Wednesday, April 8, 2015

What Was I Thinking?!

Whose bright idea was it that I sew and sell clothes for the little dolls?   Let me just say after many hours of trial and error, I finally have ONE dress that is suitable to sell.   Yes, I know I have lots of little pants that are also ready to sell, but making cute little shirts to go with said pants has not been easy.  Designing outfits, making patterns, testing patterns, remaking patterns, retesting patterns. AAARRGGGHHH!  I am now officially cross-eyed from all the small stitches.  Unfortunately, I'm too deep in now.  I know I am on the verge of some really cute things, once I get through the basics of pattern making and testing.  Then I will be able to branch out and embellish, which is always fun.  So below is the ONE dress and a lot of other "not quite there" test garments.  I am not allowed to buy any new fabric until I get the designs and patterns finished.  I am famous for buying new fabrics and NEVER using them.  So you will see some fabrics repeated in the test garments below.  The good thing is my SIS girls will get all the outfits that don't make it to the store. 

The one dress.

The bodice is lined and the seams are finished.  Dresses will probably have snaps, while shirts may have velcro.  

This dress is the same design as the one above.  I'm thinking of adding red as an accent.  I also discovered that this dress looks really cute with a white bottom half.  

There will be white pants, but this white material is too stretchy.  They have to be remade.  The top is okay, but nothing special.  It was one of the first ones I did.  I was desperate to get something made.

There will be cute little hooded jackets.  I still have to work out what the front closure will be.   

Another attempt at a top.  I like this design better, but I need to fix the bottom.

This is a shorter version of the top above, which I think will look nice with a peplum attached.

I want to make cute little matching ensembles. 

Strike a pose!

Lots to do, but I'm going to stick it out.  I'm looking forward to cute little tshirts with sayings, jackets with pockets, shorts, capris, sundresses, and all the other little nuances that go with adorable kid clothes.



60 comments:

  1. The last design looked like pyjamas, loving what you do, keep trying and the clothes will be AMAZING!!! :)

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    1. Juanita - They look like pjs because it's made from baby flannel material. I have a ton of that stuff, so I'm using it for testing. I bought it for the baby crib stuff I make. The real outfits will be made from different material. I am planning to make some cute little pjs, too.

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  2. I know what you mean. I have some I need to finish up. All your outfits are really cute.

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    1. Brini - I'm sure you feel my pain. People think sewing for Barbie is hard. That's a breeze compared to the little ones.

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  3. The jackets are incredible!

    I'm actually relieved to hear that tops are genuinely difficult. You'll get there!

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    1. Smaller Places - Thanks. And why are you relieved? lol. Adding little things like sleeves is always a treat. There are ways with the small dolls to avoid having to sew separate sleeves, but I like the look of separate sleeves. So I usually hand baste the sleeves then sew them on the sewing machine. In the end I will have to figure out a way to cut down on the labor.

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  4. Great job, not sure I would have the patience to sew for the smaller dolls. I love the first two dresses

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    1. simsgrl - Thanks. The SIS dolls are smaller than the Chelsea dolls. I have bought a couple Chelsea outfits off etsy and ebay, but they have been just a little too big for these dolls.

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  5. Oh I know how you feel - working out patterns is super frustrating! But you're a lot better at it than I am, and the polka dot pants and hoodie are adorable!

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    1. Anderson's AP - Thanks. This rant was for all the pattern makers out there. Lol.

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  6. To be honest, I think they are all really cute and my little ones would be happy to wear any of them! I have also been trying to make some clothes for my little kids too, but get frustrated because it is so hard to make those tiny little things. I definitely admire your patience.

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    1. Phyllis - Thanks. I promise they are going to get a lot cuter. The real test will come when I try to make some for the infants.

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  7. Go Vanessa go! These little fashions are looking good! My SIS kids- and their mommies- are cheering you on. Zahara needs a church dress like that adorable polka dot one. The twins want pants and they really like the floral top. Serena wants a hooded jacket. And Julian wants to know where the test garments for the boys are...LOL!

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    1. Jewell - Nice to have a cheering squad. The next time I get frustrated I will picture your dolls doing a cheer. lol. Tell Julian not to worry. There will be lots of boy clothes, too.

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  8. I can totally relate! I'm trying to do the same thing, make doll clothes that are acceptable to sell. Here's hoping our hard work will pay off!

    Do you know if these bodies are the same as the new Kelly's body?

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    1. Barb - I'm sure our hard work will eventually pay off. If nothing else, my dolls will be very happy. These bodies are smaller than the Chelsea (new Kelly) bodies, which is why I am starting with these. The Chelsea bodies are bigger in the hips. I will be offering Chelsea clothes in the future.

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  9. i AGREE WITH PHYLLIS! Don't mean to shout, but they are stunning Vanessa! I know what you mean by making tiny teeny clothing- my tiny bjd's are so frustrating to make clothing for and they are the size of Kelly. So small and the SIS dolls are smaller and thinner. But your little outfits are so adorable! I would be thrilled to have some of these for my little ones. I have tried to make some for my little kiddos but don't have your patience. Keep at it, am enjoying watching your blog posts!

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    1. Lisa - Thanks so much! Your enthusiasm will give me that extra push I need to continue on.

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  10. Hello from Spain: wow, wow ... you sew very well. This Shelly is very trendy. I liked very much all looks .. We keep in touch

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    1. Marta - Thanks. I'm looking forward to making even more trendy looks. I've been searching the internet and seeing what the real little girls are wearing.

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  11. These are all so adorable! I really like that hooded jacket, just because I know it was probably difficult to make (or would be for me... well all of it would for me). They are all so cute. I think a red ribbon at the waist of the animal-print dress would make it pop. I appreciate the fact that I cannot see the hemlines on any of these. When people use a sewing machine for hems, the color thread should blend in with the fabric to conceal it. Yours are concealed!

    Great work, as usual!

    dbg

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    1. DBG - Thanks! The hooded jacket came about because I didn't couldn't figure out what kind of collar to put on the garment. I was surprised that it came out so well the first time around. Next task will be adding little drawstrings to the hoods. I was planning to put a red ribbon around the waist of the animal print dress, but of the 100 spools of ribbon I have, none of them were the right sized red. I just bought some while I was at Walmart. Wait until you see it with the white bottom.

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    2. If it helps, I don't think little kid outfits come with hooded drawstrings IRL anymore. Don't know if you have kids or not, so I thought I'd chime in. :)

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    3. Barb - Thanks for chiming in. I think you are right. One less thing to worry about. I may still add some mock drawstrings because I think they might be cute. We shall see.

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  12. Cute outfits - nice work!

    You have my complete admiration for sewing clothes in this scale - any doll under 1/4 scale and I run the other way, so I salute your success!

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    1. jSarie - Thanks! Yes those 1/8" and less seams get a little crazy at times. I'm sure I could design them with larger seams, but even that gets a little confusing at times

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  13. Great job Vanessa! the scale is really small and it isn't easy to draw patter for such a simplified body line as the kiddies. I like a lot the concept and the small pijama is too cute!
    One factor you one can't ever underestimate is the fabric of choice. I would suggest Liberty cotton prints, this kind of cotton is stiff enough to keep the shape of the dress and soft enough to sew our miniature darts. and the prints are just too cute!
    You can find a lot of suggestions about the fabrics on April's blog.

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    1. billa's dolls - Thanks! I am familiar Liberty cotton fabrics, but they are way too expensive. I'm trying to keep these pieces affordable and competitive with other sellers.

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  14. WOW, They are all nice. Keep up the GOOD work

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    1. Ladonna - Thanks! By the way, there is a new couple being introduced tomorrow.

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  15. I love the hoodies! Keep going. You're doing great. I have loads of tiny print fabrics, but sleeves scare me to death! I can't use patterns either.I wish I could do the stuff you're doing.

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    1. Tam - Thanks! I've found it easier to hand sew in the sleeves. Once you try it a few times, I'm sure it won't be as scary.

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  16. I think the jackets are going to be great. Things are looking good.

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    1. Janainah - Thanks. The jackets are my fave so far.

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  17. These are good! They look store bought.(that's a compliment btw)When I tried to sew doll clothes back when,they turned out all wrong - and I was sewing adult doll clothes so things where bigger than kids clothes.It didn't make a difference for me,it all still turned out horribly.

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    1. Val - Thanks. I've had to ditch a few pieces myself. Not everything works for this scale.

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  18. I'm freaking out over the tiny denim jacket. So cute!!!

    I've only tried making patterns a few times, and wow, it's hard. I admire you for sticking with it! The only thing I've really stuck with so far is fabric hoarding. ;)

    Oh, and I just remembered that someone on Fashion Doll Review is accepting submissions for her new book on small doll outfits. Maybe you'd be interested? I think her name is Megann.

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    1. Sarah - Thanks! I love that little denim jacket, too. I laughed out loud at your fabric hoarding comment. I've banned myself from buying more fabric. I, too, am a fabric hoarder. Thanks the for Fashion Doll Review tip. I'm not sure I want to submit, but wouldn't mind seeing what others are doing.

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  19. I'm so jealous of your creativity and determination to carry things out to the smallest of details. I love those little clothes.

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    1. Doll Crazy - Those little kids should be very happy that I like them so much. If I didn't, I would have happily moved on to another project by now. Glad you like the clothes.

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  20. Very, very cute! Denim is always a good choice! One of my challenges in making clothes is the weight of he fabric and the pattern size. You did well with both.

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    1. Ms. Leo - Thanks. I agree, denim is cute for all scales. When I made that little dress, I was thinking that my kids needed clothes for church, hence the length.

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  21. Also, love the length of the dress. Why to do people think little girls need their butt hanging out?




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  22. Love the kid's clothes Vanessa, but OMG! How can you SEE any of the stitches?? I have a hard enough time crocheting clothes for the adult Moreville residents! The little kids? Forget it. LOL :-)

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    1. Cindi - Thanks. Seeing the stitches is challenging, but I'm managing that part okay. We would love to see some crocheted baby clothes from you. lol.

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  23. Beautiful job on all of the clothes Vanessa!!! The denim jacket is my favorite. I will definitely make some purchases. Please keep them coming...especially for the boys.

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    1. Georgia Girl - Thanks! I'm partial to that denim jacket, too. I just bought some new fabric today (shhh, don't tell anyone) so I'm looking forward to making some cool things this weekend.

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  24. Replies
    1. Male Doll World - Thanks. She's excited to be the model. She gets first dibs on the clothes.

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  25. OMG, Vanessa, those are the cutest clothes! Sewing for Barbie & her friends is difficult enough, I can't even imagine going smaller than 1/6 scale. I think you've done a wonderful job!

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    1. april_n_paris - Well that means the world to me coming from you. Thanks! The good thing is after this project sewing for Barbie will be a breeze. lol.

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  26. Fabulous! Cute! Not enough words to describe how much I like them.

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    1. Roville - Thanks so much! I'm a little under the weather today, but you guys make me want to drag myself to the sewing machine to test out the new fabrics I brought yesterday.

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  27. Fabulous! Cute! Not enough words to describe how much I like them.

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  28. Such awesomeness! I know how much work went into them and it shows. Those hooded tops are where it's at!

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    1. Muff - Thanks! I'll be at it again today. Saturday is deemed little dolls day until I get enough outfits to sell.

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  29. They look excellent, working with such small little details would probably give me hand cramps.

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    1. Kenya - Thanks. I do most of it on the sewing machine, so my hands aren't overworked.

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