New Waldorf Dolls

This doll is from my own pattern and I love how she turned out.  I wasn't sure how I would feel about the mohair yarn for hair but I really love it. It was much harder to crochet the cap for the wig because the stitches are hard to see.  The hair is sooooo soft though and it was worth the trouble.

Here she is with her hood up.  The mini cape is also my own pattern.  I am working on a longer version.

Here is my FAVORITE.  Her hair is fantastic and I think she just has a great look about her.  Her hooded sweater is hand knit from Cascade 220 superwash.

Here is one I made prior to the other two.  She os from the first version of the pattern  tried.  She is lovely as well with her super soft mohair hair and a hand knit hooded sweater.  Her body is thinner/more slender than the other two dolls.  After making both styles, I think I prefer the fuller body.  It costs a little more to make because it takes more wool stuffing to fill but I like the end result.  The doll below is still one of my favorites though.  SHe doesn't show well in the photo due to my poor digital photography skills.  This picture makes her look washed out but her skin tone is more peach than it appears here.

All the dolls have wool felt shoes from a pattern I made as well.  I like how they turned out because the tie style makes them good for feet of varying sizes.

Waldorf Dolls

I have been thinking about making a Waldorf doll for a while now.  I finally set a goal of making one for Hannah's 2nd birthday.  Then I realized that I really needed to make two because Maya will NEED one too.  Then I thought I should make one or two extra while I was at it (maybe I can sell them??) so I decided to make four.  Here are the first two:

The next two are done also but I haven't finished the clothes.

The dolls have:
-knit cotton "skin"
-pure wool stuffing
-wool-stuffed and sculpted head
-hand embroidered face
-cheeks blushed with an all natural beeswax crayon
-crochet cap wigs to which each hair is hooked - each head of hair took a full skein of yarn but I love the result - much nicer than those that have hair just stitched on for a particular style but can't really be re-styled
-hand made doll clothes - grey jeans with pink trim, cotton blouse with velcro closures, charcoal grey wool felt shoes.  

The process was a lot of fun.  I used a kit for the first two and then I went "off book" for the next two.  I have ordered supplies for a few more and I am making my own pattern now.

Doll Sweater

I knit my first doll sweater using the Hazel's Hoodie pattern.  It is meant for a Waldorf doll (which I am planning to make soon) but it fit an 18 inch American Girl doll as well.  The sides actually DO match up although the picture suggests otherwise.

This was my doll when I was little.

Maya doesn't like it because it isn't pink.  Oh well.  

Nice and Cozy

 

The last theme for Project Run and Play is "your signature style".  I don't think I have been sewing long enough to have a clear signature style but I have noticed a few traits of what I like to do.  My nearly 2 year old captured it best when she told my 4 year old who was running around half naked to get her pajamas on so she could be "nice and cozy".  Pajamas and nightgowns are some of my favorite things to make.  I love the image of my babies cuddled in bed wearing something I made for them.  Plus, so many store bought pjs are made of cheap polyester and covered with tacky characters (don't get me wrong, we have a few of those but I really hate them).  I enjoy making day clothes as well - the girls have dresses, skirts, and pants I have made- but pajams are a special favorite. 

 

 

I love interesting prints but I am not a fan of combining too may busy prints togther.  I often pair a nice print with a solid to balance or just work with one print.  These pajamas are a dark pink (although they look red on thecomputer) with a grey fox print as an accent.  I fell in love with the fox print when I was looking at sale flannel a few weeks ago.  I thought it would make great pjs on its own but there was nowhere near enough of it left to make even a single pair. Then I spied a solid dark pink that matched the dark pink fox EXACTLY. 

 

I started with a vintage Simplicity pattern but I made a few changes.  First, the pattern was a 4 which is fine for Maya but I had to size down to make a pair for Hannah.  The bodice is lined and I used flannel so to reduce bulk, I changed the puffed sleeve to  plain sleeve.  I had made the nightgown version of this pattern before and I knew the pajamas come out very roomy so reducing puff worked out well.  I added a patch pocket to use a little more of the fox print.  It fits a My Little Pony.  We checked.  Because the pocket was on the front, I didn't add the ribbon the pattern called for.  I thought ribbon would make it too busy. The girls love them.

 



Silly before bed:

Cuddles (every time they do something like this I take a picture because I like to look back at the pictures when they are fighting!):

The back has a slash edged with bias tape and then buttons on bodice.

Bias tape for the elastic casing:

Great for playing around in before bed:

Little Red Riding Hood

These photos are from a day a little while ago (about a week?) when we had a little snow.  Maya really wanted to wear her Red Riding Hood Cape.  This cape is red fleece lined with quilting cotton.  I used this tutorial and modified it to make a hood instead of a collar.

Dad's Shirt to Baby's Pajamas

When I saw that Project Run and Play was going to include a men's shirt project, I decided I had to get to the thrift store to look for some men's shirts with interesting patterns or colors.  Between work and the kids, I never made it.  About two weeks ago I sheepishly asked my husband if he had any shirts he doesn't use any more.  To my surprise, he had this charcoal grey one that he hasn't worn in years.  It has a slight stain on in that keeps him from wearing it to work.  He kept thinking he might get it out someday but he decided to hand it off to me.  I love a nice grey but Maya is a pink and purple girl.  I started brainstorming pattern ideas and I kept getting stuck.  I thought about painting on the shirt, adding ribbon, color blocking - all kinds of thing.  My mind was stuck on the idea of making a dress for some reason.  Last week I realized this shirt was destined for someone else - Hannah!  She hasn't gotten picky about colors yet.  I really didn't want to change the color of this fabric.  It doesn't show well in in photographs but their is a black thread woven into the broadcloth of this shirt and it is just lovely.  At the exact same moment I realized that this shirt wasn't going to be turned into a dress.  I was looking at the cuff and all of a sudden I saw them as the cuffs to a pair of pants and PAJAMAS popped itno my head. 

 

I used one of many pants patterns I have cut to get the shape of the front and back curve for the pant legs.  I kept the sleeves intact otherwise - I just made sure the length was right using a pair of existing pants.  I sewed the crotch seams, folded over the top and added 3/4 inch elastic.   

 

 

 

 

For the top I used an existing top made from woven fabric to mark the shoulder and the arm holes.  I kept the curved hem of the shirt and I made the top long enough to be more of a tunic length pajama top.  

I used some bias binding I got on etsy to finish the collar and the sleeves. It is grey with samll off white circles that look like tiny bubbles.  At first I cut the neck line perfectly round but as I started to add the bias tape, I didn't like the look of it.  I went back and cut it down a little so that the front has a slight crossover look to it. 

 

The sleeves were cut from the sides of the body of the shirt so they have the side seam of the shirt along the top.  I like the stripe effect it provides.

 

Hannah is not the biggest fan of having her picture taken.  She has had the flash go off in her eyes one too many times!

Here she tried to run away:

 

Don't judge my floors.  My autistic son went through a stage in which he spit on the floors constantly (it was gross) and the damage to the finish is pretty bad.  We are waiting for a wining lottery ticket to re-finish the wood!

 

Finally we got a smile:

Another look at the bias tape:

 

Just to re-cap:

The pants were cut from the sleeves

The body of the baby's shirt came from the lower center of Dad's shirt

The sleeves came from the side of the body of Dad's shirt

 

Everything came from 1 shirt (probably an XL but the size tag only had a neck measurement) and the pajamas are probably a 2T-3T

Sweetheart

The task for PRP this week is a Valentine's themed outfit.  The is an easy one for me since Maya loves pink, hearts, flowers, etc.  The hard part was that I totally mixed up my weeks and I finished my men's shirt outfit this past weekend!!  When I read the website Monday morning I just shook my head. Luckily I had already planned the Valentine's outfit and I had started cutting the fabric.  I stayed up a little later last night and got it all together.

I really didn't want to make something too over the top.  I wanted whatever I made to be useful on days other than Valentine's Day as well.  I think this outfit fits the bill!  The sweater is upcycled from an thin cotton/cashmere Jcrew sweater I have had for years. It had a slight hole in the side and it shrunk in the dryer so I wasn't getting much use out of it. I used an existing knit shirt to cut pieces out. I was able maintain the existing hem , sleeve hems and the bottom front of the neckline. For the back of the neck I made a facing out of a grey patterned bias tape.  I have it turned to the outside so it can be seen from the back. It serves to keep the neckline from stretching out too much as the top is worn.  I added a heart on the front made of polka dot knit fabric. 

 The pants are made from stretchy dark pink cord - with sparkles.  I was at the fabric store a while ago and - no joke- I though to myself "The perfect fabric for Maya would stretchy pink corduroy.  And if it had sparkles she would be in heaven."  And then I turned down an aisle and came face to face with the fabric I had just described in my head.  I had to buy some.  Luckily I had a coupon.  I cut the pants to be skinny jean/jegging type pants.  I used the Sleep Johns pattern from the book Growing Up Sew Liberated and they are a perfect fit.

Maya requested a picture in  this pose: