Mary Laura Dress Part 2

I love it when I can sew slowly and think while I sew. The lack of pressure is wonderful and allows me to really get involved in the project I'm working on. 

The Skirt

The skirt is not historically correct as Ma did not add a ruffle to the bottom of the skirt. I pressed the ruffle down so it was flatter. 

The fit is great on Nellie. 

The Over Dress

As I sewed the over dress, I did more looking at the pattern. Did Laura have lace at the neckline and sleeves? She did at the neckline but I couldn't see it on the sleeves. I ended up using a scrap of cotton lace and hand sewed it to the neckline. Very carefully so it would fit near perfect. 

When I did the sleeves, I did sew the lace on by machine though it took me quite a while to do. I wanted as much of the lace to show. The lightening zig zag held the lace in place before I added the cuff. I bet Ma hand sewed the lace on after she made the dress. 
The sleeves went in perfectly as did the ruffle. I pressed the ruffle down so it wouldn't stand out. The dress is ready for buttonholes and buttons. 

As I put the dress on Nellie, I had a great appreciation for how much work Ma did to make not one but two dresses. The time she spent on them from start to finish is amazing. 
I'm happy that I took the time to make this outfit, to do some research, and to ask myself unanswerable questions while sewing. As I put the not quite done dress on Nellie, I said "Job well done, Ma."
I will take pictures of the dress when done. I still have the hankie to make and hope to have this project done today. 
Happy Doll Sewing.....................................

Mary Laura Dress - Part 1 Thoughts and Sewing

Though we have had a few restrictions lifted, we are still in self isolation and social distancing. It is hard but we will survive this just like people did in years gone by. 

The Fabric and Pattern

I have chosen to sew the Mary Laura dress this month as testing patterns has slowed down to next to nothing. I also chose to think about things as I sew and enjoy the moment as I don't have a fast deadline. It is also a pattern I've wanted to sew for a while now. 

Mary Laura Dress by Thimbles and Acorns

I chose a gingham look fabric to make the dress and in orange. The reason I bought it was it was deeply discounted in the fabric store I worked in. But, it made me think about gingham and I learned how it was a staple in Laura's time. It was also woven in the United States though its origins are European. But, the colors were limited; mainly red and blue. I wonder if it was in brown also as Laura talks a lot about Ma buying her brown fabric. Certainly not orange like I chose. 
I also wondered about patterns in the Victorian era. Did Ma have a basic pattern for making the girl's dresses and adapt it for other dresses? Or were patterns readily available to her? One wonders as patterns were available. They weren't like today's patterns but they were patterns non the less. Or did she drape to fit the girls using books that arrived for all to read?

The Process

I started with the skirt as I had made it before as an outfit when I tested this blouse pattern. 

I knew what I wanted to do differently. Not a lot of changes. As I sewed and serged the seams, I thought about Laura and Ma sewing these and other dresses. Did Ma have a treadle machine or did they sew by hand in 1879-1880? Did they finish the seams on these dresses or leave them raw? 
I serged all the seams but the back one. I did an overcast stitch on it. Doing other seam finishes is hard on 1/4" seams but one wonders what seam finishes were used? Whip stitch, french seams, Hong Kong, or turn under and stitch? All lovely thoughts to ponder over while sewing. 

The Ruffle

As I started to gather the ruffle, I thought about it. I love how it makes the skirt and dress. How full was Laura and Mary's ruffles? I had to go and look. 

Not much gathering which tells me Ma was careful with her fabric. 
I tried the skirt on Nellie with half of the ruffle gathered and I quite like the look of it in gingham. 

I am excited to finish up the skirt and start on the dress. I'm happy to be sewing for the Victorian era again. Thinking about the fabric chosen and the way it was sewn kept this fun and interesting. There will be more to follow. 
Happy Doll Sewing...........................................

Making Do While in Self Isolation

I'm back! It has been quite the life living a new normal. With the virus, comes new things and new attitudes. 

Fabric and Notions

I was at the point of hating the doll's stash. In the past month, I've come to appreciate it as the fabric stores are closed in our province. 
I have plenty of lace, ribbon, elastic, and buttons. I am short on snaps and my thread is diminishing. Not too badly but it is going down. I'm hoping I'll be okay for a couple of more months and can shop at my favorite quilt shop for thread and snaps. 
My last trip to get items was about March 13, before our first case was announced. Non essential services were shut down quickly. There is some curbside pick up but it isn't essential I travel 20 to 30 minutes to pick it up. So I make do as we live life in self-isolation. 

Making Do

I am trying to make do with what I have. The scraps are saved in hopes I can make something out of them. I am trying to be creative when emotions are all over the board and I want to just curl up into a ball. After a difficult week and a test pattern that brought me sadness (it was a good pattern but the timing to sew it was wrong), I decided to pick out some bright and cheerful fabric and sew. 
The fabric was scraps left over from the last reading pillow I made for the library. I had maybe .4 meter of fabric in total. I loved the fabric and it made me happy. I decided to make the Garden Tea dress by 123 Mulberry Street. But, I wanted it for the Gotz dolls. I had made it for the American Girl Dolls and loved it. 

The Pattern Adjustments

I printed the pattern at 95% of the original size as Gotz dolls are slimmer. The pattern consists of the bodice pieces and the back bow. I added 1/4" to the bottom of the bodice pieces as Gotz dolls are longer in the torso than the American Girl dolls. The skirt was cut the same length as recommended on the pattern. The width was a bit narrower than the pattern called for. I was using what I had.

Sewing the Pattern

The pattern is easy to follow and I followed it. I had a scrap of stripe fabric and I sewed it onto the underskirt to see if I liked it. I knew I could remove it or adapt it. I did not like the look. 

In the end, I decided to cut it so I had 1/2" of the stripe fabric left. I serged the cut edge and folded it up so only a tiny bit of the stripe showed. I was impressed. 

I finished the dress which included sewing the bodice lining by hand. I sewed a large snap to close the back and added the bow. 

Conclusion

I am pleased with the end results and there are no scraps left. It has pulled me out of my funk and making me think of the next project. Bear with me as I need to find some things to make the next one. I am going to slow down and enjoy the process when making it. 
Happy Doll Sewing...................................

Emma and Regency Era Clothing

I'm not lost, just busy. I'm learning how to digitize patterns. I really want to do some tiny things for doll clothes. 

Portable Closet

I printed the pattern, cut it out, and taped it together. I then dug into the doll's fabric stash and found a piece of fabric that is not printed properly on the grain. I cut out one portable closet and it sits on the cutting table until March. 

Emma

The trailer for Emma is out to preview. While watching it I noticed that Miranda Hart from Call the Midwife is one of the cast members. I then rewatched it for the costumes. I haven't sewn for this era but have seen patterns for it. This Keepers Dolly Duds pattern would work well as it is from the Regency era. 

Here is a link to see her clothing from the Regency era, when this story was written by Jane Austen. You can see these outfits on the dolls when they were sewn. 
Another link for Regency era clothing is Pemberley Threads. I am amazed at how these patterns would work also. 

Future Thoughts

I may have to try out these patterns and make one or two of them. As I have this pattern, I can start with it. 

Will you be doing any Regency outfits for Emma?
Happy Doll Sewing..............................

Storing Doll Clothes

The test pattern has been done for a few days now and I got the shawl completed to go with it. 

I enjoyed the simple knit of the shawl and how it added to the outfit. The shawl can be worn open also. 

Storing Doll Clothes

When I finished this outfit and put it into the sell pile, I got to thinking about how to store these clothes before I sell them. I thought zippered plastic bags. I fear moisture in them when shut. I worry about dust on them when left open in the bin even though the bin is tucked into a cubby. 

Portable Closet

I have this pattern and it will be an easy make if use fabric only. 

The nice thing is, I can use fabrics from the stash as these closets need not match the outfits to perfection. The other nice thing is they can be made longer if necessary. I'm guessing the size is just under 10 x 11". 
The outfits can be stored in the bag at home, taken out to sell and put with the bag into a zipper bag when sold. The other thing I like about these bags is I can hang them on hangers in the closet if I want to. 
Next on the list to buy is hangers for the outfits. I have used this shop before and the service has been excellent. I am not affiliated, just a happy customer. 
Happy Doll Sewing................................

Test Pattern

A Few Thoughts

I've been doing some thinking while sewing other projects. It has come out of the dress I this month. It was a difficult sew but I'm glad I did it and mastered it. 

My Thoughts

I keep wondering what I should do with all the doll clothes I make. The tub I put them into is getting full. I don't need them all. That is a given. 
At first I thought of trashing them as I'm very critical of my sewing. Nothing is good enough I am always saying. But, someone might like them I'm told. Sell them, I'm told. I have a war going on in my head all the time. Sell, keep, trash.

What to Do

While the war is going on in my head, I've cut way back on sewing for the dolls. Especially the Gotz dolls. I've made them nothing for quite a while. The American Girl dolls get more as I test patterns. Most of those items go into the tub after being worn for a few weeks. 

The Gotz dolls are wearing dresses made 3-24 months ago. The American Girl dolls are wearing outfits made recently to last year. Nellie is still wearing the dress she arrived in. 

Gotz Dolls

These dolls have a lot of clothes. I spent a lot of time sewing for them before I started testing patterns. Selling their clothes might be hard. These dolls are not as popular as the American Girls dolls. What I need to do is pull their clothes together and make a list of what they need. I'd like to have a small wardrobe for each of the dolls. It would be their own and not for sale. I can work sewing their clothes into the monthly to do list. They need

• Leggings
• Sweaters 
• Pants/overalls
• Coats

I have a nice number of patterns for them with little interest in buying more. I will test patterns for them if more come out. 

American Girl Dolls

I fell into collecting these dolls when I started pattern testing. I got one doll and then, when I needed more, I chose the dolls I wanted. I have one more I want but if I don't get her, I'm not going to worry about it. 

These dolls don't really have or need a wardrobe as I alternate dressing them in the test patterns. I try to keep two for historical clothing, three for the rest of the clothing. All 5 can wear any outfit I sew within reason. 

I keep filling the bin with their clothing. That is when I started to feel I needed to do something about it. I did trash some items I truly did not like. One or two are in a keep bin but I need to remember that what I keep needs to work with what I sew. Hence, I'm trying to make outfits now. A blouse or top with a skirt in a specific look or era. A dress that could work alone or with a sweater or coat. 

I'm really thinking this through, especially if I want to sell these items. I'm thinking of buying several easy patterns to sew -- skirts, pants, and simple tops. I have dress patterns that I can sew easily. 

Another idea was to make stand alone items that can be paired with other items. I'm not sure if that will really work or if I am dreaming. Right now, I'm doing outfits. Anything that is stand alone will be fancy dresses. 

How to Sell

The big item in my brain. I can advertise and sell via mail. I can advertise for craft bazaars. My client base would be children, parents and grandparents. Not doll collectors. Then I can keep my prices low for quick sales. 

The Future

I have a monthly list of items I want to make. I always include one doll item. At the moment, it is a test pattern. I try to make it as neatly as possible. That allows it to go into the sell bin.

The Mary Laura dress is on hold as I make a test blouse. But, I'm using the underskirt of the Mary Laura dress to go with the blouse giving it a Victorian look. The next test pattern is up and I need to prep for it. I'm going to do it in red as I have plenty of red fabric. I'll get back to the Mary Laura dress when I have some time as I really want to make it. I do know there are two more patterns in the line up to test. I'm sure they will be out in the next couple of months. 

I'll be back with more ideas for sewing for the dolls. I have a few ideas in my mind as I sew doll clothes. This was pressing on my mind and I needed to write about it. 

Happy Doll Sewing......................................