doll dress

both dresses together.

the doll dress.
here is the doll dress I made to match my nieces dress for her birthday. I used a pattern from “sew the essential wardrobe for 18-inch dolls” by Joan Hinds and Jean Becker. except I omitted the collar, so it would be just like the big dress. it went sewed up with ease. In fact I was surprised how easily it went together the last time I made doll clothes they seemed just to take just as much time as the big clothes. so either I got used to how they are made or this book was just easier then the patterns I used before. (Could also be I wasn’t matching evil plaids.) I am thrilled with the way they turned out. they are so cute. it kind of makes me wish I had one in my size, to bad I Don’t have enough fabric for that.

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

Another Christmas gift.

my sister loves octopus’s, and sometime this year I came across the most adorable pattern for one made out of felt. this is made with all hand stitching so it was again something made while watching a movie I had already seen. this time it was the fellowship of the ring. yeah I made this before Hobbes, even though I posted about him first. I liked this pattern it was easy, though time consuming sewing all those little tentacles. actually cutting them out was harder then sewing them. I don’t know why, it took less time, I guess just the fact I had to cut out sixteen of the same thing. the pattern gives tips on how to make this easier, which I of course didn’t read till after I had them all cut out. oh well, that’s typical of me. I glance over directions, but don’t really pay attention till I have an issue. and yes I do that with every pattern. the pattern also explains what order to sew the body in so your knots all end up on the bottom, making them less obvious. and as you can see the pattern turns out the most adorable little octopus ever!
http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2006/3/sigmund-octopus.aspx


* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

Hobbes plush

now that Christmas is over I can post about what I made people. I only made two gifts this year, which is about normal for me. my sister told me about this Hobbes plush her husband really wanted, and gave me a link for a pattern and tutorial. the pattern was easy to follow, and the hand work made easier by doing it while watching “the return of the king.” yes the best way to get through tedious tasks is to do them while re-watching rather long movies. I did have to resize two of the back stripes, by making them both an inch longer, but that wasn’t a big deal. the one thing I found aggravating about both the pattern and tutorial is I couldn’t find where is said how much fabric to buy. I don’t know if I just missed it, or what. in any case I ended up buying too much fabric. its better to have too much then not enough right? in the end I think a 1/4 yard of each color would suffice. which is actually too much for the white, but all the places I have been that is the smallest cut you can get. you can also see if you look at the tutorial that my placement on the stripes for Hobbes’s arms and legs is slightly off. that is due to the fact I we lost internet for several days, and I guessed at the placement. (should have saved a picture right off) I think it looks alright though,. my brother in law seemed to like it, which is really all that mattered since it was for him. and really I was pleased with it as well. I mean come on its adorable!
Pattern and tutorial here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Stuffed-Hobbes-with-pattern/?ALLSTEPS



* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

A little princess dress

I finished the dress for my niece, who will be turning six in two weeks. I used simplicity pattern # 4764 the only alterations I made to the pattern were because of the scalloped edge on the fabric I didn’t want to turn under the hem, I went ahead and added three growth pleats to the skirt. that way it can be lengthened when she grows if it is something she wishes to have done. plus it looks cute. also I wanted the scalloped edge on the sleeve. I wish now that I had made the sleeve just a bit longer then it is, I didn’t take into account that on the pattern they added a band to the sleeve, which would have made it an inch or so longer. instead of the band I made a casing on the inside for elastic. I’m sure it will be fine, that’s just me being ticky. the other thing to note is I used less crinoline then called for . last years I made her a princess dress as well and its so fluffy its hard for her to navigate, this year I decided to not go quite as big. which in a way is selfish on my part, I don’t care for making the crinoline, its scratchy, yeah I’m a wuss when it comes to that type of thing. the dress though went together really nicely. I did have to add an extra layer of lining to the skirt , but that had to do with the fact the fabric has eyelets and the crinoline would have shown if I didn’t. I’m making a matching dress for her 18 inch doll so they can be all matchy, matchy, when I finish that I will post it too. my niece chose the fabric from my stash, yes I told her to pick whatever she wanted, she of course chose the fanciest thing then went on to tell me exactly what she wanted. “a dress that goes all the way to the floor with puffed sleeves.” so I think this qualifies.

a few detail shots



* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

making a gift.

Eep! what am I making? its a surprise. I am working on this and another little thing, for holiday gifts plus a dress for a little girl who is turning six next month. With the holidays around I have been busy doing things other then sewing, but I need to keep up with my sewing. Sometime in January, maybe February I am going to start on another decade project dress. I think my goal right now will be to focus on the twentieth century first, then move on to earlier dates. I do have a few patterns picked out. Now I just need the fabric. because of course what I have in my stash just wont work.....well...I could make it work, but.... I want to go fabric shopping!

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

new machine

I purchased a new sewing machine on a black Friday sale for $50, nothing fancy, its a very basic brother. nearly identical to the one I already had, only newer. ( all my old parts will fit. yea!) my other one is ten years old and I have put it through the ringer, sewing things that really it should not have been able to sew. anything from chiffon to six layers of dense fur and everything in between. so now your asking if it could do all that why did you get a new one? because the answer is it couldn't really handle the abuse I put it through. recently I am finding myself having to help it along more then I did before. when the control pedal went out on it a year and a half ago (in the middle of making my sisters wedding dress! now that was a freak out the wedding was only three weeks away!) I almost bought a new machine, instead though I just got a new pedal. but recently its been getting more and more obvious I needed a new one. so here is what I decided I wanted another basic machine with no frills, no computerization or anything. I will use it for basic sewing but I’m not entirely retiring my old one. it still works so I’m going to use it till it dies on the more heavy duty sewing, in hopes that I wont do the same to the new one as I have to the old. so far all I have done on the new machine is set the tension, it was a bit off, but then that is normal on a new machine and I gave it a drop of oil since its been sitting for who knows how long after leaving the factory in china. I hoping this machine will serve me well. if it can last ten years it was well worth the $50.

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*

red from the pile skirt.

yep I’m just going to call this red from the pile skirt. its basically made from scraps I pieced together by pinning it till I liked the shape. then did some draping to pull up the bustles. or something like that. I have no idea what technical terms are for sewing so I just make them up. besides this skirt has no rules, the only thing on the skirt has a consistent grain line is the bias strip on the hem. I’m not done with it yet, though this is the final shape, I am going to try my hand at some beading. which I have done a tiny, and might I stress tiny bit of in the past. I’m not going to do anything outrages just a few beads on each tuck to help it look more finished. this is meant to be an over skirt, I have started the plans for the underskirt in my head, but nothing definite yet. I’m kind of going for a steam punk look. so I will see how this turns out. since really I have no idea what I’m doing. and have yet to figure out a top. first things first though, the skirts.

front


back

* This blog is not to be used for training AI*