Good evening, Internet-Land! Glad you’re here! This week I’ve just went to town with new costume designs for El. Don’t know why ~ I guess I was just inspired by the festive season and all the candy in the stores. In any event, El has SIX more outfits this week to celebrate the dress-up season. Three are here on the blog, but all six will be posted on my “Free Stuff” tab. I would love to see some of your coloring variations if you would like to email them to me. I will NOT pester you with reply ads or anything like that, and will only reply upon request. Just put “El’s Costume” in the subject bar and add a note if you’d like me to post the picture. Please note ~ only designs meeting appropriateness for my blog would be posted.

missysimaginings@gmail.com

Wishing you all a GREAT weekend and a very Happy & Safe Halloween!

Hi, again, Internet-Land! YES ~ crazy me ~ two posts in one day! Well, I wanted to get some costumes ready for El to enjoy the holiday, but wasn’t sure what my time would look like today. Happily, I was able to get two sets done. The other will be on the Free Stuff tab as usual. Enjoy & have a great remainder of your weekend!

Howdy, dear Internet-Land! So today, I have a treat for you. This morning, I used the same method as my last tutorial (Making a Fitted Pattern for Evangeline) and made a pattern that will fit a larger framed male 65cm BJD such as an Ipplehouse fella. It will probably be too big for the slimmer guys, such as Resinsoul or Mirodoll. These pieces are for a collared button-up shirt and a pair of pants. The shirt can be made with long or short sleeves, but the pattern does not have cuffs for the long sleeve. The shirt collar can be a stand-up oriental style, or the traditional pointed corner fold-down style. The pants pieces will need to be assembled as instructed on the pattern before pinning onto & cutting your fabric.

!!!REMEMBER!!!

The tutorial explains how these pieces will produce VERY form-fitting pieces, as they are drafted directly from the doll’s body. To make them looser, longer, etc., you will need to tweak the pieces yourself to create your own design. This is just a starting point. As is, it will result in “skinny jeans” and a “short shirt.”

Enjoy!

That was the theme of our church’s annual Ladies’ Conference this year. I had the great honor to be asked to speak for one of the sessions, and was very blessed to have several ladies say that it was a great help to them. I hope it can be a help to anyone who might be interested! Wishing you the very best!

Hello, dear Internet-Land! I know, I know ~ two posts in one weekend ~ shocking, right? Well, I was looking up at my Evangelines, and thought, “I haven’t sewn for these gals in a while.” Then I thought about making a new pattern for her, so decided to share it. Now, I can’t take full credit for the following idea of “how to,” but I have tweaked it to make it more user friendly for my dolls. I saw the idea on the internet a long time ago, but have had no luck finding it again. So ~ if you know who originally posted the idea of using tape to make patterns, please email me (missysimaginings@gmail.com) and I will be glad to add the proper credit to this post. While thinking of this, I wanted to try the idea, but didn’t want to put tape on my doll. Instead, I first covered the doll in plastic wrap. So, let’s get to the tutorial!

This method can be used to make patterns for any size & shape, so have fun with your favorite doll! First, I tightly wrapped the doll’s torso in plastic kitchen wrap. Then I snuggly covered the bodice with cellophane tape. I used the type called “invisible,” because it’s easier to mark this type with a pencil, and lines can be erased & changed if needed. The slicker type is harder to mark. You could also use narrow masking tape.

The next step is to mark the “pattern” right on the doll. I drew around the neck edge, the arm holes, the waist, center, sides, and then the curves between the centers & sides as shown.

Then I cut up the center front & back, cutting through the plastic wrap, but being careful not to damage the doll. I also labeled the pieces. Next, carefully remove from doll & cut pieces apart.

Now I have pieces that are exactly the size of the doll body. These pieces were traced onto plain paper. Then I slightly enlarged each one’s edges by about 1/16th inch, except for the neck and arm hole edges. Since these curve in, extending the edge would actually make the opening smaller, which I don’t want to do.

The next step is to add seam allowance to each piece. I did not add it to the edges that were the center fronts, since these pieces will have that edge placed on the fold of the fabric. I also added a quarter inch to the center back edges to allow for the overlap where snaps will be sewn. And there you have it! Now these basic pieces can be used to draft a multitude of different designs. I used the same steps above to draft a sleeve pattern, and have added a selection of sleeve variations as well as a fuller longer skirt. I hope this will assist you in your own creative endeavors! 🙂