New Etsy listing and photography

Today I was bemoaning the fact that the pictures on my Etsy shop look so unprofessional.  So Margaret set up a temporary photography studio in the living room and this is what she did:

Isn’t she amazing?

Also, today I listed a new dress on the Etsy shop:

Polyvore Fun and Etsy Ideas

I got a Polyvore account sometime back.  Now, most of you know, I’m no fashionista.  I have very little knowledge of modern styles or how to make myself look good in them.  I got Polyvore just for the fun of making collages. 😉
I’m still not very good at it but here is what I’ve made so far:

I know this one’s very simple, but I had fun with it.  It was my first Polyvore set.

Based on “If My Heart was a House” by Owl City… I tried to incorporate details from the song but couldn’t find everything I wanted.  Still, anyway. 🙂

This was very spur-of-the-moment— I was demonstrating Polyvore to Amanda and was trying to think of a topic, and she said “Coffee” and this is what came of it. 😉

 Okay.  Now about Etsy ideas.
I’m thinking about opening a separate Etsy shop exclusively for my doll clothes and leaving the other one up for other items.  I’m also wanting to do some “series”, perhaps seasonal collections or series based on movie costumes.  Here are some ideas I had:

* Lucy Pevensie’s wardrobe from the Walden Narnia films (maybe Susan’s too, eventually, but I’m not sure)
* Princess Bride costumes (that would be a challenge)
* Disney Princess outfits (not just the main ones… also one’s like Belle’s blue pinafore dress and things like that)
* an exclusive Regency/Jane Austen collection
* seasonal collections (spring, summer, fall, winter)

PLEASE, do you have any other ideas that would be nice for doll clothes?  Maybe ask little friends of yours that play with American Girl dolls… what kind of outfits they’d like to have for their dolls.  I might not take everyone’s ideas (it all depends on if I can find the right fabrics and can copy the look, you know 😉 ) but the more ideas I have, the better knowledge I’ll have of what people like. 🙂

Lucy’s Coronation Dress and Cape… finished! :)

I finished the doll-sized version of Lucy’s Coronation Dress and Cape! Thanks be to God for His help as I worked on this project– He gave me the strength and ability to get it done in good time, and He also helped me to not get stressed at all yesterday while I worked on it. Thank You, Lord! <3>

I drafted most of the pattern, but used Josefina’s Christmas Dress as a base for the sleeves (I didn’t alter the puff part, but I widened the sleeves to make them more bell-like).

The main part of the dress is made from crepe-back satin and the sleeves are a satiny fabric.

The main body of the dress consists of the front, the side front panel (seen in the picture below), and the back, like the original.

I didn’t know how to make the pearls throughout the fabric, but I did sew on a pearl trim to the neckline.

The back fastens with velcro, but I added the pearl trim there also to give the look of the back button pearls on Lucy’s. I had the hardest time figuring out the Velcro… how to attach it without sewing over the pearls. I broke a needle, but not any of the pearls, and eventually got it figured out. Yay! 🙂

Now for the cape. I still wasn’t able to get it shaped just like the original, but I did my best. It is basically a rectangle with a scooped area for the neckline. It’s lined with white satiny fabric.

It closes with snaps but has a gold button for looks. The original has a lion head embossed on it, but I couldn’t find any with a lion head…so I got one that I felt at least had the same “feel” to it. 🙂

It has a cord trim around the neckline and front edges…

Look at the hem on the back… isn’t it marvelous? I used sari fabric for this, and have enough left over to make another cape AND a sari! But it’ll have to wait until after I’m done with all my other Christmas orders.

Thanks to “The Wardrobe Door” for the pictures of the movie costume and construction details! I referred to it often and it was a great help.

Well, I better get to work on my Regency dress. I forgot to post about how terrible it was going and how I bought new fabric for it… that’ll come later, I guess. 🙂

Have a wonderful day! Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Two New Etsy Listings…

Hey! Just thought I’d let you know that there are two new listings on our Etsy shop.
Here is one: a picture I took in June and then edited just recently.

And a crocheted hat and scarf set for dolls, preparing for winter! 🙂

Hope you all have a great evening! ~Margaret

Meet Our New Etsy Model!

 

This week Sonali joined us at The Dashwood Sisters Etsy Shop!

Technically, Sonali is one of the “best friends” of last year’s “Girl of the Year”, Chrissa.  As she is retired/archived, it was a long search for one of her that didn’t cost $130 or more, but I finally was able to purchase her from a board member on the American Girl Fans page at about the same price as I could have bought her from the catalog plus shipping. I’m so excited! 😀

In the AG book, Chrissa, Sonali starts out as a bully in school, but throughout the story realizes how wrong she was and begins to stand up against bullying instead.

But that’s not my Sonali.

 My Sonali is a sweet ten-year-old girl and is, at first, quiet and shy (in contrast to Rebecca’s extremely excited and enthusiastic nature and Kirsten’s “oldest-sister” outgoing personality).  And yet, despite being shy, she has a huge heart for others and longs to reach out to people with the Gospel of Christ.  Just as her dark skin, deep brown eyes, and gorgeous black hair reflect her Indian/Tamil heritage, so does her passion for winning souls reflect her Christian heritage.  Her grandmother’s life was impacted by the ministry of Amy Carmichael in India; now Sonali wishes to impact others the same way.  One of the ways she’d like to do that is by writing.  We’ll have to see what she  comes up with! 🙂

Sonali loves her new family and is also excited about her new job with the Dashwood Sisters Etsy Shop.  She has already modeled an adorable, plaid corduroy “back-to-school” jumper! 

 

I have been doing a LOT of sewing doll clothes… five new listings in two weeks plus another outfit that I’m debating whether to sell or keep… and haven’t taken the time to work any more on the shirt I was making for myself. 😉  As I said previously, I am interesting in making a new Regency or Romantic era gown or pelisse for myself; I have yet to decide which movie gown or pelisse I want to re-make though. 🙂 

New Etsy Listing

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54627208/plaid-pajama-set-for-18-inch-dolls

Also, I have recently purchased a new “model” for my shop 😉 (an American Girl doll) though I’m not sure when she will arrive yet.  She’s one of the retired Girl-of-the-Year dolls so I have been keeping an eye out for her to no avail– and eBay was definitely no help– until this week, when I was finally able to purchase her at a comparatively good price from a message board member… so hopefully within a couple weeks she’ll be modeling for the Etsy shop. 🙂  I guess that’s neither here nor there.

One more thing– plans for a new Regency/historical costume (human-sized, not doll-sized) soon, Lord willing!  More to come on that later…

New Listing on Etsy!

Hey everyone! Margaret here! 🙂 I have just put the following picture up for sale on our Etsy shop, available in three different sizes! So go check it out!!

Another Regency Doll Dress

 Please forgive me for my lack of posts lately!  I have been rather busy lately and haven’t had much time for sewing.

I did make another doll dress to sell last week– here it is:

As usual for my Regency doll dresses, I used the pattern for Josefina’s Christmas Dress, but I used a different sleeve pattern piece and omitted the neck ruffle.  

Here’s Kitty, wanting to be in the middle of everything, as usual. 😉

I am not sure what I am going to sew next.  I have really been feeling like sewing something historical, and would kind of like to make something special for my graduation party on the 24th of this month, but I’m not sure what.  Any ideas?  (My greatest loves are Regency, Romantic, 1890’s, and 1950’s. 🙂 )  Or should I wear one of the historical dresses I’ve already made?  (If it wasn’t hot July, I’d wear my blue Regency, but that might be a little suffocating if the temperature is in the 90’s….) 🙂

I hope you are all well and that all of you here in the States have a great 4th of July.  Remember the sacrifice men and women have made for your freedom, and remember the ultimate freedom that we may have in Jesus Christ because of His sacrifice for us.

Doll Blouse and Capris

I have had this picture in my mind for quite a while of a crossover, empire-waist doll blouse. I was nervous about cutting into fabric though and making something up myself. But yesterday I thought it out and made the first cut.

And this is what came of it:

I am very happy with it! It turned out even cuter than I had been picturing in my mind. For instance, the ribbon and the bow in the front were spur-of-the-moment ideas and I attached those by hand while watching Flywheel. 🙂

I also made capris based on Simplicity 4654 (the shorts), but I lengthened them, added the trim at the bottom, and narrowed them a little bit.

I’m so happy they turned out, and as usual, Rebecca looked so pretty modeling them. 🙂
This set is now for sale on Etsy. 🙂

“Like” the Dashwood Sisters Etsy Shop on Facebook!

😀