New Etsy Listings for American Girl and 14" Dolls, plus a Gotz Pottery Barn Doll!

I've actually sold more than half my stock on Etsy since I opened my shop, so I decided it was high time I added some more!  I've found that the sweet, feminine, dresses have sold the best for me, so that is more of what I made in the past couple of days.  First up, this sweet dress with puffed sleeves which I created for the 18" crowd:

 

I sized it to fit my Pleasant Company Samantha, so it will also fit the thinner American Girls of today.

I had fun with the self-fabric ruffle detail at the bodice, and also along the hem band.

Matching hair band

Closes with ultra-thin Velcro under decorative, vintage buttons.

 

Another version of the puffed-sleeve dress:

I wasn't sure how much I really loved this fabric when I first bought it, but once I put it together with the apricot colored contrast, it quickly became a favorite!  The colors are calm yet bright, and the print classic, yet whimsical.

 

Sundresses:

This fabric just looked so retro and cheery to me!

More ruffle trim at the hem

 

I loved this Mickey/Minnie Mouse fabric the first time I saw it!  I've also made a camera bag and camera strap from it.  So Disney.

 

I also created a couple of dresses for 14" dolls, like Wellie Wishers and Hearts 4 Hearts:

I'm just now realizing that I don't think I mentioned that I recently bought another Wellie...this is Kendall!  After reviewing Willa and Emerson last year, I really didn't think I'd buy another.  But then I happened to be at Toys R Us one evening after having a bad day, and there was Kendall, smiling back at me with her toothy little grin from inside her box!  Before I knew it, she was in my shopping cart.  Seriously.  It happened that quickly!  It did take me several days before I decided to unbox her, just because I kept thinking that I should probably return her, that I shouldn't have bought her on impulse.  But I finally succumbed to her cuteness, and now she is my favorite out of all the Wellies.  She makes a pretty cute model, too!

I wish I would have bought more of this fabric when I found it on the flat fold table for a good price.  White, silhouetted horses on a lavender background?  Yes, please!

And here is Rahel, my newest Hearts 4 Hearts Girl, modeling the same dress.   Funny story...I bought Rahel on the same evening that I bought Kendall (I can't even remember now why I was having a bad day and what caused me to impulse buy TWO new dolls!), but I decided to return her a couple of days later.  Then, a few days after that  I couldn't stop thinking about her) I returned to Target and bought her again!  I don't regret it, either.  She is absolutely adorable.  Her hair is springy and soft.  I think she is every bit as wonderful as Wellie Wisher Kendall, and she only costs 2/3 the price.

Hearts 4 Hearts Girls are a bit slimmer than Wellie Wishers, so everything that fits a Wellie will also fit the Hearts girls.  I do find it most convenient when different dolls can share clothing, don't you?

 

I named this dress "Elephants on Parade".  Such a cute, whimsical print.

Here you can kind of see how I made the dolly head bands:  it's simply a strip of fabric (9"x 1 3/4"), folded in half lengthwise (right sides together and sewn down the long edge), and then turned right side out.  Iron with the seam going down the center of one side of the strip.  Fold each end of the strip around a child's elastic ponytail holder and stitch in place.  Add an embellishment (like a bow) if you wish.  Voila!  A cute head band that stretches easily around your doll's head.  I think the 18" doll head bands are cut a bit longer, like 11".  I got this idea from somewhere on the internet, so I can't take credit for it.  I have also made these head bands with just a piece of regular elastic joining the fabric strip, too.

 

I also added this pretty girl to my Etsy shop, because I made her a cute dress and head band as well:

 

She is a Gotz doll, made for Pottery Barn.  I believe her original name was Megan.  She has the most beautiful, coppery red hair and gray eyes.

My daughter-in-law has hair like this!

Gotz Pottery Barn dolls are quite a bit slimmer than a lot of the other, popular, 18" dolls on the market, so I made her this cute dress and head band.  I also gave her a pair of shoes which I got for 60% off at JoAnn's.  I recently discovered that JoAnn's has an aisle for doll crafting supplies which is different than their regular aisle for 18" dolls which has clothing and shoes.  I just happened to stumble across it one day over in towards the wedding/floral department, while I was looking for something else.  Not sure why they don't keep all their doll things in the same aisle, but I thought I'd let you all know, just in case you didn't know about it, either!  This particular section has doll shoes, umbrellas, glasses, and some other accessories I can't remember.  There are also blank, cloth doll bodies and craft hair, so I suppose this section is for making your own dolls.  Still, the shoes fit the 18" dolls, so I really think JoAnn's should keep them in the other doll aisle as well.  Had I not been searching for something else, I would have never known that JoAnn's carried these items!

 

Tomorrow, I am heading up an hour and a half north to visit my son and daughter-in-law at their new home.  While there, we will go visit Hobby Lobby!  This is the closest one to my home, so I only go there once a year or so.  I will make a point to visit their doll aisle too, just to see if they have any good deals on doll shoes and other accessories.  I'm also excited to check out their Christmas decorations (yes, it is quickly becoming THAT time of year!), and fabric department.  I will take my camera and make sure to get pictures.  For those of you who have a Hobby Lobby in your town, lucky you!

 

And just in case you're interested, here's a link to my Etsy store:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/DotsydoodleDollies?ref=search_shop_redirect

 

 

 

 

 

 



McCall's 7268 Tent Pattern and New Natterer Dolls Join the Doll Family!

The young ladies in my sewing class expressed an interest a while back in sewing this pattern:

 

 

I am pleased to say that I finally got around to making it!  And just in time, too, since I will be teaching my students to make this in a just a few days.

 

Here is my version (which I think is much cuter than McCall's version!):

It has a zippered front opening, real screen on the windows, and rolled up window shades.

 

Detail on the upper front.

 

Door flaps opened and pulled back

 

McCall's did a good job with all of the cute details on this pattern.  However, I chose to omit the almost 6 yards of bias binding which they used for accent...I didn't feel like it was necessary.

 

Back of tent with screening in upper window.

 

Side view

 

Felicity is interested in this new contraption.  She wonders how it will work for her...

 

Hmmm...not bad.  There's even room for a friend!

 

Felicity says this would be more comfortable if I would have made her the matching sleeping bag shown on the pattern envelope!

 

Of course, I almost NEVER make a pattern exactly like instructed...here are the changes I made:  First, and already mentioned, I omitted the decorative bias binding.  I also chose to construct the windows differently, sandwiching the screen in between the main fabric and lining, instead of just sewing it to inside of the tent.  To do this, I folded in 1/4" seam allowance along all edges on the windows of both the main fabric and the contrast lining...I carefully placed the screen in between the two layers and then edge-stitched around the window opening, catching all the layers.  I also had to cut my main tent piece pattern as two pieces which I then added 1/4" seam allowance to on one edge before sewing back together.  The original pattern piece has you placing it on the fold and cutting it out as one piece.  However, since my fabric is directional, and I didn't want my deer heads upside down on one side of the tent, I remedied this by cutting two pieces.  I omitted the dowels in the bottom of the window shades...this was unintentional...I simply forgot to add them until I was all finished!  But the shades don't really need them, so all's good.

 

And now...here are just a few pictures to show the newest members to have joined our doll family today:

Petitcollin dolls sculpted by Sylvia Natterer, one of my favorite doll artists!

 

Eline

13 1/2" tall.  Isn't she precious with her fuzzy pink coat?  I have wanted this doll for SO long.  But she has been on back order for a long time, so I had to be patient and wait.  When she finally came back into stock at www.Petalinadolls.co.uk , I snatched her up right away. 

 

Mona

13 1/2" tall.  Doesn't she have the most beautiful coloring?

 

Mona also comes with her own, little doll, made like the original Petitcollin celluloid dolls of long ago.

 

Louisa!

11" tall.  While the other two dolls have vinyl bodies, this little sweetie has a cloth body with vinyl limbs.  She makes the perfect little sister.  Her hair is quite wild, though!  You can't see much of it in this photo since I have it tucked into her hood, but trust me...there's a lot of it and definitely needs some styling.

 

I REALLY love all of the Natterer Petitcollin dolls.  I already have my eye on a this cute, little fellow:

 

13 1/2" Antonin

 

And this lovely lady:

19" Melanie

 

Oh, so many dolls, and so little money!

 

I will be back soon with a post that goes more into detail on these lovely Petitcollin dolls.  They just arrived today, and I was too excited not to share them with you!