Arabian nights with Cissy!

I have been working on an middle eastern outfit for Madam Alexander's 21" Cissy. This outfit is for a good friend of mine in Florida, and I am happy to share my talents with her. 

  As I work though the design I decided to share it with you here on my blog. Along with all the other things I have been making lately, this promises to be beautiful, when done. And you know how " being done " is now playing in this household. I have finished so many things this short summer, that I really can't believe it all has happened. Like painting that porch! I really did it, but only for this one time. I will never do that again.

  Anyway, back to the nights of Arabia. Belly dance in miniature and Cissy goes far east. Take a look and tell me what you think? It's a work in progress. So far so good.

Bare feet

I do hope to be able to make this little gal some appropriate shoes very soon. I have been concentrating on the clothes for now. So don't think I've forgotten about that, She will get some soon.

And she has a hat!

This little purple stripe dress turned out so cute. It actually is a skirt and a white blouse, with an overdress/apron combination.

The skirt is a three tone purple and white stripe cotton blend. The blouse is a very fine white lawn with many tucks across the front and back. The long sleeves end in cuffs. 

The purple lawn overdress/apron is decorated with a purple velvet ribbon and a lighter purple satin ribbon It has short sleeves with little cuffs that are also decorated satin ribbon.

The confection on her head is the cutest little white straw hat, decorated with flowers and purple satin ribbon. Making a straw hat is not an easy thing to do, but if you have patience then you can make one also. It didn't take me long at all and it's perfect for this outfit to go strolling with mom, in the park. I like this one too.

And a little bit of green.

This dress is similar to the previous ones with a bit of different decoration. Full, lined skirt, and the bodice with a very thin cream silk gathered across the front opening. The jacket has three quarter sleeves, with velveteen cuffs. A short collar of velveteen decorates the top of the jacket. It stops short of being a sailer collar. The velveteen also trims the top of the skirt. It really doesn't button. Those are decoration only. The back of the jacket has a full drape in this era's style. The jacket is attached with snaps at the lower front to help keep it closed. I like the way this dress turned out. Do you?

I love this little dress!

I think it's the best so far. A long purple lace over the skirt fabric, and a nice white fine gathered cotton fabric in the center section on the bodice. The side pieces are attached and they are of a very tiny purple and cherry flowers on a fine lawn cotton. The sleeves are decorated with lace. There are "panniers" draped on each side, and a drape over the back section. The panniers are trimmed with lace. Both bodice and jacket open in the back.

  Have you noticed how short the skirts are? That is the time period of these style clothes for little girls, which of course Patience comes from. The 1880's is an interesting time frame and I am enjoying making her clothes. But I just love this little dress. The cream dress with the double layer of lace in the skirt is a close match, with some differences. She looks so cute in this dress. Don't you think?

A Lingerie dress?

But thats what it's called. I think because of all the tiny pleats down the front and back of the bodice. It flares out at hip then then tucks up for the skirt which is also pleated around and so far down. Little ribbon roses decorate the neck and skirt. A little lace trims the sleeves and skirt.

 I think this one was intended for play as well as other times. It's a darling dress, and another different style for this era.

A taste of wine and roses.

This little wine and chocolate brown dress is the very different style that was so common in this era. The pleated skirt, attached to the bodice, and the separate jacket. This outfit was a bit more involved then it looks. Bodice of chocolate brocade, and skirt of wine fabric, with a pleated "belt" at hip level. The jacket has wine red velvet cuffs, body of chocolate brocade and one set of collars in wine fabric same as the skirt and the other collar set of velvet.

The skirt/bodice closes in the back the jacket closes in the front.

Doesn't she look grown up?

If the sky could be so blue.

This little dress is made of a beautiful blue embroidered fabric. When I saw it in the store I knew I really had to have some of it for a doll dress. It is lined with the same silky fabric as I lined her blue winter coat in some places. In other places it is the bodice fabric with the see-thru fabric as a  trim. The see thru fabric is the tie that creates the bow in the back. I think you can see it in the picture of the front side. Very hard to explain but it's there. It's used as trimmings.

She is ready for Winter.

A little blue flannel cost for winter, and it's comes. This coat has a cape attached at the neck edge. It has tiny pearl buttons, over snaps. The bottom edge of the coat, cape, and sleeve are edged with white fur. {It's fake.} There is a separate hood not attached, and the coat can be worn with or without the hood. All of it is lined with a silky fabric of matching hue. At a later time I will make another cape with real fur, for her evening out with Mom.

Fancy baby!

There is nothing fancier then lots of lace, and an intensely gathered fine silk. This cream dress, is a skirt with two layers of fine lace. The center section is a very fine silk gather in rows down the front. The jacket section, is of cream brocade. It opens in the back and is attached to the bodice. There is a drape in the back that comes to the side. At that gathering point, there are ribbon roses. The sleeves have a smaller lace at the bottom.

The bonnet is cream brocade with lace and ribbon roses, and fine silk gathered around the inside of the brim. Ribbon ties finish off the design.

This dress is the very epitome of this era. A fancy froth of lace, drapes, and ribbons!

I love it. 

Time for a sailer suit.

Isn't she cute? A dark blue fine cotton with red anchors embroidery all over the fabric.

The dress and hat are trimmed out in a bright red bias tape. This outfit is a bodice skirt, and jacket combination. The skirt is box pleated. The sleeves of the jacket cover the bare arms of the under dress, and meet the skirt. It looks all one, but really isn't.

The sailor hat, is typical for this time period fashion.

So she is off to the sea side, to play in the sand.

Lets think pink!

This little girls French Fashion dress is pink, and she looks wonderful in it.

Pink silk bodice, with a all over lace ruffle at the bottom, insert at bodice top, and on the sleeves. A lighter pink lace trims the top of the darker lace on the sleeves, and at the top of bodice, the bottom edge.

The bottom ruffles are pinked, on the bottom edge, as they would have done. {I've never used this before, but it worked out fine and looks wonderful.}

She finishes this outfit with a nice big fluffy bow in the back. It's not a play dress, I'd say a party dress for sure.

PS: I do hope to make her some shoes soon. And socks.

  This lovely little play dress is made of yellow checked gingham, with a rosette trim over pale lace. It has a collar that runs around the neck back and down the front sides in one piece. Very much like a sailer collar, with out the dicky in the front or the square corners in the back.

I made it an easy access {open all the way down the front} instead of closed in the front skirt.

This cute little dress will afford Patience hours of play time, but still look French Fashion design.

This is Patience

She is a lovely little porcelain doll I bought off line from a very nice lady named Diana, at Diana's Fine Things. I must warn you however she doesn't come looking quite like this without her clothes. For some reason they neglect to put a dome on top of the open head, and finish off the hair. I had to do that, myself. It's not hard to do, and should you decide to try it, email me I will send you info. They use of all things hot glue to put her clothes and hat and hair on with.

It's really not hard to deal with. Diana also has some other lovely dolls you might like better, at not a high price. They do come with the stand, and it's well made.

  Anyway, Patience waited till I finished painting the porch to start getting her clothes. She will be waring the latest in french fashion for little girls.

 So here she is in her underclothes.