A New Dress for Gene

I just made this sheath for one of my favorite Gene Marshall dolls. The pattern was in the April issue of Haute Doll magazine. I had made this type of dress before from another pattern, but it called for lots of darts to make it fit perfectly. And it wasn’t lined. This dress, designed by Randall Craig, is very simply constructed and has a full lining. And Gene and I are both very happy with the way it fits!

A Hat for Pru

DH and I are in the process of turning one of the bedrooms (currently used for storage) into a cat-free room for the Christmas tree and a music room for me. Usually, the big tree is up the day after Thanksgiving, but we are still in the process of clearing and reorganizing. We are also going to be moving my art studio upstairs and our office downstairs - a major project. While cleaning out some boxes, I stumbled upon some partially completed baseball style caps I had designed for woodsman type Santas a few years ago, and, for fun, tried one on my Ellowyne doll. I thought it looked kind of cute so I decided to finish it up for her. I sewed a lining in and covered a small button with material to match the brim. Ellowyne’s buddy, Prudence, is modeling. Of course she’s nagging me for an outfit to go with it…

Ellowyne’s New Outfit

I bought Ellowyne a pair of cute silver sandals the other day because she needed them for summer. (Never mind that I’ve worn the same old pair of sandals for the past five years!) Then, she needed a little dress to go with them. I made this sassy little number yesterday from a pattern I purchased on EBAY. Again, I used cotton from my stash. El borrowed a necklace and bracelet from glamorous film actress, Gene Marshall, to add a touch of bling. I think she could go anywhere in this outfit, from a Sunday brunch to a summer wedding.

“Dear Prudence”

This is Ellowyne Wilde’s friend, Prudence Moody. She arrived here a few days ago, and I just love everything about her. Like my Ellowyne doll, she has three wigs – for three completely different looks. Pru came dressed in a cotton gingham checked teddy with striped stockings and darling little white lace-up boots. I’ve spent the past couple of days making an outfit for her, consisting of a long skirt (made from an old piece of quilting cotton), embroidered vest and a chenille tote bag trimmed with vintage fabric and a twinkle button. Now, she’s all ready for a pleasant afternoon of antiquing. Sewing for the dolls is helping me to reduce my “stash.” Hehe, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it…

Below is a close-up view of the embroidery on the vest. I adapted the design from a charming book, 101 Iron -on Transfers for Ribbon Embroidery by Deanna West Hall. The embroidery was done after the vest was near completion, before the side seams were stitched. So the back of the embroidery is hidden by the lining. It was a bit awkward to work this way (as you can see!), but knots would have been unsightly.

A Dress for Gene...

I tried out one of my purchased dress patterns for Gene. This darted dress was a little challenging, but I love the fit and how it emphasizes her tiny waist.

Sewing for Ann Estelle...

I haven’t purchased any patterns, yet, for my Ann Estelle doll, but I wanted to try making her a little skirt gathered to a waistband. I mean, how difficult could that be? I measured carefully (or so I thought) and the skirt ended up just a little too big (but perfect for one of my other dolls). I adjusted my pattern and made another skirt and, not only does it fit Ann Estelle perfectly, it also makes a sassy little skirt for Ellowyne. I also created a matching vest for Ann Estelle using a pattern made from a paper towel that was fitted to her. Now she needs a little top or T-shirt and she’ll be all ready for St. Patrick’s Day…

Sewing for Gene...

Awhile back, I mentioned that I had started collecting Gene dolls, based upon the film stars of the thirties and forties I found a seller on EBAY who was liquidating some old store stock for a friend and I got brand new dolls, never removed from their boxes, for $25.00 each! I bought four different ones (I could kick myself for not buying more, but I was exercising restraint!). I also bought some clothing patterns and finally carved out some time to start sewing for them. This is a simple leotard made from a cheetah print knit (with an Angora fur texture). My “American Countess” Gene is modeling. The original pattern is meant to be the basis of a skating or dance outfit – but I think it might be a nice layering piece under a suit.