One-Sided Point of View

While we were busy wrapping everyone in tulle and celebrating our anniversary, the Haute Couture designers in Paris strutted their stuff and the New Yorkers have begun what will be a month long marathon of global fashion weeks. While the girls are off to make their reports, I wanted to do another tutorial based on a recent trend taking the fashion world by storm: one-shouldered necklines!

L-R: Vionnet, Armani Prive, Dries Van Noten, Gillian Anderson in unnamed designer, Mary J. Blige in Alberta Ferretti, Greta Gerwig in Oscar de la Renta. Photos: voguerunway.com

This seems simple enough, but often simple is very hard to do well and I thought this would be a good exercise to help you understand how and where you can alter a pattern to bring your own ideas to life. Most fashion schools teach pattern making two ways: using measurements, pencil and ruler on the table and "draping" or "3-D Design" whereby you create the pattern in cotton muslin directly on the dress form. As a student I loved pattern drafting (something I developed while working with commercial patterns as a teenager), but today most students prefer watching the design come alive on a mannequin in front of their eyes.

Flat Pattern Drafting Method

The pattern for this garment begins with the basic bodice sloper. Whenever you are creating an asymmetrical design, you need to work with the full front bodice (or foundation). This is as simple as tracing a mirror image of the sloper on the opposite side of the center front (CF) line.

What I have learned about making patterns for dolls is how easy it is to miscalculate where things fall on the body. If the neckline is too high it becomes a more prudish version of your original design. Too low often results in the design falling off the doll's tiny frame.
1. Until your eye becomes accustomed to your doll's proportions, I highly recommend you place the paper pattern against the body and draw or fold the neckline. Note: I've folded and taped the darts to get a more accurate idea of how the neckline with impact bodice.
2. From the shoulder to the opposite side beneath the armhole of the front bodice, draw a diagonal line. The upper part with be cut away and discarded.
3. Take the back bodice and place the shoulder line against the shoulder line of the front bodice. Mark where the back neckline will start based on what is happening in the front. You want a smooth transition from front to back which is why we do this.
4. I've flipped the back right side up. Now design the line of the back the way you want it.
5. You're not finished yet. You must now match the right back to the left side front and mark where the necklines should meet. Draw your diagonal line. Be sure you label "left back" and right back" on the pattern pieces). Add seam allowance, lay your pattern against the fabric and cut one of each pattern piece.

Draping method

This is the exact same garment as above which will yield the exact same end result. It's just a different approach to pattern making.

We are making what's called a "toile" or a "muslin" out of unbleached cotton. No muslin, no problem, you can use paper though it is a bit trickier to work with. (But be very careful not to tear your pattern as you work.) I start with adding seam allowance to the front and back slopers then making my "shell." Transfer the paper pattern to the muslin, cut out then stitch together pieces, using a basting stitch or a long machine stitch. Mark the center back seam and pin down the center back.

1. After you have created your shell, place it on the doll and sketch out the the lines of your neckline.
2. Note how wide or narrow your shoulder will be.
3. You will need to decide what happens when the front meets the back under the arm on the side where the shoulder will be cut away.
4. Unless the opening is on the (short) side of the garment, you will need to figure how the left and right side come together at the center back to ensure a smooth line.
5. Once you are happy with the look and the fit, you will need to carefully take your toile apart. Trace all markings to a new sheet of tracing paper to create your pattern.

6. Add seam allowance.

The one-shouldered neckline is almost always diagonal. That means it is very easy to stretch out of shape while you are stitching the garment together. As a way to control what happens to that diagonal line and provide a bit of structure, you can add support with a tiny strip of "iron on interfacing." For those of you not familiar with this product, it looks like a cotton fabric on one side and has a raised pebbly surface on the backside. The pebbly surface is placed against the wrong side of the garment and you iron on the cotton side. Here, I cut a very tiny strip (roughly 1/8" (3mm) and placed it along the stitch line. When you are ironing this on, be careful not to scrub, but rather to press (up and down movements). Once in place, you can attach your lining. If you don't plan to line the garment, fold over and hand stitch in place as I've done here.

Here's my one shouldered silhouette side front and back. Use the same method for any dress or for when using the sloper for stretch garments. (If you have a good quality stretch fabric, you may not need the interfacing.) You can leave the arm bare, set in a sleeve or add embellishments, depending on your design!

On Dorian, I took a scrap and made a little puff to which I attached a train (using a narrow rectangle of fabric). The oversized print of this silk really makes a statement!

Which method should you use and when? Aside from an answer like, "whatever you feel comfortable with," I personally see the flat pattern method for simple or "classic" looks, whereas the "draping" method is good for free style "original creations like the one featured below.

I loved the neckline of the Oscar de la Renta dress worn by actress Greta Gerwig at this year's Golden Globes. It really isn't that hard to recreate in that it's based on our simple one-shouldered neckline.

1. Start by making a toile (sloper with seam allowance cut out of muslin). Place on doll body.
2. With a pencil, design the neckline. Here, I'm drawing it directly on the muslin. The strokes should be big. If the details are too fine, they will be lost when you add the lining!
3. Again, the body is a 3-dimensional object, so you will need to figure out what is happening on the side.
4. And you will need to decide what will happen in the back.
5. Once you are happy with the design, cut away the excess to get a better look at what's happening.
6. In my case, I was happy with the neckline, but once I cut the top away, the right side didn't hug the bust the way I wanted. So I pinched in a tiny dart to make it fit. Once you are happy with the fit and the design, it's time to take the toile apart and make our paper pattern.

Please note: Exceptionally, I have designed this so that the front is connected to the back at the shoulder line. What that means is, the front and the right back bodices will form a single pattern. I did this because the part going over the shoulder is narrow and I wanted to avoid bulk at that point. Just be aware that when you do this, 1) the pattern piece will take up more fabric, 2) the back will fall on the bias...in other words...the back will have a bit of stretch.

Make your paper pattern. Flatten out the toile and trace all markings onto tracing paper. Make any adjustments to maintain symmetry of the darts. Be sure to label the pattern pieces so that you know what they are and how they attach to each other. This is especially important with asymmetrical patterns. Add seam allowance.

This garment is best lined! Use a very lightweight material.
1. Sew the right back to the left back (blue dotted lines). Sew the lining to the garment along the neckline (red dotted line).
2. Turn the garment to the right side out. Very carefully press along the neckline.
3. While this is still flat, I turned under the armhole of the garment onto itself and pinned in place. Then I turned under the lining onto itself. Hand stitched the two together. Now complete the rest of the garment by stitching the sides together.

I only made this design as a top which means it can be combined with any evening skirt or trousers for a dramatic look!

Before I close the subject, you know I always like to present a "simple solution" for those who might feel this tutorial is a bit intimidating. There is another look I've seen on the runway. It falls along the lines of the Alberta Ferretti gown worn by Mary J. Blige. It consists of a strapless dress and a single sleeve. You can either make the dress using the sheath pattern, or craft a tube out of stretchy fabric and add the embellishment of your choosing.

Off the Beaten Track

1. Let's make our base. (Can be applied to any style of strapless dress.) I started by using the pattern for the one-piece camisole.
2. Make a tube by cutting a rectangle of fabric big enough for the doll to get her arm through it. Hem the top and bottom. Make one stitch down the edge and turn right side up. Slide this onto the arm.
3. Pin where the top of the sleeve meets up with the top of the camisole, then stitch it under the arm.

1. You can use ANYTHING you want. Here, I took a rectangle of silk and hemmed all four edges.
2.  Softly hand pleat it with your fingers, pin along the neckline and tack in place. It will go under one arm and over the opposite arm.
3. Tack it on top of the sleeve as well as under the arm.
4. Continue to tack it to the neckline in the back
5. Tack it to either side of the center back seam. The top or dress can be closed with snaps.

E-Z 1-Shoulder looks

1. Adding a strap to this top acts as a support for any embellishment you might want.
2. A cluster of silk flowers gives a feminine aura to my otherwise austere camisole.
3. A tiny bit of faux fur really glams things up. Here, I've added a sleeve to the camisole underneath.

And just look how a single ribbon can spruce things up!


With the exception of the runway photos (courtesy of voguerunway.com), all photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist 2018. Please do not reproduce without prior permission. Thank You.

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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.

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Behind the Design: That Maurizio Galante Jacket

There was one more couture look I just HAD to do. But I needed time to figure it out how to make a dolly version.

There were two shows--Maurizio Galante and Iris van Herpen-- presented during the Paris Haute Couture that me and the girls loved, but could not include in our last report for good reason. Both of these designers create what we could classify as....fashion-as-art/art-as-fashion. This is when the principles, the exploration and experimentation employed in the world of fine art is translated into high fashion. Some things are wearable, others not. But for me, artists like these are necessary for the evolution of style and design.

Originally trained as an architect, Maurizio Galante is an Italian fashion designer who launched his label in 1986 before joining Paris Haute Couture scene in1991. The transversal approach to his craft sees him combining fashion, architecture, art and interior design. He sees his work as what he calls "objects of desire" or "conversation pieces" destined to evoke emotions.

Galante's work caught my eye many years ago with his unusual use of form, elements and movement, all elegantly executed. He's been around longer than Ms. van Herpen so there is more of an old school approach to his work. For the Fall/Winter Haute Couture '17 collection, Galante opted for a static show so that viewers could appreciate the details of each piece.

I was so intrigued by the white jacket. I love the rows and rows of tiny squares, the texture and movement they create as they fall over the body and down the arms. The jacket itself is quite simple. It's the squares that pose the problem. I made little samples using materials at hand but, as usual, the challenge is always the tiny proportions of the doll. You don't have the luxury of hemming anything, so the material must not fray when cut. I tried jersey but the edges curled. It's ok for another look, just not the one I was going for. Actually, it's okay if the fabric edges fray, if that's what you want (there are no rules), it's just not what I was going for. So at the end of the day I decided to use....industrial strength paper toweling for my squares.

This project starts by measuring and cutting my paper towel in strips of 1/2" (13mm).  I gathered about 4 strips at a time, then cut them into 1/2" (13mm) cubes. I used (kitchen) string (threaded through a wide-eye quilting needle) to string the tiny squares.

You can use a basic jacket or kimono. But hold off lining it. Then, make several strings of squares.

1. Drape a row of squares along the front edge and around the neck of the jacket and pin in place. 2. Using regular needle and thread, begin by taking down the first square to the jacket, but for the rest of the string, tack around the string.
3. As I work, I separate the squares and loop the stitch around the string.
4. For my next row, I place it next to the first row but then pin at the shoulder and down the back, close to the side seam. There will be a space under the arm. Leave that empty. Continue to add the rows until the back is covered. When you are working with the rows of squares, always tack the first and last squares to the jacket to keep them from unraveling. But you want to tack the string down for the rest so that you can adjust the squares afterwards.

5. I cut slightly smaller squares for the sleeves. I cut the toweling into 3/8" (10mm) strips and then 3/8" (10mm) cubes for stringing. Use a dowel, fat pencil or pen  to slip into the sleeve of the jacket while you tack on the row of squares.

6. You can make a spiral around the sleeve with the row of squares (as shown in the diagram). Here you see my completed jacket. Again, notice I've left a space under the arms. This is to keep the jacket from becoming too bulky on the doll. It won't look strange because we will be closing this jacket with a belt.

 7. Once you have finished adding on all the squares, now is the time to hand sew in your lining.

The belt is simple. I took another length of string, knotted it at the end and began adding on 3/8" (10mm) squares. Once I have enough to make me happy, I adjust them so that they are evenly placed on two ends. Then I knot the opposite end.

 

My jacket is not exactly like the one created by Maurizio Galante. My squares don't bend. Nonetheless, I've captured the spirit of the original jacket. What's amazing is that the exterior of my jacket is completely made of paper!

Okay, so I know this type of expression is not everyone's cup of tea. You can use this idea of squares to make a lovely trim for a garment. This time I, I cut up a dryer sheet into 1/2" squares then added to the top of Ingrid's slip dress.

It's a nice alternative to feathers and fur and adds a very pretty soft touch to a summer gown.

Future Couture
Dutch designer Iris van Herpen is purely a 21st century couturier who employs 3D design and technology in her works of fashion art. Nothing I can do can come remotely close to her work, so instead, I invite you to view a the behind the scenes clip at how this amazing designer works:

All text and photos (except for the Iris van Herpen video) property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2017 (and should be credited as such). Please don't reproduce without prior permission. Thank you.

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