Felt Coats for Dolls, for Winter?

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

The final project on my craft list is another doll clothes craft.  Yay! Doll clothes!

I made three doll coats using craft felt.  I know, it’s March, but it’s still a little chilly at night here.  Also, if I didn’t make them now I may never get down to it.

Anyway, I made one for one of my larger ball jointed dolls and two for each of my smaller dolls (you can see their reaction on the doll blog).

The pattern for them is based on the one for the doll sweaters I made before (see From Socks to Doll Sweaters), just with some added pockets and collars.  Plus, they are slightly larger because felt doesn’t stretch like socks.  I used tiny faux pearls as “buttons” on the front and back of each coat.

To personalize each one, I decorated the tiny pockets.  For this one, I made tiny bows from felt.

And on this one, I added some scraps of lace to the pockets.

They look so adorable in their tiny dolly coats. :)

My larger doll looks cute too.

Her coat is decorated with little hearts cut from scraps of the felt.  Adds an adorable touch to it.  I’m thinking of making her a matching hat with hearts too.  Maybe next time.

Here’s the updated list:

• coats
• hearts
• organize
• blouse
• outfit

Five down and out, and just in time too.  Time to start on the next list.  It will be up really soon. :)

Give it a try:

• 9" x 12" Basic Felt by Creatology
• 4mm Round Pearl Beads, White, 240pcs.
• 4mm Round Pearl Beads, Cream Colored, 240pcs.

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Tiny Blue Lace Dress for A Doll, and a Tutorial?

It has been a while since I made anything for my ball jointed dolls, and one particular doll has been waiting a long time for something to wear.

This is Yuna, a 1/6 scale ball jointed doll that I got last November.  Until now the only thing I had made for her to wear was a sweater (see From Socks to Doll Sweaters) to pair with a borrowed dress from one of the other dolls.

But now she has this adorable little blue doll dress to wear.  It is made from a scrap of blue cotton left over from a Halloween costume (see Halloween = Tulle) with a little bit of lace. 

I decorated it with tiny pearl beads and a tiny rosette and ribbon bow.

And for those who have ball jointed dolls this size or similar sized dolls, I have a little treat.  I made a sewing tutorial for this dress on my doll blog.  It includes a free downloadable pattern.  Feel free to check it out.

In addition to the dress, I whipped up a simple little felt bag and a cute lace headband.  The bag is made the same way as the felt doll purses I made last summer (see 5 a Week: Cute Felt Bags for Dolls with a Tutorial).

The headband is just some lace with a bit of elastic at the back.  Super easy to whip up and super pretty.  I think I want to make some more, for me and my dolls.

Overall, it makes for one cute little dolly outfit.  And there are more to come later.

Here’s the updated list:

• coats
• hearts
• organize
• blouse
• outfit

Four down, just one more to go.

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Bodyline Blouse Review and Re-do or a Lacey Makeover

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

A while ago I bought a blouse from a Japanese site, Bodyline.  This is the third one I have bought from them (see Catching Up – A Wee Bit of Online Shopping).  I could not resist it.  The prices for pretty much all of their stuff had dropped drastically.

I manage to buy the blouse (it’s l157 in off-white) and 2 pairs of tights for about $34, that’s including the shipping and about the same amount I would have paid before for just the blouse. 

There were a few snags.

The tights are nice with a pretty color and texture, but one little problem.  They don’t fit.  The legs are too short for me, surprisingly.  But I have plans for that in the future.

Anyway, there is the blouse to deal with.  It is a pretty design with a cute but large collar, and the fabric is decent.

It laces up nicely with ribbon in the back to adjust the fit.  It fits me well, so no problems there.

It has detachable sleeves so I can wear it as a short sleeve blouse in warm weather…

…and have long sleeves in the winter.

The problem is all the lace, that awkward ruffly lace. 

In the product photos it looked more like a lace used in some of their other blouses which I totally love.  This blouse was cursed with a lower quality lace.  And the gathering of the lace and it’s placement only made it looker cheaper, at least to my eyes.  Time for a little makeover.

First I snipped off the lace from the collar.  The collar is quite large and the lace only emphasized that.  So did the rather large ribbon bows which had to go. 

I then removed the lace from the sleeves and from the front.

Here’s the interesting part, instead of replacing that old lace with something new, I reused it in different ways.  I took some of the now flat, unruffled lace and pinned it down the front of the lace in slightly overlapping rows.  Much prettier to look at now.

I also cut some of the lace into thinner strips of lace to use along the edges of the collar and the short sleeves.  Thinner lace is more discreet on a large collar.

After sewing down all that lace by hand, I remade the ribbon bows into smaller and cuter bows (see my video tutorial for making simple bows if you don’t know how).

And now the finished blouse.  It is much better, prettier and easier to pull off.  I just need a pretty new skirt to pair with it, but that’s for another time.

Here’s the updated list:

• coats
• hearts
• organize
• blouse
• outfit

Three down, two more to go.  The next one should be up soon and it will be super cute.  Look forward to it.

Give it a try:

• Prym Dritz Seam Ripper
• Loops &Threads Seam Ripper

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