Pattern Review: Keepers Dolly Duds Rising Star

 I loved the Keepers Dolly Duds Rising Star pattern as soon as it was released! 

I was a big fan of Shirley Temple as a little girl. I was pretty certain that the name and style of the dress was a Shirley reference.

I was intimidated by the pattern, however, and it took me a while to tackle it.

The part that intimidated me the most was the pleats in the middle. And I have to say that, yeah, my pleats aren't quite playing as nicely as I would like that to.

But I can keep working on setting the pleats and it will not hurt the rest of the dress.

The rest of the dress was quite easy, including all of those zig zags. 

I would be willing to try to make this dress again!

Pattern review: Keepers Dolly Duds Buttoned Belle

 I made the Keepers Dolly Duds Buttoned Belle pattern. 

I am giving this dress to Kit because I don't have Ruthie. I admit that it is more of a Ruthie dress because of the color scheme. Hey, it was free fabric. I will turn down free feedsack print fabric when I am dead.

This is another asymmetrical bodice. 

It is a very cute pattern with very cute details.

I think that I may have made one or two mistakes, because it just doesn't have that nice A-line look to it.

After a day, I thought, aha! I did not do the darts! But no, this pattern has no darts. It's the Side Tie Collar Dress that I forgot to do darts on. And that one looks great.

I was pleased with the green fabric that I found to coordinate. I just had a long skinny, scrap of it left from another project, and it was perfect. And it matches her compass necklace!

The pattern has two sleeve options. I went with the long sleeves. Kit lives in Ohio, she needs some long sleeved dresses for winter!

Pattern Review: Keepers Dolly Duds Bodice Details Dress

 I made the Keepers Dolly Duds Bodice Detail Dress.

I thought that the dress had a distinct 1940s look. I chose this poppy fabric because of the significance of poppies in memorializing WWI and WWII.

However, the pattern description says that it is a 1930s dress. I will also admit that the poppy fabric has kind of a 1930s flour sack look to it.

Soooo I am going to say that this dress could be for either the 1930s or the 1940s.

I really love the colors in this fabric. It just looks joyful to me. I think I would like to make a doll quilt from the fabric that I have left.

I found the pleats for this dress really challenging. Not only was it pleating, but the pattern piece for the skirt was curved. Pleating on a curve was tough. I think I made the pleats slightly too large, but they are uniform, so I don't care.

If I ever make this dress again, I may just do a gathered skirt, or used a pleated skirt pattern piece from a different pattern. This once, though, I wanted to do it the way the pattern was written. I am stubborn that way.

This pattern had three sleeve option, including long sleeves. I love that. I love doll clothes with long sleeves.

I usually automatically choose the long sleeve option if there is one. I chose shorter sleeves this time, because I was thinking of it as a dress for Nanea, and she lives in Hawaii. The fabric also looks like spring time to me.

Pattern Review: Keepers Dolly Duds Library Assistant

 I knew that I needed to make the Keepers Dolly Duds Library Assistant pattern.

That's because I am a librarian!

However, I was scared of the pleats.

I will say that KDD patterns do a great job of marking pleats on the pattern so that I understand how to fold the fabric. I followed the pattern directions and ironed the pleats in.

Then I left the fabric overnight under some heavy books. I have plenty of books in my house. I wanted those pleats to be set firmly.

Then I sewed the rest of the pattern with almost no problem.

The one blooper that I made was putting the sleeves in backwards. I swear I was paying attention to which way they were supposed to go. But I got it wrong anyway.

I am trying not to let it bug me, but it bugs me.

Anyway, I conquered the pattern! I am a librarian who can sew a Library Assistant dress now!

Although, as I commented to a colleague, I wish that we dressed this nicely.

This pattern says that it is a 1950s era pattern. However, it looks more 1930s to me.

There is an illustration for a dress in one of Kit's books that looks like this pattern, it just doesn't have pleats in the skirt.

So I guess this dress could work for any era from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Eighteen Cotton Lane

 I have been following Eighteen Cotton Lane on Instagram for a while.

The account belongs to a seamstress in Canada who does absolutely beautiful work.

I wanted to give her a shout out because she has branched into making patterns for others to use.

So far, her first two patterns are both 1930s dresses for Kit, who is her favorite doll.

Her first pattern is a replica of a sailor dress worn by Shirley Temple. It is absolutely exquisite.

It is also a beautiful pattern when used in different colors and fabrics. I have seen several different variations now.

Shirley Temple Inspired Pleated Sailor Dress Link

Her second pattern is a 1930s tea dress. It has lots of beautiful detail. It is also inspired by a vintage 1930s pattern.

1930s Tea dress Pattern

I recommend following her even if you don't sew, or have the budget to buy from her. Her doll clothes are always a pleasure to look at.

Samantha's and Kit's Dolls

 One of my grail items for many years has been the dolls "owned" by Samantha and Kit.

I really love the dolls for dolls, and I have the ones for Felicity, Addy, Josefina and Kaya. I didn't have the ones for Samantha and Kit. They were grail items for me.

I always loved the story of Samantha's doll. We can all sympathize with seeing the perfect doll and yearning for her.

A very generous and sweet friend sent me the ones for Samantha and Kit!

I am so awed by her generosity, and so happy!

I have a lot of pictures that I want to take, but these are the ones that I have so far!

Thank you so much! You know who you are!

Pattern Review: All Dolled Up Lyric

 I made the pattern Lyric by All Dolled Up, currently called AllDolledUpbyTerrie on etsy.

I wanted to make Valentine's Day dresses for my little cousins, who have Kit and Ruthie.

I didn't have time to search for 1930s appropriate fabric, but I thought it would still be cute to use modern fabric and sew it into a 1930s appropriate dress.

I think the resulting dresses are very cute!

They have the same main fabric. The secondary fabrics are actually different, but close enough to look the same in a picture.

I had a few problems with this pattern. The pattern piece for the sleeve band was too short, and the front of the dress was longer than the back of the dress.

I was able to deal with these issues, and I am so happy to have made these cute dresses!

The pattern maker says that this is based on a dress that she wore in the 1960s, so I would like to make a different version of this dress for Melody some day.

Eden Ava Couture 1930s Vintage Dress

 The Eden Ava 1930s Vintage Dress was one of the first patterns that I sewed. I keep coming back to it.

I think this is the first time that I sewed it here.

It's an easy and fast dress that looks good and doesn't use a lot of fabric.

I seem to have not put all the different variations that I made of this pattern on the blog.

Anyway, here is my latest rendition of this pattern.

Fast, easy, simple.

I am happy with it, and it is on its way to make a little girl happy.

Kit's Wardrobe: Kit's Play Dress

I got Kit's Play Dress, and I took LOTS of pictures to share!

New Free Pattern series from Wren*Feathers

Just when we couldn't love Wren Feathers and her free patterns any more, she does something even more awesome!

She is doing a free pattern series for Black History Month, and doing dresses based on different children's books!

This week, the pattern is from the 1930s. It is based on Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper. I haven't read this, so I put it on hold at the library.

This is SO AWESOME! I love children's books and dolls. This is a wonderful combination!

The link is here.

Happy Election Day!

Happy Election Day!

Everyone who qualifies, get out there and vote!

Here are some pictures of a new doll quilt I made with 1930s repro fabrics. Very American!

Zia likes the quilt!

Patterns for Kit Kittredge- Great Depression

I love sewing for Kit! There are so many reproduction 1930s fabric out there, and they are all so cute.
The fashions tend to use a minimum of fabric too, which makes them practical to sew!

Pattern Review: Keeper's Dolly Duds 1930s Frock

This is a pattern that I have owned for a while, and I am ashamed that it has taken me so long to use it.

This is Keeper's Dolly Duds 1930s Frock, and  it is beautiful.

My brain is currently just overflowing with ideas for the many different combinations of color and fabric that I can use with this pattern.

I think that the dresses are just too lovely.

Pattern Review: Heritage Doll Fashions 1930s Gathered Dress

I like dresses that use two different fabrics. Part of the best part of designing a doll dress or a quilt, for me, is finding colors and fabrics that work beautifully with each other.

This time, I used Heritage Doll Fashion's 1930s Gathered Dress to make two different dresses.
The pattern can be found on Pixie Faire.