I'd just finished "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire - finally, some of the few 'Wizard of Oz' questions I had were mostly answered ! I was feeling an odd sort of doll ennui. Nothing excited me. Nothing I owned, nothing I could buy interested me at all. Sewing was still a fun challenge, but how many doll clothes does one collection need ?

Lurking a doll forum, I saw 'Wizard of Oz Tonner Dolls' messages, so I had a quick peek. And fell in love with the lovely verdigris Wicked Witch. I couldn't believe a modern, very successful collector doll manufacturer would make a green doll that was actually as attractive as the normal skin-toned ones. But there she was.

That was January 2005. I tried to make my own Elphaba, but she wasn't the same. By Valentine's Day, my poor Beloved Hubby knew what I wouldn't admit - for the first time in my life, I wanted a truly expensive doll. Not an antique, not an investment...just a doll that spoke to me on so many levels, it was uncanny. So he put in a deposit for a pre-ordered Basic Witch. And, since he'd been listening while I prattled on and on about the book, ordered the Ruby Slippers, too !

Through delays and rumors, I was restless. Nothing captured me the way this doll did. Yet I didn't want to create for her until she was here. Her skin tone might not be what the pictures showed...but then I plunged in anyway !

She arrived Monday...and I am in love. So forgive me for being silly about one magnificent doll.

Here it is - my first attempt at Tonner sewing...

Do you think Elphaba likes it ?

Here's my first attempt at sewing for my Elphaba. Nothing major, just a simple sleeveless shift from Doll Shop Deluxe. Luckily, the Tyler Wentworth doll was already a preset, and Elphie has that body. I put off sewing for her for ages, mostly because I wanted to see her exact skin tone and sew with that in mind. But I fell in love with this fabric, and as many colors as are here, I hoped it'd go with any skin tone ! Actually, it makes her a bit grey, but I still like it.

I left the back open, until she arrived, in case it'd need adjusting. Nope. So I finished it up today, and used snaps to close. I'd intended to use Velcro, but I just couldn't do it !

Her pose is in response to a thread concerning some missing Ruby Slippers from a film memorabilia display. I imagined her saying, "I'll have you know I paid a reputable dealer - Dutch Pond Farms to be exact ! - a considerable, fair sum for these !" They do look good on her.

This is actually the first thing Elphaba wore here

A simple robe, created from a coat pattern.

Made this earlier this week. Since I don't have the pattern group for robes in Doll Shop Deluxe, I modified a coat one. Used an eyelet remnant and a ribbon for a belt, so it can be changed anytime. It'll come in handy for future clothes fittings !

Her issue clothes are in a pile next to her. Everything is expertly worked, and the attention to detail borders on slavish. I love her boots !

Her tripod chair came from an across-the-street yard sale, for 10c. Doesn't she look comfy after her looong journey to Chez Insanity ?

There - a bit of Paint Shop Pro tweaking, and

the color is better. Darn camera !

This was the last thing I made before Elphaba arrived. While it was fun to make stuff without worrying about fit, I didn't want to have to re-make it ! All the fabric here came from yard-sale-purchased people clothes.

As you can see, it all fits. And I got some great experience in working with thin knits. I was very, very lucky the design was centered as well as it is. I didn't really plan it that well ! I was worried about the sleeve length, but it hits right at her wrist. Perfect. Couldn't be bettah.

I bought the blouse material as a dress for a buck, intending for it to go to Beautiful Crissy clothes. The retro-style print would look great on her. However, before I got to that, it was absently tossed on top of burgundy corduroy scraps from an Eddie Bauer micro-wale men's shirt, cut into for straight skirt and pants projects, and it looked great together. The color has just been adjusted - no matter what I did, the camera kept recording the corduroy as brick red ! I just hope Crissy doesn't mind sharing...

Dress - $1. Men's shirt - 25c Enough material for doll clothes for days - wonderful !

After getting down on the dance floor all night,

Elphaba hails a cab, heading for home !

Sometimes, silly little back-stories, like partying down and hailing a cab, make the photo better ! In this case, ya lose a lot of the detail of the clothes, but this is the best of the options available.

This was a sock yesterday morning. The skirt was the blouse on the BFD cover (see the BFD page), and I made a sleeved, cuffed sweater from the rest of the sock tonight. Not bad, but the sleeves are a bit tight, and had to be resewn. I'l know next time !

And I'm looking for socks with more Lycra in 'em, too. This one didn't stretch much from the get-go, and to fit with the super-simple method I'm using, they gotta stretch considerably. Anyway, I'm happy with it...and I have a whole matching sock to use. Maybe a cardigan...

Forever Elphaba ! She's so Baaaad !

I am having waaaaay too much fun with socks !

Isn't she looking sooo baaad in her new outfit ?! Yes, this was another sock, purchased back in 2000. It's the survivor, the other got wrecked in an attempt to make Barbie clothes. Pattern was too big for them, but fits Elphaba great ! Tripod's compression is wrecking this photo, but the heart reads 'Forever' on the banner.

Skirt's a simple hems-and-seam slip-on. I wanted it to be asymmetrical, and it is, but my original design was much more radical. Still, it works !

Blouse was a PITA. Wanted to keep the 'ragged' edge, but didn't want runs and picks. So I ran a quick stretch stitch just above the edge - I got it both ways, secure and rough ! It was supposed to have two long sleeves, but I sewed the first sleeve too narrow, and a second would wreck the design. The sleeve tore on the second fitting, too.

Was contemplating making it a tube top, but that wasn't what I really wanted. Re-sewing the sleeve just lengthened the tear, which now extended from pre-elbow to mid-lower-arm. Shoot. Then it hit me - short sleeves ! I'm a bit slow sometimes. And this looks much better this way !

I know her black issue boots would probably look better with this outfit, but I was a bit whimsical at photo-shoot time !

Elphaba's latest nightie...

is just a t-shirt and panties, but will do for now !

There's several new outfits I've made Elphaba that haven't appeared here yet. One is made from two crushed velvet dark blue scrunchies, because I haven't yet decided. While I agree with Beloved Hubby that the skirt is too full, for some reason, it amuses me that in it, Elphie looks like some sort of goth figure skater. If I ever narrow the skirt, I'll be sure to photograph it.

In the meanwhile, here's Elphie's nightie, at least for now. A sleeveless t-shirt from Doll Shop Deluxe and panties made by increasing a Real Clothes pattern for Barbie. If you haven't checked out Real Clothes, see Links. You'll thank me one day.

Never got the DSD panties to work, mostly because Tyler Wentworth bodies have a 7.5-inch hip, and the DSD pattern was five inches, including the seam allowance. Both pieces here are from rags - the panties from a box of 'em BH occasionally brings home, the shirt from a 'Pound Bag Of Rags' I bought at Dollar Tree. It fits fine, slips over her head well, no closures. It is a bit thick, though. Always the problem with knits - the ones I like are often a bit thick for doll apparel !

This outfit makes me soooo happy !

Just like Elphaba does !

Another busy day at Chez Insanity. Elphaba now has shorts to match her night-shirt. And she has this new outfit !

This was a sock I bought back in '00, again for Barbie, but at the time, I just couldn't figure out stretchy knits. I glued one sock for a hem, and it looked horrible. Tried to hand-sew 'em, but I either had the hems so tight, the fabric wouldn't stretch, or so loose, it didn't fit. So I never used these yard sale socks, and they got stuffed in the box with the 'Forever' sock.

This dress makes me happy. It's reversible, fits great, looks nice, took five minutes to make...and it proves to me that I have conquered both stretchy knits and stretch stitch sewing. The hem on this one is a perfect feather stitch from the machine, neither stretched out or distorted - it's perfect. Stabilizer is my friend - especially when it's super-cheap used dryer sheets !

I've developed my own technique for not getting the material stuffed into the feed dogs, which was my main problem before. I simply walk the machine through about three stitches, holding the thread ends firmy. If it hasn't gone down into the feed dogs by then, it's unlikely to. A gentle but firm touch is required. Don't stretch unless you want a ruffly hem, but you can't just let it go either. Some lessons you gotta learn on your own, at your own pace. Even when it takes five years !

Elphie enjoys a relaxing Labor Day...

Maybe she's waiting for the BBQ chow to be done !

Yeah, this is the same photo on the Home Page Update. Sorry. Sooner or later, that image will go bye-bye, and I do want Elphie's jeans here.

I should just call them 'denim pants' - they don't have any details that define jeans. But I still like how they turned out ! These are 'fitted pants' from Doll Shop Deluxe.

Her blouse was part of an eBay Barbie lot, I have no idea who it was for or why I kept it, but it fits Elphie great ! I'll pick it apart for a pattern soon, I just love the tie-front !

Her shoes are, believe it or not, squishy Ken sneakers. To fit her long feet, they have to be soft and stretchy ! Still, they look great on her, on this relaxing holiday.

Not everyone has furniture custom-made...

...that matches their clothes !

While I was working on a Doll Shop Deluxe lined half-circle skirt for Elphaba to wear with her issue-wear corset, Beloved Hubby was busy, too. Using some teak bits, he shaped and cut and glued a cute high-back chair for her ! Even used the same fabric for the cushions that I used for the skirt.

Lucky Elphie ! Very few folks get custom made furniture... fewer still get it made to match their clothes ! She looks so elegant sitting in it.

Wasn't sure how to hem a curve like this, so I lined and turned it. Much easier ! It stands out a bit more than I wanted, so next time, I'm lining it in thinner stuff, but it still looks great ! Her issue bodice looks fantastic with everything from jeans to a satin skirt.

Oh, and the satin ? 45c from GoodWill, and we've used less than 1/4th of it !

A cool blouse for a day in the shade !

It also used to be a sock.

Day after Elphie arrived, I took Dearest Son to Dollar Tree. He got some toys, I got a pair of pretty white scalloped-edge socks. I had tons of black socks to sew with, just no white ones.

Two weeks later, here it is. A simple roll-top blouse. Armholes should have been cut lower, as I wanted a larger fold-over, but hey. It's not that bad ! Machine hemmed the raw edge, saved the scalloped sock top for the bottom hem (which doesn't show here), and cut and hand-hemmed the armholes. Not too shabby !

She's wearing it with the satin skirt, and it looks great. Still have another sock to play with, too !

My first try at Elphie jewelry !

If I could, I'd wear it !

Yup - took Elphie's hair down last night. It's very pretty, and quite manageable...but having it around her ears kinda takes away from her face a bit. I'm gonna try to style it every so often.

This is my first try at her jewelry. Less than a minute. Just different sizes of wire hoops and star beads, available at most places that sell jewelry findings. If I had Elphie's neck and shoulders, I'd wear it !

Her strapless bodice is copied from a Barbie pattern - need to tweak the darts a bit - made with navy housedress scraps. See the 'Crissy' page for more about that poor, picked-to-shreds worn out house gown. Turned out OK, but next time, I think I'll line it, instead of just hemming. Back closure is also in need of adjustment. It fits now because I cheated and used Velcro !

Detail photo of jumper pictured on home page -

If anyone can carry off large pink paisley, it's her !

Here's a larger 'detail' photo of the outfit Elphaba's wearing on the home page. I'm kind of proud of it. The t-shirt and jumper are separate pieces, and both are made from slippery fabric. I was very happy that they came out at all - I hate using the slinky stuff, even though it drapes and looks so beautiful.

The T-shirt was a tricot remnant from a Hancock Fabrics dollar bag. I've had it forever, it was so thin and stretchy, I didn't have the skill or confidence to work with it before. It even got stained somehow in storage. But this one worked up soo great, I'm thinking of making her a simple slip-dress from more of it !

The paisley jumper is another Hancock's remnant, but I had to pay for this one by itself ! Luckily, it was only 86c, and I've not used a quarter of it. It's a large print, in vivid colors, and is a bit out of scale for her. But if there's a doll who can pull off 'large' and maybe even 'loud', it's Elphie ! This took about two hours, and believe it or not, I had a coordinating zipper already ! Had to take a break about an hour and a half in, as I was blinking paisley.

'Twilight Enchantment' - it's bad when you start

naming your doll clothes creations !

Yeah, I actually *named* this dress ! How bad is that ? !

It's actually a continuation of the navy bodice pictured above - the one showing Elphie's jewelry. Same lined strapless top, just with a skirt added. This is Flavia fabric, bought at Wal-Mart for $4./yd. Maybe used about 30c worth of fabric. I just loved it, and I love this style. It's Barbie-ish to me, as I've made a few dozen of these strapless 'Suburban Shopper' clones !

It's just like me to make out-of-season clothes. Yesterday, Fiyero got a pair of shorts !

Elphie now has a new table !

Thanks, Beloved Hubby !

Isn't it lovely ? Beloved Hubby made that just today, stained it and everything. No pattern or anything, he just measured Elphie and away he went ! The top is oak, the support is babinga, and the legs are teak, like the chair he made her earlier. I can't wait for her to have Fiyero over for dinner sometime ! But it's not quite dry yet, I just hope the 'ribbon' in the woodgrain remains as pretty as it is now, for always. Thank you, Honey !!

She also has a new blouse. This one is from 'Fashion Doll Fun', an easy sewing pattern book for Barbie-size dolls. Enlarged it using the classic formula (what you want divided by what you have) and used a 135% increase, but the neck is too small and the sleeves should have been to her wrists. I'll finish adapting it later and try again. It only takes about an hour to make, so I'd like to have one that's good - Elphie likes blouses ! And I have tons of fabric to experiment with.

Fabulous fabric -

Always an inspiration !

Words can't express how much I love this fabric ! And it looks soooo good on Elphie ! It's 'Cat Collage Boxes', a Hancock Fabrics exclusive by Kerry Beary - check out the website for cool art and other fabric images : www.kerrybeary.com

Elphaba's chillin' in an Aidirondack chair - you can't see it, but the former candleholder has a large hole in the seat. It's fixed with a cardboard circle, a bit of batting, glue, and a circle of 'Cat Collage' ! Her pants pattern is Doll Shop Deluxe, and the 'top' is just a bit of cuff ribbing with a lettuce edge.

I got to experiment with Stitch Witchery (giggle) and enlarging patterns for her matching shirt. This was a Barbie pattern, from 'Fashion Doll Fun'. While I have tons of patterns for Elphie, most are couture, long and involved sewing. Barbie tends to have 'quick and easy' patterns, and that's what I wanted for this shirt. Still have to play with the neckline a bit.

Her dress was altered at nearly every step of construction. It's also Doll Shop Deluxe, and was to have long sleeves, snaps in the back, and no slit. But the fabric looks soo good on Elphie's skin tones, sleeves would have looked busy. I also decided at the last minute to use a zipper closure instead of snaps, and took apart the seam for the slit at Beloved Hubby's suggestion. Doesn't it look great on her ?

All this used less than half of the half-yard I bought. And I have some sleeves left over. Looks like I'm not yet done with the fabulous 'Cat Collage Boxes' fabric !

Told you I wasn't done with this good stuff !

My first attempt at a godet skirt - fun !

Yup - more fun with 'Cat Collage Boxes' - although admittedly just a strip of it. This was my first try at what I always called a panel skirt. Doll Shop Deluxe calls it a 'godet' skirt, with six godets.

It went together beautifully, everything matched. But for some reason, I could tell the waist was quite large. Elphie's waist measurement is 4.5 inches. The skirt, even with taking larger that called for seam allowances, had over a six inch waist. Ended up taking in a few seams, and it fits perfectly now. Even adjusted the pattern, because no amount of tweaking to DSD will change the waist.

And my above efforts got the 'Kerry Beary' nod ! Yup, I wrote to her, mentioned my sewing with her fabric design, and she wanted to see. So I sent her a link, and she says she'd saved the photo off for her album of what folks have done with her fabrics ! She even complimented my sewing !

So I've been pretty happy...

Sometimes you only need a good pair of socks...

Yup, sometimes both of 'em !

I tell ya, it's been a rough week, and I needed a spirit lifter, 'cause mine was dragging the ground ! Wasn't expecting to find much at Dollar Tree, as their toy selections always slag off after Christmas. So I was pleasantly surprised to find some really nice socks !

I have a history with this sock line - Max Grey. I think it's DTree's house brand for wearable anything. MG socks don't last long, they pill like crazy, develop holes in less than a month, and aren't much thicker than knee-high hosiery. But sometimes they're perfect for doll clothes !

Elphie's new dress on the left is the above-the-heel part of one sock. Decided to hem the raw edge as the top, and use the ribbed bottom as the hem. It can be worn reversed, but I like it better this way.

In the center is the familiar godet skirt, but I wanted to see it paired with a different top. This is the rest of the same sock, the part between toe seam and heel. I tightened it up with a back seam, intending it as a skirt, but it ended up as a strapless bodysuit. I lettuce-edged the hem, and it was cute as a tiny mini-dress, but I ended up tacking it down in the middle to create 'legs'. It came in handy when Elphie and I took Dearest Son to the library. While he played, I could do fittings and hand-sew snaps without compromising her modesty.

On the right is the latest addition, made with the other sock. It's a simple shrug, mostly a tube of sleeves open in the middle to lie flat along her back. I had to be super-careful sewing it so it wouldn't stretch and distort, and ensure that the stripes and fit parallel on both sides. It's kind of funny, though, that the dress took the exact same part of the other sock. You'd think the shrug would have taken less. Nope.

And I did all three pieces in less than an hour. Probably about 45 minutes. It took me longer to take and edit the photos and write this ! :)

Jeans fight ! Who won - McCall's 4860 ?

Or Doll Shop Deluxe ? Both had their + and -...

Well, last weekend and this, I made Elphie some jeans. Because both were first efforts, I used old fabric lying around. Both patterns had issues, and they don't look a bit alike ! Here's a rundown of both.

The floral jeans were Doll Shop Deluxe. For fun, I gave them a black waistband and black pockets. But I made the blue McCall's 4860 ones the week prior. So while you see the flowers first, I'd like to review McC's blue 'low-rider' pair before doing the Doll Shop Deluxe floral pair.

I'd never really made jeans for any of my dolls before. Sure, I'd made denim pants, but jeans are different. Technically, these aren't jeans either - both snap in the back, don't have real fly fronts, and lack belt loops and back pockets.

But I think McC is closer to the look and fit of real jeans. These fit beautifully. And aren't that hard to work up. But the waistband was the biggest PITA I've had in a long time. To fit as low-riders, the waistband is curved. Not a problem. It's just that there's seven layers of fabric there ! Jean front (1), pockets (2,3), waistband (4), waistband lining (5), and waistband and lining folded together (6,7). The pockets were actually easier than I thought. Directions, which had been crystal clear, were very hazy at the point of attaching the waistband and liner - I ended up studying the diagrams in an attempt to figure it out. But before and after that, smooth sailing. They matched perfectly on all sides. Hand-sewing a snap on the ultra-thick waistband required a thimble and some of my heavier swear words, but on the whole, I'm satisfied with the result.

Doll Shop Deluxe had entirely different issues. But McC 4860 had taught me quite a bit, and DSD's jeans were easy to assemble as a result. Bear in mind, DSD does not include any directions at all. I lengthened the pocket pattern piece to use McC's directions, and it worked up great. The rest, including the waistband, was a snap. However, and this is an ongoing issue in DSD, sewing the inseam was the PITA here. DSD shapes the crotch by making the front shorter than the back. If you try to match the raw edges, the pants are too long on one side. If you match the crotch seams too low, it dangles below where it should fit your doll, and gives the finished item a ballooning butt. Ended up doing trial and error until the legs matched and the crotch seams met, and I bet I cut off an inch of fabric there. But, again, I liked how these looked when I was done. Especially since I'm not much of a fan of low-riders. DSD was also easier to cut out - and that's the part of sewing I hate the most.

So which pattern wins ? Well, they both have their good points, but I'll probably make the DSD ones again. It's not necessarily a better pattern, I just like the 'jeans with a waist' better.

Out for a nice lunch-time walk with her new coat..

great for a bright, but windy, day !

I actually made this at the tail end of December '05, but wanted to add pockets before I pasted a photo here. Since Prego had a 'Coats' theme today, I went ahead and finished 'em up.

It's a Doll Shop Deluxe simple overcoat, in a nice grey tweed. If I remember correctly, I think Carol (of Perestroica.ca, see Links) sent me this fine fabric. I added the frogs for fun - those got peeled off a Dollar Tree wine-bottle cheongsam.

Her scarf, a nod to 'Go Red for Women' day, recoginizing heart health, is from a yard sale bra. And the pockets are Ultrasuede scraps, from a flea market. I folded paper until I got a pocket shape Elphie and I both liked. I mean, what good are pockets if your model can't use 'em to keep her hands warm ? And Ultrasuede is soooo soft. When I dig for colors in the US bag, it's like putting my hand inside a basket full of kittens.

OK, so there's room for improvement...

but still...va va voooom !

Yet another whimsical idea - what if you take a bodice pattern and make a corset out of it ? Well, here ya go !

It's made from red/black denim fabric that changes color as the it hits light. Stiff to work with, though. And you have to line it, or you risk staining. So, while this isn't perfect, it's not bad either. I use a black ribbon, but the white shows up better here.

I actually have smaller grommets - or I could have used eyes, or hooks and eyes, but I wanted to experiment a bit. Plus, I have a crimper tool for the bigger grommets I used here, but not one for the tiny small ones.

Her pegged *snug* skirt is made from the same fabric - in fact, the waistband matches the corset - but with the other side facing out. It's always fun when I can do that. I love using both sides of the fabric on the same outfit. I did a double line of sewing on the hem, and a jeans treatment on the side seams. I'm getting better at that !

Learned a lot, and didn't do too badly. Not bad for an idea, and the first trial of it. Now I've gotta go make a slip before it stains Elphie !

The new color of romance - Blue !

I wish you could see Fiyero's face !

Wow. I am in love with this creation ! Needed to make a slip, and wanted to test out the new corset pattern - and the end result is this !

The corset is an altered version of the denim one above. This time, the pattern printed at the right size, and I moved the dart. For hooks, I used ten eyes from an old bra, threaded through with a white silk ribbon, tied an inviting bow.

Her negligee is cut - lace and pleats intact - from a yard sale women's slip. Elastic on top, seam up the back, done. A super-simple tube. Just paid close attention to how I cut it out. It looks fabulous !

Her panties took several trials. Although you can't quite see, they're French Cut, and snug. Took me four pair of trials before I got these right. I think now I understand why panties for Tyler are so pricey. For one, there's darn few patterns ! And two, a slight deviation makes them too tight...

Anyway, I love how this looks on her. If I was gonna give this outfit a name it'd have to be 'Blue Romance'.

Amazing how markdowns can inspire !

(and I still have over a hundred of these tiny buttons !)

I'm getting better with doll-size set-in sleeves ! Nothing like practice and repetition to hone skills.

I got a package of *tiny* sew-on buttons at Hobby Lobby for 99c. Numerous shapes in earth-tone colors. I'd already bought several packages of the same in different tones, but never used them. After all, sewing a buttonhole that tiny's gotta be a PITA !

Then I looked at Tonner Boutique blouses. Most of them just had decorative matching buttons sewn over the snaps under the placket. I'm sure it's to keep the manufacturing reasonable - and the snaps make for a more secure closure. Vintage Barbie clothes were made the same way.

Before long, I had a long-sleeve Doll Shop Deluxe blouse knocked out in a nice cream color that'd go well with the new buttons. I'd originally intended to scatter buttons all over the blouse bodice, but came to realize that 1) simplicity = elegance, and 2) buttons were too thick to look good that way. So I picked out the shapes I liked best in matching colors and did it that way.

But I still wanted to scatter. And a short-sleeved blouse would be nice...same pattern, sleeves cut shorter, front done different. This time, I picked stars out of the baggie. Of all the shapes in there, and there was 120 buttons in the bag, there were fewer than ten stars. So here's five of 'em !

But there's lots of triangles, squares, asterisks, flowers, and hearts still to use - and that's just one of the four bags I have ! So I think you'll be seeing more buttons as time passes...

Finally ! Elphie's kimono !

Been meaning to make this since we pre-ordered her !

Isn't she lovely ? I just love this 'Monet/Van Gogh' fabric. It sort of looks like 'Watercolors', sort of like 'Starry Night'. Just beautiful. Saw it months ago, didn't know what to do with it.

Until a couple weeks ago. Wow. It suits Elphie a lot better than I thought. It may be a bit flashy for a kimono, but I'd wear it in a nanosecond ! Pattern is enlarged from a Barbie one, but I had to go in and alter the sleeves, they came out too short originally. This is a 'furisode' kimono - the long fluttering sleeves indicate an unmarried girl !

I plan to redo that obi. It looks terrible, and I have a new idea for some wooden sandals. So stay tuned, this photo will likely change soon !

Elphie got a new lingerie chest !

New dress, too.

Took a tape measure to Hobby Lobby, hoping to find a dress form that's somewhat close to her dimensions. Oh, who am I kidding, I take a tape measure *everywhere* ! Anyway, no soap on the mannequin, but I did find a great polyresin chest ! The drawers work and everything, and I loved the paint colors. Was even on half-price, too. So now Elphie has her own lingerie chest !

This dress is an experiment with straps, but is otherwise nearly identical to 'Twilight Enchantment' above. I never know how to place straps, so this time I centered them on the darts. That works ! So I hope to try something new next time. I do love sundresses ! Fabric from GoodWill, globe pencil sharpener from a yard sale, overturned wine glass soon to appear on the 'Tonner Taste, Barbie Budget' page !

Remember 'jeans wars' ?

Today, you get 'capri pants wars' !

Decided to make Elphie something simple and cool for summer. It's been a scorcher here ! When I found a half-sewn women's dress with tiny green felt-like dots on white linen, I snagged it ! It's not everyday I get to work with vintage and know it !

In both pictures is a simple v-neck blouse from Doll Shop Deluxe. On your left is a pair of white capris made from the 'Pantalettes' pattern included in the Traveler in Thyme pattern CD. On your right, green-dot fabric makes up a pair of capris from Doll Shop Deluxe.

Both came out fine and look pretty good on our Elphie. But I will probably use the Traveler pattern from now on. Probably lengthen it to pants. It was much easier and nicer. Start to finish, the white capris took less than an hour. The seams are straight and even, and they finished item hangs right and looks good. Fit is great. Elastic waist makes for easy dressing, and there's no 'two moon junction' when she sits. Very nice.

Doll Shop Deluxe green...(sigh) I know that forcing the crotch shape by making the front at one angle and the back at another is fairly common in apparel manufacturing. But it's a PITA - pun intended - when you're trying to get pattern pieces to match up for a doll. I wrestled with that *&E@ crotch for over an hour, and really, it still doesn't match. It's also quite baggy, and it hangs about half an inch lower than Elphie's. Seams are puckered from the effort of trying to get it to match, and if I were to match capri crotch to Elphie crotch, the waistband would be a bra. Since there's so much extra fabric in that area, she doesn't moon anyone while seated, but it's not like it's a bonus. It also 'saddlebags' on her hips when seated.

So in the Capri Wars, Traveler in Thyme is the clear winner. I've gotten to where I just wanna trash Doll Shop Deluxe some days...

Another lovely sundress...

Looks like it's gonna be a beautiful summer !

I'm starting to think I do best with online freebie patterns that have no directions ! This is a lovely sundress, designed for a Gene doll, but it fits Elphie great ! It's actually a bit big, because I decreased the seam allowance around the waist, and I didn't have to. I fully intend to make this one again !

I found this pattern at http://donnernblitzen.tripod.com/ . Look on the right side of the page, under 'Crafts'. There's also a Barbie pattern ! The Barbie one has directions, you may want to read 'em if you're not familiar with sewing set-in-sleeves. But this is the Gene one, and it worked up pretty well. While there's no directions, I sewed the front sides (cut 2) to the front center (cut 1), then the back sides (cut 2) to the back centers (cut 2). Sew the shoulder seams, hem the neckline (hardest part !), hem the armholes, unless you're using the sleeves (cut 2 on fold). After the hem or sleeves, sew up the side seams and hem.

I kinda cheated on the hem. On curved hems like this, you can laze a bit with lace. Pin the lace right side facing the right side of the dress, and sew the raw edges together. Then, tuck it under, and hem again. Gives you a nice finished look. Hmm. I really should take photos of that, it doesn't sound very easy in words !

Try on your doll, clip the seam curves. I pinned up the back, making sure it could go on and off easily, then sewed the back seam and back opening hem. Two hand-sew snaps, and I was done. About two hours, start to finish. I'd love to write the author and let 'em know it's a great pattern, show how well it works up, but there's no address. So I'll have to do it here : Thanks, Blitzen ! I love it !!

PS - This is the 'lavender seed bead' necklace I made from that Dollar Tree necklace. It's just one long strand, no clasp. I can shape and loop it in different lengths, and it always looks beautiful on her.

Doctor Girlfriend !

Hard part's gonna be making Fiyero a Monarch costume...

OK, first off, major apologies to Chris Lovelace (http://www.chrisis.org) - I shamefacedly stole his gorgeous storyboard image to show how many mistakes I made during my first attempt at a 'Venture Bros.' Dr. Girlfriend costume for Elphie. To compound the theft, I even cropped it to fit my image better. Chris, I admire you utterly, and if you ask, this'll be removed. I mean no disrespect - but have you tried to find decent Dr. Girlfriend images ? It's impossible, so I borrowed yours. We really need to get a video capture card around here.

Anyway, there she is. Elphie as a green version of Dr. Girlfriend. The original costume is pink, but it's almost as difficult to get Elphie to wear pink as it is to find Dr. G. images ! And, hey, the good Dr. herself wore a black version in the penultimate episode of Season One, so who's to say the dress doesn't come in a rainbow of colors ? It's not like we get to see inside her closet.

This started off as a DSD 'Shirtdress' with a low lapel collar. I bent and shaped it until I got a version I could live with. Then I added the collar and took it in the back and sides so it didn't hang on Elphie like the bag it was. Four inside snaps hold it closed.

Her little 'pillbox' hat is a cap from some lemon juice. There are times it's good you haven't cleaned out the fridge in two years ! I covered it with fabric and glue, including a ribbon loop in the back to secure it to Elphie's hair. Now that I look at Mr. Lovelace's art better, I need to make a smaller version next time. And I suck at gloves. These are awful, but for now, they sort of work.

Didn't have a pair of knee-high boots, but I figured 'Dr. Elphie' could pig it in this 100-degree weather with some classic white pumps. I already have some ideas on how to improve the next one, so this is just a prototype for now. But since I already have about seven hours into this, it'll be a while !

Got tired of making just clothes...

so I made Elphie her own bed !

After driving myself nuts trying to figure out if doll beds made for American Girls and clones would work for Elphie, I threw my hands up and grabbed a cardboard box. It helped that we were too broke to buy one anyway...

But here it is. I was gonna use the box she came in, but it's too small. This one is made from a box big enough for two (wink), with a mattress and pillows. There's even a Jack Sparrow doll on top now - see Home page. It was the box my Beloved Hubby's birthday present came in. I just taped it closed with a bit of additional cardboard, fitted a sale bandanna I edged with lace to it, sewed a stuffed mattress from scraps and contoured it with mismatched white shirt buttons, then used the last of the bandanna scraps and mattress cutaway to make pillows. Another bandanna makes a nice matching top sheet.

Everything's removeable, and I can even make a fitted sheet for the mattress. Elphie looks so comfy on it. While the AG brass bed was really nice, this one came out OK, in my opinion.

Must be Movie Week !

Fiyero has a Cars shirt, too.

Had to do *something* with the fabric left from the "cut from everywhere" Fiyero shirt ! Been toying with a denim bodice with a cotton skirt for a while, so here it is. I "jean seamed" the side seams, and the bodice is fully lined. DSD bodice has been on this page...what, three times now ?

I actually gathered too much fabric for the skirt and had to cut it down. Wish the images in the front were right-side up, but that will happen when you use a "scattered image" print.

Planning on taking a photo of Fiyero and Elphie together, in their "Cars" clothes, for the Home page !

Even Elphie has some 'fangirl' in her !

Found out from The Mantis-Eye Experiment that Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick ("The Venture Bros." head honchos) attended the 2006 Dragon Con, held in Atlanta. (sigh) I haven't been there since Anime Weekend Atlanta 3, and I'm not gonna tell you how long ago that was !

Doc Hammer even produced a fabulous poster for the event, and I fell in love with it. So much, in fact, that I got over my fear of using the expensive transfer paper I bought *months* ago and used it to make Elphie's newest shirt ! If you'd like to see a clearer copy of this fabulous print, visit here -

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/38849487/

I trimmed it a bit to fit - and since half the larger words aren't legible, it stands to reason the smaller print wouldn't have worked either. This took four tries 'til I got it right, but I'm happy...I've mastered iron-on transfer paper *and* I made Elphie a neat shirt I would love to have !

So, if you went to Dragon Con this year, I'm jealous, envious, and consumed with sighs. And I hope you had a great time !

I'm still jealous, though...

'Elphaba' - "Wicked". 'Jaye' - "Wonderfalls" .