Two of a Kind Doll Dresses

As promised yesterday, it is the final project on my craft project list, right on time.

So what exactly did I save for last?

Doll clothes!

I bought another ball jointed doll a few months ago (see the unboxing here on my doll blog) and she has been in need of something decent to wear. 

For her first outfit, I thought it would be extra cute to make matching doll outfits for both of my bjds.

The tops I made by cutting up an old t-shirt.  They both open in back with Velcro to make putting them on easier.  I used the same pattern for both shirts but there are a few tweaks. 

The one on the left has lace along the neckline with a bow in front, and the sleeves are gathered with elastic.  The one on the right is considerably different.

Here it is on the doll.  The neckline is trimmed with rolled strips of t-shirt fabric.  It’s a look I first saw on a cute t-shirt I have that I have been wanting to try out.  I thought it would be easier to try it on a doll sized piece first.

The sleeves are slashed, I’m not sure how else to describe them.  It wasn’t how I originally planned to make them, but things kind of went wrong with them so I just went with it.  I also gathered the shoulders a little and added the little bows for a touch. 

Now for the dresses.  This one for my first bjd is made the same way as the one from my doll dress tutorial (see Doll Dresses for All, With a Tutorial).  Just with different fabric, different straps, and two bows instead of one.  It was ultimately made to be similar to the next dress with out being exactly the same.

Speaking of the next dress, though it is more of a jumper style skirt.  Pretty simple with straps that cross in the back.  I added lace “straps” connecting the straps in front on a whim.  I think it adds a sweet touch. 

It wasn’t until after I had already sewn the front ends of the straps to the skirt that it occurred to me.  I could have made the straps completely detachable so that this could be worn like this or as a regular skirt.  Why didn’t I realize that before?  Oh well, maybe that might be a better idea for another outfit.

Anyway, now let’s try on the outfits.

Here’s my new ball jointed doll wearing her very first outfit.  Doesn’t it look cute on her?

Her name is Usagi which means rabbit, and she is just as energetic as her name.  So her outfit needed to be cute but a little more casual, less stuffy.

And here is my older ball jointed doll, Hikaru.  She prefers clothing that’s more detailed and elegant (you can see her reaction to these clothes here on the doll blog).

The lace edge t-shirt works well with her new lace trimmed dress.  Perfect to her taste with out being too stifling in the coming summer weather.

Two different, yet matching doll outfits.  They look so adorable together.

Can’t wait to make more doll dresses for them.

Here’s the updated list:

• dress
• hair accessories
• small bag
• pins
• clips
• doll clothes
• video

Seven down and out.  Now to get ready for the next list, and some more surprises.  Look forward to it.

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Thrift Stores and Easy Reconstruction

The second project on my craft list isn’t exactly something that I’ve been putting off making, but something I’ve put off wearing.

Sorry about the pictures, I still haven’t figured out how to successfully photograph black colored clothes and such.  I got this vest thing at the Black Friday Bag Sale at Epic Thrift (see Bagging It on Black Friday).  Over nine months later and I still hadn’t worn it because it didn’t quite work for me as is.  Just needed a little work.

So here’s the before…

…and after.  Much better right?

First I chopped off the ruffles and the waist tie thing and then cut off a few inches.  I then carefully re-attached the tie along the new hem.  It hits me slightly below the bust which is much more flattering on me.   Then I cut two pieces from the ruffle and attached them to the arm holes to give them a slight flutter sleeve look. 

So much cuter this way and easier to wear.  I actually wore it yesterday over a black tank top with one of my plaid skirts (see Plaid and Crochet for Dummies). 

Here’s the updated list:

• Purse
• Bag
• Mini-bag
• Dress
• Vest
• Fleece

Two down, just four to go.  If things go well, I’ll have the next project up by Saturday.  I may need to make a few trips to some craft stores first, and I may show off some of the goodies either tomorrow or Friday.  Look forward to it.

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It’s In the Bag!

 

This past weekend I stopped by the last day of Epic Thrift’s Back to School Bag Sale.  I really didn’t want to miss it because of how great the last bag sale was (see Bagging It on Black Friday).  I wanted to show off share what I scored at the sale. I’m afraid the pictures were taken as soon as I got back from work that evening.  Bad lighting ahead.

I found a pair of Julius the monkey pajama pants as well as some nice pillowcases.  Perfect for bedtime, or possibly to cut up for sewing other things.  I saw a pair of Hello Kitty pajama pants too, but they were too big.  It’s hard to see at the bottom of the photo, but I also found a pair of long white gloves.  They were easy to fit in the bag and I thought they might come in handy.  I also got a white curtain that I thought was a sheet until I saw the loops for a rod.  It will still work, I can either use it for sewing or for taking pictures. 

The blue dress on the left is actually made of terry cloth, as in towels.  I thought it was really cute and comfy, plus it would be perfect after swimming.  The other blue dress I kind of took a chance on, it may or may not work for me.  That’s one of the good things about bag sales, you can squeeze in extra items you may not normally consider otherwise. 

And yes, that is a Barbie movie.  Barbie’s The Princess and The Pauper, I actually like it.  It’s really funny, especially the bloopers at the end.  Remember, all Barbie movies have bloopers you don’t want to miss.  Plus, remember to check out movies from the library for free before buying.  That way if you hate them you didn’t waste any money.

Three pink tops, can you tell I like pink?  Two of them are polo shirts, I guess there is something about a pink polo.  It just looks so cute, on men as well as women too.  Of course that a completely different topic. 

It’s hard to see the black skirt, but it’s a short A-line skirt and simple but super cute.  I’ve already worn it, it works with practically everything and is really comfortable.  Can you tell I really like this skirt?

The skirt on the right has pretty embroidery on the edge and looks like it’s hand made.  It does remind me of a white and brown skirt I got before at a bag sale.  Sad this about that one is that I haven’t worn it because it doesn’t match anything.

I also took a quick peek at housewares and found three really pretty saucers.  They have gold edging and two of them have English violets painted on them.  I sadly couldn’t find the matching tea cups.  Maybe another time.

Why in the world are black clothes so hard to photograph?  Anyway, from the left is a see through lace top, a sheer black blouse and a black vest with lace on the sides.  Basically three pieces that require me to wear another top underneath for the sake of modesty.  They are also all small things I took a chance on.

Here is a couple of basic tank tops and a really cute red violet sleeve less top.  It has lace, pin tucks and ruffles and it ties in back and on the front.  It look really pretty on me too.  I wore it the other day with the cute A-line black skirt.  Told you it works with everything.

Another black top that wouldn’t photograph well, it’s a nice button down that fits me well.  It actually has nice looking cuffs with cute buttons.  I also got a pair of embroidered napkins and a wallet that looks just like the one I currently have.  At least it has the same design for things like pockets and stuff.  It even has a built in keychain, just like my current wallet which is why I like it.  It’s really handy to have my keys attached to my wallet.

I know it’s still Summer, but I like to plan ahead so I got these pretty long sleeved tops.  They will come in handy when it finally cools down here.  I also got this short sleeved bolero, it’s perfect to use year round.

More trouble with black clothing.  The black velvety dress is so adorable, I would actually wear it now if it weren’t so warm outside.  I also found another pair of black pants for work and a special pair of jeans.  Special because they actually fit me.  I have the most trouble finding jeans that fit me.  They are either perfect everywhere but the waist, or fit the waist perfectly and are baggy everywhere else.

And the best piece.  A coat.  Yes more planning ahead for Winter.  I’ve always had trouble finding cute coats on sale, no matter what the season.  That’s another good thing about bag sales.  It doesn’t matter what the price tag says, it only matters that it fits in the bag.  Of course things fit better in the bag when you know how to roll it.  Rolled up clothing takes up much less space than folded, meaning you can fit more in the bag than usual.  That’s why I could get so much in the bag.

Speaking of which, here are the totals:

• 4 white pillow cases (1 with lace!)
• 2 floral print pillow cases
• 1 white “curtain”
• 1 pair cute pajama pants
• 1 pair long white gloves
• 3 dresses
• 2 skirts
• 3 pink short sleeve tops
• 2 long sleeve tops
• 3 black tops
• 1 vest
• 1 bolero
• 1 small piece wall art
• 1 Barbie DVD
• 2 pretty napkins
• 1 pink wallet
• 1 pair black pants
• 1 pair jeans that actually fit
• 3 sleeve-less tops
• 3 pretty saucers
• 1 cute coat

38 items total for $20 plus sales tax.  A pretty good haul.  Still can’t wait for the next sale.

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Catching Up – A Wee Bit of Online Shopping

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

As a former tax preparer, I have a tendency to get my taxes done fairly early compared to most people.  Mainly because when working as a preparer, if you don’t get them done early you may have trouble finding the time to do them yourself and on time.  Plus what self-respecting tax preparer would even think of letting someone else do their taxes for them.  All this means is I filed my taxes and received my modest but decent sized tax refund in a timely matter. 

Now what did I do with my refund?  I invested some of it by buying bonds, and put some of it toward paying off debt, and some of it went to savings.  The rest went towards some items on my wish list.  Just a few things I have been eyeing for a while and thought would be useful to have for Spring as well as the rest of the year.

First off, you may have notice in the picture at Phoenix Comicon (see Catching Up - Conventions Anyone?) I’m carrying a white parasol.  I sort of made it myself, specifically for the con and for Spring.

It start out as a white umbrella from World Import Co. on eBay.  It costs $16.99 with free shipping.  It came in just a few days in this cool triangle box.  I wanted to keep it but I somehow couldn’t think of a good use for it.  Such a shame.

Anyway, here’s the umbrella along side some bubble wrap, yay bubble wrap!  This umbrella is the “parasol” style, so it has a ruffle on the bottom.

I mainly bought it for the white color and this handy hook shaped handle.  They come in other colors that were tempting, but I just stuck with the white.  Still, it would be interesting to have a pink umbrella.  The thing is that the handle is a tad thicker than I was expecting.  Thicker does mean less likely to break which is good, but it also means slightly harder to hold.  At least it does with my small hands.  It’s just something I have to get use to.

I do like the pointed end though, it’s one of the things I look for when buying umbrellas.  It just looks really nice and gives the umbrella a certain vintage touch.

The ruffle is pretty okay, it adds a sweet touch and saves me time since I was planning on adding a ruffle anyway.

The thing that really concerned me was the sheerness of the material.  I wanted to use this umbrella for both rain and shine.  If it’s too sheer will it offer enough sun protection?

That problem was easy to fix.  I had originally planned to add just a little lace trim, but instead I completely covered it with row upon row of pretty and water resistant lace.  It took quite a bit of time, but it was so worth it.

Here’s the results.  I forgot to take a picture immediately after finishing, this one was taken after using it for several weeks.  The problem with white is that it is so easy to get it dirty.  Oh well, at least it’s pretty.

I also bought a new petticoat, my other was dying on me.  It actually fell flat on me almost immediately after this one arrived, maybe out of jealousy?  I found the new one on Amazon, sold by Rose Boutique for $25 including the shipping cost.  They shipped it out quickly.  It was estimated to arrive in about 10 days, but it came early so when I got it I didn’t know what it was.  It came in this really tiny package. 

I still didn’t know what it was when I opened the package until I read the included washing instructions.  I thought that was helpful at least.

Behold the unwrapped poufy petticoat.  It expanded like crazy after I unwrapped it.  It’s a 50’s style petticoat, so it has a bit of an a-line shape to it.  A little too a-line sadly for my use, but I was able to easily alter it to give it a softer and rounder shape.  Now it’s perfect and it cost a fraction of what similar shaped ones would have cost me to buy/make.

I also bought a couple of blouses I’ve been eyeing from Bodyline. The total came to 5,998 Japanese Yen with free shipping, which comes to about $25 each.  Considerably more than what I usually pay for clothing, but they were worth it.

They came wrapped in these cute red bags.  I saved them because they were so cute, I think they would be useful for organizing accessories or even paperwork.

The first one is this short sleeved blouse.  It has beading lace on the collar and down the front, rose shaped lace down the front too, and faux pearl buttons.  It also has lacing on the back to give it a fitted look which is nice.  I found the wide crochet lace on the collar and sleeves a bit awkward the first time I wore it, but now I love them.  I bought it in a size medium and it fits okay except its slightly too big at the shoulders.  I’ll take it in eventually, but for now it’s okay.

I also got this long sleeved blouse. It has some of the same types of lace as the short sleeved blouse which is so great, but there are a few problems.  It has the same fitting issue as the short sleeved blouse, the lacing on the back isn’t quite as nice looking, and then there’s the buttons.

First one of them actually snapped off when I simply tried on the blouse, possibly the result of damage during shipping.  It did come with one spare button, just one though.  The first time I wore the blouse a second button snapped off.  Luckily the buttons were definitely not my favorite part, now it will be easier to just switch them out for nicer buttons.  Otherwise I still really like both blouses.

There actually is one other thing I purchased over the last few months, but I’m saving that for another post because it involves a special surprise.  Look forward to it. :)

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Christmas At Last?

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

Now I know this post is a little late (nearly 7 months!!), but better late than never.  And what better way to take our minds off the heat of summer than by browsing through something a little more wintery, right?

As I said in my last post, oh so long ago, I decided to make all Christmas presents and such only from materials I had on hand at the time, spending absolutely no money.  It worked, a little too well.

The fact is that my craft stash was and probably still is fairly well stocked, it just makes things too easy.  I would love to say that this has inspired me greatly and that I haven’t bought any new supplies since December in order to further use up my stash and work my creative muscles, but I can’t since I have only realized all this now. Several months later.

But enough of this, time for the crafts.

First off, the ornaments.  Every year, for who knows how many years, I always make some sort of ornaments.  Nothing says holiday cheer like a homemade ornament, so last Christmas was no exception.  I actually made two sets of ornaments.  Both made from Christmas-y print fabrics I got for free from church along with some ribbons and cords.

This first set was similar to the ones from the previous year(see Yo-Yos and Buttons) except for these I added little bows and jingle bells.

The second set of ornaments were a bit different.  I learned how to make little kanzashi flowers and thought they would be perfect for ornaments.  They are just as fun and easy to make as the yo-yos, but one difference.  For yo-yo ornaments I only need to make two yo-yos for each one, but for the kanzashi ornaments I need to make six petals to form one.

It came to making about 138 of these little folded and sewn petals…

…To make these 23 finished ornaments.

They were well received though most of the recipients thought they were poinsettias.  That actually makes them perfect for Christmas.

Remember the cute baby blankets and such I made for my friends (See Sewing for Baby)?  A certain little boy thought the cute fabric would be perfect for a blanket for him.  And since I had plenty left over, he got this larger size blanket for Christmas.

For a certain little girl, I made this pretty pouch for her to keep things like lip balm.  It’s made from scraps from the two dresses I made earlier last year (see Time for Some Catching Up).

It came out better than I thought it would, mainly because of the zipper.  Zippers still are a total pain for me, but thankfully I’ve improved with them over the years enough so they aren’t something to be feared.  I guess that’s saying something.

I’m particularly proud of this one, a vintage style collar.  It’s made from scraps leftover from the teddy bear and jacket I made along with that baby blanket.

I kind of eyeballed the pattern a little, managed to luck out.  I actually have been wanting to make one for myself since I still have enough fabric leftover, just not right now.  It hit 111 degrees the other day.  

Maybe this Christmas.

To go along with the collar, I made this pretty hair clip.  It’s made similarly to the broaches I made in my tutorial years ago (see Button Broach: A Tutorial).

It’s actually very fitting since I bought the fan shaped button with the buttons I used then.  I just hadn’t found a use for it.  The only difference is I added the chocolate brown bow on the front…

…And glued a clip instead of a pin back on the back.  That and my gluing is probably a lot neater looking, thankfully.  I guess it means I’ve improved since then.

Here’s something not so vintage looking but still unique.  It’s a dice bag and it’s fully lined.  I used some fabric remnants I got in a baggie from a thrift store some time ago.

I meant to use them for some previous projects but never did sadly.  The red pinstripes give the bag a sophisticated grown-up look, however the pattern on the lining has a different effect.  I won’t reveal what that is, that is strictly for the owner’s enjoyment. 

Now a little something for myself.  I got a great deal on some of this cute plaid material from a thrift store (see Bagging It On Black Friday), and I thought it would be perfect for something to wear for the holiday season as well as year round.

I couldn’t decide to make a dress or a skirt so I sort of did both.  I made a skirt and matching top, so I can wear them together for a “dress” look or just skirt or top with other pieces.  So far I’ve done just that almost every month since December. Very versatile indeed.

So now Christmas is done, but I’ve still got several months to catch y’all up on.  So much has happened with so much stuff sewn. It’ll have to be covered in several posts.

Look forward to it!

Give it a Try:

• SINGER Christmas Poinsettia Cotton Fabric Fat Quarter Bundle
  
• 3mm x 7yd. Metallic Cording by Celebrate It™
  
• 8.5mm Alligator Clip Blanks, 15ct. by Bead Landing™
  

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