ThreadDough Theatre

This is my first attempt at stop motion animation. I should have used a tripod to steady the camera better. It was fun to make but very time-consuming. These few seconds of movie took about 40 different photos. I need to get a tripod and better lights. I will try to make the next one better!

Tailor of Gloucester?

Here is my sewing assistant, Remy, hard at work:




*******

Penelope: Hey, Remy...can you help me re-hem these pants?

Remy: Sure, no problem. Will you wear these with flats or heels?

P: Hmmm.....flats, I think. What forms of payment do you accept?

R: You can pay me in Swiss.

P: Swiss franc?

R: No, Swiss cheese.... if you don't have any, cheddar is ok, too. Just leave it on the doorstep. Make sure you put your name on it so I know it is from you.

********

Remy's specialty is hemming pants. In return, he is fed fine cheeses and given a nice matchstick box to sleep in.
:o)

Still Studying....

I got a new book! So far I am only on Chapter 2. Since I am studying on my own, it is nice to have Penelope as a study buddy (sometimes) :



Penelope: OK, I will quiz you now!

Me: Hey, I just got that book and am only on Chapter 2...how did you already read to the middle of the book?

P: It's so easy....when I open the book, I just turn to page 100. See?

Me: Uh, yeah. That's not how this type of book works. You really need to read it from the beginning to the end..... in order.

P: Technicalities! I will quiz you now on Chapter 7!

Me: *rolling eyes*

********

So far I have learned how to say hi and introduce myself and other basic niceties. Also, the days of the week. I will have to work some more on the numbers.....there numbering centers around 4 digits instead of the 3 digits. So 10,000 is a key unit instead of the 1,000 that we use. I liked learning about asking for and buying things! ha ha!

Ikura desu ka? (How much is it?)

Jyu Buraisu o kudasai. (Please give me ten Blythes. )

So far I am only on Chapter 2...there are 10 chapters in this book. I hope I can make it to the end of the book!
:o)

Finished Projects: SEWING

Well, this is where I like to keep track of what I've made so far for Penelope using professional sewing patterns. So far, I have really enjoyed using the Doll Coordinate Recipe mooks. Who am I kidding....I LOVE these DCR mooks!! Love, love, love them.

This section is for direct interpretations of the author's patterns. I have not included projects where I modified or created my own original patterns.

Some of the photos here are clickable and will take you to the notes I have made about using that pattern. I like to write down these notes so if I remake an item in the future, I can avoid past mistakes. Hopefully, you may find them useful as well. :o)

Doll Coordinate Recipe 4



Doll Coordinate Recipe 5 (click on photos)


Doll Coordinate Recipe 6

Short Coat (DCR#4 pg 52)

I sewed this Short Coat for Penelope:



Pattern: Is on page 52 of Doll Coordinate Recipe #4.

Things to Note: I used a medium weight cotton fabric. The pattern photo uses a much thicker fabric. I think that's why this coat looks a little funny...like it is too loose on her? I guess it is meant to be worn over other clothing.

Am I glad I tried this pattern? Yes.

Tricky parts. I did handsew the sleeves on.

Would I make this coat again? Maybe. It is not hard to make, but not tailored enough for my tastes.

Fabrics: I used a medium weight cotton. A thicker fabric would work better to give the illusion of a coat.

Most difficult part of the pattern: Sewing on the sleeves to body of coat.

Tips: After sewing the two collar pieces together, clip the curves well before turning it inside out. Press well.

Do Raw Edges Drive You Crazy?

When sewing dolls' clothes, there is no way around the question of what to do with the raw edges. Unless you are using a fabric that does not unravel when cut (like felt), I guess there are a few things you can do to try to prevent raw edges from further fraying:

1. Apply fraycheck or similar wash-resistant glue.
2. Apply a sewing treatment like serging or zig-zag stitching.
3. Trim with pinking shears.
3. Line the item of clothing.
4. Accept the raw edges as is.



(This is a fully lined short coat I made for my Blythe doll. )

I did try the Dritz Fraycheck....got it at my local craft store Joann's. But the smell was just too strong for me. I had to throw out the resulting finished clothing because of the smell. Too bad....I really did like how the tiny pieces of fabric were so much easier to work with after being fraychecked. And the raw edges look really tidy. I have heard some people report, however, that with repeated washings the fraycheck can wash off.

I don't have a serger, so I did try zig-zagging over the raw edges. It turned out ok, but kind of messy because the zig-zag stitch tends to shred the raw edges. Serging would probably be good for long stretches of fabric like gathered skirt hems or the long inseams of pants. Not sure how easy it would be to serge tiny areas like the armholes?

So, when I make clothes for my own Blythe doll, I usually or leave the raw edges as is, OR fully line the item of clothing. Surprisingly, the raw edges don't fray as much as I would have expected. After the initial first few rows of thread have fallen away, the remainder seem to stay intact. Again, most of the clothes are gently played with and worn by the doll, or stored away. I don't repeatedly wash them since Penelope doesn't sweat much ;o)

Sometimes, I will fully line a garment of clothing. The tradeoff for this very nice and neat looking outfit is an extra layer of bulk on an already tiny piece of clothing.

So, if you can think of anything else that can handle raw edges on these tiny garments of clothing, please don't be shy! I'd love to hear your suggestions. :o)

Knitting a Woolly Sweater

The very talented Liz of Woolly Rockers has generously shared her Classic Kozy Roller sweater pattern with everyone. She is so talented! I am a very painfully slow knitter.... But I think my results were ok!

Fortunately, my Penelope is not very picky. She is happy to get a new wool sweater now that the Autumn season is upon us! It is definitely getting colder now. Here she is with her new Kozy Roller sweater I knit for her:



Penny: Thanks for the new sweater! *stretching arms out*

Me: You're quite welcome....I'm glad it fits you. *adjusting sweater on her* Have you noticed that the weather is getting cooler now...you'll need your cold weather clothes pretty soon.

**********

I think next time I will use smaller knitting needles or knit a little tighter. This time, I used sized 2 (US) and I think the sweater ended up a little large. The pattern allows you to make the length of the body as long as you want, but the sleeves are constant. So that is how I am guessing that my results were a little on the big side. Still ok though, I think! I don't know where I am going to find the smaller knitting needles though..... These are the bamboo Clover Brand knitting needles. You can usually find them at a local craft store. These were the smallest I could find:



I used the Rowan Scottish Tweed 4 ply yarn. This is my first time trying such nice and fancy wool yarn! Yummy. I loved the occasional pop of a bright color and the overall varigated color as you move along the yarn. It was a little scratchier than I originally expected though... but Blythe skin is not to sensitive to scratchy wool, so I think Penelope did not mind.


(The knitted parts of the Kozy Roller sweater:
Bottom row L to R: sleeve1, left back, right back, sleeve2
Top row L to R: front, turtleneck piece)

I was so happy to finish this little project. My gauge was not consistant though, as one sleeve ended up being slightly larger than the other. Once all assembled though, it was not too noticeable.

THANKS LIZ FOR THE PATTERN! :o)
Here is her Classic Kozy Roller Sweater Pattern

Studying Japanese (Katakana & Hiragana)

Believe it or not, working with the Doll Coordinate Recipe mooks has inspired me to learn Japanese! It is a very slow process for me. So far, I have managed to memorize the Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries (kinda like phonetic alphabets). I am so happy to be able to read the TITLES of the DCR mooks now. Woo hoo! Sounds like nothing I know, but for me it is progress!

The cover of DCR4 title is in katakana. It says:

do ru ko de i ne i to re shi pi 4 => doll coordinate recipe 4
ro ma n te i -- ku ga ri ==> romantic girl(not sure what gari is?)
bu rai su, momoko do ru, ==> blythe, momoko doll
ta i ni be shi (not sure of rest ) ==> tiny betsy
(then there is some hiragana and kanji )


Whew...what a workout for the brain. I am probably not even reading at a pre-school level right now. I can read the katakana only because this "alphabet" is used for words borrowed from foreign languages such as English. So I can kind of figure out that "do ru" = "doll". But with the Hiragana, I can read the words but have no idea what they mean in Japanese. But, hey, you have to start somewhere! I'm hoping to get some speaking fluency so in the event I get to go to Japan, I can at least say and understand some basics. Like, "Where are the Blythes?" and "Where is the cute fabric shop?" ha ha ha.

I'm just studying on my own right now, so if anyone out there who has studied Japanese can recommend some good books, I'd appreciate it.

I'm Gonna Soak Up the Sun

Penelope: Yeah, baby.
Me: You know, you don't have to wear those sunglasses all the time.
Penelope: They help me see better.
Me: But they aren't prescription glasses.
Penelope: Yeah, baby. *dances away*



Hope you are enjoying your summer! :o)

DCR Pattern Reviews

Here are some notes I have taken after sewing with some of the Doll Coordinate Recipe patterns. I like to write them down so that next time I use the same pattern, I will hopefully avoid making the same mistakes as the first time through. Perhaps you will find them useful as well....

From DCR #5

Jumper (page 51)

Jacket (page 92)


From DCR #4

Short Coat (page 52)

DCR#5 Jumper Pattern Review

The Short of It

Pattern: Is on page 51 of Doll Coordinate Recipe #5.

Things to Note: I misread the pattern marking on how to cut the jumper's skirt. After I started sewing I realized this and had to start over. Diagram with explanation follows.

Am I glad I tried this pattern? Yes!

Difficulty: Quite easy.

Would I make this jumper again? Yes!

Fabrics: I used a medium weight cotton. A variety of fabrics would work well.

Most difficult part of the pattern: Aside from cutting the pieces out correctly, I would say making sure the button placket is accurately folded.

Tips: Transfer pattern markings accurately for the button placket. Press press press after every seam. :o)


The Long Story

Um, I made a mistake in cutting the pattern out. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this until after I was sewing and had to start over. It was because I read the pattern markings incorrectly for the jumper's skirt. I had never seen this type of notation before. Everyone else probably got it right except me, but just in case anyone out there was also wondering...I drew a diagram of how it is supposed to be done:

Usually, you see the "cut on fold" mark (2 semicircles) on the edge of a pattern and you would place that edge on the folded edge of the fabric. After you cut the fabric, when you unfold it, it would be a large piece with two symmetrical halves. (Remember how we used to cut Valentine's Day hearts from construction paper?)

Well, in this pattern, we are only duplicating the part of the pattern TO THE RIGHT of the "cut on fold" marks (2 semicircles). Do you see the large white part to the right of the "cut on fold" marks (2 semicircles)? Imagine copying that piece and flipping that piece over 180 degrees to the left. Now place it to the left of the original pattern piece. (See above photo please. ) This entire thing is how we want to cut the fabric out.

The middle section (with hash marks) will be folded over on itself to form the button placket. I hope I didn't make it more confusing. Like I said, everyone else probably knew what to do right away..for some reason, I just couldn't see it the first time. :o)

The rest of it is pretty regular sewing. Hmmm...the button placket is formed by folding the fabric on itself as marked on the pattern. I think that's it.

I guess that's what I love about making Blythe clothes...even if you make a mistake, it's only a small piece of fabric and you can start over again. :o)

DCR #5 Jacket Pattern Review

The Short of It:

Pattern: Is on page 92 of Doll Coordinate Recipe #5.

Things to Note: Although the pattern is marked as needing 200% enlargement, I found it is already the correct size as is on the page.

Am I glad I tried this pattern? Yes.

Difficulty. On the high side....primarily because there are tiny pieces that curve in opposite directions that you must sew together. Even the sleeves have this to curve slightly at the elbows.

Would I make this jacket again? Hmmm...not sure about that one.

Fabric I would recommend: Thin fabric like cottons would be good. If you're feeling brave, you can try something else. The author used a velvet-like fabric. It looks very cute...but the end jacket will be a little bulkier and the collar may not sit as flat.

Most difficult part of the pattern: Attaching the sleeves to the body of the jacket. These sleeves have two seams instead of the standard single underarm one. The curved back sleeve seam gives a very gentle shaping to the elbow area. The jacket also has two corresponding seams...I think you are supposed to match the sleeve seams to the body seams. I couldn't get these to match exactly. It was a little frustrating. But if done properly, it is very beautiful.

Changes I made: I would take the back part of the jacket in a little to make it more form-fitting (as in above photo). But then, it would be worn directly on the body...no room for layering other clothes. Also, I did not use the pocket flaps.

Tips: Press press press after every seam. Make sure seam allowances are very accurate.




The Long Story

While I was on vacation in New York, I missed sewing Blythe clothes so much that I decided to sew some new clothes for Penelope. My sewing machine and iron were not with me, so I fingernail-pressed the seams and used good old needle and thread. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have on hand...suprisingly, the jacket turned out ok!

Luckily, I had brought my DCR mooks along with me. I love reading them! (Well, I guess I am not really "reading" them since I don't know Japanese. I guess I'm just figuring them out with the diagrams.)

The smart thing to do would probably be to find a copy machine and xerox the patterns. Well, I traced this jacket pattern with pencil and tracing paper. I like cutting the pieces out...it reminds of 1st grade:

Sewing this jacket can be a little tricky... I'm not sure I could have machine-sewed this one. There are a lot of quite small pieces that curve in opposite directions that you are supposed to sew together in order to create nice shaping. This is not something you want to do in a hurry. Accurate pattern and fabric cutting are always important, but quite critical in this pattern.

I was also trying to get the gingham fabric I used to match up at the seams...it worked in some places only. Fortunately, Penelope is not a picky girl and loved the jacket anyways.

This jacket is also supposed to be completely lined. I skipped part of the lining for my version (the interior back part which is not visible when worn). Also, I did not add the pocket flaps.

I love my new chair!

Me: So, Penelope, what do you think?
P: Yahoo! I can finally sit down!
Me: *grin* Glad you like the new chair.




Me: Ok, it's time to go home now....Penelope?
P: la la la la la la....

I think she heard me...but she just kept singing and swinging her legs back and forth. I guess she likes sitting on her new chair!



Thanks for visiting us again and reading about our adventure with
Rummage Sale Chair DIY!

Final Steps

Next, sew the pieces together as you did the prototype cushion. It should fit the chair quite nicely since we already tested the fit previously. Once the final cushion is in the chair, you can sew it in place to the chair frame. That's pretty much it!

These are just some DIY notes to share some ideas. Also, in case I remake the cushion for this chair in the future, I can refer to these notes ... hopefully it gave you got some ideas on how to go about your project, too. There's probably a better way to do this, but this is how it worked for me. Don't be afraid to try some different ways to make something old new again...your Blythe girls will love you for it! :o)

Here are some final photos of the finished chair:

(Top view of finished chair with new cushion. )

(Penelope is happy with her new chair! Her blouse and pants are made by me. )

Penelope: I love my new chair.

Embroidering the Fabric

I would recommend using an embroidery hoop...I didn't here and regretted it later. The time it would have taken me to find my hoop would have saved me much more time in the long run. Instead, I had to be extra careful to maintain the right tension while embroidering. Oh well, live and learn! So, here is the fabric after I embroidered it. I had basted the outline of the circle pattern (remember the top of the birthday cake?) in contrasting thread so I would have an idea of what size the final cushion would be. Then I embroidered the cushion. Here, I used the trellis stitch:



Then, using the paper pattern pieces we created before, I carefully (!) cut out the fabric pieces for the final chair cushion:



Next: Final Steps

Testing the Fit

My assistant Penelope tested the fit of the prototype cushion:



Hooray! It fits the chair!

Now, we can make the real cushion. I wanted to make an embroidered seat cushion...but didn't want to go through all that work of embroidery only to find the cushion didn't fit. That's the reason why I made a test one first. If you just want to make a simple fabric cushion and the prototype one fits, you can happily skip the next step of making another final one.

Next: Embroidering the fabric.

Creating the Paper Pattern

A. Making Pattern for Top and Bottom of Cushion

It would have been nice if the little flower pot still came with the chair. Then I could just put it upside-down on a piece of paper and trace it. Instead, I had to put a piece of tracing paper on the chair and carefully trace the circle of the frame. This would be the top and bottom of the cushion. (Imagine the top and bottom of a circle birthday cake.) Then, add your seam allowance around the entire circle. In my case, I used 0.5 cm.

B. Making Pattern for the Side of Cushion

Then, I measured the depth that I wanted the chair cushion to have. (Imagine the sides of that circle birthday cake.) For this chair, I wanted the final seat cushion to sit one cm above the frame. The frame was already one cm high. My seam allowance is 0.5 cm. There are two seam allowances...one to sew the top to the side and one to sew the bottom to the side.

So, my calculation for the side piece pattern HEIGHT is:

1cm+1cm+0.5cm+0.5cm= 3 cm

I guess at this point, if I wanted to be extra-nerdy about it, I could have done some kind of math calculation to figure out the circumference of the cushion. Instead, I just roughly wrapped a piece of fabric around the chair (didn't even measure it). Just make sure that the ends overlap so you have enough for seam allowances. That would be the LENGTH of the side piece pattern.

I won't go into the detailed sewing of these pieces together....basically, you are sewing three different pieces together to form a "birthday cake":

1) Right sides together, sew top circle and the long thin rectangle together.

2) Right sides together, sew bottom circle and other side of long thin rectangle together.

3) Clip curves, turn inside out and stuff. Hand sew opening.

I made a test cushion first to see if the pattern I made was accurate. The finished cushion:

(left: pattern of cushion top and bottom, right: finished prototype cushion.)

Next: Testing the fit.

Materials

These are the materials I used....they were all things I had on hand. Look around your home for things you can recycle!


(Batting or stuffing, scissors, tracing paper, ruler, fabric, thread/embroidery floss, color inspiration, chair. Not pictured: an embroidery hoop)

Recycling ideas for materials:

• When you open a new bottle of vitamins, they usually have cotton stuffing in the top...this can be used to stuff mini-pillows to substitute for the batting in the chair seat here.

• Have an item of clothing made of nice fabric that you don't wear anymore? After washing it, you can cut the flat pieces of material out of the item and "upcycle" this fabric.
  

• Look for color inspiration in all places....in this case, I loved the colors on this chocolate wrapper!

Next: Creating the paper pattern for the chair seat.

Color Inspiration for Chair

These are the colors and materials I am using to bring the old rummage sale chair back to life. Thanks to Dove Chocolates for the color inspiration....



I am really glad now that I kept the original paint color. Perhaps I will paint it in the future, but for now it works!

Next: Materials.

Rummage Sale Chair DIY

These are just some notes on how I turned the chair (an old planter) into a functional doll chair for Penelope. Structurally, the chair was quite sound. It was completely made of metal and quite sturdy. I may repaint it in the future, but for now the color works.

Here is the before & after photo comparison:




Next: Color Inspiration.

Rummage Sale Chair

Item: Doll-sized Metal Chair without Seat.
What it was: Probably a plant holder.
What it will be: A chair for my Blythe doll, Penelope.
Location found: Church Rummage Sale
Kenners Blythes? No....keep looking....


Before make-over, as found:



After make-over:



I wrote some DIY notes on how to create a seat cushion for this chair. It is now a fully functional Blythe chair! Please see Rummage Sale Chair DIY.

Kenner Where Are You?

Most Blythe fans have wondered at one time or another where all the Kenner Blythes have gone? If they were produced for the masses in 1972, surely there are some dolls to be found at the local garage sales and such! Yet to date, only a lucky few Blythe fans have been able to find a Kenner Blythe off the internet. Many have guessed that this is probably because it is so easy to look on the back of a Kenner, read her manufacturing information and search for her value on the internet. After that, the doll would most likely be sold online.

This "Blythe DIY" section is a journal of sorts, partly documenting my search for Miss Kenner (off-line), and mostly sharing what I have found instead. :o)

I have included some DIY notes on how I have transformed some of my finds into useful things for my Blythe girl, Penelope. Making things for Blythe is recycling at its best! Enjoy...

Diane :o)

We finally have furniture!

Although the elusive Kenner Blythe was no where to be seen at the local rummage sale, I did find a chair for Penelope and a house for Remy.

(Penelope's blouse and cargo pants made by me. Remy was crocheted by me using leftover wool yarn. )

I think the chair actually used to be a planter....but the little flower pot was not there anymore. I will have to think of a way to create a cushion for the chair so she can sit on it without falling through. The little house is a vintage 1978 Fitz&Floyd long matchstick holder. I really love the little windows and door.

Little Remy is in shock that he has his very own house now. He is imagining all the different ways he can stack his cheese collection in there.

I hope to find more little treasures like these now that the Summer season is here and all those wonderful outdoor markets are open. This is the best type of recycling! What is your best find? :o)