Throwback Post: Barbie Clothes
About a million years ago (about 8 years ago), the daughter of our church pastor was in trouble. Her Barbie had been played with for so long the one dress she had was in tatters. (I gather that her parents weren't that fond of young-women-looking dolls, and this particular one had been a gift from a grandparent). Anyway, Barbie was now living under the bed because she wasn't under fit for public appearances!
Anyway, I borrowed my cousin's doll as a model, begged some fabric scraps from my sister-in-law, and dug through my sewing box.
The first dress I made was actually part of a sheet scrap, if I remember correctly. I made the bodice first, sidestepping the dart problem by making neat diagonal folds down either side of the bodice and basting. The skirt was measured to Barbie, machine-basted and gathered in to fit the bodice. I remember leaving a placket about half-an-inch into the skirt, so it could fit over Barbie's hips. The flutter sleeves were hemmed then gathered and attached to the bodice. The back was finished with miniature snaps. The "apron" was a scrap of sheer polyester, hemmed and gathered and sewn onto a ribbon. I remember Mom telling me I should have made the bow into a snap fastening on the back, but I thought the little girl could handle tying a bow. If she couldn't she could learn!
This is the skirt that made me realize that sewing with two layers is stupidly hard and I never want to do it again. The satin and gauze layers are from a bridesmaid dress my sister-in-law was hemming, and the embroidery scrap is from a wedding dress my mom altered.
And there you have it! I'm very proud of my machine-stitched little Barbie clothes, made without patterns or instructions :) Easier to do than you would think!
Anyway, I borrowed my cousin's doll as a model, begged some fabric scraps from my sister-in-law, and dug through my sewing box.
Next thing I knew, I had a small little wardrobe to give to the little girl (I forget her name) next Sunday. I wouldn't mind having some of these clothes myself!
The first dress I made was actually part of a sheet scrap, if I remember correctly. I made the bodice first, sidestepping the dart problem by making neat diagonal folds down either side of the bodice and basting. The skirt was measured to Barbie, machine-basted and gathered in to fit the bodice. I remember leaving a placket about half-an-inch into the skirt, so it could fit over Barbie's hips. The flutter sleeves were hemmed then gathered and attached to the bodice. The back was finished with miniature snaps. The "apron" was a scrap of sheer polyester, hemmed and gathered and sewn onto a ribbon. I remember Mom telling me I should have made the bow into a snap fastening on the back, but I thought the little girl could handle tying a bow. If she couldn't she could learn!
I'd like an outfit like this! I actually made a second set of these pieces for my cousin--rent for borrowing her Barbie! It was so much fun to surprise her. The one difference was her dolls skirt had an elastic casing, instead of a waistband and snap placket. Barbie's blouse is made of wedding-dress satin scrap, with a scrap of lace I had at the bottom of my sewing back machine-basted and gathered into ruffled sleeves. There were no darts, just simply fit to Barbie's bust and the remainder gathered into the skirt.
The skirt is actually scraps from a blouse I made myself many many moons ago....I remember it now. My first blouse. I had so much trouble getting the collar to be flat, and setting the 3/4 length sleeves...and mom showing me how to do button holes...I wonder where it's at now? Probably my niece has it.
And there you have it! I'm very proud of my machine-stitched little Barbie clothes, made without patterns or instructions :) Easier to do than you would think!
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