I've been reacquainting myself with
an old love - Barbie size dolls !
Please join me for another challenge
- dressing all my sixth-scale dolls, one at a time, in outfits made by me from patterns I've never used.
Ten most recent outfits pictured here !
Older creations on the Barbie page.
Here it is, the first creation of 2009 ! It just kinda ranks that I had
to use a muslin to test the pattern first, but I've gotten used to that with Aileen's Petite Fashions ! This is #118, a copy
of the Barbie Learns to Cook shirtwaist dress. I love APFs, they're great designs in clothes most of us want for
our dolls - but her directions never make sense to me. I got so confused with her collar instructions, I pulled up a Japanese
pattern that was similar, and used theirs. I did a better job with directions in a language I can't read than with the ones
included, in plain English !
Had a similar issue with the skirt. And since her photos are never of the dress made with the pattern, just
the original Mattel dress and images from doll collector books, I have no idea how her design varies from the original source.
It just annoys me that she alone has many of these patterns, otherwise, I'd dump the ones I have.
Anyway, even with numerous errors - waist is too low, sleeves are off, collar points don't match, and buttons
aren't straight - it turned out OK. Even if it does look like 'Lucy gets a Paris day dress' ! I'll probably remake this later,
in a thin cotton. I love shirtwaists.
This lovely Bubblecut came to me via a flea market - and her head was on the filthiest straightleg body
I've ever seen ! Luckily, I had a spare SL body that used to have a Malibu head on it... from another flea market, of course
! For $2., I think I got a beautiful girl - who likes to be called Brenda.
Just under the wire ! Finished
this over an hour ago, making it my last project – and last update – of 2008. I’d have posted it over an
hour ago, but I’ve had numerous problems with Tripod, and this is my fifth try at getting this up. Wish me luck.
So, anyway. This is Erika, from
2007’s direct-to-DVD movie and merchandise spectacular, The Princess and the Pauper. You can guess which I prefer.
It helps that I found this lovely girl in a yard sale, still singing prettily, despite the fact that another doll had appropriated
her dress. That doll got donated, and I have only a minor repair to make to her factory-original gown.
I actually started this dress
months ago, but lost interest when I couldn’t start sewing it the day I cut it out – believe it or not, I didn’t
have any pink fabric ! By the time I bought what’s used here, I’d nearly forgotten about it. But you know how
we all like to clear the decks as much as possible when a whole new Year is on the way…
So about 9:30 tonight, I gathered
the pattern, the cut and Fray-Check’ed pieces, and a printout of the Japanese directions. I’m sure this would
have gone better if I could read Japanese, but it went OK with my ignorance and their great line drawings. The pattern is
from a book called Barbie in Japan, although I’m not sure if that’s the exact translation of the title.
It often shows up on eBay under that title. Most of the patterns are easy, but…
Ever heard the old saw, “If
you skip practice for one day, you will notice it. If you skip practice for two days in a row, the people you practice with
will notice it. And if you skip practice for three days in a row, EVERYONE will notice it!" ? Turns out, it’s true.
It took me over two hours to sew two simple hems, and I had to rip ‘em out three times. Of course, I’ve taken
a heckuva lot longer than three days off… but know I know I need to keep my limited skills up if I ever wanna get any
better at this !
It’s a bit snug on Erika’s
slightly wider than standard hips, but with her necklace and eyes, it really looks nice. And, despite the frustration and
annoyances when I started, I had fun. Hmm… maybe I should make a hobby of this ‘sewing’ thing, maybe even
give m’self some challenges….
| My first successful lace overlay ! |
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This is Peace Lilly. She was waiting for me at a - all together now ! -
flea market, about the time my life was going to complete %$#t. If you're curious, the sordid details are enclosed in my blog,
The Doll Diaries. Link on the left. But it doesn't matter much to Lilly, just that's where her name came from, a simple, honest
wish made at the time.
She's actually 2001's Rose Barbie, celebrating the release of the Barbie
pink rose that year. Her permanent necklace has a rosebud on it, on the other side. She was wearing a lovely pink lace Fashion
Avenue dress when I found her, and I'd originally intended to claim the dress and donate her - her strawberry blonde
hair was in an awful state ! But once brushed out, her calm nature surfaced, and I knew I needed her around. And you know
me, if she's 'rose' Barbie, I have to call her 'Thorne' or 'Hibiscus', anything but 'Rose'. I think she's getting off easy
with Lilly.
I needed a challenge, so I thought I'd try lace overlay again. My solo
prior effort was a misbegotten mess. This time, though, I could follow the directions included with Denise Devoto's "To
Have & To Hold", a lacy wedding gown pattern. Figured I'd try the bodice. I'm not a big-gown person, I'm
sure you've noticed. The pattern's featured in the Autumn '07 issue of the soon-to-be-lamented Barbie Collector.
It turned out well ! Surprisingly easy - you basically baste lace and fabric
together, and sew them as one piece. It helps if you iron 'em together, it bonds 'em a bit. There was only one problem.
Since I was using scraps and recycled bits from other projects, people clothes, and a worn-thin pillow ticking, I didn't read
the 'Materials' portion. I should have. The pattern is designed for a 2002 TNT body - which is one I don't have. I was fitting
it to yer classic 1966 TNT body...and it didn't work.
Well, the fit was great, actually. Curved around the hips and bustline beautifully.
It was just about a half-inch shy of closing in the back ! I salvaged it by using hook and eye closures (salvaged from a bra),
which extended just far enough to fit and look good in the front. I'll probably alter the pattern later, because I really
like that bodice !
Since I didn't want to make a big skirt - the fabric under the lace was
leftover tiny bits I didn't have much of - I printed out a Doll Shop Deluxe straight skirt and used basically the same 'iron
and baste' method for the overlay that I used for the bodice. Decided to leave the waistband without lace, for contrast. If
I do say so m'self, I love it, and I'm really happy with it.
And now, I can pretty much overlay anything ! With lace, or tulle, or netting,
or sheer curtain fabric...whooo-hoo ! Challenge met - and I learned something good ! That's about all you can ask of a pattern
and a quiet afternoon !
The challenge continues ! Now, I know what yer thinkin'. You *know* you've
seen a Malibu Barbie here already, and the challenge is something new for each doll, using new patterns. So what gives ? And
who's that redhead ?
Well, here's the deal. I found a wrecked-head Malibu PJ at a flea market
last month. Several months ago, I bought several Malibu dolls at the same flea, and ended up with good face/good body Malibu
Barbie and Malibu PJ dolls...and a spare Malibu Barbie head. I fully intend to reroot a M'bu Barbie as a brunette, something
I've wanted since I got my very first Barbie - that's right, a Malibu Barbie ! - in 1971. But it was nice to have one of my
fondly remembered dolls as-is. So when I found a good body M'bu, I swapped heads. I now have two M'bu Barbies and one PJ -
and a wrecked-head PJ. Eventually, one will be rerooted brunette. But for now, they're both blonde.
And the redhead also has head-swap tales to tell. She's Poison Ivy, reheaded
to a 'standard' Barbie body. The bendy body is OK, once you get used to it, but I wanted her to have a regular one, so she'll
pose and wear clothes with the rest of the crowd. Got Pamela at the same flea, found her replacement body at a thrift store.
Donated the body and head I didn't need, so everyone's a winner !
So. They both arrived nude and pretty winded and weary from all their surgeries.
Something comfy was clearly in order here. Since I'd had some success with DebbieFS in Australia's dress pattern with
the Ariel girls, I thought I'd try her pajamas. They can (sometimes) be found at http://members.boardhost.com/DollDivas/msg/archive/1195868542.html . But not always. I may write her, ask if I can host the pattern here.
That way, it won't play peek-a-boo so much.
Malibu's cherry print was the first try. I can sew collars now ! Her directions
were good, but I didn't use 'em. Just futzed with it until I understood. Whoo-hoo ! Unfortunately, her image and my results
didn't much look the same. Hers was much baggier, and the sleeves weren't three-quarter ones. And I couldn't find the pants
part, so I used a shorts one I already had. Still, it sewed well, and I liked the results - but the facing for the collar
was kind of small. It just barely had enough fabric to fold.
So I expanded the facing and sewed Pamela's. This time, the pants pattern
was there, so I used it. My adaptations came out much larger and baggier - it'll probably fit Ken now. And the pants were
HUGE ! Since I was using bits for the pajama top, I only had enough to do sort of an inset patch on the pants, but it came
out OK, I think.
Upshot is, she uploaded another photo. This time, the sleeves were short
and the collar was much smaller. I'd done it right the first time, after all ! But now I have two versions of it ! Kind of
like the Malibu Barbies !
| You can't keep these girls away from the beach ! |
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'Bout time I sewed something, huh ? Fact is, I've been sewing a lot, but
it's not been stuff I wanted to post here. Christmas projects, other doll sizes, people-clothes repair...December is always
so busy ! And the Han outfit I made didn't turn out well yet... But here's a pattern you can download and try yourself for
free !
This is 'Sexy Stretch Mini Dress' for Barbie, by DebbieFS in Australia.
While my first effort didn't fit a standard Barbie, the second and third did, and the first one looks darn cute on an
'89 Tyco Ariel ! DebbieFS posted the original pattern, directions, and a photo of her creation on Doll Divas, a doll chat
board. If you'd like to download a copy, here's the link ->
It calls for a stretchy knit fabric, and this was a pajama top Friday morning.
Printed as downloaded, the pattern's first effort didn't even close in the back of any doll but Arienne (Tyco Ariel)
in the middle here. Sleeves fit fine, but it was still much too short for a Barbie dress - blouse, maybe, but
her molded-on panties would show regardless. So I figured the pattern didn't print out at the right size, and with
no marked seam allowance or 'this block equals one inch' reference, it stood to reason. Especially since computers
and patterns can vary...well, decided to try again.
Abigail, on your right, got the second trial. I increased the pattern 130%, and sewed it again. It's a bit
big, but fits both her and standard Barbie, so I'm happy. I did this one completely by the directions, even the collar, and
I still didn't get that 'bend' in the collar shown in the source photo even when I gathered it a bit. Sleeves and length is
also longer than the source, but I like what I got.
Adelaide, on your right, got separates, using the same pattern. Shortened the sleeves an inch,
and the bottom edge shortened an inch and a half to make a nice high-hip length blouse. Instead of adding the collar,
I simply hemmed it for a new look. This time, I drew the seam allowance for the sleeves on the wrong side with a pencil -
easier to follow and better fit. The skirt is doll's waist + .5 inches (for seams) long and an inch wide, folded and
sewn for a waistband, with a gathered rectangle of a skirt sewn to it. Took a bit less than two hours total.
Since all these girls are thrift-store finds, I can only guess which Ariel
dolls they used to be. Arienne in the middle is clearly a Tyco Ariel , one of the first Disney 'Little Mermaid' dolls.
With her fin, she's about 11 inches tall - without it, she's 9 petite inches, with a Super Teen Skipper type body. While Tyco
bought Ideal/ViewMaster in 1989, and Matchbox in 1992, Mattel purchased Tyco in 1997, and got all the candy in their basket.
I wonder if they simply got Ariel with Tyco, or if they had to renegotiate with Disney...
In any case, Mattel soon made taller, and rather sexier, Ariel dolls. Abigail, I believe is a
1989 'Valentine Ariel', as she was wearing the swimusit (no fin, unfortunately) when I found her. Adelaide seems to be a '00
'Seaside Holiday Ariel', since that vivid lip color is pretty rare. Her hair is also thicker and wavier (collector doll) than
Abigail's (grocery store playline).
Would you believe I have *six* Ariel dolls, of varying sizes, ages and manufacturers ? Just can't
resist 'em !
| Not-quite camoflaged, Chel ! |
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Aaand, Chel here brings us to the last of the Simplicity 6097 outfits, View
2. The rest of the pattern's garments are either too fluffy (wedding gown) or too simple or similar to other projects for
me. It's been a great pattern, though - especially considering I only got it because it was in a lot containing a pattern
I really wanted !
'Chel' is a My Scene Chelsea doll - not sure which one, it's kind of a guess
when you buy dolls at flea markets ! - and while she came with shoes that'd work with this ensemble, I wanted to use her 'regular'
feet. The MS dolls are actually quite clever - they appear to have the big, chunky foot-shoes of yer standard Bratz doll,
but she doesn't have the peg feet. Nope, under the huge shoe is a regular Barbie foot that'll fit most any Barbie shoe. One
thing I've noticed, though, is that the legs on MS dolls tend to bend in somewhat, beginning around the shin or ankle,
and it's often more pronounced on the doll's right. Probably due to those heavy shoes !
About the only thing I changed here is that embroidery floss ties gather
her sleeves at the wrists, not elastic thread. I simply don't like elastic thread, and I think the bows look better. The lace
collar is sewn on gathered lace, and the blouse's jabot is the same lace, just two pieces sewn together, one a bit lower
than the other, then hand-sewn to the blouse front, gathered a bit by another bow. All three bows are removeable and
changeable, in case she decides she wants a skirt of that red and black check next.
The pants are recycled peachskin fabric, from a long-ago pair of torn pants
donated by my favorite recycler, my Mom-in-law. Peachskin frays like anything, and sucks in light and dust at about the same
rate. But it is lovely stuff with a beautiful sheen and texture. Chel's gone from belly-baring party girl to a young lady
on her way to an evening chamber music concert or a touring production performance of "Wicked" !
I like her better like this.
| No matter where you are, sweatsuits are comfy ! |
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No matter where the Rebellion takes you - to distant planets of vast oceans,
desert flatlands, or huge honkin' forests - you'll always be comfy and barely recognizable in a sweatsuit ! Yup, today our
beloved Leia gets new clothes. This is- the sweatsuit from Simplicity 6097, view 3. First time she's ever fit into clothes
designed for Barbie without major alterations. It helps that it's soft, stretchy knit fabric (courtesy of Carol, from www.perestroika.ca patterns) in a loose design, but I think it's looked good on almost all my dolls.
The small-bodied ones tend to get lost in it.
If I was sewing this strictly for Barbie-size dolls, though, I'd have shortened
the jacket elastic from five and a half inches to five or maybe four and a half. I really had to take my time with this
one - stretchy knits require patience and stabilizer, plenty of both - but I was more than happy with the final items.
You know what this means, don'tcha ? Pretty darn soon, I gotta make something
for Han !
Don't forget - only the most
recent ten outfits are here !
The rest are on the Barbie page -
index is on your left !
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Obligatory Disclaimer : I'm not affiliated with Mattel, Hasbro, Ideal, Tonner, Madame Alexander,
Bella Productions, Playmates, PlayAlong, Pleasant Company, Kenner, Matchbox, KidKore, Fisher-Price, Galoob, Remco, Superdoll,
Tomy, Tyco, Applause, Coleco, BanDai, Irwin, Lovely Patsy, Integrity, Dollar Tree Distribution, M & C Toys, Sony,
Jakks Pacific, Takara, R&D Dolls, MGA, Mego, or any other toy company (heck, half of these are now out of business). I
just like dolls, and enjoy making stuff for 'em. I hope they don't mind that, once I buy their stuff, I play with it and take
pictures for a silly, rambling website. Or I don't buy their stuff, but talk about it anyway. So there.
| Come see the new not-doll-based site ! |
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| A great comic series - free online ! Clickies !! |
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Some banners - if you'd like 'em !
| If you'd like to link to this confusion - |
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The Last Ten Updates :
*January 30, 2009 - Added a 'Somewhere That's Crafty !' banner
right above. Click to visit !
*January 30, 2009 - My version of Aileen's Petite Fashions #118,
"Barbie Learns to Cook" is portrayed above. Enjoy !
*January 20, 2009 - 'Somewhere That's Crafty !' goes live ! Many
of the doll crafts are cross-posted there. I gotta make a link banner...
*January 18, 2009 - New craft page added - see how to make the
Advair chair !
*January 17, 2009 - Slight update to the 'Recycling Discarded Dolls'
page - I used up the stuffing in a new project, go see !
*December 31, 2008 - Erika gets a new dress, right up top ! Now,
let's see if I can update more often in 2009 !
*December 06, 2008 - Went through the older pages and updated them
a bit - larger fonts, shifted images, etc. Hopefully that makes 'em easier to read. Also pruned dead links.
*December 06, 2008 - Updated and reorganized the Site Index to
your left. It's now arranged by latest new content, dolls by size (small to large), project directions, pattern reviews,
doll reviews, and various essays and old junk. 'BFD Magazine' remains up high because it'll soon be folded into Elphie's
Photo Album, and once there, the original page will be deleted.
*December 05, 2008 - Yet another new page - recycling discarded
dolls !
*December 04, 2008 - Wow, it's been a while. Got a new doll - and
she has her own page ! Dare you see 'Dori's Deboxing' ?
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