I've got a bit of a backlog of sewing-related posts to share. All I've got are terrible phone pics that I took when I was sending my friends pics in the moment, so like... pardon me! But if I didn't have phone pics I probably wouldn't post about this at all, when I do really want to catalogue it for my own personal satisfaction. I'll take 'em!
As you may know, I've been getting into hand-sewing for Blythe this last year or so. I made a little cosplay for Lamb (it's not 100% finished, even a year after starting); I sewed a circle skirt; I have made (and sold) innumerable socks; I conquered tights!
I have been doing my best to gain experience and confidence in something that, for me, easily confuses and overwhelms. My ability to fathom construction remains somewhat low. But my cherished dream, friends, is to be able to make a Blythe dress!
I want this so badly my spit tastes like pennies.
It would be so, so much fun to make simple little dresses, because I think having a simple dress and accessorizing it is so much fun when dressing Blythes. I am not yet super close to this achievement, but it's what I'm working towards, if slowly.
In the meantime I have been trying to up my skills with smaller things, such as miniskirts. (The pattern I've been using is this old one from moshi moshi.)
The ironing board and iron I got for my birthday last year were indispensable in this process! The excitement I felt in pressing down seams! Let me tell you!!! Game-changer. My little ironing board has legs that fold in, so I can store it away easily. But my iron is of standard size, and a little clunkier to store away. But I feel it's been of great help to me!
Using mostly fabric I've had on hand for years now, after making a lot of miniature suitcases, I've managed about a dozen skirts. I want to make a bespoke skirt for each Blythe I have, so that's sixteen skirts total. Just four shy!
The blog post on the old moshi moshi blog recommends sturdier fabric for these skirts, like corduroy, and I have to agree. The thinner cottons don't make for a super structured skirt. But also I feel like these could do with some lining? I just don't know how to do such a thing! It's something I need to learn and don't understand at all, despite the many many costube sewing videos I've watched.
I have been making them closable with smol velcro, which is a bit of a pain to hand-sew, even though I got the thinnest sort I could find via Etsy.
I knoooow I need to learn my machine, but honestly on top of being intimidated by it, I could really use one-on-one help from someone who knows what they're doing and can answer questions as I have them, and tell me whether I'm doing things correctly or not. I'm not sure that'll happen anytime soon!
Here's Zasha looking secretarial in a navy blue skirt, blue PrettyBomb blouse, Very Vicky's stock Mary Janes, and glasses from idek!
These skirts are so cute! You are doing great! I agree 100% that an iron is an indispensable tool for sewing - it just makes a HUGE difference. One thing you could try, if you want to, to give the cotton skirts more structure, is using interfacing. There is iron-on interfacing that will do this! And working with it is pretty easy - you just iron it on, and then sew the pattern pieces like you normally would. Just don't let the iron touch the sticky side (I speak from experience, lol). :) Keep up the amazing work!
ReplyDeleteYeeeee thank you! I hoped you would be proud of me :)
DeleteI will research interfacing 🔍👀 If you have any particular recommendations as to brand or type to get, that would be most welcome!
Of course I am! You are doing great - and I know that this was something you wanted to do for a long time, so it's extra awesome you're doing it! There are a ton of options for interfacing, but personally I have almost always used Pellon SF101 for this type of thing. It's available by the yard at my local Joann and I imagine at most of them and that type of store. You could easily get a number of skirts out of just a fraction of a yard! I'd personally buy a small amount and try it out and see what you think - you could always go up to a heavier weight variety of interfacing if this one seems too light. :)
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