1940's Fashion Go to the Dolls...

This particular post has been in the works for weeks...so I may end up re-writing it almost entirely so it flows better. :) Cheers and all that....

Anyway, I spent a good part of the last month on a doll dress making spree. But it wasn't just any ol' doll dresses...it was 1940's style doll outfits. T

The first ones were rather "generic" (rather like the one above, affectionately called "The Dorthy Dress"); meaning I just used the pre-existing patterns and my memory.

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Anyway, I went completely nuts as "my corner" showed (and still does to an extent...I need to put the patterns up).

Not only did I have the pieces from half a-dozen different patterns all mixed up in a massive pile...I *gasp* drafted some of my own patterns!!!

Well, nothing fancy mind you, but still--it's a start. Here's a quick run down on a skirt that I designed. 

There wasn't anything in "the stack" that suited me, so I grabbed Magnolia and started working.

Necessary ingredients--that includes the laptop; my inspiration was on it!

Fitting (sorta). {My hand looks so...fat.}

The result...

The complete pattern. (See below for the finished garment....it's down there someplace!)

That was just the start. I dove head-first into trying to re-create (doll-sized) original garments/patterns that I scoured from the internet. I used everything from photographs, pattern covers, and catalogs/ads for inspiration. I thought you might enjoy seeing the originals and then my doll-sized attempt at reproduction.


"The Dress with a Tie"

Dress in Question: Bottom Right-hand Corner

I did not put pockets on it...and obviously, only two buttons instead of three...

Um...there is a waist tie on there, you just can't see it too well.

The Second of this pattern I made. I like this one better.

This next one didn't get a nickname. I made a couple of these (more or less). As I was doing the hand work on one of them, I realized that I had stitched the skirt on inside out, so that one still isn't quite finished.

This is the skirt pattern I showed you up top. I didn't actually manage the little point on the waistband...but the rest of it worked up well.

I tried making the one of the left...with a non-button front peasant blouse.

Poor Magnolia lacks much waist definition...

I thought I had a third one of those, but I couldn't find the picture, so maybe not...

This next dress required cutting out a different bodice front, which wasn't hard, and then having a moment of free-hand inspiration to get the right look for the skirt (because there was no way I was going to stitch a bunch of tiny gores together for this; particularly doing French seams).

The doll dress skirt has darts rather than gores, but the look is pretty much the same. There is gathering along the shoulders as well, but this pictures doesn't show it well.

This next one is an actual doll dress pattern that I attempted to copy.

I have made a couple of these...but this was the first one that I remembered to cut a scooped neckline on.

This particular pattern is awfully snug on the dolls. Hopefully, I will remember to cut it a wee bit bigger on the next one!

I love this one...particularly with the inventive (pat myself on the back, will I?) touch I put on it.

The skirt/suspenders are actually made entirely out of the sleeve of a man's shirt.

See? I just used the underarm seam as the back seam. This outfit closes on the side.

Sailor collar!! (Hum "Anchor's Aweigh!")

All told, I am pretty doggone pleased with that one.

As well as this next one...I just didn't run the ruffles all the way down.

Those two really are one of a kinds...and some of my personal favorites.

I kept coming back to this picture...particularly that dress in the middle...

And this is what I ended up with:

A little shorter than it was supposed to be (I guess I forgot to un-fold the pattern piece to length it) and no waist belt--though I did actually make one of the checkered material. I found a little hole in it so just scrapped it.

I also created my own suit pattern...I made six or seven of them. but I'll only bore you with this one. If you want to see the rest of them, hop over to Lady Libby's. :)

Well...that's a smattering of the many, many dresses I made. :)

      Racheal