From the Banish Box: Topsy-Turvy Dolls

I began machine sewing when I was in 7th grade, and since then, I have had many projects that... for whatever reason... were never finished.  Some of these projects were cut-outs that I simply lost interest in completing.  Others frustrated me so much that I sentenced them to hard time in the banish box, never to set eyes on again... at least until the following summer.  At first, my banish box was a shoe box, but over time, it grew into its present shape- a black Drona box from Ikea.  Every summer, I open the banish box, vowing that this will be the year that I finish all of these left-over projects.  And every summer ends... and yet the banish box remains.  With a baby on the way, I knew I wouldn't be quite as ambitious as I have been in years passed, but there was one project I was determined to finish... the oldest project in the box... the Topsy-Turvy doll I began sewing when I was 12 years old.

Many historians argue over the origins and purpose of the original Topsy-Turvy dolls.  Most agree the dolls predate the Civil War and have ties to slavery.  They often featured a white doll on one side and a black doll on the other.  In the early 20th century, toy manufacturers began marketing this style of doll as a Topsy-Turvy, named after characters from the popular novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. The white doll represented Little Eva while the black doll represented Topsy.  Through the years, the dolls lost its racial stereotyping, and today these dolls can be found in all shapes and sizes.

In 7th grade, I walked into Piece Goods as a novice sewer.  I understood the basics, and I felt as if I had been ushered into a new world where creativity was only limited by desire.   I browsed the pattern catalogs and selected a pattern that grabbed my attention- Simplicity 8210- a Topsy Turvy doll.  I remember my mom trying to veto the idea, but my heart was set on it.  I carefully selected my fabric from the remnants table- not the best quality fabric, but to an idealistic newbie like me, it might as well have been satin or silk.  My mom made it clear that if I wanted to tackle this project, I would be on my own.  No problem, Mom.  I know what I am doing.

At home, I carefully read the directions and cut out my pieces of fabric.  I even transferred all of the pattern markings onto the fabric, using a black color pencil- something I would regret doing 20 years later.  I sewed the dolls arms, body, and head without any problems.  This was easy! And then I looked at the dress.  The words used in this pattern were different than the ones I was familiar with.  What was a yoke? It looked like the front of the dress... like a bodice... but something was missing.  I was grandma-taught, and I couldn't remember her saying anything about a yoke.  I asked my mom, and she said if I didn't know, then I shouldn't be sewing such a hard pattern.  I was on my own.  In 1992, we had no internet to answer all of our questions, so I did the only thing I could... I just dove in and began sewing.  At first, everything seemed to be going well.  The shoulders lined up, and I could see the beginnings of a pinafore.  But something was wrong with the arm holes.  They didn't match.  Clearly something had gone wrong, but what? I poured over the directions, trying to find my mistake, but found nothing.  I decided to set the pinafore aside and concentrate on the dress.  After sorting the pieces, I realized I didn't have enough.  Something was missing, but what?  Again, I read the cutting layout, determined to figure it out, but I didn't understand the word interfacing.  I spread out my fabric and began cutting what I thought I needed.  The pinking shears trembled in my hands and slipped. I had a cut a whole right in the middle of the piece! At that point, my patience was gone, and I admitted defeat.  This pattern was too hard for me.  I stuffed the doll, the pattern, and fabric pieces into a shoebox and hid it in the back of my closet.  I didn't want to see it again, least I was reminded that I still had many things to learn!

For the next 20 years, I avoided looking at that doll, but I couldn't bare to throw her away either.  So she resided at the bottom of the banish box until this summer when I looked at her with more experienced eyes.  After all, I had improved my sewing technique a lot in 20 years. I was surprised to see that the doll itself was sewn pretty well.  The dress, however, was a mess! I used my seam ripper to try and salvage what I could, but it was a pretty hopeless case.  I decided to cut out new pieces for the dress, and this time, I had no problems sewing it.  My original concept was a Cinderella doll- one side poor and the other side wearing her ball gown.  As I embroidered her face, I kept pricking my finger.  This doll wanted to be Sleeping Beauty, so she had a personality change at the last minute.  The final task was gluing on the hair- something I had never done.  I pulled out my trusty hot melt glue gun, but I didn't like the results.  I decided to sew the hair on the doll, which would take longer to finish... but after 20 years... I was in no rush!

When she was finally finished, I couldn't explain the happiness I felt.  After 20 years, the project was finally finished! My husband then asked a question I hadn't expected- now what? I decided this doll would have a place in the baby's room.  It would serve as my own personal reminder to never give up on a dream... Some dreams may take longer than others to complete. Some are easier to obtain.  But as long as you continue working and trying to improve... as long as you are willing to set a goal and continue working towards it, you can achieve the impossible!

July Sew-A-Long for Marie-Grace and Cecile

As I was walking down the street,

Down the street, down the street,

A pretty gal I chance to meet,

Under the silvery moon!

This summer I discovered the American Girl Plaything's Sew-a-long (SAL) on the site's forum.  Each month a new challenge is issued to the sewers, and this month, we were tasked with creating a new look for Marie-Grace and Cecile.  Ah, the 1850s!!! I have been stuck in Ruthie, Emily, and Rebecca's time periods for awhile, so it was fun to time travel to a different generation.

I began browsing 1850s photos online, searching for a dress that would provide perfect inspiration.  When I found this purple dress, I fell in love with the skirt.  The bodice is nice, too, but a little more complicated than what I wanted to tackle at the moment.  For my dress's bodice, I selected Simplicity 3929 Dress B.  I loved the gathered, round neckline, and I added the lighter fabric on the end of the sleeves to give the dress a little contrast.  For the skirt, I adapted Dress F of McCalls 3627, shortening the side panels.  I considered shortening the length as well since most of Marie-Grace and Cecile's dresses are shorter, but at the last minute, I decided to leave it alone.  My favorite part of this dress has to be the bows on the skirt! All eight of them were hand sewn- another first for me! I've never made fabric bows before, but I think they really make the outfit.  

When Ruthie tried on the dress, I recognized the dreamy look in her eyes- no doubt imagining she was in middle of one of her favorite stories- the Wolves of Willoughby Chase.  To help bring the fantasy to life, she needed a new hairstyle.  Are you afraid of brushing your wavy haired American Girls as much as I am? Well, here's a hair tip you might use! Instead of a spray bottle, I filled a small cup with water and dipped the corner of a baby wash cloth in it.  Then I used the damp wash cloth to pat her hair.  Frizz disappeared instantly, and I was able to use a hair pick to work with individual curls with no fear of water getting into the doll's eyes.  I created three pin curls on each side of Ruthie's part, and the rest of her hair was tucked into a small bun at the back of her neck.  I added a few hair clips and bobby pins to hold the style together long enough to take photos.  Ruthie hasn't looked this cute since I brought her home years ago! 

Bleuette's H Dress Pattern for 18" Dolls

The girls have new dresses! This time it's another pattern resized from The Bleu Door.  What is it about those little French dresses that I love so much? Is it the pleated center or is it absence of gathering? I love the neat and tailored look- even if my ironing leaves a lot to be desired!This pattern was originally published in 1928 for an 11" Bluette doll, but I have resized it to fit 18" dolls, such as American Girl.  The year 1928 is a little late for Rebecca and a little early for Kit, but with the right styling, it could be perfect for either of them!

Download the free pattern here.

 

When the Storm Strikes...

For my niece's 2nd birthday, I wanted to make her some clothes for her favorite baby doll. What began as a simple sewing project soon escalated into a race against time as I battled not one- but two power outages in the same day!

Friday Morning 
After an exhausting week of touring daycares, I finally had a few moments to myself to think about this project. With my niece's party on Saturday, I knew I didn't have time for anything complicated. Besides, I didn't want anything that might frustrate her two year old fingers. So I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and found a few surprises.

First, I found a link for this great free pattern from Skip to My Lou for cloth baby doll diapers. They looked so fun and easy to make! What little mommy wouldn't love new diapers for her baby doll? I decided to pair the diaper with a simple Dress E from Simplicity Sewing Pattern 3572, altering it slightly by leaving off the sleeves and collar.

Next, another great freebie from We Wilsons. This pattern contains two very easy to sew patterns- one for a pull-over shirt and another for a pair of pants, making it easy to mix and match fabrics for a variety of looks. Since my darling niece loves Jesse from Toy Story, I knew right away I wanted to create a cowgirl outfit. 

Friday Afternoon
I spent a little time selecting fabrics and inspecting my sewing stash. As my first official sewing summer project, I was running a little low on supplies, and I needed to run to JoAnne's to stock up on a few basics, such as thread, velcro, and elastic. By 4:00, I was finally home, my projects were cut out, and I was ready to roll! Just as I was about to sew my first stitch, the lights blinked off once, returned, and then blinked off again. I looked out my window- not a cloud in the sky. As the minutes turned into hours, I realized my present probably wouldn't be finished in time.

Friday Night 
With no power in the house, my husband and I decided to go out for dinner. When we returned around 7:30, the power still had not returned. No need to sulk; it was time to throw in the towel and clean up my sewing space. But all of a sudden, the lights flashed back on. I quickly turned on the iron and began to sew like the wind, feeling the pressure of the impending deadline. Every few minutes, my cell phone interrupted my thoughts with weather bulletins. Severe thunderstorm watch... severe thunderstorm 50 miles away... severe thunderstorm warning for my neighborhood. My sewing wasn't as neat as I would have liked, and I never took time to change out my white thread. I heard the rumbles of thunder in the distance, and just as I finished my last stitch, I saw the first bolt of lightning. I was hand sewing the velcro when the lights flashed off again. No problem... I could finish that in the morning.

Saturday Morning "Party Day" 
We still didn't have power the next morning, and neither did a million other people who were affected by Friday's storm, including my sister. By the end of the day, I learned a new word: derecho. But despite the insane 100 degree heat, we celebrated anyway, and the party was a great success. Because of the storm, I didn't have a chance to take many pictures of my creations before I gave them away, but overall, I was pretty satisfied with the final products. When we finally got home Saturday night, our power was back; the a/c welcomed us with open arms. Unfortunately, our neighbors weren't as lucky...

Final Thoughts
The diaper pattern was so easy to sew! With three little nieces under the age of four and a little girl of my own on the way, I have a feeling I will be using this one for years. I highly recommend this one as well as the Simplicity dress pattern. The shirt and pants were... all right. The pattern was designed with a novice sewer in mind, and I didn't particularly care for the way the pants were constructed. The best part about this pattern was no buttons, snappers, or velcro. With only elastic, it is very easy for little hands to dress their baby dolls in this outfit. I am not dying to use this pattern again, but I will probably give it a second chance in the future.

Patterns Used in this Project
Diaper Pattern from Skip to My Lou
Shirt and Pants Pattern from We Wilsons
Dress Pattern from Simplicity 3572 Doll Clothes(S-M-L)

The Ginghams Sewing Contest!

"Ruthie, Emily, and Me" is pleased to announce its first ever Ginghams Sewing Contest!  The rules are quite simple: create a dress for an 18" doll that was inspired by this paper doll dress (at the left) from "Becky's Tea Party." The dress does not need to be a literal interpretation, but should feature some of the same design elements.  The winning entries will be featured in a future blog post, thus inspiring future sewers for generations to come!

Contest Entry Form
Contest Deadline: June 1, 2012

Inspiration: The Ginghams (Set 1)

When I was a little girl, I loved playing with my paper dolls just as much as my real dolls.  My favorite paper dolls were called the Ginghams, a series of four little girls wearing old-fashioned clothes, each trimmed in gingham fabric.  Last summer, I decided to recreate some of my favorite paper doll dresses for my American Girl Dolls.  While these dresses are not literal recreations, my fabric and design choices were directly inspired by the paper doll dresses.

The most difficult part for me was deciding which dress to recreate! I selected this one from "Carrie's Birthday Party."  For my dresses, instead of polka dots, I chose a white cotton fabric with small tulips. The paper doll dress looks as if it has a gathered ruffle on the bottom, but for mine, I used a flat seam.  I trimmed the neck and sleeves in mini rick-rack, and the bottom ruffle was trimmed in medium rick-rack.  I alternated colors to give each girl her own special look.  Since my dresses had a very springy look to them, I made the decision to use short sleeves instead of long.  For my pattern, I used Simplicity 9381, aka "Old Faithful."  This is my favorite go-to pattern for a quick, basic dress.

Of all the dresses I've sewn over the years, these three are among my very favorites.  It just goes to show a little creativity can dress up even the most basic of dresses! A classic style, such as this one, can be worn by nearly all of the historical characters.  Simply add a longer skirt for Felicity.

Bleuette's Sleeveless Pleated Sundress

Emily is wearing a pleated French sundress from a 1909 pattern, but I have a hard time imagining the short, sleeveless style going over well in the US during a time when girls were practically covered from head to toe. Perhaps it was worn as a pinafore or slip? Following US styles, the dress would be more appropriate for Kit and Molly.  At any rate, it was a very fun dress to sew.  The pattern is originally from the The Bleu Door and was scaled to fit an 11" Bleuette doll.  I've resized the pattern to fit an 18" American Girl doll.This pattern may not be the best for a beginner since it includes no sewing directions.  You will need some basic background knowledge on how to assemble the parts of a doll dress.


Download the .pdf pattern.