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| Meet 'Fiyero Matthews' ! |
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| Looks like it's been a long night... |
I made this robe for Fiyero before he arrived. Doll Shop Deluxe has a feature wherein, if you pull up a pre-set measurement
set and alter, say the height, it'll automatically adjust all the other measurements. It sounds good in practice, but nothing
beats your doll and a tape measure.
I'll have to re-make this robe - armholes are too small, it's much too tight across the shoulders, and the sleeves are
too short. Still, though, it did what I needed it to, since Fiyero arrived buck nekkid.
I had a loop of sock left from the 'Make a sock doll sweater' directions, so for fun, I hemmed it and sewed about a six-stitch
crotch. They also fit Fiyero, but not well.
| My second - ok, third - sewing for Fiyero project. |
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| Clearly not all knits need stretch stitching... |
This was the next project, if you count the sock undies, the third and fourth. By now, Fiyero was here, and I did a complete
remeasure for Doll Shop Deluxe.
Fit is OK, I used stretch stitches on the Simple T shirt, but it really wasn't necessary. I'd come to believe that all
knits required stretch stitching, but it isn't always the case. I did the shorts in a regular straight stitch, and they work
fine. The fabric is from a Dollar Tree 'Pound Bag of Rags' and it used to be a shirt. Interestingly, the pocket had the logo,
"Prescription CasualWear".
Interesting thing about his...um, 'below decks'. It's very stylized, but is big enough to ensure that the center seam
on any shorts, pants, or underwear will slide to one side or the other, no way will the seam stay centered. And it does show
in clothes. I rather like it ! Neutered male dolls depress me...
| Photo's actually to show the keychain shoes... |
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| but the shirt I made him doesn't look too bad ! |
These are the previously mentioned 'keychain shoes'. They're from Old Navy, and run about $3.50 for each shoe. Fit is good,
but they do make his feet look rather big. It might not be so noticeable once I make him some pants.
Same shorts as above, new shirt. It was supposed to have a Mandarin collar and a centered button-down front closure, but
what the heck. I also messed up the sleeves. Good thing I used scraps from that old housedress for this one !
On the plus side, I learned quite a lot. A way to get snaps to match and meet during application, where I've been messing
up on the sleeves, and a better way to hem. And, what the heck, it's still wearable until I can make him something better.
At least I know how to make simple slacks !
| Sock sweater trial #2 - |
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| Needs work, but much better ! |
This was Trial #2 for the sock sweater for male dolls. Trial #1 is shown on the home page, he's caught wearing it just prior
to dumping leaves on Elphie's head. It's OK, just much tighter than I wanted, and I wasn't too happy with the neckline.
So for #2, instead of using the top of only one sock, I made a 'super tube' by joining the tops of both socks together.
That make the neck huge, so I nibbled it in until it was a nice fit, but would still go over his head or hips easily. Rest
of it is detailed in the 'Making Doll Clothes from Socks' article elsewhere in this site.
I keep forgetting how big his upper arm and bicep are. That's why the sweater seems stretched a bit. It doesn't show up
that bad on the actual item, but it is a bit pulled there. For an added giggle, these socks came from Dollar Tree, proudly
emblazoned with a 'Botany 500' label. If you ever watched a game or talk show in the late 70s - early 80s, that brand may
be vaguely familiar to you.
His pants are also made from a knit fabric - I learned 'jeans seams' on this pair ! It's more from the DTree 'Pound Bag
of Rags' bag. Not bad. I'm definitely getting better at sewing knits !
| An all-in-one-image slide show... |
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| ...of my attempts with collared shirts ! |
Here ya go, the long-delayed Fiyero shirt progression photo. These are all from the same DSD pattern. Allow me to explain...
Attempt #1 is a discarded pile of fabric. Y'see, while DSD took Fiyero's measurements, and the shirts fit fine without
a collar, it didn't adjust the neck for the collar, so I got a blasted mess and a waste of fabric and time. I compared Fiyero's
measurements (from me) with Tyler Wentworth's (from DSD), and the neck inseam was waaay off. So I based my adaptations on
the Tyler readings, just measured with Fiyero.
Attempt #2, I decided to not even put buttons on. While the shirt mostly fits, the collar points are nowhere near matching.
One is a butterfly collar from the Brady Bunch years, the other is a little 90s button-down. Just not worth saving, as I couldn't
salvage it.
Attempt #3 was better. I learned to compare the collar points *before* attaching it to the shirt. It's still very blousy,
and seems rather short to me. And that collar is HUGE ! But it doesn't look so bad on him, though.
Attempt #4 is nearly there. Sleeves are too short, something else I'll have to manually adjust each time I want to sew
this pattern again, with the neck adjustments. I sewed the points down, as it just would not press down. Still rather short
and blousy.
It took forever for me to get off my butt and get snaps and buttons sewn on 'em. Amazingly, 'Barbie' size buttons look
better on clothes for Tonner dolls ! And you can get those at W-M or Joann's. Don't forget to check out the scrapbooking sections,
there's lots of small buttons there.
| Should label this 'Attempt #5' and 'Attempt #6'. |
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| Red - original pattern. Blue check - my alterations. |
Here ya go. Another photo progression - the red on your left is sewn as the pattern came to me. Blue check on your right is
with my alterations. Finally ! I made a collared shirt for him that fits and looks great ! And to think, Saturday I was about
done with it...boy, that red shirt had me seeing...maybe black.
The Feb. 05 "Doll Reader" magazine I ordered arrived last week, and finally, I got down to making it. Chose
a torn shirt of Dearest Son's I'd been saving, an adorable "Atlantis" button-front that I coudn't repair. 'Attempt
#5' was sooo close, but yet so far. It just didn't fit. I have the collar folded down to try to save it, but it's much too
tight. Even the chest is snug. The back is even pulled up from the effort. Although it was designed for Ashton-Drake's 'Trent'
doll (from their Gene line), I wasn't worried. After all, I'd read on Chassie's Classics Doll Statistics page that Trent's
neck was bigger than Matt/Fiyero's. And the neck was 90% of my problem with Doll Shop Deluxe. So I sewed it, mostly as-is.
Fit wouldn't be altered if I used a flat sewing method for the sleeves, and actually, the sleeves aren't an issue here anyway.
I paid careful attention to everything, and that neck was simply too small. After going through all my sewing to see if
that is where the error was, I measured the pattern. For some reason, the neck and collar were simply too small to fit - and
remember, this is designed for a doll with a 3/8" bigger neck !
Altered several pieces, made other changes, and I finally got it right on Attempt #6. Well, mostly right. But it fits
and looks good, and I'm happy ! I may cut the neck back a bit next time, this is almost too big, but doesn't Fiyero look fine
in his new shirt ? And I finally have a pattern that works !
You can see it on the red one, the pattern even has shirt tails like a real men's shirt, curved up at the hips. Not squared
off like Attempts #2 - #4. Had to learn how to hem on a curve, but it's not difficult, just time consuming.
I'll be using this one again - now that I fixed it ! Happy day, I can make a collared shirt ! Denim shorts from a Doll
Shop Deluxe pattern.
| Thought you might like some beefcake... |
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| You're welcome. |
This one's just for fun - pattern unchanged from Attempt #6, this time in non-stretchy cotton. It's actually another Kerry
Beary print (exclusive to Hancock Fabrics) called 'Radio'. Made myself a shirt and pants from this stuff, and I had plenty
left over. Print's waaaaay too big for him, but I thought, what the heck.
Since this fabric doesn't have the 'give' of the hound's-tooth from the previous attempt, it gives me a more accurate
look at the pattern in progress. I need to add maybe 1/8" to the front sides. It can close, it'll just be tight, and
I don't like doll clothes that 'pull' on the fasteners. I don't like clothes that pull on me, either.
I also had the ability to time this one. Most of my sewing's ten minutes here, half hour there, so it's difficult to judge
how long most of it takes. This was done in one shot while Dearest Son was at school ! Got down with the rotary cutter and
didn't look up until I had it hemmed. Fabric cut to final hem was a little over two hours. Snaps and buttons would probably
add another half hour, and I don't have to consult directions anymore. So if I were budgeting my time, I'd allow three hours
to make a collared, curved hem Fiyero shirt, to include a final ironing and closures. Just to be on the safe side. I think
Attempt #5 took over four hours.
I'm getting better with curved hems and collars, too ! :)
| I think he's tired of all the attention... |
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| That, or this shade of green's just not his color. |
Think this'll be the last Fiyero collared shirt for a while. Even he looks bored. But I've about got the pattern and techniques
nailed, so we're both happy.
Made the collar smaller here, but I may re-shape it. It's funny - this was soooo hard last month. Now it's barely even
a challenge to alter it !
| Actually, Fiyero didn't mind the green prototype.. |
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| He was just glad it wasn't made from the polka-dot stuff ! |
I've been meaning to make a Happi (hop-ee) Coat for my dolls back when I made Ken clothes. So it's only natural I'd want to
make Fiyero something to go along with Elphie's kimono (featured on her page). But for some reason, I just couldn't get it
in gear.
This is actually a prototype, using the same green fabric as his shirt above and Elphie's 'Dr. Girlfriend' costume (again,
her page). What can I say, when I proto, I use what's sitting closest to the cutting table ! It's a DSD v-front shirt pattern,
very basic, with set-in sleeves. Only took about an hour. Worn with the same denim shorts pictured elsewhere on him. Now that
I know the pattern works, I have some luscious fabric I want to try - it's a blue jacquard with black stripes, and the trim
and matching pants will also be black. I want to make the cuffs wider next time - these were sort of done 'on the fly', no
pattern. As if it's difficult !
And yeah, our guy almost got the white with green polka-dot version, it was under the green on the cutting table !
| Oh, yeahhhh ! |
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| Now I wanna put Elphie back in *her* blue lingerie... |
Aaand, here's the final Happi Coat. I like it, but it looks more like a smoking jacket ! Bought the fabric just for this project,
and it wasn't until I went to cut it out that I realized - stripes. Have to match 'em. *&%$.
Well, I needed the practice. And, while you can't see it, the stripes match at the shoulders, and the front and sleeves
parallel each other. Just took a little longer in the cutting phase. In some ways, it's easier - since I centered on the single
stripe in the middle of the wider black sets !
| And to think, this only took about a dozen tries, |
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| and one suggestion ! |
Yike. I think our camera's dying.
Anyway, here's the latest attempt at the men's wear pattern featured in the Feb. 06 issue of "Doll Reader" magazine.
I had a lot of problems with it, mostly because of the photo. I thought the collar should extend to the very edge of the neckline,
but it doesn't. As Erika pointed out, it probably doesn't, and that's what's giving me fits.
She was right. This one is done more-or-less according to directions. As it turned out, I did the facings wrong, and trying
to force the collar threw the entire neckline off.
I did let it out some at the side seams - it was a bit tight otherwise - and I used flat construction for the sleeves.
The directions call for sewing the side seams, then sewing the sleeve into a tube, then sewing them together. I prefer to
add the sleeve, then sew the underarm and side seam as one straight stitched line. Easier to ease, and gives a better look
in less time, in my opinion. I also added the facings before I sewed the fronts to the back at the shoulders.
Not a bad shirt. Print is a bit big, but you can get away with that in men's clothes !
| Well, *sometimes* you can get away with an... |
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| oversize print - sometimes it bites ya, hard ! |
Yet another attempt at the "Doll Reader" shirt. I think I've about got it now ! This is, of course, a print from
the current "Cars" film - I was hoping I could play with the large print just enough to get a decent shirt. Found
out several important things.
1) You need a lot more fabric and time when placement is important ! It took me at least an hour to fit the pattern pieces
in a way that wouldn't include eyes from other characters in odd places. A few inches either way would have helped, but cheapie
me just wanted to spring for a quarter-yard. Normally that's enough to make three or four Fiyero shirts, but not this time.
2) Even when you are super-careful about cutting it out, even mentally gauging the seam allowances, the simple contours
of the doll's figure will still throw things off. If you're lucky, just part of the print you were so careful about is obscured.
If not...then nobody can tell what in the world *that* was supposed to be, and there's not a lot you can do about it now !
3) The pattern, as-is, is fine if you're gonna tuck the shirt in. If you want a more loose fit, like the shirt's casual,
to be worn outside pants/shorts, then you have to go a bit shallow on the side seams.
4) Practice doesn't necessarily make perfect - there's a visible error under the collar there - but it does make you more
willing to accept your mistakes ! When the collar's folded, there's no error ! :)
| Golf shirts - I was wondering how to do... |
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| that front opening. Needs more work, but not bad ! |
Here's the polo shirt ! I bought this pattern from Tamara, of "DesignsByJude" off eBay several weeks ago, but just
now had time to work it - and it works up pretty well. This is actually my second attempt. I misread some directions on the
first try and made a slight alteration on this one. So mine opens a bit lower than hers, but I like it, and it's not as difficult
as I thought it would be. Still need to practice getting the webbing collar right, but it's not too bad right now !
It's part of her 'Resort Getaway' pattern package, and you can see it on her eBay auctions - do a quick search for "Resort
Getaway pattern for Matt O'Neill", and I'm sure Tamara's will come up. I'd just link it here, but you know how auctions
are - here today, gone next month, and I have no idea when you're reading this !
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