Shoes and a Skirt for Dasia

 This morning I remembered I have a huge stash of doll shoes in my basement from my porcelain doll making days.  I remembered one pair in particular that I thought would fit Dasia.  I was right!  Unfortunately, I only had one pair of gold, and one pair of silver.  No extras that I could sell.  I'm pretty sure I bought them from a doll supply company called Tallinas, but after searching on the internet, I'm not sure they are still in business.  There are a few people on ebay selling a few Tallina items, but not these shoes.  Near the end of this post I will give you some valuable information you will need when trying to find her some shoes.

This gold pair of strappy heeled shoes fits Dasia almost perfectly.   

Here is the silver pair.  The straps around the ankles can be changed in different styles

She is so happy to have cute shoes to go with her new outfits.  This silver pair will look great with the purple outfit(s) I have planned for her.

"Now Vanessa, I love a cute pair of heels, but I can't walk around in these all the time.  I need some comfy shoes, too."   (Dasia)

"Don't worry, I got you covered."  (Vanessa)

"These feel real comfortable.  Thanks.  I will be able to walk around the mall in these."  (Dasia)

They aren't the cutest looking shoes, but the comfortable ones rarely are.  These also came from Tallina's.

I found one dusty boot that fits.  If I find the other one, she can wear these with her jeans.

TIP:  When looking for shoes for Dasia, you should be looking for shoes that are 44 mm long and 15 or 16 mm wide.  There is another doll shoe supply place, called Monique's Trading Corp.  They didn't use to sell directly to the public, but that seems to have changed.  There was one shoe there I thought may be worth trying out to see if it will work for Dasia.  It is called the Fancy Slip On and it comes it lots of different colors.  They retail fro $6.84 on this site.  Here is a link.  Slip On Shoes.  There is also an Ebay seller with the same shoes for $7.00.  But who knows the prices may work out better depending on the shipping costs.  You can also see all the colors.  Here is that link.  Ebay Slip Ons.  

DISCLAIMER:  I have not tried these shoes on Dasia because I don't have a pair.  So please order at your own risk.  Be sure to select the 44mm/15mm size when ordering to have a better chance of it fitting.

UPDATED INFO:  Thanks to Debbie (Black Doll Collecting)  for finding a source for the gold and silver shoes shown above.  Here is a link to the site. Heels for Dasia.  You will need to order size 7 which is 1 7/8".  

UPDATED INFO #2:  It appears the gold and silver shoes shipping now are slightly different than the ones I purchased years ago.  The heels are different, and the shoes may be running a tad bigger than the ones I showed in this post.  A size 8, (which is smaller than the size 7) may be a better fit.  I can't say for sure because I don't have any of the newer stock.  

Okay, so now I need your help.  I made Dasia a leopard print skirt that will be available as soon as I can figure out what the top will be.  I'm calling on all you fashionistas out there to offer some suggestions for the rest of this outfit.  Thanks.

Getting it Cheaper

The newest Mattel baby playset, albeit too pink, has some really nice pieces.  This set retails for $24.99.  More than I wanted to pay.  I would have paid it eventually, if I wasn't able to find it cheaper.  Luckily, while browsing on Walmart.com, I ran across this set for $17.99.  That's a little less than 30% off.  I can live with that.  The beauty of Walmart.com is the Ship-to-Store feature.  Most of the time, you can have any item shipped to your local store for pickup at no additional cost to you.  That makes it much easier to get items that aren't normally stocked at your store.  Another option is shipping directly to your home.  If you order $49 or more, shipping to your home is free.  This came in real handy last year when I was recuperating from my surgery.  All the essentials I needed, like dog food, toilet paper, and the occasional doll item was delivered to my front door.

The crib and the changing table will be painted.  Maybe I will try to give them an antique look.  The doll has a cute outfit, that I will keep, but the doll is already set for the donate pile.

Pants and a Plan

 Dasia's wardrobe would not be complete without pants.  So we made that happen yesterday.  I would say she's wearing jeans, but they are really just pants made from jean material.  One day I will make her a true pair of jeans with all the top stitching.  For now she's happy with her mock jeans.

I've paired the jeans with one of the tops that will be available.

This is another blouse with bell sleeves. 

The blouse was originally paired with a black skirt.  I posted this on the Dasia Facebook fan page, but this is the first time shown here.

THE PLAN:  (Setting expectations)

So the plan is to start listing items for Dasia, in my Etsy store, this weekend.  I will be offering just about everything you've seen so far, and I will be creating new items every week.  Even though I will be pairing tops and bottoms, you will be able to buy them as separates.  Initially, I will be sewing made to order, with the intent of getting orders shipped out within 7 - 10 days.  Some items will have velcro and some will have snaps.  It will just depend on what works best for the garment.  I used to be anti-velcro, but I've invested in some really thin velcro that is perfect for doll clothes.  I also wanted to be able to offer clothes at a decemt price.  So this makes that possible.  Moving forward I will also offer more high-end clothing using more couture sewing techniques.  Of course this will equate to higher prices.  Most pieces will be limited because I am limited by the amount of fabric I have.  A lot of this fabric is from my current stash and can not be restocked.  So if you see something you really like....   As time goes by, I will get better at the little details, like packaging.  So bear with me.  When I sold doll clothes before, it was from a storefront, so I didn't have to worry about shipping.

A look at the blouse with the velcro closing.

See how thin it is.  You can't even see it from the side.

Dashing Dashia

Along with getting kid clothes ready to sell, I'm getting clothes for Dasia ready to sell.  Dasia's clothes will be made to order and there will only be a few available of each outfit.  That will be determined by how much fabric I have in each pattern.  

Outfit #1 -  Floral blouse and denim skirt. 

Outfit #2 - Red polka dotted blouse and red skirt.

Outfit #3  Floral A-line dress

The same dress with a ribbon tied around the waist.

The ribbon can be tied underneath the breast for a slightly different look.

I won't be selling this dress as is.  I will be making this a-line long dress in a more luxurious fabric.  

My Dasia is happy to have it, though.

Unexpected Guest (Photostory)

Kara and Jolisa are back from the park.  Chris will probably be at band practice for another couple of hours.  Kara is looking forward to just spending time with Jolisa and reconnecting.

"Okay missy, I'm going to go get dinner started.  I need you to go take off those dirty clothes and get ready for a quick bath.  I'm sure you have sand in places you shouldn't."  (Kara)

As Kara heads to the kitchen, and Jolisa heads to her room, the phone rings.

"I'LL GET IT!"  (Jolisa, as she turns and runs back to the phone)

"Hello. (pause)  Hi auntie Maya.  (pause)  She's in the kitchen.  (pause)  No, Daddy's not here.  (pause)  You want to speak to Mommy?"  (Jolisa)

"Ask her if I can call her back later?  We have baths to take and dinner to eat."  (Kara)

"Mommy said call back later.  (pause)  Okay, bye."  (Jolisa)

"What did auntie Maya have to say?"  (Kara) 

"She said she's coming by later."  (Jolisa)

"Calling back later?"  (Kara)

"Nooo.  She's coming over later."  (Jolisa)

Great, Kara sarcastically thinks to herself.  There goes her quiet alone time with her daughter.

"What are we having for dinner?"  (Jolisa)

"We're having chicken and veggies."  (Kara)

"Can I have french fries?"  (Jolisa)

"You are going to turn into a french fry, but yes, I will fix you some fries."  (Kara)

"Yaaaay."  (Jolisa)

Kara pours a little olive oil over the chicken to help it crisp up as it sears in the pot.

A short while later she adds red wine as her braising liquid.

"Okay munchkin, the chicken is cooking, so we can go take our bath and put on our pjs."  (Kara)

 Thirty minutes later....

The ladies have emerged from the back, bathed and dressed for lounging.

"Mommy, can I watch tv?"  (Jolisa)

"No," but before she can finish her sentence, the door bell rings.

"Ooh, ooh.  I'll get it."  (Jolisa)

"No you won't.  I'll get it."  (Kara)

Kara peers out the peephole and sees her youngest sister standing there.

"Hey guys.  Thanks so much for inviting me to dinner."  (Maya)

"We didn't invite you to dinner."  (Kara)

"Are you sure?  Jolisa said come by later, we're having dinner."  (Maya)

"She said call back later."  (Kara)

"Ohhhh.  Well I'm here now."  (Maya)

"Whatever.  Have a seat.  I'm going to check on my chicken."  (Kara)

"What's up, pipsqueak?"  (Maya)

"Auntie Maya today we went to the playground and all my friends were there and....."  (Jolisa)

"Okay.  Okay.  That was a rhetorical question.  I really wasn't looking for an answer."  (Maya)

"Now that smells good.  I'm going in to see what's cooking."  (Maya)

"Mmmn, that smells good.  Whatcha cookin?"  (Maya)

"Chicken and beans."  (Kara)

"Smells very gourmet."  (Maya)

"When are you going to learn how to cook, so you can stop conveniently stopping by people's houses at dinner time?"  (Kara)

"But then you guys would miss me, and we don't want that."  (Maya)

"Jolisa, I said no tv.  Come take your seat, while I fix your plate."  (Kara)

Kara delivers Jolisa a plate with a drumstick, fries, and carrot sticks.  She's not a fan of green beans.  Not many kids are.

"Where's the ketchup?"  (Jolisa)

"Sorry, I forgot."  (Kara)

"No carrots for me.  I think I'm allergic."  (Maya)

"You are not allergic to carrots and if you are going to eat, I suggest you get up and fix your plate."  (Kara)

"But I'm the guest."  (Maya)

"Well, guess what...."  (Kara)

Poor Kara.

More Kid Clothes

I have two more dresses ready to go.  

Dress #2

Dress #3 

This will not be an outfit.  Can't have a sleeveless top with these heavy pants.  There will either be a long sleeve shirt of the striped material and these pants, or shorts made of a different material and this shirt.

This ill fitting shirt is just to demonstrate some cute fabric I found.  There will be a better fitting shirt and possibly a dress from this fabric.  I love stripes.

I started the boy outfits.  I made the sleeves way too long on this jacket and the pattern needs a little adjusting.  This sweatshirt has elastic in the waist.  I really wish I had a small enough zipper.  That would be really cool.

The brown pants from above actually fit Darren, who is a little bigger than the SIS kids.