Little Red Riding Hood Matilda!

Lately, I've felt the urge to create storybook costumes for my dolls.  Matilda looked like the perfect character to portray Little Red.

 

I created her cloak from a thrifted women's skirt.  At first, I thought it was a lightweight wool, but the tag listed it as 100% silk.  It has such a nice, nubby texture and drape.

 

The cloak is fully lined with quilter's cotton.  I didn't get a close-up photo, but it is a lovely, muted shade of greenish brown with tiny red flowers.

 

I made a self fabric ruffle to frame her pretty face.

 

The hood is oversized because I like the look of a drapey hood.

 

The ties are also made from the same fabric.

 

Of course, Matilda needed a new dress to go along with her new cape!

 

I used the same pattern I drafted for the puffed-sleeve dresses I've made, only this time, I made long sleeves.  They are two part sleeves--the uppers are puffed and then gathered to a long, straight cuff.

 

I love the pinafore. It was made from a piece of vintage linen which had already been cut and sewed into the basic shape.  All I had to do was add the shoulder straps (from another vintage linen), add a back opening with a placket which closes with snaps, and hem it.

 

Oh, how I love the sweetness of this look!

 

And finally, here is what the dress looks like without the pinafore.

 

I used another piece of antique, eyelet embroidery from my stash for the bodice.

 

The cuffs are edged with another eyelet.

 

It closes in back with snaps under decorative buttons.

 

I used a vintage, crocheted lace to edge the hem.

 

Matilda has the prettiest, long hair.

 

Sewing for these dolls is so much fun!  They are so easy to pose and have wonderful proportions.  I've already determined that my next outfit will be "Little Bo Peep" for Amelia.  I have a pretty, pale, pink thrifted skirt in my stash which I think will be just perfect!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Dress for my Girl for All Time MATILDA

Matilda was acting a little indignant that I had made a new dress for Amelia but not for her.  So out came my stash of clothing and vintage linens I buy just for the purpose of turning into doll clothing.

 

The dress was cut from a skirt and the apron is made from two different linens stacked together.  I also had a beautiful piece of antique lace that I applied to the bodice.

 

The dress without the apron--the reason I bought this skirt to begin with was because of the tucks and eyelet--I immediately knew it would make a cute doll dress!

 

Of course, no outfit is complete without the proper undergarments.  I made her an identical slip to the one I made for Amelia, and pair of pantalets from a vintage table linen.

 

Petticoat slip

 

Pantalets

 

Matilda decided to spend some time outdoors with Flora and Fitzgerald.  I recently found Flora the sheep at Goodwill.  Fitzgerald is the goat from American Girl Josefina's collection--I think it's name was Sombrita?  But I think he looks more like a "Fitzgerald" to me!

 

"Oh, no!  Flora, where did Fitzgerald go?  I can't find him anywhere!" 

Here you can see that Matilda's dress closes in back with snaps under decorative buttons.  The apron simply ties at the waist.  I was going to make another pinafore, like Amelia's, but I didn't want to cover up the pretty lace on Matilda's bodice.

 

"Where, oh where did that naughty little goat run off to?" 

 I added trim to the bottom tuck of Matilda's dress to match the trim on her sleeves.  Her apron is two layers of vintage linens, since I couldn't decide which one I liked better.  I actually love how it turned out.

 

I was so pleased that I had a piece of embroidered linen in my stash that had the same shade of green in the embroidery as the color of the dress.  Perfect!

 

"I found him!" exclaimed Amelia.  "He was eating the wildflowers near the chicken pen."

 

Sweet little Fitzgerald, back in the fold.

 

Amelia decided to add wildflowers to Matilda's hair while keeping a close eye on Fitzgerald.

 

So pretty.

 

Have I mentioned how much I love these dolls?!?  They are so fun to dress and photograph.  They easily stand on their own and hold lots of fun poses, thanks to their multiple, tight joints.  Their hair is gorgeous.  And to think that I didn't really even like these dolls when I first saw them!  I would like to try making them some Victorian style coats, next.  I'm going to take a standard pattern and try shrinking it down a bit.  I'll let you know how that goes, since these dolls are shorter and much slimmer than most of the standard 18" dolls on the market. 

 

Hope your dollies are able to enjoy a little time outside today as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 4th of July from A Girl for All Time MATILDA!

Are you familiar with A Girl For All Time Dolls?

They are a wonderful line of dolls from Great Britain depicting historical eras in British history, much like the American Girl historical dolls do for the United States.

This is Matilda Marchmont.  She is the first in the line of dolls from this series, and depicts a 13 year old Tudor girl from the time of Henry VIII.  The other four dolls (so far) in this line are her descendents, so they are all related!  What a neat concept.  There are books that go along with these dolls as well, telling their stories.

This photo is credited to Swish-swirl.com who sews fabulous outfits for these girls.  From left to right are Matilda, Lydia (Georgian girl), Amelia (Victorian girl), Clementine (1940's girl), and Sam (1960's girl)

As you can see, I have redressed my Matilda into a more current day dress, although she still reminds me of an old-fashioned girl.  I styled her long, luxurious hair into looped braids, which instantly made her look like a young Margaret O'Brien to me:

The first time I saw these dolls, I wasn't sure if I liked them.  Their faces are definitely different from most other dolls on the market.  But the more I looked at them, the more they grew on me.

Matilda came with the key necklace--I think it is supposed to unlock a hidden compartment in her trunk where she hides her diary.  Mysterious!

I have to take a moment and show the cutest little bear I found at Goodwill the other day.  The minute I picked him up, I knew he was a quality teddy-bear.  He had a hang tag which identified him as an artist's bear made by Steve Shutt.  He is all jointed and 100% mohair, and he wears the most darling, little sailor outfit.  I love him!  Not a bad purchase for $2, I think!

I love Matilda's serious expression...

...and I think Matilda loves Little Bear.

So sweet.

Lydia is the next one I'd like to add to my collection.  Not quite as serious as Matilda, she has the hint of a smile beginning to show.

Another photo courtesy of swish-swirl.com...this is Elinor, the Elizabethan girl.  She is slated to be released this fall.  I love, love, love her red hair and blue eyes combination!

These dolls are completely vinyl and jointed in the usual places, as well as at their elbows and knees.  They stand 16" tall and are much thinner than American Girl dolls, so they cannot share clothes.  However, that will not stop me from adding more to my collection--these dolls are gorgeous!  Everything about them is high quality--their outfits are beautifully made and close with snaps (no Velcro)--and their hair feels real, like human hair!  There are books available that go along with these dolls, but they don't come with the doll.  I will most likely buy Matilda's book soon as I'd love to read more about her time in history.  You can see all these dolls and their available extra clothing and accessories at www.agirlforalltime.com . 

Happy 4th of July!