I’m not sure I’ve ever been so thrilled to sew that last snap on anything before as I was with this dress set. I had so much time invested in this dress, I wasn’t about to let it get thrown in the trash…although I got lots of permission from many of you to do that if I wanted to and it did cross my mind a few times. When I left you last night, Nyssa’s dress was having a remake from Magalie’s original pattern. My fabric raveled too much and ate up my seam allowance so when it came to closing up the back, it was at least a good half inch from meeting, let alone lapping over.
[If you click on any picture, it will enlarge.]
So my plan was to make a narrow placket and see if I couldn’t extend the back section over somewhat…
This morning I realized that placket I just showed you was too wide, so once again, I had to take those stiches out again and make it about half the size it was.
I got a wonderful email from Magalie herself this morning wanting me to send her some of the fabric so she could try and make it to see for sure that it would work with all kinds of fabrics…not just cotton fabrics. I assured her that it wasn’t the pattern, it was most definitely the fabric.
I made the dress up once before for Nyssa but it was made from a tightly woven cotton and I didn’t have any trouble with it…
Okay, so let’s see some pictures now…
This is how it looked when I was all finished with Nyssa’s dress! Woohoo!
Here’s how I solved the problem in the back…
…with tiny snaps to hold it all in line…
Okay, so now do you want to see how I embellished the rest of the set?
I decided the turquoise was a bit more Christmas-y than the pink… so I made a sweet jacket and the fun hat off of Magalie’s pattern.
I was worried just a bit that this silky, furry, chiffon-like fabric might become my second headache in this set, but I lined it with some tulle (netting) and it was lightweight, but held its shape wonderfully. YAY!
I cropped off the jacket so it’s almost like a little shrug…
I added 6 turquoise accent buttons near the hem of the dress… just for fun!
There’s a slip attached to the inside bodice lining so you don’t have to go hunting for one… It’s nice and full!
And one last look…
Okay, everyone, I could use some help on a name for this one… got any suggestions?? Just comment or email with them…
I will get this listed on Ebay as soon as I can… I’m not positive I can do it Wednesday, but soon! I’ll let you know when it’s up…
Now I can turn my attention to Eden, who will be modeling a Christmas dress from the 1950’s… I’m going to be very “careful” about choosing my fabric for this one… I spent 3 days on Nyssa’s dress.. I can’t do anymore like that… and expect to get the other girls Christmas dresses made…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh my, Jeanne, you did a WONDERFUL job on that dress to make it look like it was supposed to in the first place! I absolutely love the little jacket/shrug and hat! And all those snaps! I’m lucky if I can get one snap to meet the other!
About what to call it, well, I am thinking that the last picture looks so much like Nyssa is just sitting and daydreaming. Since it is a winter outfit, maybe you could call it something like “Frosted Silver Reverie”, to incorporate the colors of the dress. Maybe some people think the material is more gray than silver. If you are planning on selling it around the holidays, a little white frosted tree could be used in the background, or a snow scene, like she is sitting on a park bench in the snow. Maybe that is too much to do and you don’t have anything like that, but I think the outfit is just adorable and lucky is the person who gets it!
Good morning Linda,
Thanks so much for the compliments on Nyssa’s new Christmas dress. I can’t believe I came to the end of working on it. It seemed like it would never be finished!
You’ll have to read my snap tutorial… Linda! Snaps shouldn’t be that intimidating!!
I like Frosted Silver Reverie… it flows so well off the tongue! In person it’s pretty silver, not so much gray… I love the idea of a white tree or even white branches…too bad I sold my American Girl Scenes and Settings books. One of them had a winter scene in it that would have made a pretty backdrop… I do have a park bench…and I do have some “sprinkle snow”…. hmmm… I’ve got lots to think about here…
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
It’s always amazing to me how you pull it all together with the hair pieces, accessories and poses. The whole package, as they would say at FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing, in Los Angeles. Congrats on a great outcome.
Since you asked, I might suggest the little pale blue bench and arrange her so she hides the birdhouse post tops, but I know you’ll come up with something great. Love following your trials and tribulations, processes and triumphs.
Thanks for the tip about MHD patterns. How about Magalie emailing you? Now that’s Service! So great her patterns come in sizes for bigger dolls.
Thanks so much for your kind compliments on Nyssa’s dress set, Susette! I’m amazed at how it turned out just as much as anyone else.. There was a time when I had my doubts… :o/
I might need to go look at some more props and Christmas things at Hobby Lobby if possible. A bench is good because I don’t have a stand for Nyssa so I almost always have her sitting down or standing next to something where she can hold onto it. She is resin, so she’s quite heavy and she was VERY expensive to buy so I certainly don’t want her crashing onto my table and ruin her face.. EEP!
Yes, Magalie is very sweet and even emailed me again this morning congratulating me on getting Nyssa’s dress completed…
Thanks so much Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
Glad to see you persevered and finished it. Magalie is wonderful and offering to try and work with the fabric was very nice of her. I’ve never had an issue with any of her patterns. I know the nastiness of really pretty fabric that just behaves badly. It is very pretty and Nyssa looks happy in it. 🙂
Thanks very much Christine,
I’m glad this one is over and I can’t wait to work on Eden’s 50’s dress. Thank you for your kind words about it…
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, clearly you have the patience of a Saint. While I was one for pitching the raveling thing in the trash you did fight on and finish it into a very stunning dress. The addition of the fluffy shrug and hat are wonderful touches. The turquoise is a perfect color to set off the shimmer in the silvery fabric. A job well done !!!
Now to a question: Do you have any hair left on your head? I would have been pulling and tugging on this silver mop of mine. I would have bald spots on either side and nothing left in the middle where bangs are suppose to be !!
Wishing you the best on the sale of this incredible dress !!
HI Jeannie,
I’m no saint… just a crazy lady who won’t give in when clearly she should!!!
I had called the color “aqua” in my post but when I saw your word “turquoise” I thought, “That’s it…” and went back and changed it to turquoise… thanks for that!
You are too funny… yes, I have hair left…but I do need to put a color on it…it’s looking sort of drab… maybe Nyssa’s dress contributed to it! :o)
Thanks Jeannie,
Blessings to you, Jeanne
Wow, you certainly made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear on this one! Once again, your finishing touches made it beyond adorable.
Put me in the camp that would have trashed it, but I am so glad you didn’t I hope it goes for LOTS on ebay.
Thanks very much for your sweet comments on Nyssa’s dress set, Anna. I’m very pleased at how it finally turned out… I was pretty close to trashing it a few days ago, but now I’m glad I stuck with it…
..and yes, I’m with you… hoping it goes for LOTS on Ebay… how sweet would that be?
Blessings, Jeanne
Nyssa looks so pretty in her dress, shrug, and hat..you do have A LOT of patience. The first thing I thought was Silver Bells.
HI Regina,
I was singing Silver Bells when I was cutting it out… thanks so much for your compliments Regina… I appreciate them…
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne,
This dress/ensemble has turned out beautifully. I too am in great awe of how nicely your garments turn out…each little detail is just so well placed. Again, your blog is icing on my morning e-mail reading. I so look forward to reading them each time. You’re very inspirational.
HI Becky,
What nice things you have to say about Nyssa’s dress and my blog. That makes my day and it’s just 10:00 in the morning… :o) :o)
Blessings to you, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
You finished Nyssa’s dress! Wonderful. It is lovely and serene. It reminds me of a dress Audrey Hepburn would wear in all her elegance. Nyssa looks beautiful in it. I like Linda’s idea of a name. The word “frost” is such a good winter word. The word “elegance” is appropriate, so maybe “Silver Elegance?” Frosted Elegance or Wintry Elegance. Nyssa has such class. Love how you have her propped in different positions on the chair. What a good model Nyssa is!
I knew you’d hang in there and finish the dress. Your creativity shows in conquering that beautiful material – too bad it’s “silver threads” unravel. I think it would have made several different types of lovely dresses.
It’s getting cold outside. Keep warm and have a great day.
HI Paula,
I did… I got Nyssa’s dress finished and no one is happier than I am…
Oooooo… I like your suggestions too… I love the word Elegance… Nyssa IS a good model when she gets a chance to model! Poor thing… I can’t even remember what was the last dress I made her… that’s terrible.
Now that this dress is finished, and I see how pretty it looks, I’m thinking, “maybe that fabric wasn’t that bad…” Oh dear… I think I’ve been brainwashed by those “silver threads” Paula. I’m tucking this fabric on the bottom of my Christmas fabrics…
Thank you Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Before you tuck that fabric away, better attach a note about using stabilizer etc. Although I’m sure you won’t forget this fabric soon!
BTW Nyssa couldn’t look lovelier. You’ve done an outstanding job. I really like that pattern of Magalie’s too.
Thanks Joy,
I don’t think I’ll EVER forget this fabric.. in fact, I was just putting some fabric away in my sewing room a few minutes ago and ran across the “gold” version of this fabric… needless to say… I put in on the bottom with the silver fabric!
Thank you for your kind words about Nyssa’s dress set. It looks remarkably well, considering how many times I had to rip things out on it…
Blessings, Jeanne
With all the work on your sewing room and Nyssa’s charming new outfit, we haven’t heard much about your foot, so it may be improving. Is it? Is the swelling gone and the color back to normal? Are you wearing regular shoes all the time? Can you walk out to the mailbox without thinking about it? Do you think you’ll be able to drive soon?
I love the names and ideas people are coming up with. It’s certainly a Christmastime in the city outfit, and the hat even has suggestions of Steampunk style, something someone mentioned earlier. Silver bells would make a nice accessory. I liked the reverie idea and the elegance one and the frosted tree. I suppose Frosted Frustration and Raveling Silver are not really your style. Dreaming in Silver? But reverie is closer to the way Nyssa looks. Reverie in Silver? She’d prefer Nyssa in Silver.
The turquoise is not what I expected and I think it worked wonderfully. Altogether a resounding victory snatched from the jaws of defeat, and a tribute to your patience and determination. Congratulations!
HI Marilyn,
My foot is almost back to normal in color… just some slight yellowish colors and one spot about the size of a quarter with a purplish bruise. The swelling comes and goes depending on how much I’m on my foot. I can wear regular shoes if I make them tight enough to support the side of my foot. I can walk to the mailbox but very slowly. When I hit a spot of uneven ground, I can feel it in the side of my foot. It’s still very sore and even the slightest thing, even like tapping the bathroom scale before you get on it, hurts it. I have to be careful not to twist or flex my foot..that’s the worst. I was going to try and go to the Food Pantry today, but I think I’m going to have to pass. I may try and drive to my blog class tonight so George doesn’t have to take me.
Thank you Marilyn, for all the sweet and kind things you said about Nyssa’s dress. If I had MY way, I think Frosted Frustration might win out… but maybe not for everyone else. Dreaming in Silver or Silver Dreams would be pretty… I’m wanting to find a white tree like Linda suggested…or maybe paint my park bench that I have white.
I like your line… “a resounding victory snatched from the jaws of defeat!” That says it perfectly!
Thank you Marilyn, (Are you in that blizzard?)
Blessings, Jeanne
Lovely outfit, Jeanne. The shrug/jacket and hat are the perfect finish!
Thanks so much Jevne,
I’m glad it turned out like it did… I had my doubts at one time… :o)
This was the first time I had made the hat…and the pattern was really nice… this fabric was the perfect kind for it… It looks like a boucle’ knit to me…
Thanks Jevne,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’ve been thinking about that silver fabric. I wonder if it would work as a border on a skirt or as an underskirt — you sometimes make the top of an underskirt out of a thin fabric — then the silver wouldn’t even have to be gathered. You showed it earlier with or close to some blue velvet. With your stash, you could choose 50 fabrics to go with it, and I think you have lots of fabrics with gold in the designs.
Even as I write this, I’m imagining you halfway through Eden’s dress. I hope it’s coming together like a dream.
Your foot is making splendid progress. My sister pointed out that there are lots of exercises you can do without getting out of bed — like exercises for your feet with no weight on them. During chemo I lost a lot of feeling in my feet, so I lost the habit of flexing them when I walked. Eventually I realized I was walking as if they were made of wood. The in-bed flexing exercises have been a great help. I imagine your feet will let you know when it’s time.
Thanks Marilyn,
I think I will try that silver fabric again sometime, just not anytime soon.
Well I’m not halfway through Eden’s dress… Still looking for the perfect dress pattern for her. Hopefully I will figure it out tonight!
I do try to move my foot around in bed….but that’s what hurts it… When I forget and flex it a certain way…it’s like electricity in it…
I know it’s getting better but I wish it was faster….
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Often I would find a doll knit project that did not turn out as I had planned return to me. my husband, who handles the trash, would remove project or impossible yarn and save it. Afew times I was glad to have project and year back. Congratulations on difficult dress fully completed.I would have thrown it away, I’m sure.
i am sorry to read Marilyn had chemo. She used to be active in the LD group and hadn’t read anything on her dolls in many months. Keep well Marilyn and exercizing too.
Hi Jan,
What a sweet hubby to save your projects until a “better time” when you could do them!
Yes, Marilyn is one of my sweetest customers and subscribers. She is quite the trooper and was a Great encourager for me and my hubby as he went through bladder cancer.
Thank you for your comments, Jan,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi
For all the trouble that fabric gave you it is a really cute dress and that tiny jacket and hat are perfect with it! Give you credit for sticking with it out too.
Now on to more fun things!
Can’t wait !
Hi Kathie, yes onto fun things…I plan on enjoying myself with this next dress for Eden. Thank you for the compliments!
Blessings, Jeanne