Heartstring goodness

One of my favorite ways to make outfits for dolls is to crochet a bodice, then attach a fabric skirt.  Here are three dresses, using a basic crochet bodice.  The fabric skirt is cut 12 inches by 3 3/4 inches.  Narrow zig-zag around all four edges.  Press under 1/4 inch on the short sides and 1/2 inch on one long edge for the hem.  A good trick:  dampen the fabric before pressing and your pressed edges will be nice and sharp.

Sew two rows of gathering stitches on the other long side and pull up to match the bottom edge of the bodice.  Hand stitch the bodice to the skirt using a loose backstitch in the bodice color.  I finish the hem by blanket stitching along the bottom, then crochet a decorative border into the blanket stitches.  This is a nice way to showcase a lovely piece of fabric, and I find crochet bodices a LOT easier to make for a small doll than a sewn one.  In fact, the fabric on the far left was a gift from Victoria, and made up into a lovely princess frock :-)

I very slightly modified my Riley knit cardigan sweater for my Heartstring Mari.  This one is knit from size 10 crochet cotton on size 1 needles; about a small as I want to get :-)

Heartstring knit cardigan

It is a cold and snowy day here; perfect for a bit of knit or crochet; enjoy!

Dainty Doll Undies

My Christmas gift to myself this year was this adorable, affordable, collectible doll sculpted by Dianna Effner.

Her name is Mari, and she is 8 1/4 inches tall.  She is quality vinyl with a beautifully painted face and lovely  body shape.  Mari had been borrowing outfits from my Kish dolls, but now I've made her her very own undies!   Here is the pattern, for camisole, long pantaloons, and shorter undies:

Heartstring Undies

The camisole top would make a wonderful bodice for a dress, with either a crochet or fabric skirt (my next project!), and the camisole could be attached to the pantaloons to make a romper type outfit.  The pantaloons could be lengthened for pants, shortened for capris; there really is a lot you can do with this simple pattern and your imagination.

Jo has just announced her 2013 dolls, which are just outstanding.  I am seriously challenged to not buy them all!

Have a lovely day, and as always, enjoy the crochet :-)