Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Grace Kelly’s Black Print Dress


Sharing another commission with you all.


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 1


This is the dress that Grace Kelly wore when she met her future husband Prince Rainier III in 1955.


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 2


My client sent me a photo of his fabric with a photo of the original dress. I wasn’t sure about his fabric choice at first. It was an almost perfect match for Grace’s original dress, but the scale of the print was too big for a doll in my opinion.


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 3


Photo by Richard Burrows



I regret that I neglected to take better pictures of the finished outfits before I sent them.


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 4


Luckily for me, Richard sent me some photos of the dress on an actual Grace Kelly doll. We were both very happy with how the dress turned out and Grace looks beautiful in it. Sometimes a larger print can work for doll clothes.


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 5


Photo by Richard Burrows



Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 6



Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 7


Photo by Richard Burrows



Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 8


Photo by Richard Burrows



Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 9


Photo by Richard Burrows


I have decided that I need to start looking for a Grace Kelly doll for myself.


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 10


Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 11


Photo by Richard Burrows



Grace Kelly Black Print Dress 12


Photo by Richard Burrows



I plan on making more Grace Kelly dresses and I’m always looking for the fabrics to make them.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Jean Patou

I’m procrastinating a trip to the post office, so I decided to share some pretty for your enjoyment.


I have a thing for red suits and I think Jean Patou did too. I don’t know much about the designer yet, but I have a growing file of his work.


These are from L’ Officiel, you can find the archives of this wonderful magazine here. Man I wish I could read French sometimes!



circa 1955


1955 1 Patau


Circa 1955


1955 90


circa 1956


1956 1 Patau


circa 1957


1957 1 Patau


circa 1957


1957 2 Patau



Which one is your favorite? I can’t decide, though I am drawn to both the red with the leopard fur ensembles.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Marceline

I don’t have any new work to show you right now, but I am working on a commission and planning on finishing up several patterns to sell very soon. I went into my archives and found many photos that haven’t made it on my blog yet, so I decided to share these photos of Marceline.


In Violet’s “Evening Sunrise”


Evening Sunrise 2


Evening Sunrise 5


I really like this dress with her coloring. She has been wearing this cocktail dress since August of 2010.


Evening Sunrise 3


Evening Sunrise 7


She also looks beautiful in “Oh La La”.


Oh La La 4


Oh La La 6


I defiantly need to get her to model more.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Something New to Obsess About



stairs





I am always looking for new things to want/need. A week or so ago on The Studio Commissary, someone posted some photographs of her dolls using some super awesome backdrops. So of course I visited the online store and now I need many of these backdrops. I need these stairs, a few interior castle shots, a balcony, a couple of rustic European streets, and more. I will be ordering soon. So excited!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Better Photos of My Work

As mentioned in my previous post, photographing my dolls and outfits is not my favorite thing. I would rather be sewing, so I decided to link you to another awesome blog. Dave has bought a number of outfits from me and his photos make them look fabulous!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Autumn in Paris

Oh my gosh!  Two posts in one day!  I can’t believe my awesomeness!

This post is about photography, one of the many things that I need to work on, along with not buying more  fabric, and making better use of my time.

Autumn in Paris 3

I blame the incredible Rebecca’s blog for my new obsession; buying large posters for use as backdrops.  She can also be blamed for my recent purchase of all four Grace Kelly Barbies, even though I don’t really collect that size of fashion doll anymore.  Sigh, I am so weak.

 

I found this poster titled “Autumn in Paris” at Michael's a few months ago, I love it.  I need to figure out how to blend the ground with the poster, but at least Ivy is standing by herself in this picture.

Autumn in Paris 6

I hate to always crop off her feet.

Autumn in Paris 5

This one is not so good.

Autumn in Paris 2

I love the close-ups of the doll with the poster.

Autumn in Paris 1

This is “Symphony in G Minor” with a new body wearing an outfit I made years ago to go with the hat from one of the Ashton Drake’s hat and purse sets.

Autumn in Paris 7

More close-ups

Autumn in Paris 8

 

Autumn in Paris 9

Now I need to go mop a sticky floor.

Little Foxes

Sharing another commission

Little Foxes 15

My obsession with classic movies is mostly focused on movies starring Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Lana Turner.  When I was asked to make this gown from the film “Little Foxes” staring Bette Davis, I was rather ignorant of the subject.

Little Foxes 13

I still haven’t seen the whole movie, but I need to see if Netflix has it or something.

Little Foxes 3

Little Foxes 14

Little Foxes 4

The gown is made of a really nice velvet.  A   bustle was requested, which stumped me for a while.  I ended up making a detachable bustle/train.  I am still stumped about how to make a bustle.

Little Foxes 2

Little Foxes 5

Little Foxes 11

I had bought the beaded trim years ago with no purpose in mind, except that I liked it.  I was delighted to find it in my lace stash, I love how it worked out.

.Little Foxes 7

The tulle wrap is also detachable.

Little Foxes 8

Little Foxes 9

This gown is already sold and I am out of beaded trim (wish I had bought more).

Little Foxes 12

The End

Friday, September 30, 2011

It’s a Long Story




Mr Green and White Ensemble 1







Years ago, when I started my obsession about sewing for Gene, I was searching the internet and I came across a set of paper dolls on eBay.







Mr Green and White Ensemble 20




I believe this is a Debora Paget paper doll.







I fell instantly in love with the green dot coat ensemble. I wanted to make it so bad!




Later, I discovered another doll designer had made the same outfit in green and white. I was kinda bummed, but then I saw this picture.







Mr Green and White Ensemble 19




Modes Royale Spring/Summer 1953




I decided I would make it too. It took me a while to find the green dot, and I ended up using two different dots, but I love how it turned out.




Mr Green and White Ensemble 7




Here is Madra with the other dot.




Mr Green and White Ensemble 16




I used 17 buttons to make each outfit. I may have wiped out one online store’s stock twice to make all of them.




Mr Green and White Ensemble 18




Mr Green and White Ensemble 3




The umbrella is made with a kabob skewer and a bead painted white.




Mr Green and White Ensemble 12




Mr Green and White Ensemble 6



This ensemble is sold out.