TUTORIAL - A Slip in 5 minutes or less

You betcha!

 

Slips and skirts are so simple.

I am sure many of your know how to

make these.

But for those that are new to sewing

this is fast and easy.

 

Daisy, the little lady on the left is

sporting a half slip that only takes 5 minutes

or less to stitch up.

If you decide that you no

longer want her to wear it then it is easy to take

it off, rethread it with ribbon and drape it across a bed.

 

You can reuse this slip over and over again.

You can also make a skirt with these same directions.

Remember all of this lace that I am showing you

is being recycled from a baby dress.

Below I show

you 2 slips.

Next week, I will show you how to make Anna's

slip.

 

 Here is Daisy.

Material needed are about 4 inches of ruffled

lace according to the thickness of the doll.
Daisy is thin.

The lace is about 3.5 to 4 inches long from

the tip of the ruffle to its edge.
Also needed is a

sewing needle with thread.

Most of the time I sew these little things with

candle wicking thread or crochet thread. 

 

 My lace is cut from the dress so yours will not look

like this - that is if you buy your lace outright from

the store.

 

 I have to cut off the excess cotton. See - here I cut it

off very close to the lace.
Be careful not to cut the lace!

When you finish throw that little piece of cotton away.

 

 Turn your lace to the wrong side & be sure to match

up the bottom with the top.
Start stitching at the top of

the ruffle and sew down towards the bottom.

 

 My stitches aren't that small but neither are they

that big.

 

 For added strength ,I always sew back up
to where I start.

It also finishes it off better.
That way you

don't see a knot hanging from the bottom.

 

 Once you get back to the top - knot it off and cut off

your threads.

 

 Cut off any excess lace from your seams. That is

if you have any.

 

 Then turn the lace skirt right side out.

 

 This is the back of the slip.
With your threaded needle

start sewing close to this seam.
Do not sew the top of

the ruffle.

 

 Continue sewing all around the top of the slip.

 

 When you get close to the seam as I have done here

then cut off the needle and knot it.
Both sides of the thread is knotted.

 

 Put the slip on the doll with the threads towards

the back.
At this point do not gather the threads up.

First, make the first tie and use this tie to gather

the lace - then make your knot.

 

 Either make a bow or let the threads hang

down.
Or cut the threads.

All Finished!

Thanks for stopping by!

Conny

DOLLS - THE CHINA DOLL - MARINA'S SKELETON

Remember the china doll with the 

dryer lint.

Well, this is the first doll that I started with.

This china doll never did have any skeleton

beneath her lint!

She was a limp, wimpy doll.

My hubby was out running some errands

so I asked him to pick me up some pipe

cleaners.

He came back with some of the worst ones

that I have ever seen.

They were a pretty color but they were so

prickly!!

I hated touching those pipe cleaners.

I had to use pliers to hold them!!

I made MARINA a SKELETON.

Right now you cannot see how bad

she really was.

Her body parts were in terrible shape.

I could not get all of the glue off of her legs.

In fact - I could not even get the glue out of her legs!!!

No way was I going to get the pipe cleaners

inside of her legs!!!

The pipe cleaners are just glued to the top

of the glue!!!

I had to hold it down on the glue until each

pipe cleaner stuck. 

Can you tell that I had to hold it with pliers

that is why the pipe cleaners are a 

little flattened!!

I had to do the same to the arms!!!

Something must have been wrong with me - cause

normally something like this I would

have tossed it in the garbage!!

She was a lot of trouble.

Surprised at myself for finishing her.

With excessive use - this china doll

just might become crippled - that is

if her pipe cleaners break!!

She might need a wheelchair!

Finally - this is the wrapped body of

Marina.

I used cotton balls to wrap her.

Marina stands 5.5 inches high.

Oh, I did forget to tell you that her

head and breastplate is bigger than most

normal miniature dolls.

But hey none of us are built the same,

so why should a doll be perfect!

Must make her some bloomers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Conny

TUTORIAL - MAKE ANNA'S LACE BLOOMERS

Lets Make Anna's Lace Bloomers

 

You can use these directions to make

any pair of bloomers that you want.

You can use thin white cotton or

anything that has a little ruffle to

it.

If you use cotton you will have to hem it.

Anna's bloomers are made of lace so therefore

that is a step that you can omit.

 

This is the front of Anna's bloomers.

 

 This is the back of the bloomers.

 

 The materials needed for this project are

about 5 inches of ruffled lace or less.
And the lace is about

3.5 to 4 inches from the ruffle to the lower edge but go

with what is according to the size of your doll.
But I

use what I have that is available.
You will need a sewing

needle and white thread (or a sewing machine),
a couple of pins and a pair of

small or large scissors.

 

 Measuring is simple.
Just place your doll on the lace

as you see here. make sure that the ruffled part is

on her legs where you want the ruffle to be.

 

 Now take the lace and wrap it around one leg.
Make

it as tight or as loose as you want.
I don't like mine to be really tight.

Take the other side of the lace and wrap

it around the other leg to match up with the piece that

I have my thumb on.
Then add a little more lace for

to make a seam.
Cut off any excess lace.

 

 Now that excess lace has been cut off.
Place the 2 seams to the

left of the doll.
Make sure that you are

working with the wrong side of the lace. 
Place the doll back on top of the lace.

 

 A good rule of thumb is for the top of the lace is -

see her arms outstretched from side to side.
This will gather nicely.

Now pick up the doll & mark

with a pin where you need to cut off the top of the

lace - see the head of the red pin sticking out from

underneath Anna.
This pin marks her waist for what I want.

Another pin on the lace marks her crotch.

 

I have removed the doll.
 See - the 2 pins.

 

 With the doll removed.
Begin stitching from the top of the

lace - not the ruffle.
It doesn't matter if your stitches

are big - just don't make them too big.
Try to make

the stitches straight if you can.
Stitch to the lace ruffle

and back down to where you started.
You do not have

to start your stitches on the edge of the lace because

as you see anything to the right of the pin will be

cut off.
So start your stitches close to the pin.

 

 I stitched to the ruffle.

 

 Now I stitched back to where I started. Sewing
this way basically gives the seam
some strength.
Knot it.

 

 Cut off the thread and the excess seams.

 

As you can see - it looks like a slip

at this point.

 Time to stitch the legs.
Fold the skirt in half and start
at the ruffle.
Remember 2 legs will be going in thru
that ruffle - so you will have to
judge where to sew in 2 seams so that
you can cut in between them - this
makes the legs!
If you understand me - then sew up to the first pin.

 

 Anchor a few stitches by that pin.

 

 Now proceed down the other side.
Notice that the

stitches on the left side curve a little.
Stitch a small

curve for the right side of the leg.

 

See my stitches - they are not perfect!

 

 Now, take your scissors and cut
in between your stitches.

Do not cut your stitches and when you cut up to the

pin be sure not to cut those stitches.
Take the bottom

pin out and notice the red pin where its at on the lace

before you take it out.

 

 Now turn your lace to the right side.

 

 Hold the lace like I show here and
with your other fingers

kind of pull or maneuver the lace fabric
gently to give it body and stretch,
and be careful that you do not break your seams.

 

 Get your sewing needle ready to stitch again.

 

 Place the lace back on your doll to make sure

where you need or want to cut the excess top of the

lace.

 

 Take the lace back off of the doll and cut off that

excess lace.
The excess piece you cut off can
be used as a belt.

I chose to re-use the lace for later.

 

 Turn under the lace and with your needle and thread

start stitching around the doll till you come back

to the front and the
threads meet.

 

Knot the ends of the threads.

 

 Just cinch up the threads to gather.
Tie in a knot or a bow.

Its all finished now.

 

 On this photo I just want you to see that the ruffle

isn't really tight on her legs.

I have tried to be clear in my directions.
I hope that you think so.

by Conny