Lost & Found

Unless you live in a large metropolis, finding a fabric store will prove to be chore. Still, you probably have old clothes and accessories around the house and that should provide a treasure trove of materials from which to work. Since the 12" doll has such minuscule proportions, the waistband of a skirt is all you need to make a suit; a sock is sufficient for a
knit dress and old camisole will be more than enough to make the most whimsical of summer evening wear. In this edition, we will look at a few super simple ways to create interesting garments out of old items. 



An old pair of gloves transformed into a garment. 

Fits Like a Glove…

In the above picture, I've stitched the gloves wrist to wrist (the fingers will be pointing north and south). Toss over the doll's shoulders, and voila..a shawl. Another variation: a cape. Place a pair of gloves side to side along the outer edges. (Baby fingers sewn together, thumbs point outwards; fingers point down.) Pin together, then hand stitch in place. Fold the joined gloves over about 2 inches (to form the collar) from the wrist line and drape over the doll’s shoulders. Hold in place using a tiny lapel pin at the throat or a 12” piece of (3mm or 1/8”) ribbon wrapped around the neck. Tack the thumbs in place should they stick away from the body.

This works using any type of glove. The possibilities are endless. 

 

Hat’s off!

Around our house there are lots of antique fur hats and old, knitted bonnets. These, too, are easily transformed into cocoons. Attach a bit of chain or ribbon across throat of the doll to hold the cloak in place.

Take a knitted cap, fold over the outer edge to create the illusion of a collar, then wrap across the body of the doll. Her hat, by the way, is the toe of a stocking knotted into a ball.

A New Twist

Thus far, I have featured little tricks for creating looks destined for either collectors with little sewing skills or those of you who not interested in investing in a sewing machine. At the beginning of my venture, I was not ready to commit to the sewing part of this project. So I resorted to draping and either hand stitching or pinning my "concepts" in place, sometimes over the doll's original clothing. I took pictures so that I could revisit these looks later and perhaps transform them into "real" constructed clothes. I also experimented with other types of materials like screen or aluminum foil which can be  pressed or crushed to the doll’s body. Your craft store is a good source for these sorts of things.

 

 

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