Really?

I hear that a lot from young mothers, I think it means "are you kidding me"? You know, when the kids do something unexpected.  Well, right now I am feeling a bit of "Really?"
 I am in challenge overload and do not know where to start, so I am not starting anything.  My friend Ole, gave me a challenge last week of designing a Christmas stocking using smocking but not on the cuff as we have all seen done, but incorporating it in the stocking itself.  Thank goodness she did not put a time limit on it.  Still the idea floats around in my mind taking up needed thinking space.
The next challenge I have is to design and sew for a little, sweet plus size girl.  I am finding no help from the commercial patterns, maybe one or two patterns is all I can find and they are better then what is on the store racks but not what I picture a little girl being able to wear that is fun and perky.  So, that is taking up the little space I have left to think.

She needs perky and something that says young and fun.  She needs something with her initials so she feels special. 
Any ideas?  Do any of you sew for a plus size little one?   I think once I get the basic concept about what works I will be on my way but right now I am just lost.

Buttons, Snaps or Dreaded Velcro

While you are smocking on your insert, it is time to give closures some thought.   I like using snaps and for the button look I sew a little button on top of the snap.  Now, there are places where only Velcro will work but if I can stay away from Velcro I will.  The stuff sticks to everything in the house, almost like the Velcro is a magnet for lint, dog hair, and also sticks to dolly's hair.

Genine posted this topic on ES and I would also like your thoughts on the subject.

I do have a question for the mums and grandmas on the board ...

I've been asked by two customers why I put buttons and skirt seams on the dolls clothes, rather than leave the dress open and use velcro all the way down the back or the front. I am told by these customers that "children don't know how to do buttons these days". 

My question about this is "Why not? Why are people bringing up their children not to use buttons?". Surely every baby/toddler has a busy book with buttons, zips, snaps, shoe laces etc in it? 

Bearing in mind that the AG dolls are aimed at, say 8 year old girls, why would a child need ALL their dolls clothes to fasten with velcro? How can someone not be able to use buttons by the age of 8? 

I can totally understand a child of 5 not having the manual dexterity to find buttons and buttonholes easy, but a child of 8? Is that normal? Yes, buttons might be fiddly, but practice makes perfect! Surely by the age of 8 a child can button up their school shirts and tie their own ties? At the age of 5 I had to dress myself for school or go to school in my nightdress, so I learned about buttons very quickly! Mind you, we do wear school uniforms in England, and even very young children may have to wear proper shirts and ties for school, although these days the ties are usually clip ons for safety reasons. 

If you're going to answer this one, please bear in mind that I don't have any children! lol. 

For the record, wherever possible I do provide an alternative fastening method, but sometimes only a button will do! 

Rant over!  Seriously though, I do want to understand this "no buttons" situation so if anyone can shed any light on this I'd be grateful!

Have a wonderful day everyone. 
TTFN
Genine

My New Project

I have fallen in love with sewing doll clothes.  I have come along way from saying never will I sew doll clothes, to it being one of my favorite items to sew.  After all, they are double loved when complete. Dolly loves them and the little girl getting them for her doll also love them.
So, with that said, here we go!   I could hardly wait to get to the smocked version of Genine's pattern Lucy.

I love the smocking plate, so will be doing that.  Do you notice the tiny print used for the dress? It is something you always want to be aware of when sewing doll clothes, large prints can just overwhelm a doll.

First, I need to get my insert pleated.  Oh boy, sometimes working with small pieces can be a challenge. So I pull threads on both sides of the insert piece to try to get the piece as straight as possible.

I only need 1 7/8 inch piece for the insert.  So again to get it as straight as possible I will cut along the thread marks with a rotary cutter .  You might wonder about my rotary cutter, yes, your right it is very, very old. I think I got it when they first hit the market.  it work's!!!

So now I have my strip, I will press it then on to the pleater.

For doll clothes, you will pleat using half space rows. I usually do not leave extra needles in the pleater but I wanted you to see the difference between full space and half spacing on your pleater.

Now, I am going to guide my piece through the needles. Something different again is, usually you would roll the fabric on a dowel to keep the extra out of the way.  With such a tiny piece I find it easier to just guide the fabric through slowly, with out messing with a dowel
So there I go-- I have started the smocked version of the Lucy.  

Happy New Year

We wish you a very Happy New Year.

Sam is getting ready for bed in her smocked night gown  a Genine original pattern called Emily.  Again, this pattern has many variations including a variation for those that do not smock.   Genine also includes measurements you will need for using variations of different fabrics, including flannel which can be difficult to pleat without removing some of the bulk.

Sam wishes all her doll friends a very Happy New year as they model their new Genine originals.  I know all the new Christmas dolls look forward to having a wonderful new wardrobe.

Decorated Candle Holder

Have you spotted those pieces from chandleiers I am not sure what they are called. They fit under the light. I think they are so pretty, so when I ran across some at the Goodwill store I could not let them just sit there, there was only a couple of them but there had to be something I could do with them.   About the same time I spotted this candle holder sadly there was only one but I bought it anyhow.   Getting home I put the two together added a candle and have what I think is a very pretty candle holder.  The search is on for more pretty candle holders, maybe I can put together a set for a table setting.

Welcome to my sewing room

No, first of all you will not find a well decorated, right out of a magazine look here.  I debated with myself if I should even share this picture but this is me, this is what you will find most of the time if you were to drop by. I have gone online and have spent hours looking at all the beautiful sewing rooms personally I would be afraid of messing up some of those rooms.  Afraid I would not put the scissors back in the right spot.
You are welcome here anytime, I will pour you a cup of coffee and we will talk sewing.
I hope to share many ideas with you over the coming year, you might as well see where they are coming from.

Sams Christmas

I was able to test this pattern for Genine, it is called Lucy and honestly my version does not do the pattern justice.  There is a smocked version of the dress and I can hardly wait to get started on it.  I used the plain version, so I could quickly test the pattern and used a Valentine fabric which actually ended up being a good fabric for a Christmas dress.

Sam is also ready for Valentines day.   What is strange at least to me is, Sam was a pretty neglected little dolly.  When the girls came over they would play with her a little but not much.  Now, that Sam is all dressed and has many clothes, the girls come in, say hello to her but never touch her.  I don't want her to seem off bounds, I do tell them it's fine that they play with her.  I am going to investigate further.

I do not want to forget to add Genine's link so you can find these wonderful patterns and also many more of the snowflakes Genine designed.  I had forgotten to do that on my last post.
Visit Genine 
More of the Lucy pattern

This is the smocked version that Genine made.