Sewing What are you currently sewing for your BJD Vol 15

I haven't posted on the old thread for yonks and I may not have even finished the things i posted about the last time I was on there....

EDITED TO ADD... I went to check and I haven't posted since Voliume 13. I missed volume 14 entirely!!! No wonder I never got any notifications for it.

Teddy

 

I recently made a new shirt and tunic for one of my fashion size men. He's the King in my Medieval Fantasy world, and always dresses in black. But for something a little different, I decided to make the shirt out of two gray brocades.

 

That is absolutely amazing! I always love seeing your dolls and clothing designs! They’re always so beautiful and intricate!

 

Thank you! One of my favourite things to do is beading and embroidery to embellish the costumes....

Of course it also helps that I have lots of nice small brocades. I especially love the two grays of his sleeves.

 

this looks so nice!! And the closeup of the beading is stunning!

 

As impressive as evewr, Martha. I always envy your patience for crafting all the details. It's where I fail to follow throguh 90% of the time.

Teddy

 

@quilleth - Thank you. I really enjoy doing all the beading.
@Teddy - Thank you. Patience is definitely required these days. I prefer hand sewing with a beading needle and those are a challenge to thread. Then there's the constant knotting of the thread. This project was especially challenging, since after I'd 'finished' the embellishment on the tunic, I decided it wasn't quite the look I had envisioned, so I removed it all and started all over using different bead caps, studs, and beading it differently. This was the final look after redoing everything...

 

Fantastic meticulous work, as always!

 

Stunning

Teddy

 

Have you tried this stuff?


It's been a game-changer for my beading. Nary a knot, ever, with really long threads too!

 

No, I haven't

 

Oh my God! It's amazing, incredible work and down to the smallest detail.

How do you get fabrics with brocade designs so small? I want to make a vest like that for my vampire, but it's hard to find fabrics like that.

 

Thanks! I have a huge collection of fabrics, including four big boxes of colour-coded brocades. Many are from the days decades ago when fabric stores actually carried fabrics like that. And when there actually were fabric stores, and they carried more than just cotton prints. I also inherited a lot from a friend who was downsizing her stash. She got all hers as clothing from secondhand thrift stores, and cut them up for the fabric. Three of the fabrics I used on Lawrence's outfit came from my friend. The main gray was from an old shirt. The black with gold embroidery, and the textured gray were just really small pieces. The black with the squares design was the only new fabric, purchased decades ago in a store that no longer exists.

You can also try looking online, but I find it's hard to tell how big a design is, or how a fabric will drape - which is very important when making doll clothes. So, maybe start visiting thrift stores.

 

Looks for second hand ties.

I have a collection of silk brocade ties with small patterns that I either picked up second-hand or grabbed from the sales bin at one of those shops thats sells expensive button down shirts and ties for business men. On ce un pickjed and opened up there's more fabric than you'd expect in a tie. I've used them for forepart and undersleeves in Tudor/Elizabethan outfits for dolls, as well as bodices and waistcoats. Where I've been able to get more than one of the same tie, I've even managed whole SD sized dresses from them.

While I'm chacking the charity shops for second hand ties, I always run my eye o ver the rails of mens button-down shirts for good dolls clothes fabrics too. They often have have small patterns tthat you don't see in the fabric shops and sometimes they're woven patterns, like tiny houndstooth checks, rather than prints. I've managed two SD sized dresses and an MSD sized one from a single shirt in the past:


Teddy

 

I fully agree. Whenever in need of some small scale plaids I always check out the men's shirts at Value Village. They always have something in the colours I need. All the tartans in these outfits are from men's shirts...

 

I am in love with your work! Your level of detail and skill is what I aspire to

 

Wow, that's great, it would be really crazy to be able to see all those fabrics! And it's true, nowadays it's complicated to find fabrics with original or beautiful designs, with brocades or things like that. I found some in a store in my city that sells a lot of fabrics for menswear and for small brocade designs, I've found some in Indian clothing and fabric stores, there are usually there and with small patterns in case you want to keep it in mind too!

Thank you very much! I hadn't thought about the ties.... But it makes sense, I will check it too, apart from the second hand stores, although in Spain they don't usually have anything interesting. The truth is that finding fabrics is quite an adventure!

 

I just finished two Fantasy gowns made from scarves from the thrift store.
This is the first one, made from a mauve silky scarf with dangly lace, and a a very fine pale purple sari scarf, and some pale purple nylon tricot....

The patterns are available for free on my website - Medieval Elf Gown Tutorial - 2025
I'm about halfway through posting the instructions (to be completed soon) and am currently working on an elegant red and gold version.

 

@MB Lilac Great thrift store find!

In case you don't know this trick this is amazing for sewing a very narrow hem on slippery, silky, chiffon-y fabrics.

How to Sew a Narrow Hem: On-Set Tailoring Tips.

 

That's gorgeous! And what lucky thrift store finds!!

 

@MB Lilac Thanks so much for sharing that tutorial! I have a bunch of old scrap sari silk that would be perfect for this project!

 

The light and pose are terrible (and I'm realising as I post that her shoulders look different... what a horrible photo... orz), but I'm working on an outfit for my human version of Amaterasu from Okami

The blue skirt is the test version (the final one will be white, maybe with either black or red decorations) but the top is the final one. I'll also make her a dark blue obi. And then there's plans to make her a more elaborate kimono to wear on top of that for her true goddess form, but right now I only need to worry about this simple outfit so she no longer hangs out naked.

 

@Victoria Victrix - Thanks. Seems like a lot of work, especially for really long seams.
@quilleth - Thanks! Thrift stores often have way more interesting fabrics - often in the form of clothing - than any fabric store.
@BlackSheep - You're welcome.
Fine scarves and saris aren't the only thing that would work with my pattern. I came across a beautiful red ombre brocade at Value Village a few weeks ago and thought it might work for a more elegant version for my queen. Same pattern but different fabrics, for a totally different look. I took photos as I went along and added that one to my tutorial as well.

 

Fabrics for another new gown using the same pattern....

 

Looking forward to seeing it

Teddy

 

My VERY talented friend @Robyn_in_WA sewed this outfit for me and asked me to post this for her. I wish you could see the delicate pantalettes underneath! I'm ordering more outfits from her!

 

Awww... So cute.

Teddy

 

@Answer42 The outfit is stunning and your lovely Ante looks so proud of it.

 

Since my parents have permanently moved back home after working abroad for six years, my sewing studio has had to become a dining room again While I mourn this loss, I thought I should try sewing something entirely by hand. I made a smocked dress for my SD last year, so clearly my SDM needs one too.

The fabric is Liberty's London Parks Kensington print, bought at the Stitch Show when I brought Felicity with me. The construction is largely based on this book on Internet Archive and the smocking design is based on one I found on Pinterest. I made the insane decision to do buttonholes down the back, which I've never done by hand before and certainly not for 3mm buttons. Somehow I did 15 of them.
The fit isn't perfect. Bishop-style smock dresses don't usually have smocking at the waist, which I discovered is because there isn't quite enough fabric. I suppose this could be rectified by having more fabric in the underarm seam, which would probably help with the range of motion in the sleeves too. The sleeves were going to be a little bit longer, but I accidently cut them too short and didn't have enough fabric to cut them again. The original plan was to run elastic through the cuff, but I had to smock them instead which makes them very tight. I have to take her hands off to get this dress on.

 

@SilverDawnArrow She is adorable! Great work on the dress, she looks wonderful in it!!

 

@SilverDawnArrow That's an amazing dress. You did a fabulous job on the smocking!
It's not easy to make smocking show up on a busy print like thins, but you've done it.

 

Wow @SilverDawnArrow , the detail on this is amazing! I think the non-elastic sleeves look great in scale with your SDM, I hope the one touch system doesn't make getting it off and on too hard.

 

Lack-of enough fabric aside, it's gorgeous. Well done - especially on those buttonholes!

Teddy

 

@SilverDawnArrow your smocking is absolutely exquisite!

 

Holy moly this smocking is gorgeous! And I applaud your diligence with all those tiny buttonholes... I avoiding making functional buttons for my doll clothing like the plague, but I might, sigh, have to get over this soon as I start to sew more for the 75s... I will remember your 15 buttonholes for 3mm buttons and try to be brave, haha.

 

I've been fussing with sewing this type of dresses for a while but I think I finally got my pattern down now and there's no weird wonkiness anywhere.



I'm thinking if there's anything I should add to dress it up a little? Making an apron perhaps?

 

Sweet. So now you're good to go for any you want to put together in the future too

An apron would work, you could change it a little with a ruffle at the hem and/or do a version with long sleeves too.

Teddy

 

An apron would be very cute! A collar could look good as well.
Another thing you could experiment with for future dresses using the pattern is the direction and placement of the stripes in the fabric.
I am thinking that cutting the bodice on the bias, making sure to center the intersections of the stripes strategically so that it's clear that it's intentional, would look good.
If the bodice is lined and the lining is still cut on the straight grain, you don't need to make any allowance for the bias. Otherwise, a fusible interfacing is an easy way to stabilize it.

And congratulations on getting the pattern done, it's such a liberating thing when a nice basic pattern just works, isn't it? The possibilities are endless and the most tedious parts are behind you.

 

Well I'm from the 1950s so I wore those dresses as a child. They often had small ruffles or ruffled lace at the hems and necklines, or lace petticoats that showed at the hems. They also often had big ribbon sashes with big bows at the back.

Aprons were never to dress things up, they were functional garments that kept the front of your dress clean while you were doing housework or cooking.

 

Thank you for noticing - lining up the pattern of the fabric is definitely the next step for me. I was using an old shirt for the material and was trying to waste as little as possible, but you're right that it would look more intentional if the plaid was a centered on the bodice at least. Now that I know how much fabric I needed, I'll try that on the next plaid dress

Thank you for the tips! I was thinking of a ruffly lolita-style apron so I could dress the dress up or down as I wish but a petticoat with lace is maybe an even better idea.

 

I recently finished up this funky '70s inspired shirt for my MSD girl. There are still some issues with the fit that I'll have to tweak in future iterations, but most of them are hidden in the back and the bold pattern of the fabric hides a lot, so I'm happy enough to call this one finished.

 

Nice. Love the fabric choice too.

Teddy

 

I recently made these two gowns. The main fabric was from a multi-colour velour skirt I found at Value Village, Both gowns are almost identical, except one has dagged hanging sleeves, and the other has 'plain' ones. There's also a few other minor differences, and I gave the one with dagged salkeeves a chatelaine I purchased at a recent doll show...

 

Stunning

Teddy

 

When I am feeling uninspired I often go to your website and the feeling magically goes away.

 

im currently working on patterning a nurses uniform for my sd10 girl since i couldn't find any premade patterns online, its going pretty well, no photos yet

 

@Teddy - Thank you!
@Victoria Victrix - That's nice to hear.

 

Yesterday I winged a yukata for Chibiusa out of spare fabric and a pattern made with Math and Understanding Rectangles. It's two pieces like the older Volks one; the new ones are 100% accurate to real life and... look, I love kimono and yukata, I have 6 kimono and 7 yukata, and my favorite? IS TWO PIECES, because certain body shapes just... don't work, unless you completely pad out your waist or lower back. Which ruins the easy-breezy comfort of a yukata in the first place. I wouldn't do that to myself, let alone my doll. Obi is velcro because she is a doll and I don't think she minds.
Also, even though I ordered her to come tightly strung, I must be a crazy tight stringer because I would describe this child as "relatively floppy". It's hard to fit her for things because her head bobbles like CRAZY, and there's already a KIPS in there!

ANYWAY, YUKATA! (Boots are from Aliexpress and the rabbit hair clip was a PERFECT free gift!





The eri DOES sit back from her nape though! And the sleeves are attached by hand so they have the normal open sides. I was accurate in everything except the part where it's two pieces, okay. Not bad for squinting at a yukata pattern and then Doing Math in a single day!

 

Sounds like a nightmare for me (maths... {shudder!"} ), but it seems to have worked well for you - it's cute and looks good on her

Teddy

 

Thank you! I'm usually abysmal at math, but yukata are just... a series of different rectangles and you just have to double the length you want where normally you'd expect a seam. The sleeves are loops, the body is a loop, the collar is a loop... the only triangle, the crossing panel, is found by measuring from the edge of the body to the center back and halving that, since that's the width you remove to make the collar. (That said, I always do math by asking Siri out loud "Siri what's 17.5cm times 2?")

 

I used to tell my sewing students that Maths should NEVER be allowed to sully the enjoyment of sewing (my best student, however, was an engieer and persisted in doing so)

Teddy

 

I finished the sleeveless turtleneck portion of Cloud's default costume. I sewed the whole thing by hand, since my sewing machine loves eating thin, stretchy fabrics (though I made it out of a cheap top, so I just reused the original hem). I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, especially the arm holes; I used a tulle facing to avoid having visible stitches.

 

Nice. I like the clean finish around the armholes.

Teddy

 

Oooh, using tulle for the facing is such a good idea! I might need to try that with some projects I have in mind!

 

Used fabric softener sheets also work for very thin facing when tulle is too flimsy.

 

Thanks for the compliments! The tulle is nice for knits because it has a bit of stretch to it, but I would recommend initially cutting it much larger than necessary, because it can be hard to pin into place. I used two big rectangles, and then trimmed them down to match the armholes after sewing them on.

 

Finally bought myself a sewing machine and it made such a difference in sewing... Working on a few projects at the same time, this one is going to be a smaller version of Sarah Burton's piece of her McQueen Bees-inspired collection. So far I sew the pieces that will be the most hidden haha, but good opportunity for practising the geometric embroidery that will be repeated on a corset that goes on top...

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