Middle of the Summer Bathing Suit Special

I feel like we are about mid-way through summer. Summer on the coast of Massachusetts is a fleeting thing, so 4 weeks after the start of summer, we are already starting to feel like summer is almost over.

Before it truly is over, I'd like to offer all of you a summer special. Buy a Phoebe doll this week and I will throw in a bathing suit set for free.

What is included in a bathing suit set? There are three set combinations to choose from.

1. A bathing suit and sunglasses
2. A bathing suit and lined beach bag
3. A bathing suit and little beach shorts.

I have bathing suits for boys (swim trunks) and Cuddly Eggs too. 

All, of course, in fun color combinations.

I do not have a way post this special on Etsy, so you can just type it in the notes, even if you do not, I'll get back to you and ask which combination you'd like.

And you still get the Phoebe Pattern set included. Soon it will be an additional cost, but it's still a freebie with the purchase of a Phoebe doll.

Dolls, bathing suits and everything else can be found right here.

The Doll Dressmaking Series: Tips for adjusting a pattern's size

I love Waldorf dolls, but I do not own any.

Yet.

So when I started the Doll Dressmaking Series, I designed the 16 inch Waldorf Doll patterns from the measurements of a local dollmaker who makes lovely Waldorfs. But doll sizes vary, even in mass produced plastic dolls, but especially in Waldorfs.

The good news is with a soft doll, arms, heads and waists can be squeezed in a bit to make things work. But if things are too big they drape or worse still, fall off.

So I asked for feedback from those sewing for Waldorf dolls and I was grateful to here from Andrea, all of the way over in Germany.

She had been using my patterns to sew dresses for her beautiful Waldorf dolls and yes, she had made a few adjustments.

Here's what she said she did:

1. Overall she made the bodice/dress more narrow at the side seams of both the front and back.

2. She also moved the front center foldline in a bit to make the front narrower.

3. She added a bit to the back center edge to make more of an overlap where the dress snaps closed.

4. She made the neckline a bit larger.

Andrea's Adjustments

Above I have drawn on the original pattern to show you approximately what Andrea did. These type of adjustments can be done to any bodice/dress pattern to make it fit a specific doll better. Some times it takes a few tries on how far to take in before you get the exact right fit. When you find it, be sure to draw on your pattern or a copy of your pattern, so you can repeat what you did.

Thank you Andrea!

I will include a link to the PDF pattern for Andrea's adjustment in next week's newsletter.

You can sign up here, and receive all future pattern pieces, plus tips, tutorials, finds and inspiration.

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A better way to do things!

I have been enjoying creating the Doll Dressmaking Series, but it has been getting more difficult to keep up with the pattern requests by email.

So, I am creating The Phoebe&Egg newsletter so that you can receive all pattern pieces along with news of new tutorials in a more efficient manner.

In addition, you will receive tips, inspiration, my favorite finds and more.

If you do not yet have the base set of patterns, after you subscribe, you will be able to request these for any of the doll sizes available.

Future patterns will automatically arrive in your newsletter.

I am excited to have a more efficient organized way to do this!

You can sign up right here. I promise not to spam you!

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Introducing: Phoebe Gets Dressed: The Phoebe Pattern Collection

Part of the beauty of giving your child a handmade doll is to inspire them to also create. Some of my fondest childhood memories were sewing doll clothes from my mother's leftover fabric scraps.

I would love Phoebe owners to enjoy sewing for their doll or teach their child to sew. So with the purchase of each doll, you can now also get "Phoebe Gets Dressed: The Learn to Sew for Phoebe Pattern Collection"

What is included with the Phoebe Gets Dressed pattern set?

• Two 24x36 inch sheets of the patterns. One sheet is to cut up, one sheet is to save whole.
• A pretty pattern envelope (with a sampling of dresses) to save your pattern in
• Directions are online
• Email help
• Optional fabric trim set to start sewing (two fabrics, two trims)

Everything you need to get started making Phoebe everything she needs, right there tucked inside your Phoebe Doll box.

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Mermaid Swag

I've been busy making Mermaid Phoebe's and Mermaid swag. Here's a few behind the scenes photos from my week swimming in mermaids.

xo

Five Girls and a Mission

I love Instagram. Not just for peeking into all sorts of interesting lives and scrolling through inspiring photos from other makers, but for something I had not anticipated.

I love it for just that… the unanticipated unexpected connections you make.

Last week I made one of those. Through a series of events I met a group of five girls doing a very cool thing.

These five girls, four in middle school and one in third grade had started a group called Creatures4Care.  What they do is said best in their own words. Here is how their Instagram bio reads:

“We are a group of 5 girls whose goal is to give handmade stuffed animals to people who don’t have enough resources to get them themselves.”

The idea is so sweet and the creatures, well they are even sweeter.

Eva, who is now thirteen, founded the group with her two sisters. The group consists of the sisters and two friends; the youngest member is going into third grade.  Four of them crochet little creatures and one of them knits. Their mom, a graphic designer designed their logo.

“We started Creatures For Care in 2012 when we saw some crocheted stuffed animals and my sister and I wanted to try making our own. Our two friends and little sister came into the picture a few months later.

“We have a lot of bears, dogs and cats, but we have also done narwhals, frogs, and koalas. The way we find children varies.”

To date, they have made and donated about 100 creatures to children in places like Catholic Charities and Family Promise. Family Promise shelters homeless families in local churches. Phoebe&Egg has donated many dolls to the Family Promise chapter in our area.

“Most of the yarn we have has been given as Christmas/Hanukkah presents from various relatives, and it is the same situation with our pattern books. Occasionally one of our followers on Instagram donates us a pattern, which they email to us.”’

Besides yarn and patterns the girls would like more Instagram followers.

You can find them on Instagram here

And online here.

A few of the the Creatures

The girls making a donation at Catholic Charities

New Doll Summer Clothes Sets

I've been busy sewing. No complaints. It is what I love to do. 

I've mostly been sewing Mermaid Phoebe orders, but I have also listed two new summer clothing sets for Phoebe.

Over here and here on Etsy. 

Each are three piece sets plus the little Mary Jane shoes. 

Doll Dressmaking Series: Raglan Peasant Top

Raglan peasant tops are classic. They are also simple to make. The main skill involved is knowing how to thread elastic through a casing.

And I explained that in an earlier post here.

Cut out two sleeve pieces and two body pieces. 

Sew the two sleeves to either side of one of the body pieces.

Sew the remaining body piece to one of the raw sleeve edges.

Sew a narrow machine hem along the neckline and bottoms of the two sleeves. By narrow turn over no more than a 1/4 inch.

Make elastic casings for threading your elastic. These should be about 3/8 inch if your elastic is 1/4 inch. The casing are made by folding your fabric towards the wrong side (sorry i used fabric that does not have two distinct sides for this tutorial).

Sewing the casing.

Cut elastic for neckline and sleeves.

For Phoebe: Sleeves two 5" pieces and for the neckline one 12" piece

For American Girl dolls and Waldorf: Two 6 inch pieces for sleeves and one 14 inch piece for neckline..

Thread elastic through casings, as described in my puffy sleeve tutorial. 

Elastic threaded through neck.

I suggest draping the shirt on your doll to determine how "gathered" you want the neck. Remember it stretches, but you also don't want it too tight. Too tight looks awkward and is hard to get over the dolls feet or her head.

Sew remaining "shoulder" seam.

Sew side seam from bottom of top to the bottom of the sleeve, on each side.

Hem or trim bottom of the blouse. I think this style is perfect for all sorts of trim. Form for the pattern below. Phoebe's is ready. AG and Waldorf should be ready by Saturday.

If you want the pattern:

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Two Different Fancy Nancies

For a brief moment, I have two Fancy Nancies. Tomorrow morning one flies off to her new home. The other I will finish photographing and list on Etsy. 

Up until now I have only carried a jointed Fancy Nancy. She is extra fancy and a bit more expensive because a jointed doll takes longer to make.

But I will soon be listing the rag doll version of Fancy Nancy. She will also come with an extra outfit (Fancy Nancy style), I have a few ideas, but haven't decided yet (why hurry such a fun decision?). 

Until then.....here are a few photos from today's Fancy Nancy photo shoot.

Just what does Mermaid Phoebe wear?

This week's doll of the week comes with a lot of clothes. You may have thought because she is a mermaid, she does not need much. 

But her tail is removable, so she has this whole other life, both on the shore and inland. So, as you can imagine, that life, those activities, require clothing.

Also, if you are playing with a doll, it's great that she is a mermaid, but you don't want her to be always be a mermaid.

So this week's mermaid set comes with:

mermaid essentials, a tail, a cute crop top and a bathing suit, and...

And a  Dress Set:

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And she will want to dress up, so she has a Liberty fabric skirt and crop top with pom poms. And shoes, because under her tail are feet.

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And at the end of the day, she will be tired, so she has pajamas, with mermaids on them, obviously.

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The mermaid Phoebe set is 20% off for one week only. She can be found in my Etsy shop and here in my website shop.