Making A Surplice Top Pattern

Though it took some time to make the surplice bodice pattern, it was fairly easy to do. 

Supplies

• Tracing paper
• Pencil
• Eraser ( I use a white vinyl one)
• Curved ruler if you have one. 
• Bodice pattern (Butterick 6265 is a good one for American Girl type dolls. Mine is for a Gotz doll).

Procedure

Trace the pattern onto tracing paper so you have a full bodice. Trace the stitching lines and notches Make sure you have drawn in the center front line. I had to go back and draw in the notch though it wasn't really important. 

The stitching lines at the neck-shoulder seam intersection and the waist are important as we work using them, not the cutting lines. 

As I have this curved ruler, I use it for the slight curve in the bodice. can draw it freehand also. With the ruler, the 24 goes at the shoulder and I lay the ruler so it lays at the stitching line at the waist and side intersection. I'm using an old picture to show you what I did. 

The new pattern with the curved line. Instead of going to the seam allowance on the other side, I drew this line 1 1/8" to the right of the center front line. 

 I then measured 1/4" out from the curved line and drew in the seam allowance. 

I didn't have to adjust the back piece at the shoulders as we didn't cut anything away at the neckline. I also drew in a straight of grain line using the center front line prior to erasing it. I left a bit at the waist as it will become the notch to align the two fronts together. When I cut the pattern out roughly, I will match the shoulder seams at the stitching line to make sure they fit correctly. I still need to label the front and back pieces. I also erased all the unnecessary lines. 

I then decided to make the American Girl sized surplice bodice. I used Butterick 6265. I didn't draw all the lines onto the tracing paper. 

But I did draw in the stitching line where I needed it. I also measured 1 1/8" to the right of the center line. 

I drew the line in and finished it like I did previously. Also all unnecessary lines were erased. 

I copied both top pieces (the back got cut off but I have it already). I have the back pieces ready to trace onto pellon. 

Next up is sewing the muslin.  

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

This And That

I'm not lost but have been busy outside doing yard work. It is an ongoing process that will take us several more weeks to complete. 

Hacking A Pattern

I've been playing around with hacking a bodice pattern and making it into a surplice bodice. I have one version done but want to fix up the process so it is easier to understand. It was my learning curve. 

I also want to do it again where the surplices cross over before the side seams. I have some measuring to do and then I will photograph the process for that. At the moment, I am pleased with what I've done. 

Sewing

Two years ago, I bought Simplicity 1086 as it was recommended by a friend. 

I made a dress out of it and set the pattern aside. I was doing some research on 1940's clothing and this pattern popped up. I dug it out to make Kit a wardrobe. To date, I have made both the tops, the capris, and the shorts. The tops are more intensive sews but the skirt, capris, and shorts are easy to make. 
The tops and the skirt are lacking buttons. I had to add elastic to the back waist band so the skirt fit Kit snuggly. 

The capris are adorable and were so easy to make. 

And the shorts were just as easy to sew. The top of this pattern as more difficult but the other blouse was a bit harder as the collar was hard to fit onto the neckline. 

I want to make the shorts again in the check fabric and then put the pattern away. I've got my money's worth out of this one. 
To finish this part of Kits wardrobe, I've knit a plain white sweater and have a jacket and hat to add to the mix. I'm calling this her summer holiday wardrobe. She does have a dress to add to the wardrobe just in case she needs one. 
Have you ever used a pattern to its fullest? This is a first for me as I usually make one or 2 items from a pattern and move on. 
Happy Doll Sewing......................................

Hacking A Pattern

Feb 2019, I took Pattern Academy and thoroughly enjoyed the fast paced class. When our basement flooded, I put the course away and found it again a few days ago. It is in a mess as I vividly remember picking it up off the desk and stuffing it into a binder in no given order. Though distraught at the time, I'm going back through it once again with a plan of having fun hacking purchased patterns and designing my own from the slopers.
I am going to start off with a bodice. I spent a few minutes choosing two ideas from pictures I stored. It sort of goes with what I had planned last year. 

Idea 1

Pintrest with no credit found as I didn't save it

I love the surplice bodice and the idea of attaching a skirt to it makes a cute top. I have all the skills to make this top. 

Idea #2

Sold out at Jaypore

This one is a bit more difficult and will take some thinking to accomplish. I would start with attaching the skirt to the bodice and then slash the bodice to make the box pleats. This will be a work in progress until I get it correct. 

Thoughts

I will show how you can use a simple bodice from a dress pattern to get the same results. I hope to document it here so you can try it at home also. The surplice bodice will be the first one I will hack.
Happy Doll Sewing..............................

Mary Laura Dress Complete

I finished the dress and here is the final result. 

The back has buttonholes and buttons. All but the top one turned out good. The top one decided to not cooperate twice. Yes, I ripped out the first try. 

I did a rolled hem on the serger for the hanky. I folded it and put it in the pocket. A cute addition. 

Though I'm sad it is finished, I'm thrilled with the end result. 
Happy Doll Sewing....................................

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...................................