Not so incidentally, I'm also in the process of organizing a group of etsy sellers who make, sew for, and/or make jewelry and accessories for BJDs into an official etsy street team. It's an interesting bunch, and one of the things I've learned is that my dolls, although they're ball jointed, are not, strictly speaking (which most people don't) BJDs, primarily becuase they have mechanical rather than strung joints, which doesn't bother me a bit.
Anyway, lots of people are making clothes for Ello, and she now has several outfits purchased at prices I figured were less than what the time it would take me to make them was worth.. But poor Cal hasw been wearing a skirt of Ello's with an elastic waist that barely clears her hips, a partially-finished top made from an old sweater sleeve, and one lovely long sheath made by Marissa, in Poland. I couldn't find pants I liked for her at a price I considered reasonable. I'd bought a Perfect Pattern for pedal pushers, a halter top, and a short jacket for her on the strength of a recommendation that it was/is the only pants pattern that fits her correctly, but I didn't really like the style and also was trying to concentrate on jewelry.
But Cal kept sitting there half-dressed and looking at me accusingly, so I finally opened the pattern, realized the pants were an easy to tweak 2-piece (well, one front, one back, cut two of each) pattern, and decoded to bite the bullet and make her some pants. Of course, being who I am, I chose a remnant of gold fabric that I'd forgotten was a remnant because it's awful to work with--sticks to your scissors, the sewing machine soleplate, needles--and crawls into the feed dogs and gets caught there. Of course I wasn't going to let a little problem like that stop me once I decided to make the pants, and, having made them in this stuff am confident that I can now do it in anything else, but it took most of 2 days and 2 nearly sleepless nights to get them and a matching top, which I simply draped, glued, and handsewed on Cal to avoid having to pull it out of the feed dogs (don't you hate that?) and also to make the best use of what was by then a VERY small piece of fabric.
It took almost as long to sew on the tiny snaps as to make the outfit--they're hard to see, needles barely fit through the holes, and the fabric grabs the needle--but it was done in time to go to my Tuesday crafts group, where I crocheted a harmonizing scarf or narrow shawl.
The interior finishing of this outfit is not up to my usual standards, it is not and never will be for sale, and I will not make another like it, but I like it a lot (and so does Cal) and , having ove3rcome my own reservations, will now be sewing more for her and possibly for sale.
So here are some pics--more than necessary, but it's such fun to pose her!
I love the fit! The way the top hugs her and is able to hang at the same time, really works with the fabric choice. :)
ReplyDeleteOne option to help with sewing fabric like that in the future is to lay a sheet of paper or tissue paper over the 'sticky' side and continue to sew normally. When you're done, the paper is perferated from the sewing needle and you can just pull/rip it off.
I think with the back area you could put some kind of gem/charm whatnot where the 'snap' is to give it a little more glam, but it's a great outfit and I'd love to see more from you as well as accessorizing the outfit with your awesome jewelry!
Thanks for the comment, Daphinie--sometimes I feel as though I'm talking to thin air!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the positive notes about my work, too--much appreciated.