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Remember the raglan peasant blouse tutorial a few weeks ago? A very easy pattern. Now this pattern can easily be made into a dress.
Same instructions, it's just a matter of lengthening one pattern piece. I've done it for you and will include a download in my upcoming newsletter. Sign up form is down below.
To make sure you receive all pattern pieces and tips, sign up for my newsletter. When you sign up you automatically receive all of the pattern pieces to date.
Wool felt is one of my favorite fabrics to work with. It is soft, yet crisp. Comes in many beautiful colors and it isn't hard to find.
So a few years back when the book "Big, Little Felt Universe" by Jeannette Lim came out I bought it for my 10 year old. It had about 50 projects, all everyday items made with felt. A felt lap top, a little felt lipstick. A felt campfire complete with s'mores. All things she made that first year and all things that adorned her room... until this past year when she was officially a teenager.
The felt campfire set and lipstick are gone. However the book and her felt scraps are here to stay. This past week, we entered a new felt phase. Felt veggies (all of the photos here were made by my 14 year old).
This book is perfect for the child that sews. The projects, ability and age range are broad. The directions are great. And as we head into the second month of summer vacation, who doesn't want a project your child can happily work on mostly on their own.
The book recommends using a felt wool/ acrylic blend. This type of felt can be found easily on Etsy and in fabric stores.
I am giving away one copy of "Big, Little Felt Universe" by Jeannette Lim.
Here are the rules of the giveaway:
1. Leave a comment on this post. You must fill out your email in the comment form or in the comment. Without an email, you are not entered..
2. I will select a winner using a random number site in two weeks.
3. If the selected winner does not respond in five days, I will reselect.
4. I will not pay postage to send the book outside of the lower 48 states. So sorry.
For every doll purchased from Phoebe&Egg I make and give a doll to a child in need. I started out with children in the foster care system in the Lowell and Salem Massachusetts area. Since this past spring I have been making dolls for children in Family Promise.
Tomorrow I ship a box off to Family Promise Metro West.
What is Family Promise?
It is a national organization that offers a broad range of programs and services for families struggling without a home. First and foremost, they work with local churches to provide a home for the families who have lost theirs.
Children are driven to their original schools to avoid the trauma of switching schools and so their schoolmates do not know they are no longer living in their home. Volunteers provide all sorts of assistance from cooking meals to childcare to dolls.
Although the doll donation is just a small contribution, I hope it will provide several things for children in Family Promise. A doll brings play, imagination, comfort and a friend.
With each doll I provide at least one extra outfit. Part of the fun of a doll is changing their clothes. I also try to make the doll age appropriate. Babies get a simple baby, no buttons or little decorations. Children 3-10 get a traditional doll and doll clothing. The doll is light, portable, durable and machine washable.
Teen girls get a doll more for treasuring and companionship. And of course, the teen doll has extra clothes, because most of us don't really outgrow playing with dolls.
In addition, I have some lovely handknit sweaters for each doll, made by women at the local Council on Aging.
The boys get stuffed puppies, but that is another post.
Doll for a special teen girl
Babies for the babies
Teen doll bling
The girls for the girls
Doll Clothes including reversible dresses
Learning to tie
Hermione Phoebe flew off to England today. Up until now, I have timed the packing of Hermione dolls so my husband could tie her tie. Today, that couldn't happen, so I finally taught myself to tie a tie. True story.
The good news is, it wasn't hard. The other good news, I had time to take a few photos of Hermione before she flew off. In addition to her Wizard cloak, extra play outfit, she also had wizard PJs.
Hermione's Wizard PJs
Hermione when she's home from school
My favorite childhood doll a Sasha doll. My sister also had one, so between the two of us, I did a lot of childhood sewing for Sasha. My daughters each had Sashas and all of my nieces, thanks to eBay.
She is a great doll to sew for, such a classic look and shape, and almost everything looks good on her.
So how could I not have patterns in the Doll Dressmaking Series for Sasha?
The answer is I couldn't. I just needed a bit of time to make a set her size.
And from now on as I introduce new patterns I will make one in her size.
If you'd like these patterns and all additional pieces in the future, you will need to subscribe to my newsletter. i do not have time to send pieces out individually anymore. They are still free.
After you sign up and confirm there will be a Welcome email. In this there are links to download the pattern sets for all four dolls.
If you have already subscribed, links for downloading will be in the first newsletter.
One of the many dresses you can create with the pattern set
I feel like we are about mid-way through summer. Summer on the coast of Massachusetts is a fleeting thing, so 4 weeks after the start of summer, we are already starting to feel like summer is almost over.
Before it truly is over, I'd like to offer all of you a summer special. Buy a Phoebe doll this week and I will throw in a bathing suit set for free.
What is included in a bathing suit set? There are three set combinations to choose from.
I have bathing suits for boys (swim trunks) and Cuddly Eggs too.
All, of course, in fun color combinations.
I do not have a way post this special on Etsy, so you can just type it in the notes, even if you do not, I'll get back to you and ask which combination you'd like.
And you still get the Phoebe Pattern set included. Soon it will be an additional cost, but it's still a freebie with the purchase of a Phoebe doll.
Dolls, bathing suits and everything else can be found right here.
Two beautiful Waldorf dolls made by Andrea Schrage-Möller. Photo courtesy of ASM
I love Waldorf dolls, but I do not own any.
Yet.
So when I started the Doll Dressmaking Series, I designed the 16 inch Waldorf Doll patterns from the measurements of a local dollmaker who makes lovely Waldorfs. But doll sizes vary, even in mass produced plastic dolls, but especially in Waldorfs.
The good news is with a soft doll, arms, heads and waists can be squeezed in a bit to make things work. But if things are too big they drape or worse still, fall off.
So I asked for feedback from those sewing for Waldorf dolls and I was grateful to here from Andrea, all of the way over in Germany.
She had been using my patterns to sew dresses for her beautiful Waldorf dolls and yes, she had made a few adjustments.
Here's what she said she did:
1. Overall she made the bodice/dress more narrow at the side seams of both the front and back.
2. She also moved the front center foldline in a bit to make the front narrower.
3. She added a bit to the back center edge to make more of an overlap where the dress snaps closed.
4. She made the neckline a bit larger.
Andrea's Adjustments
Above I have drawn on the original pattern to show you approximately what Andrea did. These type of adjustments can be done to any bodice/dress pattern to make it fit a specific doll better. Some times it takes a few tries on how far to take in before you get the exact right fit. When you find it, be sure to draw on your pattern or a copy of your pattern, so you can repeat what you did.
Thank you Andrea!
I will include a link to the PDF pattern for Andrea's adjustment in next week's newsletter.
You can sign up here, and receive all future pattern pieces, plus tips, tutorials, finds and inspiration.
I have been enjoying creating the Doll Dressmaking Series, but it has been getting more difficult to keep up with the pattern requests by email.
So, I am creating The Phoebe&Egg newsletter so that you can receive all pattern pieces along with news of new tutorials in a more efficient manner.
In addition, you will receive tips, inspiration, my favorite finds and more.
If you do not yet have the base set of patterns, after you subscribe, you will be able to request these for any of the doll sizes available.
Future patterns will automatically arrive in your newsletter.
I am excited to have a more efficient organized way to do this!
You can sign up right here. I promise not to spam you!
Click for larger view
Part of the beauty of giving your child a handmade doll is to inspire them to also create. Some of my fondest childhood memories were sewing doll clothes from my mother's leftover fabric scraps.
I would love Phoebe owners to enjoy sewing for their doll or teach their child to sew. So with the purchase of each doll, you can now also get "Phoebe Gets Dressed: The Learn to Sew for Phoebe Pattern Collection"
What is included with the Phoebe Gets Dressed pattern set?
Everything you need to get started making Phoebe everything she needs, right there tucked inside your Phoebe Doll box.
I've been busy making Mermaid Phoebe's and Mermaid swag. Here's a few behind the scenes photos from my week swimming in mermaids.
xo
