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.