Wearables Sewing Project: Working With Scraps [ Round 125 ]

I'll join this one!

This is Matilda. She is an Iplehouse JID Tania.


My goal is to make her some kind of warm winter jacket.

 

Ivy and I are hoping to join this round. It’s been too long since I’ve done one of these. I’ve been using a pattern by Lomi’s Playground (on YouTube) to make medieval fantasy dresses out of my scrap stash. I’ve also been playing around with some spare jewelry parts to make belts.
My goal is for her to get another dress in the same pattern, but in a blue ribbed fabric this time. We won’t win any points for historical accuracy but it’ll be fun.

 

Well the previous round passed without my managing to get a start, and , no doubt this one will too even though I have more scraps than I know what to do with (other than patchworking, obviously) and really should join in to use them up, So I'll cheer everyone on from the sidelines, as usual, and undertake to join in if I get time.

Teddy

 

I'm excited to see what everyone creates! I'll be sitting out for the time being.

 

I will try to join this round ! I cut a dress for an off-topic 1/6 vinyl doll. =) The fabric is originally a skirt lol. So I think it will fit very well for this round ! Pattern is from Lomi's Playground. ^^



Don't know if it will work but, I will try to make something. =)

 

I'm doing a lot of furious crochet this round to try and make some income at a craft fair halfway through the month. I'm sure I'll be completely hooked out by the time we get to the third week of August, so my plan is to use a scrap or two of some very light blue linen I've made dresses and skirts with in the past to make an A-line petticoat for this outfit! This is Starshine, my Obitsu Gretel on the 60cm body. She's a very recent bargain acquisition, and I couldn't be happier with her!! I should probably get her a pair of undies to go with them sometime so she's a little more modest; if I can find some fabric bits in the stash I may make that my secondary goal for the month!
Round 125 Scraps: Starshine's petticoat! by Jules B, on Flickr

 

I sort of jumped ahead of the round schedule and finished my main dress.

I did mess with the original pattern a bit. I added the piece at the neckline and the fur lining of the sleeves. The thickness of the fur takes away the drape that the original pattern has, but I’ve got several drapey gowns already so it doesn’t matter to me. If I was to redo it, I would line only the edge of the sleeve.

Next up is a belt of some kind. I want to use some black glass beads that I have.

 

@Azure Agape the schedule is just to help us not fall behind, there's no obligation to keep to it! I blew past it last round myself, lol. The dress looks fantastic!

 

It's an interesting patter with those dots on dots.

Nice.

I like the opulence it gives to the sleeves, having them fully lined.

Teddy

 

@Mamo Thank you! And good to know lol. I guess this means I might have time for a second project
@Teddy That's what I'm trying for. Ivy's modeling for her in-progress sister, who is the most cliché rainbow unicorn princess I can come up with. My goal is to work through my scrap fabric in the most over the top way possible.
@PoeticSoul Thank you! I can't wait to see what you do for your outfit. The concept sounds really cute. I love that you're using old quilt pieces. Can I ask how well they hold up for sewing? Like are they still sturdy or do they try to fall apart when you cut or sew them?

 

So cute!

Teddy

 

@Azure Agape Great progress and so early in the month too. There is something about the combination of the ribbed knit, the almost slouchy turtle neck collar and the fluffy fur that makes me think of modern cozy house wear, but with a both whimsical and elegant flair. It looks incredibly comfortable.

@PoeticSoul A very interesting combination of fabrics, as usual. This will be a fun outfit!

 

OK so I'm still working on the coat/robe thing from two rounds ago (I guess the unfinished business was really an appropriate week to join in there, although this mockup is made out of an old duvet cover so I'm definitely working with scraps). This is mockup number 4 and several things have changed. As much as I loved the raglan sleeves I couldn't get them to work properly without awkward bunching. There are more panels which help shape it better because I want to accentuate the triangle-ness of Jarrad/Jude. I've ended up going with gores rather than trying to add the gore into the panels because that was leading to some weird draping issues I couldn't resolve. I haven't quite decided whether I'm going to go floor length or knee length, once I've finished fiddling with the mockup, lined it with a previous mockup and made a test tunic so I can check that the lined robe fits over both then I'll see how much fabric I have and decide from there. No point in getting my heart set on a full length robe only to find out that I don't have enough fabric.

I have at least decided that I'm going to line it with the cream silk so that I can use the patterned blue fabric as a tunic/doublet thing which will be visible if the robe is open and with the sleeves.

And now behold, seven million pins. (my fingers are sobbing).

 

Oh, I can see it working well as waist-length too, sleeveless as an Elizabethanish jerkin.

Teddy

 

@PoeticSoul That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation! And agreed- I love the worn look.
@Crissaegrim Looking good! It looks like you've got a pretty good fit, especially on the torso.

 

Well, I survived crunch time for the event yesterday! I'm gonna give my arms a break for a day or two, then try to make that petticoat happen! I'll be back with pics of the fabric and possibly progress shots soon.

 

I suppose I've reached the stage where I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not working on some sort of project, lmao, so I went ahead and gathered everything I'll need. Scrap elastic reclaimed from the pillowcase cloth bag from back in Round 119, weird scrap linen with cutouts and shapes missing but still plenty of workable left, especially for an underlayer.
I discovered Starshine actually is already wearing underwear, I forgot about them! So instead I'll just be focusing on the petticoat and maybe seeing what else I can come up with in any time left over.

Round 125 Scrap Petticoat! by Jules B, on Flickr

 

Good luck!

Teddy

 

I finished the little dress for my witch ! I wanted to add some lacework but didn't have what I wanted here (I'm not at home). It looks good like this. Even if I had to midify some parts of the pattern because my girl is a little bit skinny.




Unfortunately I can't post pictures on my girl because she is off-topic on DOA. :/

 

Yay! Well done!

Teddy

 

@Moonycat31 That's really cute! Nice work!

 

Guys, I think I'm stuck.

I've found fabric that works, even ironed it. I've dug out a separating zipper that won't be too badly out of scale. I've pulled out the envelope with all Matildas patterns. I've even got a piece of paper and pens ready for the design... And nothing.
It just sits there and has done so for two weeks now. I don't think this jacket is going to happen.
I don't know why.
I know I could make it. I've made similar things before. I've had vague plans for a jacket for this doll for years. I thought this months theme would be just the thing to give me that little extra bit of motivation to make in happen.
Seems I was wrong. I'm not sure where to go from here.
Should I just give up this months theme or should I make something else? I still have two weeks, more than enough time to get something done... Provided I can get anything done at all. I'm a bit lost.

 

I think you could do either option.
When I've felt a similar way, personally I ended up cutting corners and was almost never happy with the finished project. If I don't push through, I take a break or find a simpler pattern that I can autopilot.
Is there another project you want to do? It sounds like the jacket isn't going to happen. If you want to do something specific or for the sake of doing something, switch projects. If there's a specific aspect you can point to as the problem, choose something that avoids it. Or if you want a break, take one! Your dolls are patient. If you have something else bothering you, maybe step away from the sewing machine and deal with that. You can always come back.
You can always iron your fabric again. If you put it all in a little baggy together, you can easily come back to it another time. Resin is very patient. If there's a certain design you have in mind, maybe slip in a sketch so you don't forget.

 

You are right, it's not the end of the world. I guess, while my dolls are patient, I'm not.
I do have plenty of other projects draining my creative energy, but I thought this project would be fine because it's not work, just a fun thing for a doll in my own collection, but maybe I'm more drained than I thought.
I'll dig through my stash of leftovers tomorrow and see if there is anything that sparks a bit of inspiration. Maybe I can come up with something a bit more playful and less structured.

Thanks!

 

IF there's something that you're inspired to do, thn tyes, but don't force it - perhaps you're just needing a bit fo a break from sewing this time around...?

Perhaps you could look at pictures of jackets and see i inspiration strikes through that route....?

Teddy

 

@Teddy and @PoeticSoul Thanks guys. Your input is very valuable. I think my problem is a little bit of a combination of several things and I think switching tracks is the right way to go this time.
I've decided to forget about the jacket for the moment and work on something else.
I dug around a bit and I do have an ongoing project that I can pick back up and work on while enjoying all the other fabulous projects here. It's made out of leftover fabrics, it's defnately wearable and it's embroidery, so that's sewing, right? I dion't even need to be creative with interpreting the theme. Allthough I won't be making a full outfit from design to finish.

So, clean slate, forget about Matilda and say hello to Aldhissla, my Mara Creatures Ramunder, instead.


Forever ago I started on a coat for him. The coat itself is done, but I am making a border embroidery. This doll is large and this coat is wide so this thing has a very long edge and it is taking forever. I've worked on it on and off for over a year now and I am very unlikely to finish it during this month, but progress is progress. Even if I only get a little bit done that is still a win.

This is what I've got so far:

The wider design is the sleeve and those are finished. It's the narrower border that I am working on now. It runs along the front edges and along the entire bottom hem.

While it does take time, it's a very pleasant project. The fabric is a loosely woven wool blend and the embroidery settles into it very well and sort of becomes one with the surface. It's not very hard on the hands either and I don't even need to use hoop.

 

Oh, so pretty!

 

@Lillith your embroidery is so stunning, I'm always amazed! And the dedication! I can't wait to see the progress

@PoeticSoul I love how they turned out, so sweet! She's going to feel so welcome when she gets to you

 

@PoeticSoul Those are adorable!
@Lillith The embroidery looks fantastic!

No progress here, I'm afraid. I made a belt and it looks fine but it just doesn't "click" with the dress well. I tried different materials than originally intended and it backfired. Hopefully I'll get more progress done after I get an exam out of the way this afternoon.

 

So I started off with a nice baby pink accent thread and figured that would be enough, but then I decided I simply do not want to do a whole ruffle by hand (no machine atm). It did need something there, because the waistband does a nice job of supporting the upper part of the skirt flare but as it stands (haha) there's no support for the wider part along the bottom. Plus it ended up being rather short when she was actually wearing it.
Round 125 Scrap petti progress! by Jules B, on Flickr

Spoiler: So here's what I'm doing instead:

I had some pink ruffle trim left over from a different project. Which is perfect for this round! So I got it out and realized it also matches her hair pretty cutely, it's not an exact match but close enough to be a nice extra detail if it peeks out from under her dress.
Round 125 Scrap petti progress! by Jules B, on Flickr

Unfortunately like most rounds, I end up making this harder than it needs to be by only deciding I want to switch gears halfway through a project, lol, making it more annoying to sew around the edge of an otherwise finished skirt. But still way less of a pain in the butt than finishing a mile-long seam, ruffling it, pressing it, and THEN sewing it on. And I'm slowly winnowing away at what I've got in the scraps bag, too! Win-win!
Round 125 Scrap petti progress! by Jules B, on Flickr

Right now I'm sewing the trim on, and I'm eager to see how it'll look when it's done!

 

@Mamo Good call about the trim, it's perfect for this.
Don't worry about the colour match, in my experience pinks (and reds in general) is the most forgiving colour there is to match. Even if it's a bit different it will rarely look off in a bad way.

 

Oh, it's going to loook so good when it's done!!!! It's already looking pretty good.

Charming - I love that you could make use of such delightul old pieces, in this project.

Sometimes that's how it goes - I hope the exam goes/went well and you can devote some mental energy to some sewing fun this weekend.

Yay double-scrap usage! It's a pretty colour combination too.

I havea that rareity - a free weekend - ahead of me. So, instead of doing the ssensible thing and finishing an existing W.I.P. I intnd to grab my scraps and try to knock out a quick project for this round - perhaps something for one of my two DearSD darlings with OT heads... or perhaps not, depending on what the scraps inspire.

Now's the time to lay bets as to whether I'll even gt started, let alone make any progress on this potential project.

Teddy

 

Everyone's project is so cool ! I really love this tread. ^^ All amazing artists here.

 

OK, progress!

I did decide on a DearSD dress, They're close to Sasha doll size (for clothing purposes) so I'm using one the patterns i designed for Sasha dolls:


I grabbed one of my boxes of silk scraps:


Found an aqua coloured silk with enough scraps (just about)of the right size to get al the pattern pieces out of (had to redesign the sleeves on the fly):


Fiddled with the pattern pieces until they all fit on the silk scraps:


And cut out dress, fudged sleeves and thin cotton lining (I always have thin white cotton scraps):


Too wiped out to sew tonight, so I'll try and get the bulk of it done tomorrow.

Teddy

 

@Teddy the silk is beautiful! What a lovely dress that'll make!

 

@Teddy Pretty fabric! That dress is going to look amazing.

My embroidery is coming along nicely. I think I made the rights call.

 

I almost forgot to come back for my own report! I'm very pleased with the results. I didn't take a flat photo because it was essentially the same as the pinned photo just neater, and I went ahead and put it right back on her! I love the extra poof, level of detail, and pop of color it adds when she's seated

Round 125 Scrap petticoat done! by Jules B, on Flickr

And I enjoyed taking a little photoshoot of her. I really think the addition of the petticoat was a good idea, it distributes the drape of the dress so much more evenly than without one! It falls more naturally and looks properly supported.
Round 125 Scrap petticoat done! by Jules B, on Flickr

I'm so in love with this girl and it was so nice to make her a little something extra for this ultra-cute outfit I think I might try to find more fun ways to use the trim, there's plenty left so I'm imagining a cropped blouse made to match the petti, blue linen torso/band and ruffle trim strap sleeves! Not sure if I'll get to that this month, but it's a good thought to keep in reserve, at least.

 

@Mamo That turned out great!
I know I always joke about the importance of the right petticoat, but this really shows the truth behind that. Its' a subtle difference, but it does make a difference. In lolita perhaps more so than in any other contemporary fashion. Well done.

 

@Teddy That’s really pretty! Love your color choice!
@Mamo I love how that turned out! It’s perfect with her hair. Not overwhelming pink, but a nice subtle way to link the outfit together

 

@Lillith so true!! The right foundation really gets it looking its best, and it's amazing what just one layer can do!
@Azure Agape thank you!!! I really love how it adds some symmetry to the upper and lower half of the dress.

 

It's looking great. Pretty, and such a neat way to both edge the petticoat and add fullness a tthe bottom without haivng to gather and hem the whole damned ruffle yourself.

Thanks everyone. I can't claim any credit for the colour - it was the first one i pulled out of the box (after four or five failed picks) that had enough combined-yardage for the pattern to fit on. The colour is down to whoever it was who passed their sewing scraps on to me too many years ago to rememebr which pieces came from who. It may well have been the staymaker at the reenactors market who, one year, called me over to her stall and presented me with a box of silk offcuts from making her stays and corsets to sell, saying, "I love seeing the dolls you bring with you each market and I thought you might be able to use these when sewing for them."

Anyhow, a little progress from yesterday. I got several component parts sewn together then got sidetracked into puttign the lining together so I could check the fit. Last time I made this pattern up it was a little tighter than I'd like on the VolksDearSD body:

(the model is @Alice80 's not mine)

So I placed the pattern piece for the centre front a sliver away from the fold...


... to allow for a bit of extra width, then overdid it by sewing with slightly narrower seam allowances, so the when I tried the linign on the doll it was too loose in the upper body, and too wide in the shoulders:

Please excuse the off-topic head, it's a bugger to get on and off so I'm leavign it in place - the body is Volks DearSD

So, I re-sewed the side-front and side-back seams at the full quarter-inch seam allowance (leaving the side seams as they were), and that took it in just the right amount (no picture yet) to bring the shoulder width in to the right place, and get rid of the extra fullness in the upper body, but left me out of spoons for any more sewing yesterday.

Next weekend is a long Bank Holiday weekend and, while I have two of my ex costuming students visiting on the Saturday for our first get-together since lockdown, I should have most of Sunday and Monday available to fit some sewing into. And I'm goign inot eh office tomorrow, so I might get some hand work done during my commute and lunchbreak.

Teddy

 

@PoeticSoul thank you!! I'm so glad it made a visible difference, I was worried it wouldn't be very obvious in the end lol
@Teddy ohhhh I'm so guilty of that, making an adjustment and then mucking it up with the seam allowances!! It's great that you reworked it so well!

 

So, update 2. I took a little break from the coat to make a mockup of a tunic to go underneath which actually got basted together so I could turn it and have a test fitting underneath the coat and so far, so good. The clip is on the cuff to actually show the shape of it.

I've also decided that while the bulk of the tunic is going to be lined with white just to avoid staining from the blue fabric, the cuffs and the collar are going to be lined in the same copper/blue silk as the coat is made of. I also haven't allowed for buttons or buttonholes because I'm going to close the real tunic with frog fasteners which I'll probably make myself just to make sure the sizing is right.

Spoiler: More pictures underneath

And then I had a final test fitting with the coat on top. Apologies for the white cotton on white cotton, I have a lot of white cotton. Possibly an unreasonable amount.



Possibly unfortunate sidenote. Once I've actually finished the nice coat, I kind of really want to make a second version of the coat except every single panel is a different fabric, keeping the different length bottoms not sewn together and having the raw edges and stitching on the outside. I just think it would look really cool.

And now, more help. I'll need to make the breeches for the outfit too and I'm not sure which material goes best. Top row is the coat's outer silk, lining silk and blue tunic material. Bottom row is potential breeches material. From L-R we have cream linen, deep brown linen, a sort of fawn-coloured faux-suede and then a kind of red-brown stretchy material. I also have a black version of the faux-suede somewhere.

 

It's looking great!! I like the deep brown for not drawing attention away from all the details you're putting in up top, while still being a complimentary color, but sometimes a doll needs more than one pair of pants, lol... maybe the fawn faux-suede?

 

Fawn faux suede would be my pick

I like the flared sleeves of the tunic, that should allow for a nice little flash of the lining to show.

Teddy

 

I hope I'm not too late to join! I've got some scrap fabric that reminds me of Barbie's dress from the new Barbie movie, so I want to make a dress inspired by that. My model will probably be my resinsoul Xun
Wish me luck to finish in time since I've started so late lol

 

Best of luck!

I started a week earlier than you and I might not finish either

Teddy

 

He looks an interesting character.