' pants done in July and now it's October and we're actually getting forward motion on the vest to complete his outfit.

Round 139 FINALLY the vest lmao by Jules B, on Flickr
My sweet victim, wondering why I made him partially disrobe when the thing I'm working on is outerwear

I've chosen a free pattern by Missy's Imaginings, the Slim male 70cm vest, as my base. I don't have a printer at the moment so I went fully old school: held his naked torso up to my computer screen and changed the view percentage of the pattern PDF until it looked right. Then I held up a piece of paper to the screen and gently traced it at that ratio

Spoiler: Pattern pieces!

Round 139 FINALLY the vest lmao by Jules B, on Flickr

I'm debating on what sort of lining I want, if any. I also haven't decided yet whether I'll be adding closures or keeping it more shruglike and just letting the sides overlap or hang loose, depending on how they drape. We shall see! Onward to clothing, haha!

 

I figured out the material and may need one more color not sure and I have my inspiration outfit but my interpretation may be slightly off. It’s an orphan dress from a broadway play of Annie. I don’t know what doll but hopefully I can add her to this post tomorrow when I figure out who gets to be the orphan doll. lol

UPDATE: Imda Natassa got the nomination for this round.

 

I've got the skirt mostly finished! Here's a couple of progress phots-

Underskirt

Waistband pinned

 

I finished up the first 2 pieces of Scuti's outfit, the shirt and pants!


I'm lowkey obsessed, and love how they both turned out! I'm waffling on whether to do the cloak or cincher next, but this weekend is pretty busy already so those will probably wait until next week either way.

 

It's looking dso good!!

I'm in love with that shirt, but I'd want it in full size for me to wear.

Teddy

 

@mydaffer the cotton lace edging is divine!!! I can't wait to see your dress!

@Leo Pheonix that skirt looks gorgeous! I love the layering with the metallics on top

@kaschan502 oh he's looking so handsome! those colors really bring out the gradient in his wig!

Last night's extra progress was tracing out and cutting my pattern pieces, and sewing the shoulder seams. I decided to look through my fabric drawer to see if I had anything on hand that I liked for a lining, not expecting much. But I found something that'll work fine! This light blue speckley floral was intended for dresses, but I have a lot of blues in those dolly wardrobes already. Plus, the little flower sprigs look... an awful lot like fish, haha! Cannot unsee, so I doubt I'd ever actually use it for visible pieces. Perfect for this! I'm hoping a lining will give it a bit more structure without adding a huge amount of bulk - the thin cotton is a little more crisp than the upcycled jersey knit, but we'll see how it handles being washed.

Spoiler: Unfortunate Fish Flower Lining, lol

Round 139, lining and brooch by Jules B, on Flickr

With the lining fabric needing a wash but still feeling some creative energy, I decided to try tackling something I rarely ever manage to do - accessories or detailing. I had a few small scrap pieces from cutting out the vest, and I thought it would be a nice bit of texture and whimsy if I made this floral-themed boy a little flower brooch to go with his very flowery outfit, lol. I played around pinching the pieces different ways to imitate petals or a nice ruffle. I'd planned on using more pieces but just one was plenty big enough! It kinda reminded me of a syngonium leaf. I used that and some long tendril pieces as a base, pulled out a bead from the button jar, and sewed that on. But It was still missing something, so I grabbed a bit of the lace I used a few rounds ago on a dress from this same fabric. I folded it into little petal-like ruffles and sewed it into place around the bead. Then to give it a little extra splash of color and dimension, I looped some of the working thread into little stamens for the middle like a real flower!

Round 139, lining and brooch by Jules B, on Flickr

I found the tiniest workable safety pin I had and sewed it to the back. I really like how it turned out! I think if I were to make another one I'd do the thread loops differently. I like how they look but they're very hard to see, so next time I think I'd use embroidery floss, or at the very least a more vibrant (or maybe contrasting) color.

The lining fabric is in the wash now, so once that's done it'll be another trace and cut before I start doing some fit testing! Gotta see about dart placement.

 

@mydaffer That looks like a fun project.

@Leo Pheonix That leaf skirt is going to be wonderful! Can't wait to see it all finished!

@kaschan502 That looks great! And so quickly too. That shirt is absolutely gorgeous!

@Mamo I think those fabrics will look great if you can get them to behave together. if I understand the images right the main fabric is a knit while the lining is woven? If so, it can be tricky to get it right, but not impossible. And I see what you mean about the fish, that is so funny.
Lovely idea about making some accessories.

I have made some progress.
I decided to go with a vest and shirt combo instead om a tunic, making the vest particolored and the shirt a later problem.
So this is what I've got so far in all it's wobbly, unfinished glory. Don't worry, it will be tamed before i let it out among people.

 

It's coming along nicely.

Teddy

 

@Lillith that outfit is looking good so far!

Here's the top in progress made from a Marley Wentworth bodice pattern. so for I've just sewn it to the lining.
Bark print top

 

This outfit is taking form fast and it’s awesome, l love your design and colors that you are using.

 

Excellent!

 

Got my pieces cut and matched up, shoulder seams connected!

Spoiler: Vest pieces ready!

Round 139 pieces by Jules B, on Flickr
They look a bit like two very surprised rabbits, haha

And after pinning along the neckline, I tested it out on him over his shirt (secondhand, probably Dollheart... been doing battle with them dang tiny buttons since 2006)!
Round 139 pieces by Jules B, on Flickr
I'm really really liking it, I'm looking forward to finishing it! But I uh.... am also coming to the part I'm most apprehensive about, the having to sew things that should turn right-side out part. I'm gonna leave this tutorial video here as a reminder to myself because yay visual learner!

 

Good luck!

If it were me I'd leave the side seams until last, put the two pieces right-sides together, sew the bottom edges, front edges and neckline, plus hte armholes, turn the two foints ythrough the shoulders, if there's enough space, then sew as much of the side seams as you can while still leaving a turning gap and sew the last part by hand (or sew one side seam by machine then sew the last one by hand).

Anyhow - best of luck!

Teddy

 

I wanted to do a project update because I’ve been working a lot today on it and I got so excited that what I was making started to look like it wasn’t a fail, because I sew from scratch and things don’t always turn out.

1st photo is first progress photo.
2nd photo was me trying on the under dress to see if it fit, I still need to complete the back of it because after putting it on her I made a wrap for her head and socks.
I’d also like to add a collar for her under dress. I dyed the apron with black dye as well as her under pants but they are not photoed yet because they were still drying.

 

I'm joining in a bit later this round because my Dollzone Jellyfish on the 70cm body, Aurelius, has just arrived and I don't have any dolls his size for him to pinch clothing from.
I'm planning for him to be an eldritch horror lighthouse keeper, so I'm hoping to finish at least a shirt and trousers for him.
What says Masquerade more than not having a face?

 

Well, there's no arguing with that!

Teddy

 

Thank you so much, I stayed up most the night and couldn’t sleep trying make the outfit. It’s not done but I’m so happy it fits lol

I’m going to work on it today in hopes of completion.

Thank you for the sweet comments and thank you for hosting these, they are so motivating and I’m happy to be able to join in.

 

It's coming along so well!

@mydaffer She looks so sweet, you've done a great job on this outfit.
Now I've got the Hard Knock Life song stuck in my head, but that's a relief, because for the majority of my jester projects (current one as well as Benny's stuff) I've had In The Trade Of Jesters stuck in my head instead. Witch is a nice song, but it does get old eventually.

That's the best thing I've read all day. Can't wait to see what you do with this doll.

Nothing much to report on my own stuff. I am working on a modest amount of embroidery, but that's all.

 

@Lillith thank you very much for the sweet comment, I got finished with it today and wanted to add a collar but I’m happy with it. I’ll post photo of every thing finished, I need to clean my sewing space now because it looks like a tornado hit it lol.

last months theme I did in 3 hours before the clock struck midnight, this one I spent the entire night on it because I was having so much fun

I get to sit back and watch all the awesome projects people are working on now, yay!

 

I guess I’m done, although I wanted to add a collar I’m passing, I went hard core to get this all complete. Here is a picture of my sewing area, looks like a tornado went through lol.
A picture of the completed outfit, one is front and one is back. Also, for the closures on the back of the red dress I used velcro dots and they make closures so much easier, and they stick perfectly.(velcro dots on second picture on dress for your reference if interested in them

Last photo is Imda Natassa the always and forever, orphan doll.

Update: my photos keep turning into an x even though I edit the link and the photos show up in the edit, when I save edits they disappear. So I uploaded on postimage the last one with the complete outfit only.

 

Everybody's looking great with their progress, and their finished works too omg! I've held off on any more progress in case I end up needing a no-tech activity that's already started in case we lose power from Hurricane Milton. (The worst of it should miss us, but we're finalizing preparations tomorrow anyway.)

 

Cuteness - the outfit came out well.

Fingers crossed!!!

Teddy

 

The vest is done!


I did a row of chain stitches around the entire edge, doing double duty as decoration and top-stitching, forcing the lining into submission and encouraging the entire thing to hang flat.
I added bells to the pointy bits and some hooks and eyes to keep it closed.
I also made and added the two massive pom poms. I may still trim the down a little, but I'll wait until I have the rest done, so I can get a better idea of the over all proportions of the outfit.

Left to do is the hat and the shirt. I don't have a solid plan for either yet, so we'll see what happens. At least the hat doesn't have to drape well, so I can get away with a much larger range of fabrics. That should give some more options.

I'm having a lot of fun with this project.

 

Fun!

Teddy

 

Are there directions on how to reply/quote multi posts.

 

I was going to sit this one out (I started a wood carving course that is a lot of fun, but takes a lot of time and creative energy). But then I came across a pattern for flounces and got possessed by an idea to use it in a cloak/cape. The next thing I knew I had a pile of fabric and a half-drafted pattern
So, I'm in, and Amadis (Thel by Bardo Research) is getting a very fancy cape. It is not at all her style, so it absolutely counts as a masquerade costume. Something night-themed: the cape will be black silk velvet with purple lining.
I have some vague idea what can go under the cape, but first I want to sew it and go from there.

 

There is some in the FAQ. If there is anything specific that is not covered there, just let us know what the problem is and I'm sure we can help you figure it out.

Welcome aboard!

 

Today was one of those sewing days where I planned to do way more than I managed to execute (thanks to an incoming storm making my joints sore ), but I at least managed to make a little something for Scuti. I decided to go with a decorative belt rather than a cincher, but I'm really happy with it!


I could not be bothered to haul out the camera and fiddle with the big boy long enough to stand him up, so I snapped a quick cell phone pic on my sewing table.

 

Wow this looks so nice, love the material and colors!

 

@Lillith thank you so much! I still have issues, I can’t follow directions so I’ll probably just keep flooding the thread as I’ve been, one of the reason that I sew from scratch and can’t follow directions on a pattern for the life of me lol. I’ll keep trying to figure it out though thank you again and thank you for your kind comments on my sewing! I always love seeing yours and others progress photos, this is my favorite thread on DoA.

 

Maybe just experiment with the different options and keep using the preview to see if you get it right? That may be more useful to you than directions, as you get instant feedback on what works.
But just in case someone saying it in a different way that the FAQ does might help, this is how I use the reply and quote functions.
I put it under a spoiler, because it's technically off topic for the thread.

Spoiler: inserting quotes

For replying to an entire post, as I am replying to your message right now, I use the "Reply" button located at the lower right corner of the post I am replying to.
This inserts the entire post, with quote tags pre-generated in the right places at the top of the reply box, and I can simply start typing my reply after that.
Another way to do it is to highlight the text i want to reply to. When the text is highlighted, a small box pops up right below the highlight saying +quote/reply. If I click "reply" this basically does the same thing as clicking the reply button on the post itself, but this way I can reply to only a part of the post.

So, right now I am writing a reply to your post, but suppose I want to reply to more people withing this same post.
This is easiest done by inserting a quote.
If I click the "+Quote" button on the post I want to quote, it copies the entire post. A button saying "insert quote" will pop up below the reply box. Making sure I got the marker where I want the quote in the post, I'll click that button and the entire post get pasted into my reply with the proper tags in the right places.
If I want to quote just a part of a post I highlight the part I want to quote, the little "+quote/reply" pox pops up and I chose "quote" to copy the quote. I make sure I am in the right place in my post and click the "insert quote" button to paste the quote into my post, complete with tags.
And I can proceed to write my reply below it.

There is also a multi quote function, that can be useful if several people have said more or less the same thing and you want to quote them all in one go, without writing any individual comments. Notice the + sign before the quote? If you grab a quote and then grab another before pasting it into your post, all the quotes will be inserted all at once when you finally insert them.

Take it for what it's worth, if it helps, it helps. Otherwise, no harm done.

Hehe, You know, I originally taught myself to make patterns, because I found commercially available patterns to be inaccurate, confusing and unclear. Doing it myself from scratch was less work than trying to figure out how someone else meant for a pattern to work. And I doubt we are the only ones.
And, of course, not everything needs a pattern. Patterns are mostly there if you want to repeat the exact same thing over and over and not have to reinvent the wheel. For example, everything I've made for Beatrice so far this month has been measured out right on the fabric. If it work, it works, right?