Neck & Neck

Prior to joining our crew in Milan, I wanted to pause for another tutorial on neckline treatments. For a long time, there hasn't been anything special (aside from one shouldered gowns) with necklines. Increasingly however, I'm beginning to see dresses and tops sporting a variety of necklines. What really prompted me to do this project was the sublime gown by Balmain worn on the Oscar red carpet by the iconic actress, Jane Fonda.

This dress is really super simple....a body grazing sheath with a two eye-popping details: square shoulders and a sharply cut neckline. Before we get to that dress, let's first look at how different necklines are designed into a garment.

We must go back to our basic slopers. Whatever happens in the front will impact the back in most cases.

Square Neckline.
1. Place the front and back slopers end to end at the shoulders.
2. Make a mark at the mid point of the shoulder line, another on the center front (as far down as you want) and another on the center back (as far down as you want). Make a horizontal line across the bodice from the mark on the center front and the center back Those lines should run perpendicular to those vertical lines. Draw a diagonal line to join the first two lines as shown in diagram #2.
3. The pattern will look like this.
4. Add seam allowance.

Sweetheart Neckline
5. This is pretty much the same method. It begins by placing a mark roughly 1" (2cm) down from the neck on the shoulder and another as far down the center front line as you want. Draw another line perpendicular to the shoulder as far down as you would like, and then a curved line from that point to the mark on the center front.
6. Place the back sloper end to end along the shoulder of the front sloper. Draw a horizontal line on the center back (where you made a mark). Starting where the line falls on the shoulder from the front sloper, continue that line until it intercepts with the horizontal line extending out from the center back.

Bateau neckline
It is hardly noticeable. But actually, this is a wide neckline with just the right amount of rise in the front over the throat and a graceful dip at the nape of the neck in the back.
7. Mark the mid-point on the shoulder line of both the front and back slopers. On the front sloper, make a mark that is 1/8" (3mm) above the center front point at the neck. Draw a new line
8. On the back sloper, make a mark that is 1/8" (3mm) down from the neck on the center back and draw a new line.
9. Trace off. Then add seam allowance to complete the pattern.

Finishing Touches: Fold and sew (or glue)
Now that you know how to do necklines, how do you finish them?  A full, edge to edge lining is  ideal, but not always practical. Moreover, depending on the style, not all clothes need to be lined. So you have two other options. If the lines are simple and the fabric isn't too complicated, you can simply turn the edge down and stitch or (fabric) glue down and iron. Tip: Join the garment together at the shoulders. Press, then turn and stitch or glue while the garment is flat. Then sew the sides and complete the garment.

Finishing touches: Facings
I hesitate to recommend facings because often, they add bulk around the neckline. But if you don't want to line the outfit and the design is such that you cannot simply fold and stitch (which is the case of our sweetheart along with more complex necklines), then a facing will suffice.

 1. Facings are created by tracing off the top part of the pattern while avoiding darts. In diagram one, the red dotted line indicates the part of the original pattern I will use to create the facing for this bodice. Make sure the length at the side seams are equal from front to back.
2. Here's the pattern for the facing.
3. When you have a pattern with a more involved design--like the sweetheart neckline pictured here--you should mark the design directly onto the wrong side of the fabric because you really must respect the sewing lines. Sew the facing along the shoulder line only. Sew the garment along the shoulder line only. Press the shoulder seams flat. Place right side of the facing to the right side of the garment and pin. Then carefully sew the two elements together.

4. Very carefully clip around the neckline. Turn right side out.
5. Press well, one section at a time.
6. Baste or pin along the neckline edge.
7. Make tiny cuts around the armholes of both the facing and that of the garment. Press each inwards.
8. Pin the edges of the armhole facing together with those of the garment.
9. Using a single thread (needle and thread) sew the two together. Press well.

10. Once you have finished the neckline and armhole edges, fold the garment down and stitch the sides (and back).

When you have finished, you will have a neckline that is shaped like the top of a heart over the bustline and is square in the back. This was a very popular look in the 1940's, especially coupled with puffy "leg of muffin" short sleeves! Sometimes over the years, it tends to fall out of favor. But you can modify it to serve your needs. For the gorgeous velvet dress below, designed by New York designer, Brandon Maxwell and worn by Viola Davis for this year's Golden Globes, a lot of you (and me) fell in love with the look.

Creating what appears starts out as a "slip dress" in 1/6 scale, particularly in velvet, is quite a challenge. So I made a modified version of the "sweetheart" neckline. And since stretch velvet doesn't fray, I didn't need to do anything special to finish the edges. Note: only seam allowance has been added to the shoulders and the sides. There is enough stretch in the fabric for the doll to slip into the dress without the need of a back opening. So the dress is only made of two pattern pieces!

I started with the (dartless) knit sloper. Then modified it by redrawing the neckline using the same "heart shaped" design, but with slim "straps" over the shoulders.

Behind the Design: That Balmain Dress

Okay, I know....you came here to find out how to make THAT dress......

Even though Jane Fonda's dress has a bit of a train in the back, I decided to keep the basic dress as a long sheath. If you really want, you can add a wedge of jersey (in the same color) into the center back just under the knee. But for me, the drama of this dress is really the power shoulders and the dramatic neckline.

1. This is one of those rare occasions where the design of the front doesn't impact the back. That is because the dress is close to the back of her nape in the back and drops down and wide in sharp points in the front. So, I begin with the zig zag design in the front. Be careful not to draw the zig zag too small or the design won't be too visible when you have finished.

2. The back sloper remains unchanged.

3. Because this dress has square power shoulders, you must lift and square off the original shoulder line. Line up the front and back slopers so that the shoulder points align as shown.

4. The top of the shoulders run horizontal (and perpendicular to the rest of the sloper. Extend the curve of the armhole to meet the top of the shoulder.

5. Take the redesigned front and overlap it with the back along the center lines. Note the difference in height. Raise the front and lower the back so that both slopers are equal in length at the shoulder line.

6. Redraw the pattern.

7. Line up the front and back bodice patterns along the new shoulder line. We cannot have the armhole come to a point, so make a mark about 1/8" (3mm) from the widest point on the shoulder.

8. Make a mark 1/8" away from the bottom of the armhole on both the front and back pattern. Draw a line from that point back down to the waist of the pattern. Now redraw the armhole

9. Because these are padded shoulders and we have lifted the shoulder line, we must lift the cap of the sleeve. Whatever the amount your shoulders were lifted--1/2" (1 cm) in this case, you add to the top of the sleeve. The best way to do this is by tracing off the original pattern. Then sliding the sloper 1/2 along the center line and tracing off part of the cap. Redraw to that the lines blend.

Here is my finished pattern. Unless your fabric has a lot of body, you will need to make and sew in shoulder pads. You can find them HERE.

Well, the girls are waiting for us in Milan to show us their faves from the Italians' Fashion Week. We'll see you all there in a few!!!

Follow us on Twitter: @FashDollStylist
Like us on Facebook: @FashDollStylist
We're also on Pinterest: @FashDollStylist
And of course, we are on Instagram: @fashiondollstylist

Applied Arts: Faux (Beaded) Embroidery

I'm sorry. This post was supposed to be about how to sew beaded fabric. But after MUCH thought and even more preparation, I ended up reverting to an exercise I did four years ago in a post entitled, "Applied Arts: Faux Embroidery."

Sadly, one of my favorite fabric stores is closing. So I ceased the opportunity to buy something special. For me, edge to edge beads aren't all that interesting. The fabric with the beaded/sequined motif is what you want to buy. But then, I started doing a lot of soul searching. I figured that few are really going to go out and purchase such expensive beaded fabric (which costs upwards of $75 USD and more) unless you're making a dress for someone else, in which case, you probably already know what you're doing. It is a pretty straight forward. 1) Trace the pattern in chalk on the fabric. 2) Make an interlining out of sheer fabric. (All markings go on this, a second layer. 3) Trace the seam allowance with painter's tape. 4) Smash the beads with a hammer to flatten the seam allowance. 5) Remove the painter's tape. (It keeps the broken beads together for disposal.) 6) Sew as usual. And while I had another sheath dress pattern ready to go, I stopped and thought..... If you do have the opportunity to get a bit of such a precious piece of fabric, what is the most efficient way to use it so there is no waste?

When Haute Couture houses create these red carpet dresses, they don't use beaded fabric. The atelier cuts out the pattern pieces in silk, marks all seam lines in thread and sends that to the embroiderer who mounts it on a loom and hand embroiders a pre-approved pattern. With that thought in mind, I decided not to cut my pattern pieces out of the beaded fabric, but rather, make an under dress and "embroider" it with pieces of my luxury material.

I wanted a "typical" red carpet dress, so I started out with a strapless sheath cut from 2 layers of tulle. You can use the standard strapless sheath pattern or make a tube dress. Above, I have stretched a double layer of (diamond cut) tulle around the doll's body, forming a single seam in the back.Tulle has a good horizontal stretch. But there was a bulge around the midriff, so I pinched out the excess on both sides of the body by forming diagonal bust darts. At the back, I left the area above the waist free and stitched the rest down the back. Check to see to where the doll can come out of the dress and that's where the back seam will start.

1. After you have your foundation, pick up the beaded fabric and stretch it over the body, pinning at the back.
2. Note the pattern of the beads as it relates to the foundation. I used pins to mark the areas where I want to attach the fabric to the foundation and where it will be joined in the back. The idea is that you will cut around the areas you want for the dress using the pins to help guide you.
3. With a small pair of scissors, very carefully cut close to the motifs without cutting the beads and be careful not to cut the foundation beneath.

4. Cut a few of the motifs from the main piece of fabric. You are going to use these motifs as well as the loose beads to fill in "empty" spots or hide "discreet" areas of dolly's body as well as to camouflage seam or darts.
5. Here, I've cut away a small motif which I then add to the top of the dress. If there is excess netting, cut it away, again, without clipping the stitches holding the beads.

6. Turn the dress to the back and continue until you are happy with the look.
7. I used a single hook and eye to close the back of the dress at the top. Go on and sew it on without worrying about it showing through because..... On the outside of the dress, sew a small cluster of beads or another motif to cover the hook.
8. The idea is for it to look like it is part of the design while disguising the closure!

As is the case of our velvet and sequined dresses, the important thing is to KEEP IT SIMPLE! The drama of the look lies in the beauty of the beads.

Think beads on the bodice of a dress. 

And, you don't have to do an all over dress (unless, of course dolly is planning on crashing the Oscars). You can confine it to one area of the dress or as an accent.

Add a beaded motif to an existing dress for a touch of added glamour.

If you can't afford to buy the fabric, take a look at beaded trim. This can also be taken apart and used as "embroidery."

You can buy beaded trim. Applied around the neckline and around the sleeve hems, it gives a touch of class and elegance to Richard's wedding suit.

All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2017. Please don not reproduce without prior permission. Thank you.

Follow us on Twitter: @FashDollStylist
Like us on Facebook: @FashDollStylist
We're also on Pinterest: @FashDollStylist
Come join us on Instagram and show off your stuff: www.instagram.com/fashiondollstylist

In Sequins

Sequins (n) A small, disk-shaped spangle used to ornament garments. In this the second of three tutorials on handling luxury fabrics, we examine sequined fabric. The first thing we must examine is the fabric itself. By now you know how important scale is in terms of doll fashions. This means there is really only one type of sequined fabric suitable for the doll which is the mesh fabric dotted with tiny, 1/8" (3mm) plastic circles. In this, part two of our dealing with luxury fabrics series, we examine how to work with sequined fabrics as they pertain to doll fashions.

Am I sure you can't use any other kind? Judge for yourself.

I had these two sequined fabrics already on hand when I decided to reinterpret the St. Laurent jumpsuit on the left and the Amish dress on the right. And while I am more or less happy with the result, I did notice how out of scale the sequins were when I placed them next to the full scale counterparts. Notice the human models to the left of each doll and notice the difference in the sequins of the corresponding garments. The fabric I used is essentially the same as used in the human version. Imagine a regular sized sequin and then multiply that by 6. Then imagine a dress scaled for you covered with  1-1/2" (4cm) disks! It's not to say it would be impossible. Your dress would be covered with, what we call...paillettes. Paillettes (n) Over-sized spangles used in ornamenting garments.

Now, take a look at the dresses in this image. The sequins both read as nearly the same scale in relation to the models wearing them. Here's another way of looking at scale. I've covered the doll body with three different scales of sequined fabric. Note the difference. 

If you don't yet have fabric, look for the one on the left. You could still use the one in the middle which is 1/16" (1mm) bigger. But ideally, you should avoid the one on the right unless you have something special in mind. And even then, it is best used for anything except for tops, dress bodices, pants and leggings

For this project, I chose the basic sheath dress with sleeves. Her "boots" by the way, are actually spats. Cover your work space with paper because while not as messy as glitter, cut sequins have a way of scattering over a large area. Again, choose a very simple pattern with few pieces. The mini sequin fabric has a mesh backing with a bit of stretch, which means you should be able to use a dart-less pattern (one suitable for jersey, for example). Pin your pattern in one layer (do not cut on fold) against the wrong side of the fabric all facing the same direction. To make it easy, you could trace the pattern using chalk first, then cut. For sequined fabric do not use your good fabric scissors, as this fabric will dull them quickly. I my paper shears. Cut slowly to keep cut sequins from flying. And, once again, it is best to hand sew this fabric. Sewing over sequins is murder on the sewing machine!

 Note: If you have using this blog for making full size adult garments, you should NOT heed the the following tutorial as I have modified the usual techniques to best suit 1/6 fashions.

1. Line the front to back of the pattern at the shoulders as usual EXCEPT..lay the dress right side facing up. Fold the ends of the front under and lay them over the shoulder of the dress back. We are doing this because, a good part of the dress is plastic and you cannot iron the seams flat (otherwise the sequins will melt!)

2. Use a fine needle and thread (be sure to knot the end) sew the front to the back with a back stitch. Take your time and work around the sequins.

3. The dress is assembled as usual.

4. Hem the sleeves by sewing a strip of tulle the same width as the sleeve by about 3/4" (2cm).

5. Tip: If you don't have any tulle on hand, you can always cut a strip from the selvage of the sequined fabric.

6. Stitch the tulle to the edge on the right side of the fabric. Turn and tack to the inside of the sleeve. Now pin the sleeve to the dress. Starting at the sleeve's hem, sew up to about one inch (2.5cm) down from armhole on the side.

7. If you are going to line your dress, now is the time to attach it to the neckline. Otherwise, use another strip of tulle to the neckline. Stitch, turn under and tack in place.

 8. Lay the uncut edge of the front over the dress back. Pin.

9. Carefully slip stitch the front over the back.

10. Repeat on the other side.

11. Hold the fabric in place as you sew and make small stitches as close to the edge as possible. The idea here is to get the fabric absolutely flat so as not to show the seam line.

 12. Take your time then pin the dress down the back. I prefer to do this on the doll to ensure a good fit. Again I lay one (raw) edge directly over the other. Stitch to within 1-1/2" from the neckline and secure your stitch.

13. Spread open the neckline and stitch another strip of tulle from the top of one edge to the top of the other. Fold the strip inward and tack in place.

14. Use hook and eyes to close the dress. From front to back here is my finished dress.

For her "boots," I used the pattern for Spats. As with the dress, lay one edge over the other down the back of the leg and stitch directly on the doll. The fabric has enough stretch to allow for removal of the leg afterwards.

The Tube

Of course, you can always make tube dresses or tops. After all, it only involves one seam. But the fact they are so simple doesn't mean they have to be boring. The above dress was my interpretation of an Armani Prive gown. Here's how I made it:

1. Take the fabric and stretch it directly over the doll's body. Smooth it over her curves.
2. Catch the fabric along the back and pin.
3. Cut, allowing for about an 3/8" seam.
4. Again, lay one edge over the other and stitch in place. This is something I like to build directly on the doll. When you are finished you should not be able to see the back seam.

 Of course the top and bottom of the dress has raw edges. I had a bit of embroidered tulle. I cut out a few of the motifs and stitched it on the top of the dress. This gives the illusion of a bra top. Even though the dress doesn't require any closure (Grace simply slips in her dress), I added straps to keep it from slipping down.

I also added bits of black lace near the hem of the dress to which I sewed on a few beads. The rest of the embroidered tulle is used for a stole.

OR....you can just make a simple tube skirt but pair it with a sweater, tunic or jacket! Nothing like sequins to add spark to an otherwise casual look.

Okay, so now what do you do with that OTHER sequined fabric I said was too big to use? If you MUST use it, choose a super simple pattern with as few pieces as possible like this kimono that Morgan is wearing. Allow for slightly bigger seams than usual (maybe 1/4" (7mm) than 1/8 so that you have wiggle room.

This particular fabric has 1/4" sequins sewn on a sheer (woven) fabric. Using exactly the technique we used for the sheath dress, fold the front seam allowance and lay over the back piece. Pin and slip stitch. Take your time and work your stitches around the sequins.

Sew the kimono up from the hem of the sleeve to about 1" (2.5cm) down from the underarm. Fold the front side edge of the kimono over the back kimono edge and stitch. You can either line this with a layer of tulle or turn down the edges with tulle and tack in place.

Have fun with sequins and don't hesitate to pair it with other fabrics. Inspired by an ad I saw for Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy Perfume, I made this little dress for Kimora from a sequined collar.

1. Again, stick to simple patterns. Here I've made an A-line skirt (with the darts folded out in the draft of the pattern).

2. The top is a one piece corset that closes on the same side as Kimora's skirt. I admit, I did have to keep the side bust darts in order to fit it over the bust.

The dress is worn over a petticoat of ruffled tulle. To balance the look, I stitched another layer of ruffled tulle to the top of this dress.

All text and photos property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2017. Please do not reproduce without prior permission. Thank you.

Follow us on Twitter: @FashDollStylist
Like us on Facebook: @FashDollStylist
We're also on Pinterest: @FashDollStylist
Come join us on Instagram and show off your stuff: www.instagram.com/fashiondollstylist