Doll Dress Designs

My fabric scrap bin gets a lot of turnover, as this is one of Syd's favorite activities:

This garment is cut from a single piece of quilting cotton, with tape to fasten the back and a ribbon around the waist.

Syd sewed the bodice and skirt of this outfit together on my sewing machine. It's held closed at the back with the belt cut from scrap fabric; the garment also features a matching ascot and half-sleeves held on with tape.

This pipe cleaner doll features a dress made from a single piece of scrap fabric, fastened just below the bust with a ribbon tie. Brown flannel hair is held in place with masking tape.

This simple garment is one piece of vintage scrap fabric with a masking tape belt.

I've been brainstorming how to enrich Syd's interest in fashion design--it's MUCH easier to find resources to teach kids computer programming and pottery making than it is clothing design! Once we're a little more settled in our new house (I'm currently writing this post while sitting on a mattress in the bedroom of our old house, a place that I now refer to as my "bolt hole," while Matt makes phone calls from work to try to find a plumber to repair the main line in our new house. I'm pretty sure the toilets aren't supposed to back up into the bathtubs there...), I'd like to set up my older sewing machine for Syd, as well as teach her a couple of simple clothing patterns in her size that she can use independently. I've also got some more larger white play silks to dye for her, because play silks make really versatile costumes. We should continue our drawing lessons, as well--I want to add Waldorf form drawing into the lesson schedule.

Because this is definitely a kid who could be wearing only her own home-sewn creations by high school. Perhaps she'll sew for me, too!