Starting the Dream of Sewing Historical Clothes

 I have been sewing the Civil War dress by Keepers Dolly Duds. I have the pdf pattern, not the Simplicity one. They book look very similar. 

A few things I've learned for the next dress is:

• Serge seams prior to sewing pieces together. Lesson learned when I tried to serge the side seams with the sleeves in. I can't see the seams with my serger as the foot is bigger. 

• Serge the sleeve cap side seams prior to sewing together. Makes for a nicer finish. 

• Make the ties earlier and serge with the front bodice side seams.

• Watch how you add the cuff to the sleeve as I have the first one in wrong. It closes back to front not front to back. I have to take it apart and do it correctly. 

I will be making this dress again as I love it. 

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 Addy arrived yesterday and she is delightful. I can say love at first sight. She will remain historical and not move from past to present with her clothing.

She has been removed from her box and is resting. She is tired from her 4 week journey to our house. She will try on the Civil War dress this afternoon. 

I read the book "Finding Freedom" which came with her. It gives a great insight into her life. I'm going to get the rest of the books from the library to learn more about her. 

The dress she is wearing was her choice from a bag of clothes she and her momma got to choose from when they arrived in Philadelphia. I will be keeping this dress as part of her wardrobe. Slowly I will add more clothes and ideas are spinning in my head. 

Is Addy my last doll? We wait and see where the budget is in November when the dolls go on sale in Canada. If I can get one, it will be an Addy mold with ringlets. She will fit in with Addy if I want to have a bit of fun with them. In the mean time, I will sew for Addy and the other dolls I have. 

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

Adding To the Collection

 It is time for an update. Things came to a grinding halt with the dolls.  I am now moving forward once again. Plans are in place for 2021 in the sewing room which didn't include getting 2 extra dolls.

Dolls

First, Addy Walker is coming to live in our house. She is the result of my very in-depth research on African Nova Scotians. I am keeping her as a historical character of the 1860's. Her clothes will reflect that era and I'm excited to sew for her.  I don't know where Addy is in her travels but I do hope she is safe and warm.

Julie and Lea were suddenly purchased when they were advertised on a Facebook page. They lived about a 30 minute drive from our house.  Both moved into the house yesterday. They are so happy to be out of isolation and in the sewing room. 

Julie is a historical doll and her era is the 1970's.  She will be a more modern girl who is interested in sports and dance. Julia is a pre-loved doll who in near perfect condition. She is also a first edition doll and came with her meet outfit. 

Lea was the doll of year in 2016 and is part Brazilian of which I am excited about. She is in very good condition for being pre-owned. Lea will model both historical and modern clothing. 

I am excited to have more dolls to dress. 

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

2021 Thoughts and Aspirations

2020 has been quite the year. I've done a lot of testing as the pandemic had the designers reaching for their pencils and designing lots of new patterns. My doll's wardrobes are large and varied. 

As this year comes to an end, I've been thinking about what I want to do for the dolls next year. Which direction am I going to take? What would I like to focus on? 

Testing Patterns

I have been waffling around about pattern testing (sewing and knitting) for quite a while. I thought about quitting because I did a lot of testing and what I wanted to sew and knit. I was diligent to follow the rules and now that I have slacked off, I haven't been kicked out so I will stay until I get kicked out. Stay means on my terms. 

Pattern Drafting

I'm going to look at this once again and figure out how I can do it like a course. I need to get a program for writing up my patterns. Will I publish them? Maybe. But, I would like to have a few patterns to work with for the Gotz dolls. Basics that I can use pattern design techniques to make different necklines, sleeves, etc.

The other thing I want to do is change patterns a bit. One is making a facing for the inside of a jacket so the lapels match the outer garment fabric. 

Easy To Sew Patterns

I'm still wanting to sew a bunch of easy to sew patterns. They are the patterns that clear my brain and allow me to try a new technique or two. They are the ones that give you instant gratification when you really need it. They are the ones that complete an outfit with something that isn't the star of the outfit. 

Historical Patterns

As a person interested in history, I have read/watched a lot on the Victorian/Edwardian era. I have been mulling this around a lot this fall and I'm going to start sewing historical clothing in the new year. I'm going to combine it with couture sewing (a course I need to finish) and have a bit of fun. These will not be quick sews as I want them to be outstanding items. The goal is to use a lot of fabric from the doll's stash. 

The other era I like to sew for is the 1930-50's as the outfits are great on Kit. I don't research this era, I just sew them for fun. 

Techniques and Tutorials

I want to continue on doing different techniques and do tutorials on some of them. One is how to place embroidery on an article of clothing. What works well for me. I enjoy sharing what I've learned with others. 

I also want to share some hacks that I plan on doing in the new year. And I want to share how to sew with leather. Though it has its own rules, sewing leather is not scary. 

Photography

I want to improve my photography skills and need to get a ring light and an area to photograph. Using the ledge by the window gives less than professional pictures. I want to use my Cannon camera and learn how to use it correctly. There is a lot to learn but I can learn by photographing the dolls. 

What Else?

To sew up as many of the patterns I have on hand as possible. That could take me years to do but I hope to do some each year. 

To sew down the dolls' stash. I have lots of nice fabric to sew and I should be using it up rather than looking at fabric in the stores. This includes lace, ribbon, and buttons. 

To look deeper into selling doll's clothing on Etsy. I have questions to be answered by a friend. 

Thoughts for 2021

 Thanksgiving in Canada is this weekend and the housework has been at the top of the list. We have been given guidelines to follow so I'm getting ready to have a safe Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. 

The Desk

The desk is in at Ikea but I can't get it for a couple of weeks. This week is too busy as is next week. But, I'm excited to know it's available and hope it is there when I can get in to buy it. 

The Striped Fabric

It sits on the shelf calling me but I still haven't found a pattern I like. I keep looking in the stash of patterns and on line for a new one. So it sits and waits calling out on a regular basis. After Thanksgiving, I will have another hard look at patterns once again. 

2021 Thoughts

I am having an issue with testing patterns at the moment. I have to choose one a month to test and there are months that none resonate with me. I do them, don't like them, and, after some time passes, I toss them. There are some I love and I really enjoy making those patterns. I have been staying because of them. I have to make a decision on what to do for both sewing and knitting. 

I want to take a bit of a turn in the path and try something different next year. 

A bit of history making outfits that come from books/movies I enjoy. One a month that takes a while to sew. Where did that come from, you ask? Lumineria published 2 new patterns this week. Meg and Beth from Little Women. I want to buy the set and do them plus the Downton Abbey, Little House, and Anne of Green Gables patterns I already have. I have the fabric and trim for most of these outfits. I have two dolls who will wear these patterns well and may look for a third one doll. Not sure as I want to keep the doll numbers down. 

Continue with Kit's wardrobe. I enjoyed working on it in the past and I want to add to it. I'm looking at a couple of Keepers Dolly Duds patterns for her along with, I hope a few patterns I hope are going to be tested in the near future. 

Work on the Gotz doll's wardrobes. I'm hoping to make them each 6 pieces for sure. They will pretty much have the same items of clothing - overalls, blouse, dress, coat, leggings, and skirt. All in different colors. Start with the overalls as I have one done. 

I am going to have a day of playing in the fabric and put together fabric with patterns. It will be a day to sort, think, fold, and have fun. 

In the meantime, I need to figure out the pattern for the stripe material. It is still calling me softly from the shelf. 

Happy Dolly Sewing.........................................

My Fall Ideas

I am not missing but have been very busy lately. Nothing has been happening in the doll world with me as I have been outside doing yard work, trying to clean the house and having a lot of appointments to go to. It calms down next week which is nice though outside work remains a priority. 

Fabric - Part 1

I have a lovely piece of fabric I want to make a dress for one of the dolls. 

It is printed on the diagonal which has me looking for the perfect pattern. I'm still looking as I don't want pleats or a circular skirt. I do want sleeves though. I'm sure it is going to be an adaption of the basic dress and could be a Christmas dress for one of the dolls. 

Fabric - Part 2

I put myself back onto a fabric diet as I bought way too much after shopping at the local quilt shop. It is back to using up what I have in the stash. I'm okay with that as I have some lovely fabrics to sew up. 

Have you put yourself on a fabric diet after a buying spree?

Pattern Drafting

I have set the pattern drafting aside as I need a desk. Working at the dining room table was not a good idea. Things went downhill rapidly as I would get to an interesting point and have to put it away for meal time. 

 My idea has been sewn by someone else in the Gotz doll size.  

The dress was sold by Sofia Doll Shop (Ukraine) on Etsy. She does not say if she has designed it herself or who the designer is.  I love the how this dress turned out and will continue with my bodice design. 

I have the bodice done for the American Girl dolls but not for the Gotz dolls. I may get this done before as soon as I have time as I have the fabric, lace, and buttons for it. 

Pattern drafting for the Gotz dolls will resume once I get a desk. It is out of stock at the moment at our Ikea.  I am looking forward to designing patterns when I have the desk. I am also looking forward to seeing if I can publish a pattern or two that I design and draft. 

What do you have planned for this fall?

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

Playing With Pictures

I have been suffering from exhaustion. Cause unknown but it has passed. I've been busy since then sewing a test pattern. I have also been learning new things also this summer. More to do with pictures rather than sewing.

Collage Maker

One of the programs I learned about on Ravelry was Collage Maker. I used it when I wanted to put together Kit's wardrobe in one picture rather than loading up a bunch of pictures. 

I also did one with just 6 pictures. 

As I am only using the free version, I have limited graphs to choose from. I am sticking with the ones that allow me to showcase the dolls without a lot of cropping. Playing with the program allows you to group your photos in one picture. 
A few things to remember:

• If you have played with the program or done a collage, you will be asked if you want to start new or continue editing. I usually start new. 
• For a new graph layout, go to the third icon on the left hand side. Go to grid to choose what layout you want. 

• I have a selection of pictures already and I hadn't joined until today. If I want more pictures, I select computer and choose what I have. 
• Once you have loaded your pictures, you can put them into the grid to get the look you want. Just click on your picture and drag it over. Click on the picture in the grid and move it if you don't like the position it's in. 
• At the top center is Open and Save. I save to my computer but you have other options. Once saved, I can use the collage picture as I need to. 

Lunapic

Another site I found on The Sewing Place was Lunapic. I haven't joined this site yet and am learning it. People are using this site so their pictures don't end up sideways on a discussion thread. 

I have this photo of Kit in the bodice of the test pattern. 

I wanted less showing on each sides of her arms as I can see doll hair on one side. I started off clicking on Upload on the right hand side of the page. 

The picture is huge as the info states. I did crop first and got the picture to look like this.

It is still a large file but over 50% less bytes than the first picture. I can reduce that by changing the jpg quality to 70%. It has reduced it by more than 50% less bytes. Still good quality for online showing. 

I am still looking forward to learning more on this site. 

Have fun playing with these two sites and learning more things. 

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

Up To Take 5.3

It has been awhile and life got in the way. Between having the deck repaired and health issues, I had to put pattern drafting to one side. 

The Hack

In the last post I showed this picture of the surplice bodice. 

That design went downhill rapidly and I tossed it into the garbage. I went on to design #2. It was better but was going downhill with the adjustments I was making. 

And then on to design #3. I decided to go back to a basic bodice and get it to fit properly around the arms. I did the drape method using industrial paper towels and then worked on adjustments. Much better for me. 

I am ready to do the next muslin and if it fits well, add the seam allowances to the neck and armholes and start the surplice bodice once again. Don't ask how this take is 5.3. Take 4 must have been the first take on the basic bodice sloper.

American Girl Surplice Bodice

I did a muslin and it fits perfectly. 

It is ready to be sewn in good fabric with a skirt attached. Jennie is asking for it in a fun fabric. 

Anna's Wardrobe

Before stopping sewing, I made Anna a princess dress for her wardrobe. I used a bodice from the basic dress a friend designed and another friend's idea for the skirt. 

I did pin tucks on the bodice as I wanted to use the pin tucking foot I bought years ago. 

The only thing I did wrong was to have two green panels meet at the center back. Anna likes it but I must try to remember to do it correctly on the next dress I make for one of the other doll's wardrobes. 

It will be back to pattern drafting which could happen as early as this afternoon. I am looking forward to doing working on the bodice design once again. 
PS - My health issues have been high blood pressure and poor kidney function. I am working hard at trying to fix it but in the mean time I rest when tired, drink lots of water, and move forward. 
Happy Doll Sewing..................................