doll clothes

As a kid I made HUNDREDS of garments for dolls that size. I always found that tightly woven fine fabrics, hand finishing, and miniature buttons were the way to go. Velcro was way too clumsy. Something like FrayCheck will be great for stopping the ends of things fraying, but fine silk thread and tiny hand stitches last much longer! The same fine silk thread (YLI's 100 weight silk is perfect) and a small stitch done with a fine needle is probably the best thing for major seams. I hand sewed most of the major seams in those days... Like quilters, I used a quarter inch seam allowance on most things, and hand overcast edges that looked like they might fray. Couture finished dolls clothes! ;)

I started sewing dolls clothes when I was about five. By the time the dolls left home when I was 14, I'd got quite good at it. They went to play with some other little girls, along with a wardrobe of over 400 items, largely based on the covers of the Georgette Hayer novels! For several years my mum made dresses for my sisters and I with a bias binding finish because I'd nicked the fabric for the facings to make dolls frocks!

Thanks Kate,

Yes I would prefer hand stitching, but my nieces change their minds too quickly about what clothes to put on the doll next, that it is hardly worth going to all that trouble.

jones skrev:

If you just hand stitch the curved seams (i.e. neckline and arm scyes) that shouldn't take very long. You could probably knock-out several assembly-line style while watching a favorite tv show. I wouldn't use glue on dresses for play dolls because the clothing will be put on and off many times and the glue almost certainly won't hold.

hth

Erin

Oh, some of mine got their clothes changed up to a dozen times a day! ;) I found that with such tiny things, even as an impatient 10 YO it was worth doing the hand finishing: they stood up to the changing and washing far better, and being so tiny, were really quick to do!

Hehehehe... I just had this mental picture: I washed all these clothes one day in Malta, and went up the steps at the side of the block of flats (apartments) to hang them on the end of the washing line, where it was tied to the railings... Next thing I knew, our daily help, Angela, had gathered them in with the proper clothes and pressed them all beautifully! She said they were far to pretty to leave all crumpled! Next time she was starching tablecloths (the lass was mad, I tell you! fantastic, but mad... ), all the cotton things got starched as well as pressed! I had the neatest dollies in the Medeterrainian! After we left Malta and no longer had the mad but delightful Angela (who was barely 18 when she first came to us), I had to wash and starch and iron them all myself. They did not get done on such a regular basis, I'm telling you! But the little travel iron my mum bought was great when I did do them!

Oh dear! All this dolly nostalgia... I really want to get to work on my friend's animee dolls stuff!

Dear Katherine,

I, too made hundreds of Barbie clothes for my step-daughter, back when Barbie first came on the market. I found using the maching and lining everything made life much simpler. I still make doll's clothes for my antique dolls, and for my own cloth dolls. They are used as teaching tools, so they are mostly done by hand, using nineteenth century methods found on real people's clothes.

I made Ken's clothes, too, when he came along. I wouldn't use glue, and if you sew the sleeves in while the side seams are still open, then sew the entire sleeve and side seam in one long line, the small curves are easily done. I never warmed up to Barbie; I like my cloth dolls best, and my antique dolls second.

Teri

Oh, I just love that sort of thing! :)

I made the clothes this way long before I ever saw it as a 'proper' method in a sewing book, and do it frequently on real garments - especially kids things! And I do a lot more hand finishing on kids clothing than on adult stuff just because it's easier and softer when done.

I think it would actually be easier to do them this way than to deal with fabric glue -- and the glue will never hold as well as stitches, nor look as good when done.

As much as possible, it's good to use flat construction techniques... back and front stitched together at the shoulders, then sleeves inserted and side seams/underarm seam sewn. Lining is also good... it's a lot easier to line a bodice than turn over itsy bitsy seam allowances. I also edgestitch something like necklines, just for a bit more strength. I've usually used small snaps to close the clothes.

I might take all your advices? to hand stitch the seams.

Kate when were you in Malta. I go there often from Australia, as I was born there and my dad is still there (mum passed away a few months ago).

Thanks everyone Katherine

Good move. But machining them also works...

Erm... Came back in October 1968, at the end of a 3 year tour.