June 28, 2016

Doll Days! Blog Tour + Giveaway

Welcome to the final stop on the Doll Days! blog tour. This tour has been a blast! I loved reading all the lovely comments from other bloggers about their sewing experience with my book Doll Days! Sew an Everyday Wardrobe for 18″ Dolls. I’m so thankful that they were a part of the tour – their creativity amazes me.

Here’s a look inside Doll Days:

For my post, I want to share with you another bonus pattern idea for the Vintage Party Dress and host my own giveaway.

This classic-style dress pattern may just become your new “go-to” dress for dolls. It’s so versatile and lends itself to a number of embellishment ideas. A ruffle neckline gives this dress an entirely different look all together and is really easy to sew.

I created this doll dress for Timeless Treasures Fabrics and was displayed in their booth at the 2016 Spring Quilt Market last month. It was one of 25 unique dresses I designed using just 2 patterns from Doll Days: the Modern-Vintage Sundress and the Vintage Party Dress.

The fabric is appropriately called Strawberries, from Timeless Treasures’ Farm Fresh collection.

You’ll notice this Vintage Party Dress has binding on the sleeve hems. That’s because the Vintage Party Dress and Button-down Shirt patterns from Doll Days have interchangeable sleeve hem finishes, giving you many choices. We love to have choices, don’t we? The sleeves can also be hemmed without adding elastic, ruffles, sleeve-bands, binding, or left plain. That’s at least 5 different ways in which to finish the sleeves! Pretty great, right?

Here’s a button Down Shirt from Doll Days. I finished the sleeves using the technique given fro the Vintage Party Dress View B

How to Add a Pretty Ruffle Along the Neckline of the Vintage Party Dress Pattern from Doll Days!

Supplies Needed

In addition to the fabric needed for the dress, you’ll need ¼ yard of fabric (or large scraps)

Rotary cutter set-up

Clover bias binding tool (optional)

Rolled hem presser foot for your sewing machine (optional)

Cutting Instructions

Cut out bodice front and bodice backs as instructed, but you will not need a lining for this construction method.

From the ¼ yard of fabric, cut:

Bias binding: 11” x 1” on the bias (It’s important that this is cut on the bias, so it can curve easily to the curve in the neckline.)

Ruffle: 2” x 18”

Sewing Instructions

You’ll need to sew the dress together in a slightly different order for this variation. Sew the shoulder seams of the bodice and attach the sleeves as instructed on pages 43 (shoulder seams) and 44 (sew sleeves to bodice). Be sure to skip the parts about sewing the lining and collar option. You also don’t need to finish the sleeve hems until after you’ve sewn the ruffle to the neckline.

Before sewing the side seams, attach the ruffle and bind the neckline.

Make and Attach the Ruffle to the Bodice

Step 1

Finish one long edge of the ruffle piece with a narrow hem (or you could use a serger to finish the edge with a narrow rolled hem).

Step 2

Sew gathering stitches on the other long edge. Pull the bobbin threads and gather the ruffle to fit the neckline.

Step 3

Pin and sew the ruffle to the bodice, with the right side of the bodice facing the wrong side of the ruffle piece and a ¼” seam allowance.

Remove any gathering stitches that are outside the 1/4’” seam allowance.

Make the Bias Binding

Step 1

Using the clover bias tool, iron the bias strip to create a double fold bias tape.

Without the bias maker tool, follow instructions on page 42 to create a double fold bias binding.

Sew the Bias Binding to the Neckline

Step 1

Open up one side of the folded bias binding and pin it to the wrong side of the bodice. Sew it in place, ¼” from the raw edges.

Step 2

Fold the bias binding to the right side of the bodice and press it. Working with the right side facing up, sew the binding neatly in place. If it’s too bulky to fold the binding to the front and enclose the seam allowances completely, then trim slightly the seam allowances.

Finishing

Follow the instructions for finishing the sleeve hems, sewing side seams, skirt, and back closure given in your copy of Doll Days!

For an even quicker embellishment, this can also be done using pre-made bias binding and store-bought flat lace, which is how I created this dress:

I hope you enjoy making this darling dress for your dolls!

+ Giveaway

~~A copy of Doll Days! will be given away to a lucky reader!~~

~~To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and tell everyone which design from Doll Days you want to sew first. The giveaway will be open for 1 week.~~

Giveaway ends July 6th, 2016 at midnight PST. Giveaway is open to U.S and International residents who are 18 years of age or older. International winners will receive an electronic copy(ebook); US Winners will receive a hard copy by mail. One entry per person. Winner will be announced here on the Blog on July 7th, 2016.

Congratulations, Ellie! You are the lucky winner of my giveaway. Thank you to all who entered.

Did you miss a blog tour post? Be sure to go back in time to collect the bonus patterns and Doll Days! sewing goodness.

Here’s the full schedule:

June 13 (free pattern+tutorial) on C&T

June 14 (review) Jedi Craft Girl

June 15 (free pattern) Dear Stella

June 16 (review) Karen Mom of Three

June 17 (free pattern+give away) Sew Mama Sew

June 20 (review + give away) Lindsay Sews

June 21 (review + give away) Janie Carroll Designs

June 22 (review + give away) Fishsticks Designs

June 23 (review) Generation Q Magazine