Sunday, 27 January 2008
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 1
Challenge 10 - The Final
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought to get so far. Safina posted her farewell message on the blog, it was heartbreaking to see my fellow Brit be eliminated, that just leaves me now, alone, battling for England!
For this challenge, Doris sent all three finalists a vinyl Sam body for us to use for fittings for the final.
My first few days with the doll were spent in a panic, cutting patterns and trying to get the fit just perfect. She has larger hips than a Tonner and an Ellowyne, and one or two other measurements are not quite the same, also she has no head!
I have learned, the hard way, through the challenges on Dollway, that the best way to tackle things is to enjoy it - to let go of all the worries and the panic and live in the moment.
This is SO much easier said than done!! The pressures on Dollway are immense and being in the final is just unbelievable!
If you have ever watched a baby bird fledge, you will understand what I have gone through! The bird sits on the edge of the nest, franticly flapping away, longing to go off and fly but just daren’t let go. But when he does let go, he may have a little dive to start with but then he is off, flying and having the time of his life, before he knows it he is doing acrobatics!
Well, I’ve got to let go and I hope I will fly and not crash and burn!
So I crank up the music in the workshop and start sewing!
My inspirations have to follow on from the Gabby challenge, so the basic key elements are already there, London, England, Music, Military, Youth, Fun, etc etc…
I have planned out what I am going to do for each of the twelve outfits, I have a list of items that I need for each one, so that I can see at a glance what needs to be made.
There is no easy way to do any of this and writing the blog is yet another challenging stumbling block! So I think it may be best to just take you through each garment, one at a time and leave most of the heartache on the floor with this pile of threads and fabric scraps!
One thing you have to bear in mind is that the Sam doll is a different shape to the Tonner and the Ellowyne dolls, therefore the fit shown on my dolls is not too good.
Outfit One
My collection begins with an all time classic fashion item of clothing, under-rated but always there, well, for the last 60 years or so anyway!
The black leather jacket!
So iconic, for so many era’s!
So iconic, for so many era’s!
is often overlooked, not exactly feminine or the height of fashion. However, it is a very powerful and meaningful garment…to many people. Also it is very “London - England!” A bit of a challenge to start with, but here goes.
This is the outfit…
This is the outfit…
The jacket couldn’t possibly be made in leather for something as small as this, so I have used silk dupion, which strangely, does look like leather. The jacket has all the bits and pieces you would expect, epaulettes, zips, studs, wrist straps and of course a red tartan lining!
Placing the zip worked much better than I had anticipated, it is really not an easy thing to do, as the seam I inserted it into is curved, so I never expected it to fasten and fit as well as it did.
Underneath she has a fairly simple dress, it is fitted and has used the tartan on the bias for the front panel. It is fully lined and zips up the back.
To tie the theme of the jacket into the dress I have made her a wide curved belt, this fastens with a tiny silver buckle. The belt sits very low on her hips so that it doesn’t become one with the jacket.
Underneath she has a fairly simple dress, it is fitted and has used the tartan on the bias for the front panel. It is fully lined and zips up the back.
To tie the theme of the jacket into the dress I have made her a wide curved belt, this fastens with a tiny silver buckle. The belt sits very low on her hips so that it doesn’t become one with the jacket.
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 2
Outfit No2
Continuing with the jacket and the zip detail, this jacket is sleeveless and worn over a shirt and skirt. The jacket is made in a deep inky blue taffeta fabric but now we have much more going on underneath. It is lined with a lovely blue tartan fabric which I have used to make the blouse. This fastens down the back with little silver bead “buttons”, It has a high neckline and long sleeves, the cuffs on the sleeves fasten with press studs that, and the front of the collar, are also trimmed with the silver buttons.
The skirt has a distinct corset look to it, it has top stitched seams, a zip up the back and is fully lined. The front of the skirt is shaped upwards, just another reflection of the corset theme.
Her boots are made to match her outfit using the same blue fabric and have the blue tartan piping up the sides.
Oh, and just to show things don’t always go right!! I had initially done this outfit with a dress, the skirt was very full as I had concerns about the doll having bigger hips. I thought a full skirted dress might flatter the hip line and it wouldn’t really matter how big her hips were. Hmm….
…now that is just bad! It changes the whole look of the outfit! I am so glad I changed my mind!
Her boots are made to match her outfit using the same blue fabric and have the blue tartan piping up the sides.
Oh, and just to show things don’t always go right!! I had initially done this outfit with a dress, the skirt was very full as I had concerns about the doll having bigger hips. I thought a full skirted dress might flatter the hip line and it wouldn’t really matter how big her hips were. Hmm….
…now that is just bad! It changes the whole look of the outfit! I am so glad I changed my mind!
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 3
Outfit No3
Right then moving along, the skirt is taken from the previous outfit and modified a little.
Right then moving along, the skirt is taken from the previous outfit and modified a little.
The basic style of the skirt is similar but I have made it a longer length this time. It has top stitching done in a contrasting red with tiny red buttons trimming the waist at the top. Again, it is fully lined and zips up the back.
This style of coat is very fashionable over here in England, and just HAD to be done in the red tartan. This gave me the opportunity to use the tartan going in different directions. Tartan can be fun to work with, just by using it in different ways.
This style of coat is very fashionable over here in England, and just HAD to be done in the red tartan. This gave me the opportunity to use the tartan going in different directions. Tartan can be fun to work with, just by using it in different ways.
This coat is very difficult to find something to wear with it, due to the short length. But, it is supposed to be like that and the high waisted skirt breached the gap so to speak! I like the way this outfit gives the doll lots of length and height.
The hood was a little risky to do, as the doll we were sent had no head. I had to assume she had a normal sized head and just go for it! But it looks good either up or down, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Underneath her coat she has a little sleeveless top. I have made it a polo neck so that it can be seen when the coat is fastened and it gives a tidier look to the neck.
I didn’t want sleeves, as we all know, sleeves are just a headache when you are trying to get a coat on a doll. I also didn’t want too much bulk on the shoulders as the jacket is quite boxy, the last thing she would need is bulky shoulders! So I have taken the shoulders back almost to the collar line.
To finish off the outfit she has these great boots, they are Joe Tai boots and are superb. They just finish off this outfit nicely!
The hood was a little risky to do, as the doll we were sent had no head. I had to assume she had a normal sized head and just go for it! But it looks good either up or down, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Underneath her coat she has a little sleeveless top. I have made it a polo neck so that it can be seen when the coat is fastened and it gives a tidier look to the neck.
I didn’t want sleeves, as we all know, sleeves are just a headache when you are trying to get a coat on a doll. I also didn’t want too much bulk on the shoulders as the jacket is quite boxy, the last thing she would need is bulky shoulders! So I have taken the shoulders back almost to the collar line.
To finish off the outfit she has these great boots, they are Joe Tai boots and are superb. They just finish off this outfit nicely!
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 4
Outfit No4
The skirt carries on into this outfit, with of course, a few changes. This time I have done a tartan skirt, the lower half is pleated all around. The upper is again top stitched and has “belts” and buckles sewn across the front panel. Again it is lined and has a zip in the back.
Now I want to take the blouses a little further and go down that road for a while. This blouse I wanted to be like a traditional shirt, BUT, I wanted it to look like the collar had melted down onto the shoulders. The collar wraps around the shoulders and fastens at the front. The front of the collar is trimmed with tiny red buttons.
To give it a very soft romantic look I used silk lining fabric, there is literally nothing to this fabric and it drapes beautifully for dolls clothing.
Now I want to take the blouses a little further and go down that road for a while. This blouse I wanted to be like a traditional shirt, BUT, I wanted it to look like the collar had melted down onto the shoulders. The collar wraps around the shoulders and fastens at the front. The front of the collar is trimmed with tiny red buttons.
To give it a very soft romantic look I used silk lining fabric, there is literally nothing to this fabric and it drapes beautifully for dolls clothing.
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 5
Outfit No 5
Now we develop the blouse a little further, the collar is gone, the fabric is still silk, but black this time. I have replaced the collar with black Nottingham lace, this gives the neckline a little more interest whilst still keeping it off the shoulders.
The blouse fastens down the front and is trimmed with tiny black buttons. I have taken away the formality of the cuffs and elasticated the wrists and trimmed them with the lace.
I wanted to make this skirt more shapely. I was very tempted to make a waistcoat for this one, but wanted something a little in between. The top of this skirt is shaped up into curvy straps to show off the figure. Working the curves into this was quite difficult but I wanted to get away from the harsh straight lines of straps. The dress is made in Silk Dupion.
Her hat is taken from the Gabby challenge but worked in different colours to match this outfit.
To finish off she has black plain boots which just keeps all the lines flowing and balances the black colour of the blouse.
The blouse fastens down the front and is trimmed with tiny black buttons. I have taken away the formality of the cuffs and elasticated the wrists and trimmed them with the lace.
I wanted to make this skirt more shapely. I was very tempted to make a waistcoat for this one, but wanted something a little in between. The top of this skirt is shaped up into curvy straps to show off the figure. Working the curves into this was quite difficult but I wanted to get away from the harsh straight lines of straps. The dress is made in Silk Dupion.
Her hat is taken from the Gabby challenge but worked in different colours to match this outfit.
To finish off she has black plain boots which just keeps all the lines flowing and balances the black colour of the blouse.
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 6
Outfit No 6
And so to number 6! Now for this one I really wanted to go down the waistcoat road, which developed from the last outfit. I also took the blouse again, but in white this time, trimmed with cotton lace. Whilst I was making this outfit, the song “Any Old Iron” kept going through my head, it had a lot to do with the thought of nobody giving me tuppence for my old watch chain! LOL!
Well, you can’t have a waistcoat without a watch chain! Watch chains are very underrated!
I have attached the watch chain to the trousers here, well, who wants convention?
The trousers were a very risky thing to do for this challenge, as the fit could not be guaranteed. The doll we were given had larger hips than Ellowyne, so I wasn’t sure the end result would look good on the Runway. However, I went ahead. They are made in Silk Dupion and have piped edging running down the legs. They fasten at the back with a press stud.
The waistcoat has a little collar in tartan, to keep that theme flowing and fastens at the back with eyelets and laces. This just gives it a little more interest. The front fastens with press studs and is trimmed with tiny red buttons.
To accessorise this outfit, I made her a bag too. I made it in the red Silk fabric of the other outfits to contrast with the black of this outfit but used the red tartan to keep everything together. It has chain handles to keep the watch chain theme, and a tiny mock zipped pocket on the front. The bag is lined inside, it closes with a press stud and it has colour co-ordinated eyelets for the chains to run through.
Her boots match her outfit perfectly and finish it off to a T!!
Well, you can’t have a waistcoat without a watch chain! Watch chains are very underrated!
I have attached the watch chain to the trousers here, well, who wants convention?
The trousers were a very risky thing to do for this challenge, as the fit could not be guaranteed. The doll we were given had larger hips than Ellowyne, so I wasn’t sure the end result would look good on the Runway. However, I went ahead. They are made in Silk Dupion and have piped edging running down the legs. They fasten at the back with a press stud.
The waistcoat has a little collar in tartan, to keep that theme flowing and fastens at the back with eyelets and laces. This just gives it a little more interest. The front fastens with press studs and is trimmed with tiny red buttons.
To accessorise this outfit, I made her a bag too. I made it in the red Silk fabric of the other outfits to contrast with the black of this outfit but used the red tartan to keep everything together. It has chain handles to keep the watch chain theme, and a tiny mock zipped pocket on the front. The bag is lined inside, it closes with a press stud and it has colour co-ordinated eyelets for the chains to run through.
Her boots match her outfit perfectly and finish it off to a T!!
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 7
Outfit No 7
Now the waistcoat goes on another step and becomes a blouse. Her watch chain has become more conventional, well, convention isn’t always bad! The blouse here is quite a complicated affair. It is made all in one piece, so the top part of the blouse is sewn between the outer and the lining of the waistcoat.
I have tried to show you it in the pictures above, rather than try to explain, which would probably take all day! LOL!
The lower edge of the blouse is shaped in a traditional waistcoat way. The front has of course, the watch chain. It also had silver buttons and tiny pockets done in the blue tartan. The shirt section is done in white silk, it also has proper fastening cuffs.
For her skirt I have gone for an almost traditional kilt style. The skirt has a pleated panel down the left side and is finished on the front with a tiny blue “Kilt Pin”. The skirt is lined and fastens at the back with press studs.
To finish this outfit off, I have done a peaked cap in the matching blue fabric and trimmed it with silver chain to keep the watch chain theme. This has been trimmed on the ends with beads. It gives the outfit a slight military feel, something I wanted to get across in the Gabby challenge and something I am going to have a play with next!
I have tried to show you it in the pictures above, rather than try to explain, which would probably take all day! LOL!
The lower edge of the blouse is shaped in a traditional waistcoat way. The front has of course, the watch chain. It also had silver buttons and tiny pockets done in the blue tartan. The shirt section is done in white silk, it also has proper fastening cuffs.
For her skirt I have gone for an almost traditional kilt style. The skirt has a pleated panel down the left side and is finished on the front with a tiny blue “Kilt Pin”. The skirt is lined and fastens at the back with press studs.
To finish this outfit off, I have done a peaked cap in the matching blue fabric and trimmed it with silver chain to keep the watch chain theme. This has been trimmed on the ends with beads. It gives the outfit a slight military feel, something I wanted to get across in the Gabby challenge and something I am going to have a play with next!
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 8
Outfit No 8
Now this time I am going all out Military, I think it is a great look that appeared on the Runway this season, and I have every justification for using it as anyone who really knows me knows! LOL!
Now this time I am going all out Military, I think it is a great look that appeared on the Runway this season, and I have every justification for using it as anyone who really knows me knows! LOL!
This outfit is actually pretty simple, it is a coat dress, very short, showing off lots of leg. It has a stand up collar piped in blue tartan. It is fitted and all the seams are top stitched. The sleeves are trimmed with silver bead buttons.
The epaulettes are sewn into the neck at the collar and then pass through loops that were sewn into the sleeve seam.
The end has been extended out over the shoulder and down the arm to encompass the “sergeant’s stripes” worked in beading. There is plenty of beading on the shoulders and down the front of the dress to give it a thoroughly, no holds barred military touch!
The epaulettes are sewn into the neck at the collar and then pass through loops that were sewn into the sleeve seam.
The end has been extended out over the shoulder and down the arm to encompass the “sergeant’s stripes” worked in beading. There is plenty of beading on the shoulders and down the front of the dress to give it a thoroughly, no holds barred military touch!
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 9
Outfit No 9
Well, staying on the Military theme, where do we go now?? How about some military honours?
I saw a dress very similar to this on the Runway recently and was just stunned by it’s simplicity. The medal that comes over the shoulder, whilst it looked great on the real sized version, was not so easy to do on this small scale.
Beads just looked like beads and sequins just looked like sequins! I added the black ribbon and the little gilt buckle and this made it look much better. But the dress, by itself, looked very basic and just wasn’t…enough!
So I added a tiny bag and made the ribbon medal into the strap, this actually worked really well as the strap sits very nicely over the dolls arm and you still get the full medal effect!
But even so, there was still something missing. I added the medals to her shoes too, this makes the outfit look a little more complete.
Nope, still not enough! …It just wasn’t looking grand enough, if you see what I mean. She needed something. A coat or a cape would have hidden the shoulder strap detail, a wrap would have just been wrong, a feather stole wouldn’t look right. She needed something lightweight, something to give the outfit what it needed without over powering it!
That’s where the tulle came in! This is just a strip of tulle with elasticated thread running down the middle, so easy and just so right! She can wear it any which way or even not at all!
I saw a dress very similar to this on the Runway recently and was just stunned by it’s simplicity. The medal that comes over the shoulder, whilst it looked great on the real sized version, was not so easy to do on this small scale.
Beads just looked like beads and sequins just looked like sequins! I added the black ribbon and the little gilt buckle and this made it look much better. But the dress, by itself, looked very basic and just wasn’t…enough!
So I added a tiny bag and made the ribbon medal into the strap, this actually worked really well as the strap sits very nicely over the dolls arm and you still get the full medal effect!
But even so, there was still something missing. I added the medals to her shoes too, this makes the outfit look a little more complete.
Nope, still not enough! …It just wasn’t looking grand enough, if you see what I mean. She needed something. A coat or a cape would have hidden the shoulder strap detail, a wrap would have just been wrong, a feather stole wouldn’t look right. She needed something lightweight, something to give the outfit what it needed without over powering it!
That’s where the tulle came in! This is just a strip of tulle with elasticated thread running down the middle, so easy and just so right! She can wear it any which way or even not at all!
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 10
Outfit No 10
Ok, well, I think I have got that out of my system, time to play with that silhouette and the one shoulder strap theme! I love the colour combination of this blue tartan and the blue taffeta, so I wanted to get them together in a cocktail dress. The left side panels of this fitted dress were done in tartan and the rest blue, the dress is lined and zips up the back. I took the shoulder strap to the absolute extreme and extended it right down the front and the back.
The strap is made in the black Nottingham lace that I have used previously. I ran two strips over the shoulder and intended to sew them together over the shoulder, but I got messing about with it, as you do (!), and couldn’t decide whether to have the two straps up, down, together or separate!
So, I left them separate, I don’t want to deprive you of your play! LOL!
The dress wasn’t glitzy enough as it was so I sewed some micro sized, petrol coloured sequins over the lace just for some added sparkle.
Now on to the shoes. Blue shoes are not the easiest thing in the word to find, especially when I want MY blue! So time to make my own! The shoe bases, or soles are taken from a pair of Tonner basic sandals. The ribbons and insole are very easy to remove giving me a nice…pink…sole to work with. Well, we can’t have that for a start! These shoe soles are actually very handy to have around, don’t throw away the torn out insole though, use it to draw round and create your own!
I painted my soles blue using ordinary little pots of enamel paint, mixed to the right colour.
Covered the insole in my blue taffeta and made a shoe strap from the black lace. Then I have sewn the tiny sequins across the front.
The strap is made in the black Nottingham lace that I have used previously. I ran two strips over the shoulder and intended to sew them together over the shoulder, but I got messing about with it, as you do (!), and couldn’t decide whether to have the two straps up, down, together or separate!
So, I left them separate, I don’t want to deprive you of your play! LOL!
The dress wasn’t glitzy enough as it was so I sewed some micro sized, petrol coloured sequins over the lace just for some added sparkle.
Now on to the shoes. Blue shoes are not the easiest thing in the word to find, especially when I want MY blue! So time to make my own! The shoe bases, or soles are taken from a pair of Tonner basic sandals. The ribbons and insole are very easy to remove giving me a nice…pink…sole to work with. Well, we can’t have that for a start! These shoe soles are actually very handy to have around, don’t throw away the torn out insole though, use it to draw round and create your own!
I painted my soles blue using ordinary little pots of enamel paint, mixed to the right colour.
Covered the insole in my blue taffeta and made a shoe strap from the black lace. Then I have sewn the tiny sequins across the front.
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 11
Outfit No 11
Right then, lets tinker a little more with the strapless silhouette and throw into that a shameless inspiration from Robert Best. He did a stunning gown on Project Runway, using this neckline. I was so beautiful I couldn’t resist doing it in miniature, so with all due respect and regard to Robert, this one is for you!
…Well, ok, with one or two changes! Although the neckline blew me away, I wasn’t sure about the skirt, so decided to go for something more simple, classic and elegant. I shaped the skirt into the fishtail style and pulled out the back into a small train.
The fabric is beautiful, it is a new one on me, (maybe I don’t get out enough?) it is brushed silk and has a lovely velvety look and feel, yet is very fine and has a nice weight without all the bulk of velvet. I have fitted the dress closely to the doll, lined the dress and zipped the back.
The front neckline is gathered into the beaded halter necklace (..now there is a good word! Halternecklace!) The necklace is made out of a random selection of beads, they are different sizes for texture and they are gold, gold glass and pearls. The necklace fastens with a hook and eye at the back.
This handbag was also inspired, this time by Ginger Rogers. She tends to dance quite a bit, you may have heard, she also has handbag problems, so she is really one to watch for her solutions. She can’t really break into a dance with a handbag in her hand, so this is an idea taken from one of her films in which the handbag was fitted to her wrist. Dolls always have problems holding handbags, so I hope this one won’t just get dropped on the floor! The bag has a press stud opening and the fold over flap is trimmed with beads to match the neckline of the dress.
The red and gold strappy sandals finish off this outfit perfectly.
…Well, ok, with one or two changes! Although the neckline blew me away, I wasn’t sure about the skirt, so decided to go for something more simple, classic and elegant. I shaped the skirt into the fishtail style and pulled out the back into a small train.
The fabric is beautiful, it is a new one on me, (maybe I don’t get out enough?) it is brushed silk and has a lovely velvety look and feel, yet is very fine and has a nice weight without all the bulk of velvet. I have fitted the dress closely to the doll, lined the dress and zipped the back.
The front neckline is gathered into the beaded halter necklace (..now there is a good word! Halternecklace!) The necklace is made out of a random selection of beads, they are different sizes for texture and they are gold, gold glass and pearls. The necklace fastens with a hook and eye at the back.
This handbag was also inspired, this time by Ginger Rogers. She tends to dance quite a bit, you may have heard, she also has handbag problems, so she is really one to watch for her solutions. She can’t really break into a dance with a handbag in her hand, so this is an idea taken from one of her films in which the handbag was fitted to her wrist. Dolls always have problems holding handbags, so I hope this one won’t just get dropped on the floor! The bag has a press stud opening and the fold over flap is trimmed with beads to match the neckline of the dress.
The red and gold strappy sandals finish off this outfit perfectly.
Challenge 10 - The Final Challenge - Outfit 12
Outfit No 12
This last outfit became a mix between the last outfit, Outfit 11, and my Fashion Royalty Moonlight outfit. The neckline and the shaping of the beading follow on from Outfit 11.
The shaping of the bodice, the underskirt and the, now pointed, tails are from my Moonlight and Joy dress done for the Fashion Royalty Challenge. The underskirt has been made in two layers a red layer overlaid with black, this reflects the dress fabric with is woven in red and black threads.
The dress is made up of eight lined and shaped panels, these form the dress which zips up the back.
The beading is done in a random selection of beads in gold colours and glass.
The outfit includes a matching beaded handbag, lined on the inside, it has a tiny bead and loop fastening. The beading on the outside matches her dress and the handle is made in the same way as her earrings.
Then to complete the look she has shiny red shoes!
Just for fun, and in case you were wondering what the dress looks like without the underskirt…
The dress is made in the rich red Silk Dupion as used earlier, not quite Moonlight and Joy, more like Fire and Passion!
This last outfit became a mix between the last outfit, Outfit 11, and my Fashion Royalty Moonlight outfit. The neckline and the shaping of the beading follow on from Outfit 11.
The shaping of the bodice, the underskirt and the, now pointed, tails are from my Moonlight and Joy dress done for the Fashion Royalty Challenge. The underskirt has been made in two layers a red layer overlaid with black, this reflects the dress fabric with is woven in red and black threads.
The dress is made up of eight lined and shaped panels, these form the dress which zips up the back.
The beading is done in a random selection of beads in gold colours and glass.
The outfit includes a matching beaded handbag, lined on the inside, it has a tiny bead and loop fastening. The beading on the outside matches her dress and the handle is made in the same way as her earrings.
Then to complete the look she has shiny red shoes!
Just for fun, and in case you were wondering what the dress looks like without the underskirt…
The dress is made in the rich red Silk Dupion as used earlier, not quite Moonlight and Joy, more like Fire and Passion!
I tried to get my collection to work in as many ways as possible, I have three basic colour groupings that you may be interested to see all together…
So! There it is, my collection …my Passion for Fashion!
As a footnote, and because she never likes to miss out on anything, here’s Ellowyne!!
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Challenge 9 - The Gabby Challenge
This challenge is going to be particularly hard for me as I don’t consider myself as having any particular style, I have always dressed dolls to suit them, taking a lead from them or their personality. Or even from the customer requiring a commission.
I have never tried to inflict myself on them, if you see what I mean. So, a collection...hmmm.
Well, I will start where I usually start, ploughing through image after image and researching. But what do I research?? Me?? Well, perhaps not! I will just go with what I like and what influences me.
Here are a few images that inspired me as I scoured the internet…
There are also a few influences in my life which should really have an impact on my collection. My married life was spent moving around all over the place with the Royal Air Force so I think we will have a little military in there somewhere.
My brother is a drummer and plays for many bands, including The Sex Pistols Experience, he is very good …but I am supposed to say that!
So we shall have a little touch of the Punk too as that is supremely English!!
My Brother and his band.
I like detail, lots of detail! This comes from Jason Wu and his extraordinary Fashion Royalty.
I like my dolls to look real, like they are wearing real fashion that has shrunk.
I like everything to be in scale, from patterns, to fabric thicknesses, to buttons and zips.
I like to have fun, and I love anything that is just “different”!
I also like tartan, which, as we all know comes from that rare Scottish breed of Tartan sheep!
Tartan is not the easiest fabric to work with, it can be a right sod to sew at times, matching up lines and patterns and making sure everything meets. It is a nightmare to cut out, as you have to work out where all the patterns and lines will meet each other and then it can be equally as bad to sew, making sure you sew dead on the spot where the lines are supposed to meet!
Still, it is a challenge that I enjoy but can get very frustrated with!!
…Right where does all this leave me!
Well, it leaves me thinking, and more thinking!
The Gabby doll is very young looking, probably late teens, she likes music, and England.
Here I am again, designing for the doll, but I don’t care, she just fits perfectly into my picture!
For this challenge, I wanted every item of clothing to have something “different” about it, some little feature, no matter how small. Most of these elements will never be shown on Dollway but it will give me satisfaction to know that they are there, and to know that you are now aware of them too, having read about it here.
I started with the underwear. This is made in black chiffon to keep the bulk down. It has the seams running up the front of the legs and this is covered with red ribbon to keep everything tidy and seamless looking. The end of the ribbon has a tiny hook on the end to attach to the loop on the stocking tops. The knickers are elasticated at the waist and fasten at the back with a press stud.
The knickers and stockings are trimmed with red and black lace.
Now on to the shirt, this had to be bulk free too, as it was going under her jacket, so I trimmed it down to the bare necessities.
It is made in white silk, it is fitted without being too tight. The collar was a problem as I wanted her to have a tie but didn’t want too much bulk down the front. To solve this I made the shirt fasten down the back and lost the back of the collar all together, the collar begins to fold from the shoulders as you can see above, so that her jacket will sit properly around her neck.
The back has tiny bead buttons sewn on, as does the front and the cuffs, which have openings fastening with press studs.
Her skirt was a bit of a challenge, getting all those lines meeting properly AND getting the pattern to fit properly onto the pleats. I needed to get as much red showing as I could so that it would go with her jacket.
The braces on the skirt are fine satin ribbon, they are adjustable and attach to the skirt through tiny loops trimmed with buttons, The slide on the braces is a tiny buckle that is just perfect for the job.
I have to admit to tying myself in several knots trying to thread the ribbons though in the right sequence and end up with no twists in the ribbon. It is seriously not as easy as you would think! LOL!
Next up, is the jacket. I like to do jackets and I think they make dolls look very smart - IF you get it right! This jacket is made in silk again, it is a lovely deep black/red, which sadly is very difficult to photograph!
The fabric presses really well, there is no thickness to it and apart from the fraying, it actually behaves very well. The tartan was brought into the jacket with piped seams and epaulettes then finished off with shiny gold coloured beads. It has a tiny hook and worked eye fastening at the front so that the jacket can be worn open or closed and you won’t see any ugly fasteners.
The Tartan again was worked into her boots with piped seams. The black fabric is a lightweight upholstery fabric that looks just like distressed leather, it is great to work with and makes a great pair of boots!
Next came the hat. Now, this was inspired by a girl I had seen whilst out and about, she had pinned her rather floppy peak up with a glitzy brooch, which I thought was a cracking idea! This became incorporated into my hat, the peak was extended and squared off on one side and buttoned back onto the hatband to give it quite a quirky look.
And there you have it! My outfit, which, if I am successful, will represent my Final Collection!
Monday, 7 January 2008
All I ever wanted from each challenge was to scrape myself through into the next round!
But to actually win a challenge is unreal! Imagine how I feel winning two!!
When I first heard of Dollway I thought it sounded like a great idea, but of course I thought I wasn’t good enough to enter a competition like that!
Designers selected from all around the globe?
How could I compete, don’t be silly!
I tried to put it out of my head, after all I didn’t even have the courage to e-mail Ted and ask for more details!
However, a little voice in my head (probably Ted’s LOL!) just wouldn’t let it go, it nagged at me constantly until I just thought, well, why not?
This is what I do for a living, I make dolls clothes!
Well, ok mostly for the beloved Sasha dolls (The support from the Sasha collectors has been breathtaking) with an occasional dabble into the fashion doll realms, but I am not one for putting myself forward in anything and certainly not competitions. And I don’t care what you say, I am not good enough…or so I always believed!
But here I am, how amazing is that!!
Well, whatever happens from now on, I have had a blast, I am SUCH a different person from this time last year when I was trying to talk myself into ...and out of, entering the competition.
Then there are all the valuable lessons learned and the knowledge gained. If I had spent the next 10 years working away here in my workshop, I doubt I'd have learned so much! We as designers, and I hope I can speak for all the other designers too, have learned so much about new sewing techniques, photography, writing blogs, design, illustration, different dolls, pattern design, working with fabrics, research, other fashion designers…I could go on all day!
You can’t find, let alone pay for, an education like this.
Thank you to everyone for your support!!
But to actually win a challenge is unreal! Imagine how I feel winning two!!
When I first heard of Dollway I thought it sounded like a great idea, but of course I thought I wasn’t good enough to enter a competition like that!
Designers selected from all around the globe?
How could I compete, don’t be silly!
I tried to put it out of my head, after all I didn’t even have the courage to e-mail Ted and ask for more details!
However, a little voice in my head (probably Ted’s LOL!) just wouldn’t let it go, it nagged at me constantly until I just thought, well, why not?
This is what I do for a living, I make dolls clothes!
Well, ok mostly for the beloved Sasha dolls (The support from the Sasha collectors has been breathtaking) with an occasional dabble into the fashion doll realms, but I am not one for putting myself forward in anything and certainly not competitions. And I don’t care what you say, I am not good enough…or so I always believed!
But here I am, how amazing is that!!
Well, whatever happens from now on, I have had a blast, I am SUCH a different person from this time last year when I was trying to talk myself into ...and out of, entering the competition.
Then there are all the valuable lessons learned and the knowledge gained. If I had spent the next 10 years working away here in my workshop, I doubt I'd have learned so much! We as designers, and I hope I can speak for all the other designers too, have learned so much about new sewing techniques, photography, writing blogs, design, illustration, different dolls, pattern design, working with fabrics, research, other fashion designers…I could go on all day!
You can’t find, let alone pay for, an education like this.
Thank you to everyone for your support!!
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Challenge 8 - The Kish/Erte Inspired Outfit
I love this challenge, just the study and research is great fun. Putting it into practice and creating the required garment is quite something else.
Where do you start when you have to chose one (or more) images?
The outfits and illustrations are superb.
Well, I have to start somewhere so here were the illustrations that inspired me the most.
Where do you start when you have to chose one (or more) images?
The outfits and illustrations are superb.
Well, I have to start somewhere so here were the illustrations that inspired me the most.
In this illustration, I love how the whole thing has a sense of movement. I like her headband, (hmmm, could use that!) I like the dramatic contrast in colours and the swirl of the dress.
In this one, it is the use of the peacock and the way he is holding the dress up. Peacocks feature in many of Erte’s illustrations. I would like to see this outfit actually made, but think I would miss out the spoon type jewellery!
This one is another joy in drapery, I like the flow of this one and the bodice, which is quite unusual for an Erte garment as he went to great pains to liberate women from the corset.
Another masterpiece in drapery, I imagine it would be almost impossible to recreate something like this in miniature, you wouldn’t be able to get the volume or the weight scaled down, which is a shame.
This one is very elegant and very “wrapped”, the only thing that gives it any shape is the bindings around the waist.
Now this one I really like, and has probably influenced me the most, I love the “statuesqueness” of this, and the illusion of height given by the length of the dress. It has very clean and simple lines, the shape of the garment is given only by the figure wearing it.
The skirt on this one is out of this world and I SO want to recreate the wrapped look around the ankles, again the peacock is making an appearance!
I like the way the front is twisted and draped on this one, I also like the headdress but I think any doll wearing it would more than likely keel over! (Again a peacock motif on the front!)
Well, coming up with a design is so difficult, not that I haven’t got any ideas, probably quite the opposite, I have too many and can’t decide on one thing! Whaterver I choose I want it to be statuesque and very grand.
I have settled on the peacock theme. It is Natures way of showing off, and if she reckons those colours work, who am I to argue??
So I chose a peacock print cotton fabric, this is lovely it has the peacock tails worked into the pattern, the colours are very vivid and it is highlighted in metallic gold.
Then there is the beautiful watermarked silk fabric, it combines all the right shades of blue. Silk drapes fabulously on scaled down designs, so that should give me the draping that I will need. The gold fabric will give me a good contrast to the silk but it is quite stiff and will not drape, it also frays like a demon, so I will have to be careful where I use it. Then the last print is a matching print that goes really well with the other peacock print, it uses the same colours but just has the little eye patterns.
I want this design to be dictated by the fabric. I am going to have to try not to tailor anything, Erte's gowns all flow, and are more about the drape of the fabric rather than anything tightly fitted or certainly NOT made to measure! Measurements will be difficult for this design anyway as I do not have a doll to fit to. My aim will be to have a one size fits all outfit.
My main fabric will be the silk, it is really lovely pure silk, the watermarking on it looks as though the fabric is wet and dripping just like water. It also has quite a large pattern which I think will be lost on an outfit this small.
(If you need silk to make a dolls outfit, don't waste your time looking in fabric stores! Go and look at some headscarves, these are usually made in lovely fabrics, often with a small pattern scaled for dolls, and ther is enough fabric in a head scarf to get a doll outfit made.)
Anyway, I am hoping for the overall look to look like flowing water and express movement, just as so many of Erte's illustrations seemed to do.
Right then, now for a design, where do you start???
This was my initial idea, I really like the idea of having the wrapping working it’s way round the body and crossing over at the bottom, but it needed something at the waist to give it some shape but when you add a bodice to it, it starts to look very complicated and oriental, hmm!
This was my next idea, very draped, but now it is starting to look medieval! I am having real problems getting this to look contemporary I seem to be going even further back into history.
I am determined to get those twisting straps in there somehow!
Next I decide to make it all out risqué!
This one would need a whole load of toupee tape to keep your modesty! But still it isn’t contemporary enough. Now it looks like she just walked out of a harem!
Right, time for a radical turnaround!
Forget the straps round the skirt, I’m not going to be able to make it work, so I will just rethink the whole thing.
Time to go back to the chosen illustrations and take the bits I like the most and leave the straps! The trouble with this challenge, is we don’t have the doll to work with. Nothing can be perfectly fitted and sizes have to have a bit of give and take. All this had to be taken into account, so my design became rather…well, ...adjustable!
These were a few more designs that I came up with, slightly more contemporary, but I’m still not happy with them. With someone like Erte or Poiret, whose designs were so fabulous, it is difficult not to completely absorb yourself into their style and go all the way into a period outfit.
After I’d looked back at my chosen Erte illustrations, these designs came out, the coloured design was the one that I finally chose.
This design worked really well for me as it is completely adjustable, so it will fit just about any doll that goes near it! Also it captures the elegant draping that I wanted to achieve, the length didn’t matter as it just kind of ends in a puddle around her feet, which also disguises any stand that the doll may have.
The shoulder straps slide through the strap at the back so that the shoulders can be adjusted to fit.
My outfit, I think, would look equally as good on today’s woman, it is almost timeless, flattering and shapely. It flatters all figures both large and small in a way that I really didn’t expect. If the fabric hadn’t behaved as well as it did I would have been looking at a full blown maternity gown!
I wanted to make as much of a feature as I possibly could of the peacock feathers in the fabric design, so I cut out around all the feathers in the “tails” to give the proper peacock shapes. These were trimmed with beads and sequins to give it a rich shimmering jewelled look.
To keep the “adjustable” theme, the hat also had to be one size fits all. I may be being a little ambitious here as there is a vast difference between a Tyler doll and an Ellowyne! But, it had to be done! In the end, the hat is a simple strip of lined fabric, shaped at one end into a fan, this had the very end beaded along the edge. The other edge tapers to a point and has a beaded tassel on the end.
I very nearly didn’t include the hat, I had completely mixed feelings about it. However, it did “go” with the dress and without it, the dress looked a little lost. I read through pages and pages of Vogue and was assured that these turban type things were indeed very fashionable, so that kind of swung it and the hat was included!
I wish I had taken a picture of the dress before I had soaked and shaped it. There is a lot of fabric in the front of the dress, it is cut in a very strange way to make it drape correctly and gather properly through the loop of the strap.
I had to just go ahead and make it, and just BELIEVE that it was going to do what I wanted it to. The trouble is before it was shaped, it stuck out in all directions and looked for all the world like a very bad maternity frock!
Talk about holding the faith!!
But once it was thoroughly soaked and shaped, everything fell into place and it started to look pretty good, very statuesque!
I had an almost overwhelming urge to make bracelets for the doll and have strings of beads running from the bracelets to the outer corners of the peacock feathers on the back of the dress, but this would have dated it far too much!! Long gloves would also have worked really well, or slave bangles but again these would have dated the outfit.
Restraining myself was very difficult!
This challenge is a complete turn around, in that, it takes you completely away from the strict tailored guidelines and measurements and all the fuss of actually making an outfit. It just lets the fabric tell the story. You don't have to know a thing about sewing to be able to do this.
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