My Favorite Models

This blog ultimately shows the preparation for my forthcoming website that will feature digital patterns. My homework consists of sewing with patterns created by others to get my sewing feet wet. So far this has been a labor of love. I'm learning what I like, and what I don't like.

I'm having fun visiting other 18-inch doll sites and finding accessories that will enhance my doll clothes. I have also purchased some beautiful pieces of fabric for formal wear and holiday attire. But my favorite "task" is photographing my little models.

Here are my favorite models: This is Kaiah. She will be assisting me with my doll clothes and doll clothes patterns. Kaiah has named her American Girl doll "Kaiah," we call her doll "Mini-Kaiah."

Although I won't be designing clothes for little girls per se, I will occasionally demonstrate how to make matching outfits for girl and doll by featuring a manufactured pattern that is adaptable.

Here's another view of both Kaiahs:

I also plan to feature a "Girls' Corner" to teach little girls how to sew simple doll clothes, like aprons and skirts. (I don't know too many boys who want to sew or play with dolls, but boys are also welcome.)

Please note: Both Kaiahs' hair were styled by their mommy.

Sizing Should Be Simple

Here is yesterday's dress Simplicity 2269 that one of my Madame Alexander dolls wore. My American Girl Doll "Julie" measures slightly larger around the shoulders (by 5/8 inch). She fills out the waist and hips a bit better too.

I think this dress is still too roomy, but it's a better style for this doll than the M.A. Next time I use this pattern, I will fit the bodice piece to the doll ahead of time, and I will use interfacing on this section of the dress.

The doll's accessories are listed on my previous blog entry.

Combining Two Prints

I love these two prints together, using Simplicity 2296. This pattern is for 18-inch dolls, yet this doll is swimming in this dress. You may like your doll clothes to be loose, but this little dress easily falls off her shoulders.

This doll is a Madame Alexander. She has great lips and hair. I think I left her hair a bit too wild. These Espadrilles come from the Springfield doll section at Michael's. I found the moonstone necklace at Carpatina.

I wonder if perhaps I stretched the top when I was sewing. The pattern doesn't call for interfacing, but I'll use it next time. Seriously. This dress is huge. American girl is larger through the shoulders. I think I'll try the dress on her.

Fashionista in Polka Dots

I put the finishing touches on the dress that I featured in my last blog. I shortened the dress considerably, and I added some off-white lace to the bottom.

In addition to altering the length, I changed the shoes to dark brown boots, and I added wide brown ribbon to Dollie's hair. Maybe I missed my calling as a "stylist." Compare our model to the one in the previous blog. Comments?

Doll Clothes Alterations

Below is an unfinished polka dot dress that I made with Simplicity #4654 that still needs a hem. Please note that the designated hem is only one quarter of an inch. Since I've revisited my childhood hobby of creating doll clothes, I've become dissatisfied with many of the patterns that I find. The clothes have a strange fit, or they're basically boring. This dress is too long:

I appreciate anyone's effort to create, period. But what I envision is simply different from anything I see. Once I hem the dress--and add the velcro to the opening down the back--the dress won't look much different.

I am trying to dress dolls as if they're kids, fashionable kids, at that. I don't see little girls wearing mid-calf or ankle-length dresses. Why would anyone dress American Girl or Madame Alexander in a long dress unless the doll is supposed to be a wearing period costume or a princess dress?

I'm going to hem this dress somewhere above the knee after I change the look of the dress with a pleat here and a tuck there. With a few tiny alterations and with some accessories, this dress will look vastly different, and much better. That is my aim, anyway.

Please check out my next blog entry to see the results.

My Asian Fashionista

Whenever I consider buying a new doll, I must find a place to keep her. 18-inch dolls take up space. Until recently I had one American Girl doll (Julie), and I had four Madame Alexander dolls. I need to balance out my collection with another A.G. doll, maybe one with red hair and freckles, or I'd like to buy an A.G. doll that looks like me, "Marshmallow Jane."

Lo and behold, I found another Madame Alexander doll that I couldn't resist and she is Asian. Or she looks partly Asian. Eurasian. Chinese American or Japanese American.

At least a manufacturer made an attempt to create a doll that looks somewhat Asian, and I say this because at least two people don't think she looks Asian at all. She is beautiful; there is no doubt about that.

I peek in the doll section everywhere I go. I almost hate to say this, but I only spent $20 on the above beauty that I found at Walmart. She doesn't appear anywhere on the Internet. Madame Alexander manufactures batches of dolls for specific stores--it would seem--and then they disappear. I could tell you that I spent $100 on her; the quality of her face and hair certainly compares to the expensive A.G. dolls.

Now I have one A.G. doll and five M.A. dolls. I actually prefer the construction of American Girl's body a bit more, and I will make sure that my future clothes patterns fit her to a tee. But nothing compares to the Madame Alexander face.

My sister's friend Win, who is at least in part Chinese, thinks this doll looks Asian. Of course, I'm using the word "Asian" to cover all Asian races. I hope that no one Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean or other specific race is insulted by my generalization. At least a company has made an attempt to alter the face--if only slightly--to represent a girl who isn't all white--or black.

Comments, please?

Madame Alexander vs. American Girl

I have an unabashed love for Madame Alexander because her face is so beautiful. Her lips are large, and so are her wide-set eyes. This doll is called "Favorite Friends First Day of School," and she's listed at the Madame Alexander site for $44.95. There are 13 "Favorite Friends" available at the above M.A. page. I particularly like this one:

I will frequently compare Madame Alexander to American Girl because there are differences. One notable one is that Madame Alexander's cloth body is seamed at the chest; whereas American Girl is seamed at the neck, making this seam visible with any open-necked outfit. However, Madame Alexander's chest seam creates a funny dent--noticeable to a seamstress--that gives her slightly funny posture. I actually tried to return my first 18-inch M.A. doll until I realized they're all designed in this manner.

Therefore, I consider the physique of American Girl to be superior. Yet, that funny seam at A.G.'s neck annoys me--but then so does the indented chest of M.A. Suffice it to say, a girl child won't care about either of these seams. And American Girl is twice as costly as Madame Alexander.

Both brands of dolls celebrate racial differences--as you can observe the different skin colors among the 13 dolls at the M.A. link that I provided above. American Girl gives the buyer a lovely opportunity to choose hair, eye and skin color. You can purchase a doll that resembles your child (somewhat). You can even choose to get the doll's ears pierced for an additional $15. However, the base price of the doll is $100 ($115 with pierced ears). The A.G. doll is a pricey toy, well worth the cost if your child plays with it for several years.

Some parents do not have $100 or even $45 to spend on a doll. There are cheaper brands, like Springfield dolls that can be found at Michael's. Springfield dolls are a cheap "knock-off" of the popular American Doll. You may also find it at Amazon--for about $17--but if get a 50 percent discount coupon for Michael's, you can get the Springfield doll for around $8. I won't spend significant time on Springfield dolls or any other brand that emerges as a trend or fad, unless it becomes more popular. If you or your child has a Springfield

 

doll, I'd be curious to hear about your experience and your opinion of the doll. My aim is to provide ample information to properly dress the 18-inch doll. American Girl will be the default doll when sizing patterns.

Choosing Fabric

My goal is to make beautiful doll clothes, spending only pennies. Fabric can be expensive these days but remnants are cheap. I've found nice remnants at both  JoAnn Fabrics and Walmart; I'm using either remnants or scraps from past projects.

First I purchased a few cute doll shoes and accessories, and I kept these colors in mind when sifting through remnants. I have grouped similar colors together to help me put together a "look." I will probably make a skirt with box pleats out of the silver drape fabric on the right. Those silver shoes have ankle straps; the little slippers are lavender.

I need to adjust my taste in fabric somewhat and quit selecting colors that I'd wear myself. I love muted colors, but I think both deep and bright colors are more appropriate for dolls. I love black and white, and I love polka dots (for both me and the dolls). See below:

I would never buy black fabric (toward the right) with the shiny thingies, but these remnants give me the opportunity to try something different, even expensive. My American Girl doll Julie is supposed to be a hippie, so I will probably use the above tie-dyed print for her. The polka dots will be cute with a red belt. The pin striped fabric on the right is probably lining but I can use it for a short vest. Or I can make a black vest and line it with the pin stripes.

Aren't these saddle shoes and Mary Jane shoes adorable? These cute little shoes can be the start of a doll's look.

I have a closet full of clothes in the color palette below. I like to match hair and clothes. Unfortunately, only one of my dolls has brown hair, and it looks more black. I'm thinking of adding highlights to the doll with the brown hair. Has anyone ever colored a doll's hair? I could probably highlight with tea, but I'm afraid of staining the doll's skin.

These are lovely browns for sure. The two pieces on the left are faux leather; I have plenty of each so I can make pants or a skirt or a vest.

This last group is blues. The middle piece is six inches of denim. You can use leftover legs from cut-offs. The prints on the right remind me of Katy Perry who is very smart the way she uses color, the way she dresses "retro."

I plan to have some fun, creating my fashion line for these dolls. Lots of polka dots. Lots of hats. Lots of gloves. Lots of wild hair. I'm having fun with this blog.

My 18-inch Dolls

American Girl manufactures the most popular 18-inch doll. In my opinion their construction is superior to that of other dolls of the same size, but they are pricey at $100 each. When purchasing an A.G. doll, you can choose hair color, hair length, shade of skin and eye color. Your little girl can play with a doll that resembles her in many important ways.

I own one American Girl doll that is known as Julie. She's the center doll below with the long blonde braid, and she represents the 1970s when flower power and love influenced both style and ideals. The fictional "Julie" lives in San Francisco. The embroidered blouse that her friend wears belongs to Julie.

I prefer the face of Madame Alexander hands down. M.A. dolls have larger eyes and fuller lips than American Girl. Although I will always create patterns and clothes to fit the measurements of the popular A.G. doll, I will make it easy to adjust clothes to fit Madame Alexander. I will talk about the differences in sizes at a later date.

Although I simply adore M.A., I have noticed that the construction in general of American Girl is superior. Her hair has more root holes, so it is thicker, and her body has better proportions.

Below are two dolls by Madame of Alexander that I simply adore. I call the doll on the left "Brandi" because she resembles my daughter-in-law with the same name who is also bi-racial. Recently, Madame Alexander has manufactured its 18-inch dolls in small batches of unique dolls. The doll on the right is quite a find. Look at her full lips and massive hair. I can't wait to sew for these dolls!

The dolls I include in this blog have traded some articles of clothing. I threw away some clothes that came in the box because they were utt-bugly. By the way, I am not a lover of the clothes that are available for these dolls, and that's what this blog is all about. I want to try something different. I can't wait to do some wild things with the doll hair as well.

Stay tuned for more info about dressing 18-inch dolls and the people who love them.

Ballerina and Fairy Dolls

The Madame Alexander 10-inch doll has the most exquisite face. Once I fell in love with her, Barbie made no sense. I remember Madame Alexander in costumes from various countries, but through the years, the 10-inch doll has appeared as Scarlett O'Hara, Jackie Kennedy and other historical figures.

I found my own dolls under the Christmas tree, one at a time, without a fancy outfit. As I recall, my doll either came in underwear or a generic dress which made her a great candidate for homemade clothes. In those days, I wasn't much of a collector, and with five children in our family, my dolls eventually lost their heads.

As an adult, I've gravitated to the same beautiful face of the 10-inch Madame Alexander Doll. She no longer is available in her skivvies so through the years I've bought them in their costumes. I have two Scarletts, and a Pollyanna but I lean toward ballerinas.

I'm actually in awe of this doll. I want to look at her, stare at her, but I must keep her tucked away to protect her from dust. One of these days I may get a display case. This doll is called "Fairy of Wind."

Here are two dancers called: "Russian Ballerina" and "Polka Dot Plié." I love the detail on these costumes. The dancer on the left is a prima ballerina who has received flowers after her performance.

Here is Madame Alexander's version of "Tinker Bell." If you look closely, you can see her wings and her wand.

Although I adore these dolls, they are far too fancy to play with, and I want to work with dolls that my granddaughter can carry with her everywhere she goes. I will dress larger dolls--larger than the 10-inch dolls of my past--so that a set-in sleeve or lapel collar is do-able. I now love the 18-inch doll manufactured by both American Girl and Madame Alexander. I will discuss the differences among dolls of this size as I begin dressing them.

I wanted to share my first love of dolls before embarking on this project to dress the larger American Girl and her Madame Alexander sisters.

Fashion and Dolls

When I was a little girl, I had a sewing machine that was probably considered a toy. The machine was designed like the real thing except that it had no foot pedal or knee attachment. I manually turned the wheel that made the needle go up and down.

My dolls were pre-Barbie. I owned a couple beautiful 10-inch Madame Alexander dolls. In those days, Madame Alexander sold some of the dolls without luxurious costumes. They came in the box wearing something plain. At first my mother made outfits for my dolls, but in no time I was making my own doll clothes.

My granddaughter is almost five, and I recently got the bug to make doll clothes again. My first recent foray into doll fashion was to make a little girl dress with a matching doll dress. I flipped through books and perused the Internet, trying to find patterns that matched, and I eventually found dresses that were only similar. I made them match by adding some flowers and ribbon to my granddaughter's dress and purse and to Ariel's dress.

I was disappointed that the doll clothes pattern I used was way too big for Ariel. I ended up scrapping the pattern and making something from scratch.

Since that experiment, I've learned that the 18-inch doll is the most popular. American Girl has demonstrated longevity. Madame Alexander and a few other companies make an 18-inch doll with similar measurements. I find sewing for this size doll to be more fun. The larger doll allows for more detail.

My long-term goal is to make fashionable clothes for my granddaughter's 18-inch dolls, and, hopefully, I'll find an easy way to make matching clothes for little girl and doll. I've searched the Internet to see what doll patterns are available. American Girl manufactures beautiful clothing and accessories for the 18-inch doll that are pricey. Butterick, McCalls and Simplicity carry some cute patterns, but I have something else in mind.

I want to create some doll clothes that are trendy, modern, creative, funky, maybe a bit freaky. Not sexy. These are little girl dolls that can become well-dressed. Why not? Although period costumes can be adorable, I think that little girls like to dress their dolls the way they dress themselves.

I gather ideas from the likes of Teen Vogue and Seventeen. My aim is to create "looks" so these dolls can walk the runway. Dolls. Fashion. Patterns. Little girls.

Welcome to my blog about doll fashion and sewing for dolls.

This blog will change my life

I look forward to making this blog beautiful. Stay tuned for some stylish funky doll clothes patterns.