livingvicariously Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 So, another hobby of mine is making clothes fo my dd's AG dolls. This is an oufit I made yesterday: I don't use patterns on these, so I'm always pleasantly surprised with the end result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armymom166 Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Very cute! Sewing is not one of my talents, and I am very impressed, especially since you don't use patterns. I would have to glue everything to the doll to make it work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 22, 2013 Author Share Posted September 22, 2013 You are too funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 When I was a little girl my friends and I used to get together to sew clothes for our dolls. Considering they were all different sizes, we didn't use patterns, either. I progressed on to making toys and dolls and still dress them: although sometimes I make and use patterns now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kat57 Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Cute outfit,Tami! You have a great talent,like my mother. She could look at a dress on a mannequin at Sears,go home,go through her fabric stash,and the next day she would be wearing a beautiful copy to church. I never inherited her talent-in fact it is a family joke/half reality that sewing machines break any time I go near them! So, I don't! lol But I admire talent like yours tremendously! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgansmith Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Cute! I too, sew, knit, crochet & more for AG. I love that you make ooak outfits. Kinda funny, but I hadn't crafted for a few years. Then, I got into making AG othes and oopsy! It was a slippery slope straight back to my passion for miniatures. If you haven't already, check out the website for 'Antina's'. They're just down the road from us. Great AG shoes & accessories dirt cheap. The things you can't make and at wholesale. Would love to see more photo's 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 22, 2013 Author Share Posted September 22, 2013 (edited) Thanks, ladies! I just think it's fun to see what I can do with 99-cent fat quarters. I'll have to check out th at store; I absolutely refuse to pay the $35-$40 an outfit that AG charges. @ holly: Nice! Also, I'm loving your book collection on the bottom shelf. Edited September 22, 2013 by livingvicariously Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Thanks, Tami; It seems like a "normal" progression from dolls to miniatures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 22, 2013 Author Share Posted September 22, 2013 I love that normal is in quotation marks. My dh frequently reminds me that nothing about a grown woman dressing up dolls and playing with dollhouses is "normal." I tell him that there is a long-standing tradition of people all over the world doing this very thing. His response: yes, but they're seven. I tell him to respect my culture and to quit stereotyping my people. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgansmith Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Ummm........sorry, but people who play with dollhouses as adults, imo only of course, are faaaaaaaaar more normal than others. Of course, those people don't argue with me. They already know they won't win 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirlPiper Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Beautiful outfit. I have always sewn for my dolls, kids, and myself, too. Very thrifty and relaxing, but my daughter didn't get the gene--it's a battle with fabric for her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodland_miniatures Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Oh, yeah, I slid down that same slippery slope from sewing/knitting/crocheting for Barbie to crocheting anything I could think of for 1:12 scale dollhouses, and contemplating crocheting/knitting for 1:24 scale....and have never been happier! LOVE that "respect my culture and quit stereotyping my people" - I DO feel like I've found my lost folk after all these years! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 My maternal greatgrandmother was a sempstress in Scotland and my grandma did needlework of almost every kind. My mother thought handicrafts was something people "did" and didn't use any of her genetic gifts to express herself; but she's the one who started me with a tiny steel crochet hook. Somewhere along the line I started using the hook "wrong"; and later, when I taught myself to kknit, I was told I did that "wrong", too' came to find out I use what's called "Continental" style for both! IMO if it looks like the pictures and gets the job done, "wrong" is right enough. Grandma taught me embroidery and needlepoint, and handsewing. I taught myself the rest. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Nice! My grandma taught me to quilt, cross stitch and embroider. I taught myself to sew. Who knows, maybe I'm doing it all wrong. It seems to work, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirlPiper Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 My maternal greatgrandmother was a sempstress in Scotland and my grandma did needlework of almost every kind. My mother thought handicrafts was something people "did" and didn't use any of her genetic gifts to express herself; but she's the one who started me with a tiny steel crochet hook. Somewhere along the line I started using the hook "wrong"; and later, when I taught myself to kknit, I was told I did that "wrong", too' came to find out I use what's called "Continental" style for both! IMO if it looks like the pictures and gets the job done, "wrong" is right enough. Grandma taught me embroidery and needlepoint, and handsewing. I taught myself the rest. There isn't a "wrong way" to do a needlework project if it turns out and fits! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 There isn't a "wrong way" to do a needlework project if it turns out and fits! That's what I think, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgansmith Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 That's a big thing about crafting. We are allowed to make our own rules. Do it our own way. And, there's never a project without room for the artist/crafters take on things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgansmith Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Ummm........sorry, but people who play with dollhouses as adults, imo only of course, are faaaaaaaaar more normal than others. Of course, those people don't argue with me. They already know they won't win Ok, so does it make sense to quote ones self? I made this comment the other day and today, I ram across this quote on facebook which I felt was very appropriate. For anyone who knows him, John Edward posted these words by Ursula Legun. "The creative adult is the child who survived". 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 24, 2013 Author Share Posted September 24, 2013 If I could double-like this, I would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoalaSam Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Your doll outfits are lovely! I was just at the library earlier this evening and I borrowed a few books on how-to-sew doll clothes. I figure that if I learn to sew for my American Girl and Barbies, I should be able to go smaller for my ball jointed dolls. I cannot afford to clothe my dolls in outfits that cost more than my children's clothing, so I am now on a quest to learn a new hobby - sewing! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Sam, here's a tip I learned early on as a hand sewer who used to religiously run my needles through an emery bag when they started pulling through the fabric; run them through your hair, instead. The oils in your hair will keep your needle lubricated, but not heavy enough to come off on your fabric (i wipe mine on a tissue after, just because...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 Thanks Sam! I'll have to post some of the others. That's great that you're going to start making doll clothes! It's a lot of fun and almost as therapeutic as dollhouserie. The easiest thing for me is skirts; they're a cinch to cut and a lot more forgiving. Do you sew already or is this going to be a brand-new talent? By hand or machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 When sewing tiny garments, keep in mind that glue may be a better option than thread in some instances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingvicariously Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 Absolutely, but with AG and Barbie-sized, machine sewing should be fine. When you get to 1:12 scale, though, a needle and thread take some skill. Generous seam allowances help, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoalaSam Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Thanks for the tips everyone. Sewing is new to me, unless sewing the buttons back on my husband's shirt count. I have a sewing machine (actually, I did sew two sheets together to make a duvet cover, so I know I can sew straight long seams!) So I will be using a machine as well as hand sewing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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