Flower Power

Next to fancy sleeves, the next biggest trend this summer is the return of florals. From pretty little dresses straight down to footwear, everything is growing up roses, pansies, violets and chrysanthemums! Though this is about fashion sprouting flowers, there are enough different ways to wear this trend from classic to edgy! In other words....there's something for everybody out there in our garden of style.



Photos: Zara.com

This post is not so much a tutorial as it is an exercise in styling as there are many ways to wear this trend.

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

The newest way to dress dolly is by layering floral prints. Here Sybille wears a stretch rose dress (made from socks) underneath a classic coat (made from cotton upholstery fabric). This is a basic coat--the tutorial is HERE.) Both are oversized prints for her, but the graphic impact is what makes the look.

But if this is too much print for your doll, you can always slide the coat over a solid tone or bi-colored geometric dress (left). And the dress (which I have stitched in a line of shirring to one side), can be worn alone with a floral sheer scarf tossed over her shoulders. Tutorial for making a basic knit dress can be found HERE.

Placed Prints

In the market, a "placed motif" is a print where a design is printed only in certain spots against the background. You can simulate this with applique. Over a princess line dress in cotton chintz, Angelina wears a coat inspired by an item in Fendi's recent collection. I wanted to do this coat in linen but with this special motif. Tutorial for the coat with raglan sleeve is found HERE.

1. On the left, you see the simple princess line dress. (Tutorial for a princess line dress can be found HERE.)
2. On the right you see how I started out with a piece of the printed fabric. Using very sharp scissors, I cut away the motif I have selected. Place this on your garment AFTER you have sewn it together (to make sure it falls where you want. Use a light layer of fabric glue on the back of your motif and place on the garment. Iron well. You can stop right there.
3. But for the Fendi coat I was copying, I needed a flash of metallic. So I added a bit of foil. The tutorial for foiling can be found here.
4. In the middle photo, you see the finished look.

Olympia is wearing a classic blazer (collarless) over dress with a fitted bodice and gathered skirt. The tutorial for this jacket can be found HERE. Here's a tip: look for cotton squares sold for quilting! For the most part, the prints will be the right scale for dolly!

For directions on how to make the 2-piece dress, refer to the tutorial found HERE. Modification for the flared, gathered skirt part of the dress is found HERE.

Lounging Around

 In Paris, young girls are all over the streets in flowered pants (often mistaken for pajamas). Here, I've cut up an old silk scarf for Grace's wide, palazzo pants. The tutorial for these can be found HERE. What I did differently was transform them into drawstring pants. Do not stitch up the darts and, instead of a waistband, simply turn down the top edge of the pants and sew or glue down.

In the lower left hand side, you see what I've done. I threaded a wide eyed needed with silk embroidery yarn and made a running stitch about 1/8" (3mm) away from the top edge. Use a double strand and be sure to double knot each end.

Steel Magnolias

Floral prints don't have to be realistic nor bursting with color. Look for abstracts, floral silhouettes, monochromatic patterns. We paired a cotton print (again from the quilting section of the store) with an abstract floral silk sheer for Nichelle's exotic ensemble.

Her top is super simple. It consists of two tiny squares of sheer frayed fabric: 5"x 5" (13x13cm).  Lay one square on top of the other and pinch together the corners. Tack them together with a stitch, then wrap the thread around and tie in place. Repeat on the opposite top edge. (I wanted a little shine, so once again, I added foiling in the middle of the flower motifs.) Now place on the doll allowing one side to slide off the shoulder. This can be worn as is or belted.
Underneath is a basic pair of pants cut mid-calf length. Tutorial for a 1 pc pants can be found HERE.
Finally, I made a pair of "spats" out of the same cotton print I used for the pants which slide over any pair of dolly shoes. Tutorial for the spats can be found HERE.

 With the season abound with floral prints, it's no surprise to see the kimono make a show. This one is cut from a silk material (recycled from an old blouse). I have a collarless tutorial for the kimono HERE, and if you want to add a collar like I did, you'll find instruction for adding on a shawl collar HERE. Here again, I've combined two different prints, each a contrasting scale. What makes them work together is that both have the same colored background.

In this, another view of Katoucha's pants outfit (1 pc narrow pants and matching bra), you can see I've made matching espadrilles. The tutorial for that is found HERE.

But once again, if this is too much print for your doll...you can always pair your kimono with a solid pair of pants!

Okay, dollies. It's time to get out and smell the roses!!!!!

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For Whom the Bell Tolls...

Next Fall promises to be an exciting time for fashion trends. There were lots of great new looks....particularly in terms of pant silhouettes. I love skinny jeans but frankly they've been with us for over a decade. It's time for something different and Fall trends really deliver when it comes to offering a variety of shapes.

One of those new looks: bell bottom pants---is something we haven't seen in quite awhile. First introduced at the onset of the Carnaby Street Mod era with pants where the hemlines flared out like trumpets over the ankles, it became a signature look of the 1970's with an assortment of flared styles ranging from sexy calypso pants to elegant palazzos. For this project, you will need to pull out your basic pant sloper. Don't have one? You can find it HERE.

You should first decide on the look you'd like to achieve. This tutorial gives you the basics. From there you're invited to make changes and do your own thing!

THE CLASSIC BELL BOTTOM PANT
Before we get started, lay the doll next to the pant sloper and mark where you want to introduce the flare. All the area above this line will be fitted to the hips or legs but flared below. I've marked my sloper at the top of the hips as well as just above the knees because I will be making bell bottoms which will flare out from either of these two points.

1. Decide how much flare you want and mark to one side of the pant leg. Whatever amount of flare you put here, you will need to add to the other side as well as to each side of the back sloper.
2.. Using a compass, I place the needle where I want to introduce the flare and stretch it so that the pencil touches the hemline on the front pant sloper. My mark will create a 45 degree angle from the leg---or a half circle around the ankles when the leg is completed.
3. I draw a curved line to the mark I just made. The end of your line will be above that mark.
4. Draw a line from the side of the pant to the end point of the curve.
5. Repeat on the other side.
6. Remember to add the identical amount of flare to each side.
7. Add seam allowance to create the pattern.
8. Apply steps 2-6 (using the same amount of flare) to the back pant sloper.
9. Add seam allowance. You can add a waistband or fold and stitch down the fabric at the waist.

A variation of the above draft, the flare is 90 degree angle from the pant leg, (a half circle at the end of the pant leg) or a full circle around the ankles in the completed garment.

TRUMPET BELLS
The procedure is identical to the classic bell bottoms, however I've simply started my flare further down.

PALAZZO PANTS
There are two ways to make this look, depending on the effect (and the fabric) you want. By maintaining the darts in your pattern (left), the pants will hug the hips and flare out under the hip line. On the right, we've pivoted the fullness of the darts out and into the legs. The hipline is less fitted. However, it is a look best suited for knits and soft or silky fabrics.

Palazzos with darts.

 The draft is identical to that of the classic bell, with the exception of my introducing the flare at the top of the hips instead of the knees.

The end result will hug the doll's hips then flare to the hemline. With this method we can also control how much flare we want which is important if you want a conservative silhouette. But for a full flare, we can make a dartless palazzo pant.

1. Again start with the basic pant sloper. Trace the sloper onto paper. Make a vertical line down from the apex of the waist dart to the hemline.

2. Cut along that line. Fold and tape shut the dart. Trace onto another sheet of paper.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 on the back sloper.

 4. Measure the width of each pant leg at the hem. Note the difference then divide this number in half.For example, my front pant pattern measurs 2.5 inches. The back sloper measures 3.5 inches. That means there is a one inch difference between the front and the back. You will add that measurement to the smaller pattern (the front in this case). My front sloper now measures 3 inches at the hemline.
5. You will deduct that measurement from the wider pattern (the back in my case). My back pant pattern now measures 3-inches as well.

WEDGIES
If all of this is really too much for you there is a super simple way to get your girls in bells. It's a look borrowed from the college kids of the 1970's.

 1. Start out with a pair of ready-made Barbie pants.
2. With your compass, measure where you'd like to insert a wedge.
3. With the compass set at the angle of choice, mark a center point and make a full circle.
4. Cut a wedge as full or narrow as you'd like and hem.

4b. Open the side seam of the pants to the desired height.
5. Sew or glue into the seams. You can stop there....or...
6. Add a second wedge to the other side of the pants.
Voila. Instant bells!!!

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