Thursday, April 28, 2011

The V&A Back Room collection


It has taken me months to put together just the right kind of lace and fabric to make this gown up for an Tonner American Model doll. This is one of the gowns I viewed in the back room of the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was a dream come true and I knew I wanted to reproduce these gowns as close as I could to what I saw, only in a doll size. I choose the American model, because of her size, and her ability to pose, as well as how pretty she is. My model had a straight ponytail, so one of the first things I had to do was to restyle her hair into a Gibson Girl style.
  This first gown is from 1884, in an iridescent burgundy taffeta, with a black net {not nylon} overlay. That is then hand sewn with black lace motifs. The bottom ruffle, of the skirt {which is separate}, is hand pleated from the same netting. and a black net {nylon}ruffle is laid under this to help create fullness.
  On the underside of the skirt is a dust ruffle with edges pinked with scolloped sheers. The bottom facing only extends less than half way up from the bottom.
  There are several different style laces decorating this bodice and skirt, and I tried to match them as closely as I could. I have paid very strict attention to every detail, and reproduced the gown as closely as I could to what I viewed.
  I hope you like this endeavor , and can perhaps see the likeliness to the original as well as the many hours spent recreating it. Please email me if you have any questions or comments, as I would like to hear what you think.






Sunday, April 17, 2011

I shall wear purple....




The purple gown in the book that Alice has been using for her costumes for this little FF doll, was very attractive, and I thought it would be fun to reproduce it for my doll.
  So here it is.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Blues time

This simple blue dress has a square neckline, cap sleeves and a panel front skirt, with 5 gores. A belt around the middle and a pair of tie slippers finishes it.


Simple but elegant.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Something new.

Marie Teresa now has a new dress, and the time it took to make the scallops was significant. However as a replicate of a gown in the book "The Trousseau Of Blondinette Davranche" {as are most of the gowns produced by Alice Leverett and the Vogue doll co. for this doll} it comes very close even in the fabric design. I also made slippers to match and am working on the little red snood. Always something new to create and play with. Enjoy!




Sunday, April 3, 2011

She finally got her dress!



Sometimes I don't get to a doll as fast as I might like, so she has to wait for something to wear. This dress is made up from a Jackie Chimpky pattern. Now she has a dress she won't be satisfied, but at least she has something to wear while she waits for the next one.

This doll is also created by Jackie. Isn't she pretty?