Monday, March 30, 2015

Articulated Stacey gets an Easter dress

The March Pinstrosity Challenge was SPRING! The need for an outfit for my smaller, articulated Stacey from the 1990s -- a Polar Bear Club member that Dad found after Mom and I thought we'd gone through all the baggies at a large thrift store, but his eye can be eagle-like -- combined with my urge to try a doll-sized version of the Starboard skirt. Time for an Easter outfit!

I can't help my Jon-Benet Ramsey vibe. It's a 1990s thing.

This is my third try. It's always my third try. On the first try, the material I'd chosen was too slippery to make the elastic casing in back. On my second try, I hadn't reasoned out modifications to the elastic and waistline properly. On the third try, I ran elastic through the whole thing, so there's only a back seam, and then put in the front pleat.

The top was designed at the point in the weekend when I was stick-pins-through-my-fingers tired. It allows a range of motion and deals with the reality that the designer of this doll body put the girl's chesticular parts above her underarms.

Articulated!Stacey is being named Nastia, for gymnast Nastia Liukin, since they're both blonde, flexible, and presumably named Anastasia.

Look, Stacey! Chickies!
Nastia attempts to discuss Easter chicks with post-millennial Stacey, who is clearly several years older. They are less alone than they believe they are.

And the THING. We don't talk about the THING.
In April, I'm going to sew a doll outfit every night (unless there's something definite on my schedule that gets me home late), on the theory that this should come to at least 20 outfits, which should be a major step toward sewing competence, as well as to clothing the horde.

17 comments:

  1. Cute dress! That's an ambitious sewing plan, and I wish you luck.

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    1. Thanks! The secret to the plan is that, unlike my craft-challenge Sewing Weekends of Terror, I'm not required to do a NEW pattern every time. If I want to make the same elastic sundress from last May 20 times, I can do that (but I'd get bored enough to branch out by about the third one anyway).

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  2. Adorable dress, and wow, what a great idea for April! I may have to do this along with you -- I'm also looking to boost my sewing skills, and I have a ton of tutorials pinned to Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/saturdaysequins/the-well-dressed-doll.

    Just in case you're looking for some inspiration. I'd love to stop hoarding patterns and start actually using them! <3

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    1. Whoot! I love your Pinterest board, am following it, and will now go through the Pins in intervals, as I want an excuse to sit still.

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  3. A new outfit every night! Wow, no way I could do that. Good luck. Your dress is quite stylish, but I have to say I was totally distracted by those chicks. They are super duper cute.

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    1. The chickies are working! *evil cackle*

      I figure that if I don't do something completely insane, I'll never do anything at all.

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  4. Cute dress! I love the ambition of your April sewing plan - that'll be inspiring to watch!

    Love the cat photobomb as well. ;)

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    1. I wish I'd caught when the cat was sniffing the girls -- he's usually not curious, but maybe they picked a favorite stretch of his fence.

      And hey, at worst, the sewing effort will be comical.

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  5. Haha, I giggled at the "Jon-Benet Ramsey vibe" I love the April sewing plan as well! One of my goals this spring is just to learn how to sew! :) I feel like once you get it down, it's probably pretty addicting!

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    1. The weekend that I did the first Liv doll dresses, it really was addicting! I've kept preventing myself from getting into that groove again.

      Definitely learn to sew. If I can do it, anybody can.

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  6. Hi Smaller Places, what a schedule! now i need to see the "polar bear club collection" this will be my fashion event of the year!
    (LOL, "the THING"....)

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    1. The hallmark of the Polar Bear Club is to dress very, very simply!

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  7. Smaller Places, those are some really pretty dresses you've made for your dolls. So nice and spring-like. That's a pretty ambitious schedule you've made for yourself. But as long as you feel inspired (and the gang is demanding it)....go for it!!!!!

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    1. Thank you! The thing with the schedule is... I'm not trying to sew anything that's objectively difficult. But I need this much intense practice to not have a meltdown amid projects that are actually easy.

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  8. Both Stacies are adorable.

    Good luck with your sewing plan. I'd like to sew doll outfits someday. I'll enjoy seeing yours until then ;-)

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    1. My goal is now to convince you that sewing is FUN and EASY. *evil cackle*

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    2. Uh oh ... trouble ahead, lol. Convince away ;-)

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