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! 🙂

Good morning, Internet-Land! I hope your morning is going well. Though, for some of you, it is already afternoon time. In any event, I just wanted to pop in and say, “Hello!” I wanted to get some more El fashions posted last weekend, but was not able to get them completed. I am happy to have two more sets ready. One will be here, and the other (from my facebook page) will be added to the “Free Stuff” tab here on the website. Once these are posted, I have another project to begin today. My daughter is going to Disneyland, and I will be sewing a “Dorothy” dress for her from “The Wizard of Oz.” I guess they have Halloween events during October, so my daughter & her friend are going to dress up for the festivities. That leaves me sewing light blue gingham! I think it will be a fun way to spend the day. Wishing you a fun day as well ~ have a great weekend!

Howdy, howdy, Internet-Land! It’s another weekend with some time to sew and say, “Hello!” I have been steadily making some progress through a very long “to do” list. The first set of items were for a little friend of mine whose parents work where I do. I had told her I was going to make her a surprise, and was happy to have it finished for her. It’s a set of sporty clothes to fit an American Girl doll. The next is a brown pieced jacket to fit a Tonner Matt or Mortimer ~ though it’s a little big on Matt.

Next is a 4 piece gown set to fit Tonner/Wilde Imagination Ellowyne. Now that I have a resin gal, I think she may be my new favorite for which to sew! She is very well strung, so poses great. This set is composed of the gown, a tulle petticoat, a choker train with snap-on rose button & chiffon strips, and a snap-on choker capelet that snaps onto the train and ties in the back. The strips of the train can also be used as a scarf/hood if wished. I am very happy with how the ruffles turned out. It was a very tedious experiment, and I’m glad it worked as I had hoped! I was surprised at how sewing the white chiffon onto the white satin was just as tiring as sewing black on to black! I have had some collectors order custom items in a lot of black, and my eyes get VERY tired after a while. While working on this gown I found the same to be true with the white. Only this time, instead of being hard to see for darkness, it was hard because the white reflects the lamplight! All in all, it was amusing to me. Still, I love the end result.

The next is still in progress. I need to finish by adding the snaps & buttons. It’s a sport jacket for Tonner Matt.

I am also working on more outfits for the paper doll, El, so may get them finished & posted later this weekend. I love getting projects finished! For now, I think it’s time to cook up some lunch. Wishing you all a wonderful & productive day!

A very warm “Hello!” to you, Internet-Land!

So, ya ~ had myself some rest this weekend. It seems like sometimes we’re just going and going and … going … and … going …. . The past few weeks have been full and productive, which I love, but I guess I just needed a little bit of time with truly “nothing” on the schedule. And do you know what? I NAPPED! Yes! I had a long and glorious nap on Saturday. It was wonderful. I feel so much better. You know, maybe you should try the same. If you’re normally a very disciplined person and have difficulty “just stopping to nap,” write it in your planner. Make an “appointment” for a good snooze. It’s amazing how much it can help. I had a teacher years ago who always used to say, “My schedule is my boss.” That’s how he kept his life in order. I like that idea, but then also be sure to incorporate things into your schedule that are not just “work related.” Anyhoo ~ enough of that.

My next bit (after the nap) was going through some old bins and stacks of “stuff to sort later.” You know, the stuff you pile away knowing full well you’ll never look at it again. Well, in one of those stacks, I found some rough sketches of a gown idea. It looks a lot like the purple hydrangea gown, minus the blossoms but adding a chiffon choker train. I don’t know ~ white or black? I like the idea of white, but I already have some black that might work. I’m still mulling it over. Maybe I’ll get started on it this afternoon. Here are the drawings I found. What do you think?

Then, I had a project that was a fun success and an utter failure all at the same time. I finished the sculpt of my own ball jointed doll version of El, and was very happy with my first run. The disaster came when I went to string her together, and the bust just broke into several pieces! It was so very sad. I did manage to get a couple pics of her while rubber-banded together, so you could see her. Now it’s back to the “sculpting board” to try a new type of media that might be more tough when finished.

Lastly, I wanted to leave you with another set of outfits for the paper doll version of El. I will also post the set from facebook on the “Free Stuff” page, so head over there for lots of fun freebies! As always, my wish for you is a wonderful week full of every good thing!

Howdy, howdy, Internet-Land! I hope all is well with you on this 27th of August! It’s hard to believe summer is soon coming to its close. I think I really need one more camping trip here in the near future! Let’s see ~ I guess I’ll start with a quick re-cap. The last two weeks have been filled with work, physical therapy twice a week, doll clothes sewing, and two back-to-back doll shows. Whew! What a whirlwind. Now that I had some “regular home weekend time,” I needed to work on some long awaited projects around my house. I have lots of dolly ideas, but my brain wasn’t feeling too creative because I knew I had so much “property” work to do!

So ~ I made my list and set to work! I knew these would be fairly big jobs, but my brain works sooooooo much better for fun when I get rid of the “clutter” of “have to do” type jobs. The first one was to tackle the wildly over-grown foliage around my back deck & shed. Over the last two summers, I had a plum tree on the hill behind the shed fall/slide over onto the roof. It was then accompanied by a mass of blackberry vines. With carpal tunnel surgery and a bad fall onto my knee, it’s long been awaiting my attention! I’m happy to report that I have this GIANT task done with the scratches and slivers to prove it! I cut back & hauled out all the berry vines as well as cut down the tree. I still have one portion of the main trunk to cut out, but will get to that part when I can hold the handsaw again! (…and I mean HANDsaw ~ not hand-held power saw!) Here are “Before” & “After” pictures!

Now the berries are easy to reach, and boy, are they ready! I didn’t cut all the vines up from the wall, as they are loaded with yummy, organic berries.

The next job was not nearly as taxing, which was a very good thing! At work, we can get big bunches of clear plastic bags to use as garbage bags. They come all bunched up in a giant bag and need to be folded, or else they take up a large amount of space. I got THREE full bags all folded, sorted, and put away, leaving lots of nice space in my living room. That left time to sort out laundry, and then mow the lawn.

It’s AMAZING how getting all that done freed up my brain. I’ve had a bunch of these weighing on my mind for quite a while, and it feels so good to get things out of the way. The next project is one I’ve been wanting to do for all you guys. I had tried to work on it a couple different times, but with so much on my mind, it just wasn’t coming together. Now that my mind was cleared of all the gobbilty-gook, it was free and clear again. So, now I am pleased to introduce a brand new BJD inspired paper doll, El! She is pretty much the paper doll version of the ball jointed doll I am currently working on sculpting. Now that she is officially on paper, I think my sculpting will also make smoother progress. El is a smaller doll, fitted with her clothing to a horizontal 8.5×11 size paper. I hope you enjoy this new design as much as I enjoyed finally seeing her emerge from my imagination! She will also be posted on the “Free Stuff” tab for easy access. Oh! And don’t forget ~ the Slim 1/3 BJD Lacey Gown & Corset Pattern pieces will only be available through the end of this month, so be sure and get them saved to your files! Have a great week, and I’ll “see” you next time!

Greetings & Salutations, Internet-Land! Well, it was a pretty rushed, yet productive week last week. I managed to get a few new items all sewn & finished out for the Resin Rose BJD Event, and had a really good time. It was fun to meet new people and see some previous friends. My lovely Ada wore her new black & gold gown, Aurora sported the red huntress outfit, Dai wore the new colored lace gown, and Rain met the crowds with his new face-up! Now, on to the next event, which will be the Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show this coming Saturday. It will also be at the Monarch Hotel up in Clackamas, OR. I’ll post the link for you:

http://dolls4all.com/portland-or/

I will have a table and look forward to seeing some of you there! Also remember ~ the pattern pieces to the lacey gown are over on my “Free Stuff” tab through the end of this month. Now, here’s a few pics to sign off for tonight. Have a great evening!

Hello, Hello, friends in Internet-Land! I have missed you! As it says in the title, I’ve had a few “life happens” events over the last month or so. My facebook friends will know that early in July we lost a family member unexpectedly. As I said there, I am so thankful that God is merciful and good. We are all well here, and moving on. In late May, I had a bad fall and did a number on my knee. It is still in the mending process, so I have had many hours spent in the company of health professionals. Then, we spent a week in July with our church’s Vacation Bible School program. All that to say ~ most of my creative time has not been for my own pleasure.

I am, however, managing to work in a little time on projects for an up-coming event next weekend. I will be hosting a table at the Resin Rose BJD Event up in Clackamas, Oregon. Here’s the link to the event’s website:

http://resinrosebjd.com/index.html

I’ve managed to get a couple more coats done, as well as this new gown & corset set. I will also be selling printed copies of the pattern at the show. For those of you who visit me here, I have a treat for you. During the month of August, I will post the pattern pieces to the gown in my “Free Stuff” Tab. I still have some projects to complete, so had better get back to work. Just know that though I may not “know” you in person, I think of you often and hope you are well! have a great rest of your weekend!

Good evening, Internet-Land! I know the title is horrible grammar, but it matches my Vacation Bible School Play character. I play a crazy old lady bank robber from the wild west! I got the story done, so will post a couple pics of the characters for that, then helped with decorating, and then spent lots of time practicing for our play. Between all that, I finished the “Mountain Man” tunic/vest and puffy shirt. There’s never a dull moment around here! Have a great evening!

Howdy, howdy, Internet-Land! It’s been a while, and I’ve missed chatting with you! The last time I posted, I went through a list of projects I have on my plate. At present, I am happy to report that quite a few are finished, with more “in progress.” Our church has launched into our annual Vacation Bible School, and I’m glad to have all those projects finished and dispersed. I sewed up parts of a “mountain man” costume that consists of a puffy muslin shirt with a grommet & lace-up neckline, as well as a leather-look tunic-vest edged in fake fur. Then I had to come up with my own costume as “Mean Marge.” With the costumes done, we had our first act tonight, and we will add a new performance each night through to the finale on Thursday. I also wrote up a five chapter story and got all the characters illustrated for the Story Time session each night. That will soon be coming to my “Stuff to Buy” Tab, and will be available as a PDF File by email or on CD.

As far as my dolly ventures, I secured a table at the Resin Rose BJD Event in Clackamas, OR, August 11-13, 2017. It will be at the Monarch Hotel. I will host my booth on Saturday and Sunday when the Sales Room is open. I usually also attend the Cross Roads Doll Show, but am not sure if I’ll go to that one, as it is the very next weekend. To prepare, I need to finish up some sewing projects that are already cut, as well as work on a new experiment ~ no spoilers yet!

Well, I know it may not sound all that exciting, but at least I’m still moving forward. I just wanted to pop in and say, “Hello!” To sign off, I will leave you with a new gown for Abigail. Her facebook dress will be added to the “Free Stuff” Tab, so you can hop over there if you like. Stay cool, and have a marvelous week!

Howdy, Internet-Land! Wow ~ it’s already the end of June! I can tell I’m getting older, as the days go by much faster. Do you remember being a kid when the summers seemed to stretch out forever, and then the school year would hit like an unexpected ton of bricks? Now I find myself just getting used to the extra summer sunshine, when all of the sudden I’m behind on my Christmas shopping! The days fly away so quickly. That’s why I try to just make the most of each one. Trouble is, I have many more projects than days. Here’s what’s on the list at present:

Face-up & re-string for 1/3 Rain, Outfit for Rain, Face-up for 1/3 Nanuri, Outfit for Nanuri, Face-up & re-string for 1/4 Asa, Sculpt a body for my own BJD head (haven’t named her yet), Finish adding blossoms to the purple gown (made some progress yesterday), Write a new 4 day Willy Wood Duck Story for Vacation Bible School and illustrate all the characters & scenes (due next week, but making progress), Sew 4 more prepped coats for Ellowyne & BJDs, Sew a ton of prepped pants & jackets for Matt, Sew a sporty American Girl outfit for a friend, Sew an outfit for my 50cm Obitsu, Make a pattern & sew a Shania Twain black coat to fit a Teen Trend, Make patterns and sew a coat & pirate Tyler outfit for a friend, Finish the outfit for my custom 27cm Obitsu Hinata, Finish the outfits for 2 custom 28cm Obitsu Naruto fellas, Customize a pair of 27/28cm clear Obitsu dolls ….

That’s what I currently have in progress. Hmmm, I wonder what I forgot …

Of course, I also have the up-coming doll shows that will need preparations. I’m thinking about hosting a vendor table at a 3 day BJD event up in Clackamas, OR,  but not sure if I have time to prepare enough stock to last over that much time. Am still debating that one. All this to say, I’m NEVER BORED! I don’t always get to everything I want to do, but I’m never lacking for things to keep me occupied. The best part is when others enjoy my projects as well. I’ve had so much fun connecting with new friends, vendors, and collectors. My world is much more broad and colorful ~ and YOU are a wonderful part of that! Thank you for coming by today. Here’s sending you smiles and warm wishes for a great week!  (Project update pics following the paper doll outfits!)

I was able to finish the purple hydrangea gown. Here are pics showing the dress on a Wilde Imagination Evangeline body as well as my 50cm Obitsu (for whom it was actually designed). The complimentary pattern can be found on my “Free Stuff” tab. Enjoy!