Wearables Sewing Project: Unfinished Business [ Round 95 ]

These are love

I just love your using patterns!!! I have a lovely stack for inspiration!
Do a lot of Angels use patterns as their base???
Kel

 

Matilda's dress is stunning! I love her whole look!

Really nicely done! Congratulations on finishing it.

I love your gingham project, and the results are gorgeous so far!

What a lovely start! That will be beautiful dress for Amanda.

Thanks! These vintage patterns can be a great source of inspiration. But, I find it rarely turns out much like the picture, and I still have to draft a pattern to fit the actual doll.

 

It may be patience for you, but it's generally described as being stubborn when I do it.

It's looking good!

Teddy

 

I will take the oppurtunity to finish (or at least continue) an old stalled project.

This is Lilja, she is a Lati Shaina and she was my first BJD and still my favourite. I'm making her a fantasy/fairytale ball gown for no other reason than it's a fun project and the five year old me thinks that a proper princess dress is something that really should be a part of any well balanced warderobe.


This is what I've got so far. I'm sure I had some sort of a sketch or plan for the whole thing at one point, but this project was started several years and one move ago and what I have now is what is in the picture. That is literally all the scraps of matching material that I have left.
It doesn't look too bad in the picture, but the waisband needs redoing. I thought I could pull it off, but there is just too much bulk in there. The fabric is gathered as far as it goes and it's still too big for the tiny waist of the doll. Considering that it also needs to play nice with the bodice, it's just not working as it is. So I'm thinking cartrige pleats instead.


Once that is done I need to figure out a bodice. The piece at the top right is an embroidery sample I made when I figured out the design for the skirt embroidery and I think I can use it as a front panel for the bodice to help tying it all together, other than that I have no real plan yet.
Then there is underwear. I have a few hoop skirts and petticoats that I can use for fitting, but eventually she needs her own, as I want to be able to dress all my girls up at the same time. So if there is time I will work on that.
And finally there is embelishments. I doubt I can get that done to my satifaction in the time left of this month, but since that's the "fun part" of a project like this, I'm not too worried about it. If I don't get it done now, I will probably still finish it eventually.

 

Absofragginglutely!

That would have been my suggestion, plus they'll help the skirt poof out prettily from the waist - win, win situation.

There are NEVER enough petticoats to go around - my SD girls are constantly informing me of this lack, and Nettle keeps trying to claim them all:


Best of luck with the dress and undies

Teddy

 

You don't like to use a ruffler/pleater foot on your machine? I have learned to love that contraption once I figured out how to adjust it to get the pleats or ruffles I wanted. Having to ruffle 9 yards of fabric for a layered poofy dress for my Unoa was motivation enough to figure out how to work with that foot.

 

I have both a ruffler and a gathering foot for my machines, but setting them up and remembering how to use them each time is more faff & bother than sitting in front of the TV with a mass of pins, then running it through the machine with the regular foot on.

Besides, they don't easily allow for a specific finished length of ruffle, they work better when you have a length of potential ruffle which is gathered or pleated as you go, until you reach the end of the area to have ruffle attached, then cut off the excess length of ruffle you haven't used. I prefer the neater result of a finished loop of ruffle (so a specific length, gathered or pleated to fit the skirt so there is no excess to cut off (and, likewise, no getting to the end of the ruffle length and finding it's too short to reach the end of the piece it's being sewn too).

Teddy

 

I am a big fan of the ruffler/pleater foot too! I run thin ribbon, strips of mesh, etc through it too.

 

I usually run a test ruffling with the setting I think will look good, measure 5-6" of it ,I then unpick it measure it and do the math. I agree that for a small amount of ruffles or pleats it's overkill but for something like this dress I would have gone bonkers gathering the silk chiffon. Once it's gathered it's real easy to sew as the gathers don't move at all.

Cinderella in the Garden by DominiqueBB, on Flickr

 

And there's my main objection. I don't do maths and try to avoid contaminating things I enjoy, like sewing, by bringing maths into it. My best costuming student is an engineer and it breaks my heart every time he uses maths in his sewing.

Teddy

 

I finished up one outfit in my usual drape and pin method that ends up asymmetrical but nice to my eye... this one leaves the lady looking a bit pregnant, which might be a good idea for this doll, she is new here. I started this outfit for Doll Chateau Lillian centaur who is no longer with me, but this Margarita body is quite similar in size...
finish what’s unfinished by mare joy smith, on Flickr
finish what’s unfinished by mare joy smith, on Flickr
finish what’s unfinished by mare joy smith, on Flickr

I picked out a few more pieces (in tiny size) to attempt next. there is one orange polka dot bit that may work fine with another new doll who is being painted yellow orange from head to toe...

so much inspiration here, I am not much for words, but push that heart like button a lot.

 

@Teddy

I am admittedly an engineer by training. Sometimes I break my own heart by bringing math into sewing.
I'm laughing over here as quietly as I can behind my desk right now, trying to not make a commotion while my husband is on a meeting because this made me giggle so much.

I have a lot of respect for the 'no-' or 'least' cross-contamination "rules"

Also edit: @DominiqueB HOLY, omg, that dress is to die for. I neeeeeeeed one.

 

Hobbies have to be fun that's for sure, but in my case as a patternmaker working on a CAD system, precise numbers are a daily thing so it rubs off.

 

Well done. I wouldn't have thought she looked pregnant though.

{sends a whole package of sympathy}

Isn't it just. The ruffles are nice an' all, but it's the addition of the colours that have me drooling over it...

I'd feel sorry for you but you seem to enjoy it so... Each to their own.

Teddy

 

dailymare, what a sweet print on that fabric! I'm glad it finally got finished for a doll.
Thanks for the chuckles everyone. And I admit to dabbling in maths when I'm sewing but often with unintended results. ;}
It is fascinating to see all the various ways folks figure out the problem solving of getting garments made for their dolls.

 

I measures up Flora yesterday following a post on Pinterst. It was very thorough. I plan to use those to adjust the pattern pieces to her fit.
But I do admire your skill and look forward to learning a lot.
Kel

 

As someone who does both a bit of historical sewing and dabble in lolita fashion, both for myself and my dolls, that is almost painfully true. And no matter how many I have, there will always be that one skirt or dress that never get any wear because I just don't have the right petticoat.

@dailymare What a fun fabric! I think it turned out lovely.

SO, on the topic of gathers and numbers: I did it!
I just managed to attach a 120cm wide skirt to a 14cm waist band!

 

Ain't that the truth.

Although for dolls I have had some mileage in adapting something else (one of my dolls is quite used to having a small ball of yarn pinned into the back of an plain petticoat to make up for the lack of poufy/bustle at the back, for example).

No more progress from me on the gingham dresses yet. I just don't seem to get around to it during the week - once I finish Working From Home, I just want to curl up with a book, or flake in front of the TV for a while. Then, before I know it, bedtime is approaching so it's not worth getting out the dresses to make a start.

Teddy

 

I went three days without being online at all and so much happened on this thread! I feel totally out of the loop Thanks to everyone who had nice things to say about Matilda and her 50s dress I see a bunch of new projects added, too!

I've been working on the dress for my Elfdoll Rita, but it turns out to be more than just adding a skirt to the bodice I'd already finished. I started the dress and made the bodice like 5 or 6 years ago, and I've improved enough at sewing for bjd over that time that I was just not okay with the fit anymore. So...I picked the whole thing apart and I'm re-fitting it. And thus my dreams of finishing multiple unfinished project this month evaporated...I'll be lucky to finish this thing. Oh well!

Here's Delphine, my Elfdoll Rita, displaying the main fabric I'm using for the dress. It's a weird, superfine chiffon with a crinkle texture, which makes it extra difficult to sew. To her left is a pile including some of the pieces of taken-apart dress and the black fabric I'm using for the trim. This is definitely an attempt to salvage a project that was abandoned for way too long.

 

Sounds like the stuff my mother used to have headscarves in during the 60's and 70's. Sounds like a nice weight for dolls clothes but I don't k now that I'd want to fight the fabric to sew with it. Good Luck!

Teddy

 

Such pretty fabric, and I love your embroidery! She'll look like a real fairy princess.

Wow!... Teddy. So many petticoats. My girls have serious envy!

What a totally gorgeous dress!

I totally love your fabric! It's lovely on her, and fits really well.

Thanks for the compliment! I don't feel I'm that skilled, just lucky if it turns out right. I look forward to seeing what you'll make for your girl.

What a beautiful plaid! it will be stunning with the black trim. Good luck with it!

As for me, I'm still struggling with the tiny box pleats for Holly's skirt. Hopefully, they will come out right this time. I steam pressed them in today, so they should be set by tomorrow.

 

The are shared between ten Victorian SD sized girls so it looks like a lot, but not close to enough to go around.

Teddy

 

I love to see the progress pics here so here is mine. I used some vintage rick rack for the trim. Hours of messing around, I am enjoying it!
Teddy your dresses are so gorgeous! You inspired me to make a pettycoat for this dress. My first! I have a long way to go to catch up to you. The undergarments are fun to sew.
WIP Amanda Victorian day dress by Linda, on Flickr

 

The darker brown of the trim adds a nice bit of definition to the outfit.

I have to admit that I don't make very many myself - most of the ones my girls have are bought (some of them were sold as skirts but happen to be made of white cotton so work as petticoats).

I think a part of me resents spending time making undergarments which, by their nature, aren't on-show when worn, so I'd rather make yet-another dress than work on the petticoats that my girls are more in need of having.

Teddy

 

This is a special thread. I love it. It's nice to feel like there's somewhere to check in and see people so active!! Hello again!!
And by the way, I really really love that fabric pattern you've chosen. I like to say that plaid is my favorite color, and the scale of what you have + the colors are super engaging. Makes me want to pull out some of my human scaled plaids and whip up a dress for myself ...

 

This IS a great thread! And I love the plaid too!

 

finish what’s unfinished by mare joy smith, on Flickr

polka dots... and a patch of wig to fit up around those ears... this was a shirt start, but the sleeves fit this one's legs so they are becoming pants. its so nice that its all pretty much tubes of different sizes... the left over may make a math-less ruffle at the neck.

finish what’s unfinished by mare joy smith, on Flickr

and this one I thought was overalls for a tiny, but DC Jason's skinny legs chose them. He needs much work so I will probably set to that once these pants are done. the dark picture makes me want to darken him up a great deal...

finish what’s unfinished by mare joy smith, on Flickr

 

Looks like you're all set with projects for this round then. Those polka dots will look just as cute as trousers as they would have been in a shirt.

Teddy

 

I'm working on a good design for the bodice now, but no pictures of that yet. Here is a picture on the waistband, though. It's a little bit loose and the hoop skirt worn under has the wrong shape, but the gathers are there. Ignore the marking threads.


@thedarkeststar13 Love the colours of that fabric. Even if it is hard to work with, I think it will turn out great.

@tinyseams The dark trim looks great! It ties things together very nicely.

 

These cartridge pleats are so satisfying to look at I love the color, my philosophy is that you can never go wrong with green. Can't wait to see how the bodice comes together, I'm sure it will be lovely!

 

The cartridge pleats look beautifully neat, and a bit of the waist band looseness would be taken up by a chemise worn u derneath and where you set the petticoat waistband, wouldn't they?

Teddy

 

@Lillith The cartridge pleats looks so beautiful and I love the color. That must have taken a long time, you did a great work.

 

@Lillith I just *have* to jump on the bandwagon of complimenting those pleats ... I gasped! I've honestly not seen something like that before. Super super cool.

 

Adorable - that multi-coloured one is SO sweet.

Teddy

 

@PoeticSoul A completed wardrobe! What an accomplishment!! The decorations on the waistbands (I know I know the name for those - but evidently not at 7am) are so cute too! Are they beads or stickers? They look well attached.

 

Thanks! I love green too. I was unsure if this fabric would work, since it's just a plain cotton, but it turned out ok.

Yes, I don't think it will be a problem. If nothing else, the bodice will cover the waistband.

It's all a matter of how you look at it. Procrastination: More than three years. Actual time to do: Less than three hours.

Thank you. It took a bit of force, but it worked!

@PoeticSoul That turned out super pretty!

 

I love the look of the cartridge pleats, so pretty. I am lucky enough to have a smocking machine although I haven't used it for years, my girls are in their 40's now. Would it work for putting in the gathering threads do you think?

 

You'd have to experiment with how far apart or close together you set the needles to adjust the size of the gathers but, yes, it would work. I've done cartridge pleats for dolls using my smocking pleater (in fact I've used it more for regular gathering than I have for smocking pleats - the first big job after I got it was gathering a mass of ultra-fine silk into the neckline of a chemise for a friend's Renaissance-style wedding dress).

And it's worth noting that you can get a softer effect to the cartridge pleats if you take the gathering threads out after sewing the pleats to the waistband. Usually they're left in to maintain that beautiful uniformity at the top of each pleat, but sometimes less "pouf" is required in the garment silhouette, and the threads are removed.

Teddy

 

@Teddy , so many dresses! And so many pins! Working on several similar garments at once must be an interesting experience, I may try it later, with several layers of an asian-style outfit. Your productivity is inspiring, and the results so far look lovely.
As for the pinning / gathering pleats on thread, I'm firmly in the pinning camp if I want predictable results, even when sewing by hand. I did some gathering-on-thread pleats that turned out fine, but pinning seems far more dependable.
@PoeticSoul The yukatas are so cute! Congratulations on finishing the wardrobe!
@phoenyxashe The skirt looks nice, and I look forward to seeing the complete outfit, with boots and all the accessories.
@maxxxamillion Great project! Your girl certainly has the right vibe to her for Vanellope, and the outfit so far looks good (the shirt too, though I completely understand wanting to practice and to improve until it is just right). The wig looks like it will be perfect once you resize it.
@Gamine It will be interesting to see your boys in historical clothes, I hope your project goes well.
@thedarkeststar13 Beautiful dress! It suits your Matilda really well, I love the octopus pattern, and the bodice design looks neat and interesting. Hope your new refitting project goes fine, good luck with the chiffon! (really, good luck, I've been working with fine silk for my project, and got a good reminder how frustrating light and fraying materials can be; but they're usually worth it, and that pattern looks really good)
@Aeilia Cute outfits for cute girls! I hope your project goes well and you can show off the results!
@JennyM Nice skirt! I personally find neat closures important, and that one looks very good.
@tinyseams Oh, nice! Lovely trims! Did you use padding to make the skirt fall like that, or does the pattern make it look full in the back on its own?
@Lillith The green colors combination and the embroidery are gorgeous! I love how you redid the skirt, and hope to see more of this project.
@dailymare The outfit with bunnies makes me want to try the drape-and-pin methode, it looks original and interesting. Looking forward to your other projects. Sleeves to pants for the win!

Last week was very busy, I only managed to get to sewing yesterday, and today returned to the forum to report on my progress and was delighted to find so much activity in this thread. Everyone's projects are a great inspiration to keep going, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out.
As to Ayleen's blouse, I remade the seam across the chest and changed the folding there. Also did some work on the collar and back; past me made one half of the back a bit wider than the other, once I realised this and stopped trying to make the middle align with where Ayleen's spine should be, the blouse settled. This changed how I was going to make the closure, but at least I am no longer worried that I'd need to scrap the whole thing. I'm still not happy with the fit at the shoulders, but hopefully ironing the finished blouse will help, and besides I'm already thinking of making a long vest to go on top of it.
@cthulhu & @Teddy , thank you for your comments and recommendations. I decided to do sleeves after all. The material is not quiet wide enough for the puff + narrow sleeve below the elbow (I don't have enough for the long puffy part), so I will try making the narrow part even longer, a little over the elbow, so it doesn't catch in the joint, with puff on top and decoration like on the collar at the bottom. I've already sewn in the tops of the sleeves (this is usually the hardest part for me), and will construct as I go.
Blue blouse - progress 1 by helgie, on Flickr

 

Good luck getting them done - looks like it's coming together nicely now.

Teddy

 

proud bubbles by mare joy smith, on Flickr

this was happy making! The other project - the pants are done but Wolf(DCJason) is in pieces being painted and may be done in this month... thinking of some tattoos that resemble the pattern on the pants.

 

Yay! Well done!

Teddy

 

@dailymare So cute!! I love the cut of the pants' waist!

 

Project Victorian Gingham has had a little progress today.

The beige gingham dress for Meri (MerryDollRound Merry head/modded CP Luts Delf body) now has the second hem ruffle sewn in place all the way around (and the many may pins removed):



And, the yoke lining mostly ladder-stitched around the edges (The remaining pinned shoulder in the picture has now been sewn).

I have since machined one edge of the bias-cut neck binding around the neck, and pinned the the other edge in place, ready to be ladder-stitched. Once that's done this dress just needs fastenings on the back of the yoke, and the cuffs, and a belt for the waist.

Since I'm notoriously bad at making decisions, I have put off deciding whether the belt will be cut on the straight, or on the bias of the gingham, and whether it will have narrow piped edges, or not. I'll probably decide as I'm about to cut it.. that's usually what I do.

I also got a bit more of the purple gingham dress done for Nettle (Kaye Wiggs Nettle head/Volks SD10 Swarrico body). The second sleeve sewn in, part of the yoke sewn in place - so might have more progress to report on that one tomorrow too.

I still need to decide whether she gets one hem ruffle or two (she'd like two) or one hem ruffle and a yoke ruffle (she'd like two hem ruffles AND a yoke ruffle), and of course how wide and long to make her bias cut sash (Nettle, naturally, would like it as wide, and long, as possible with the biggest bow, because Nettle is the quintessential Girly Girl, as well as being the Entitled Little Princess among my SD sized girls).

EDITED TO ADD: {sigh} Those pictures that are refusing to display are actually there - hit reply and you'll see them.

Teddy

 

{GRIN!}

Teddy

 

@Teddy those ruffles make me smile. just so nice

 

Thanks!

More progress today.

The neck binding on the beige dress is done, so the dress itself just needs fastenings on the back yoke and cuffs to be a finished garment. The belt is cut, has piping either side of it and the lining sewn in along one edge... the other edge got machined, then unpicked when the whole thing refused to turn through, so will need hand sewing, the ends finishing and fastenings added.

Nettle's purple dress has the yoke lining sewn in place, but has got no further than that. (I did pull out the remaining fabric with a view to cutting the bias strips for ruffles and sash, but my mind balked at working out how much of each width of strip I'd need to cut.

Also, a chair upturned itself under me while I was trying to reach something down from a high shelf in my sewing room, and I cut my leg on the chair-leg as we both headed for the floor, after which I didn't feel inclined to sew for much longer, and it was almost time to cook supper anyway. I'll share a photo of Meri in the (currently beltless) beige dress as soon as I can be bothered to take one (she really needs more petticoats under it... I wonder if I can find some for the photo...)

Teddy

 

Teddy, find some? Or do you mean pry them away from Nettle? ;} Perhaps if you distract her with ruffles???
Yikes! I'm glad you were broken in that fall. Sorry about cutting your leg. :/
I can see your photos fine by simply tapping the X's. Not ideal but doable. When I hit reply to see photos, I haven't figured out how to delete said reply...and it haunts me on the thread afterwards. I must be missing a cancel reply command somewhere.

 

If you find it, let me know because I have the same happen.

Unfortunately, Meri is the one doll who can't lay claim to Nettle's hoard of petticoats - She's way too skinny to fit into other SD girls stuff - she's MSD slim, but SD tall. so their petticoats would be too loose in the waist.

No serious damage from the fall - I'm used to it and I heal fast (I'm "accident prone," or so my family claim) and, as my usually sympathetic husband pointed out, there was a folding stepladder les than three feet from me when I chose to balance on the chair to reach the high shelf.

Teddy

 

@Teddy @cthulhu If I do it I just backspace over the reply until nothing is left. If you leave a reply up long enough a DoA program makes a draft of it, which is what haunts you. If you delete it all and wait a few moments when you come back the haunting draft will have disappeared.

 

@SteamWitch - thanks for the tip!

Teddy

 

Well, I didn't find any other petticoats so here are pictures without.

The unfinished beige dress pinned closed without the belt:


And with the belt (also unfinished and pinned in place:


Teddy

 

Oh @Teddy I like it both ways with and without the belt, and those sleeves are amazing.

 

@Teddy I haven't seen a sleeve design like that before! It's absolutely *lovely* !!!