Joy made a comment this evening and as a soon as I saw these 2 words together, “Golden Touch,” I knew that was going to be the name for Patsy’s Christmas dress… Thanks Joy!!!
Okay, be honest, who saw this picture and thought, “meh… it’s okay… but not really that great for a Christmas dress?” “That’s the best she can come up with?”
ME…ME…ME… I thought it was okay and it was pretty and it wasn’t too fussy and wasn’t too busy, but to me it lacked something. I could have used bigger gold beads but still, I thought it needed something else…
Enter my sister, Cindy… She texted me yesterday morning and said maybe a necklace would work better than the gold beads. Maybe you should always listen to your older sister!….OOPS… Big sister! :o)
Let’s start off with Patsy getting dressed… Here are her new tights. They fit wonderfully with the Little Darling shoes! (But those shoes aren’t included… )
Next Patsy put on her slip… now I found a wonderful solution to something that drives me crazy. Who LOVES the look of glittery things for your dolls, but you HATE the mess when that glitter gets on everything… I DO!! Big time. It gets all over everything… I took that glittery roll of 6″ wide nylon (this really isn’t tulle, but lots of these rolls ARE tulle) and I cut it a little longer than a yard… and I folded the long strip so that the glittery sides were touching each other… Then I using a basting stitch, I stitched 2 rows along the top edge… making it like a tube, with all that glittery-ness on the inside. It was still shiny but the glittery side was contained inside. I pulled my basting threads so it created even gathers. Next I took a smaller section about 10″ long and did the same thing… this would be the yoke… The glittery stuff was on the inside of this too… I stitched it on the gathered skirt section and then finished my skirt like normal. I did have to trim off some of the yoke section before adding the elastic for the waist.
It turned out wonderfully… no glittery mess, it’s slick to the touch and doesn’t catch on the dress fabric or her thigh highs and it’s a pretty slip to boot. The bottom edge of the skirt isn’t cut, so it’s not like a 2 layer slip…it’s 2 layers but it’s a bit more puffy looking and I really like it… I hope you understand how I did it… if not, I might have to show how I did it in a post…
Patsy put her hair bow in next… it’s on a snap clip and can be placed wherever the winner likes…
Okay, just a little bit more suspense… here is the back of the dress. I need to tack down that one ribbon that has a mind of its own…
Okay, now I’ll show you. I made a little necklace for Patsy’s dress. I had this charm but it was the wrong shade of gold… too antique looking. So I used some metallic paint I had and painted it… then Rebecca put a jump ring on it so it would slide on the beads. I strung the beads and attached them at the shoulder of her dress. It doesn’t have to be fastened at the back of her neck… She just puts on the dress and viola… A necklace is attached!
Patsy was really enjoying our modeling session tonight…
But she finally pooped out on me…
Well, the plan is to try and get this listed on Ebay Thursday evening… I “may” put a Buy It Now on this because of the Thanksgiving holiday being a few days later… Why spend your money on Black Friday when you can spend it on Patsy? *wink* *wink*
Thanks so much,
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, yes…..perfect!! Love the little “necklace” (and so much easier than trying to fasten a tiny clasp in the back); it adds just the right touch. The golden thigh-highs are great, too. But MY favorite part is the petticoat!! It’s absolutely wonderful, and I would have LOVED to have had one like that when I was a kid in the 1950s! (I had two petticoats–or “cancans” as we called them–but neither one was That pretty!!)
HI Charlotte,
I’m very late at comments, but I see there are only 9 so I’m hoping I can get them answered pretty quickly… before everyone goes to bed. I “know” you’ll be up still. :o)
I like her slip too…it was fun to give her such a girlie slip this time!
I can remember the name can-can too, but don’t remember if we ever actually called them that.
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oooh, so pretty, Jeanne! I do LOVE the petticoat too, it could even be a pretty ballet tutu! The whole ensemble really glows with the added necklace, but how does it work in the back? I can’t seem to figure that out! Patsy is really going to be upset with you when you take it off!
Oh, glitter, is practically inescapable at this time of the year! I am really going slow with anything that has an amount of glitter on it this year. I still have glitter in crevices of furniture that I can’t seem to get rid of from years back! The masks I used on my dolls for Halloween were covered with glitter, so when taking them off, I had to really clear their faces of it.
Well, onward to a new day! We are going to a high school play that our granddaughter is co-producing, “Radium Girls!” It’s a good day to be inside anyway with the rain, and an excuse not to be in the yard raking!!
HI Linda,
Just for you… I’m showing you how I did the necklace in tomorrow’s post! :o)
I’m going to be the one who might shed a tear on this one… It’s really sweet on Patsy. Sometimes she looks so stiff, but this time I think she looks very sweet!
I’m not a big fan of glitter either. Years ago I used to do alterations for a dress shop here in town and it was nothing to have $5000-$10,000 worth of beaded and sequined dresses at my house at one time. It was a bit scary with 2 little kids walking around with spaghetti hanging out of their mouths. When we moved from the Bull Test Station, I was sweeping along the baseboard and found royal blue sequins still stuck under the baseboards… I sure don’t miss all that mess!
It just started raining here tonight. I was scrambling to get my post typed out and published before my internet connection was lost. When it rains or storms my satellite goes out very easily.
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I thought the dress was very elegant before, but now it is GORGEOUS GOLDEN TOUCH!! The necklace sewn on is a great idea and so much easier to dress her. She is gonna throw a temper tantrum when she has to give up the dress. Your work is so impressive even under the dress! Beautiful!!
Sandra C.
Thank you so much Sandra,
I’m glad you like it so much! Encouraging words keep me sewing!!! :o)
Thanks again,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, have you tried the dress on your :Bailey? I know some of the AE sizes fit her.
I love what you have done to the dress and the slip idea is fabulous, can’t wait to try that!
HI Sissy,
I hadn’t tried the dress on anyone but Patsy. I was scrambling to get it listed at a decent hour tonight. If I waited until tomorrow night that meant it was closer to the Thanksgiving get togethers.
After I had it listed, I did try it on Bailey and it fit… rats..If only I had had more time today to get it listed and show it on both girls…and even on Trixie and maybe Elin…
But.. I am going to show you some pictures of it on Bailey in tomorrow’s post… She’s very sweet in it too… Oh why was my day so short???
Oh well, I can only do what I can do…
Thanks Sissy,
Blessings, Jeanne
All the gold accents are gorgeous. A gold lace hair bow would be pretty. Or a lace bow on the lace trim. Too much? I’m kind of a “too much” girl. Except for activities. I AM a slacker.
That slip idea is genius even though I don’t mind glitter getting around my house. It’s kind of a nice surprise. But for that shedding, maybe a coat of clear urethane sprayed on would seal things and stop the shedding. The only objection I have is when glitter makes things rough. My dolls had a pair of glittery silver shoes that were very snaggy. I since have found alternatives that are smooth. I love those thigh highs too. I need to find some suitable elastic and then try my hand at them.
The FF dolls are so appealing to me because they are articulated. I’m surprised AG hasn’t done something like that. Although I think the Hopscotch Hill dolls were but they were retired before I started AG. I have seen that some people have swapped the AG body for an OG bendy body to get a doll that is more posable. Looking forward to FF bendiness! 😊
HI Julia,
I took your advice and made a gold hair bow to go with the dress set… gave her a teddy bear too… Thanks!
I’m glad you liked the slip idea… I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of it… now Patsy can have that glittery look without all the glittery mess!
Yes, those Ruby Red FF dolls are very appealing and getting under my skin just a bit! Yikes… They are just so adorable and I have pictures to share that some of my readers have sent me… I’m feeling weak in the knees! :o/
Thanks Julia,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, now Patsy definitely has the golden touch! Love the necklace addition and sweet hair bow as well as the absolutely ingenious golden puffy slip. I might even allow it to daringly peek out from under the dress. Ou la la! Everything has come together so nicely. And like Sissy, will the dress also fit a Meadow dumpling girl?
Still working on organizing dolly shoes by size around here. I’m putting them in plastic flat organizer boxes with dividers. Even boots fit. It is so nice to be able to pull out a box and see every shoe color/style through the clear plastic attached lid. Now, I need to remember how to use that label maker. 🙂
Hope you are taking a rest break between activities. So busy right now.
Thank you Joy,
I’m glad you like all the pieces of Patsy’s dress. It was fun to make something so pretty! It DOES fit Bailey… I just didn’t realize it until after I had my listing on Ebay… rats! But I had run out of time as it was. I barely made it on Ebay at a decent time, so pictures on Bailey would have put me behind another day… and then it would have been too close to Thanksgiving. I did however put a BIN on the listing…
No rest for me yet, and I just found out I have 2 more things to add to my schedule… My brother is coming down this Saturday to see my mom and me… He’s on his way to Springfield, MO, and is stopping here for a visit.
Then George’s sister and hubby and their daughter and her hubby are coming on December 7th for a visit. George’s niece has never been here and she’s a “home decorating” wiz so I’m sure she’ll want to see all the nooks and crannies of my house… you know what that means? House cleaning 101 will have to be activated!
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, the dress is adorable. Your sister was right; the necklace does step it up.
Are you still planning to do two Thanksgivings? Don’t worry about planning a third for us in the blog family; we will just have leftovers (chuckle).
HI Dorothy,
You ALWAYS make me laugh! What kind of leftovers are your favorites? I can maybe save you a piece of sweet potato soufflé! You can’t have the corn casserole because Kristoffer always wants that. I always make him an extra one because I send most of the left overs home with my guests.
Rebecca and my hubby are talking about going OUT for our Thanksgiving dinner! I think we did that one time when we were first married… I’ve cooked a LOT of turkey’s in my lifetime.
Thanks Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
You definitely get the prize for cleverness today. The outfit is now absolutely gorgeous. I love the necklace idea. And thanks for the idea for glitter tulle. I have the shorter glitter tulle in many colors and have wanted to do doll tutus but hesitated because of the mess. I will surely give this a try. I really, really love the slip. Did you ever do a tutorial on the yoked slips?
Well Sophie now has the top of a dress. I will finish the bottom as soon as I’m done shampooing Hubby’s chair. He’s working today and I have to do it when he won’t need it for awhile. I also have to make Sophie’s pinafore. She saw Lolla Rose’s pinafore and decided her dress absolutely had to have one. It was either that or dress up the plain under dress. Sophie won out. Then it’s on to a really pretty dressy dress for Arabella (Bella). She usually likes the cool clothes (and I love making those), but she’s decided for the holidays she wants something more dressy. I like making those too, even if the cool clothes fabrics are easier to sew with.
Thank you Barbara,
Patsy’s dress was fun to make and I think she looks very sweet in it. Sometimes she looks as stiff as a board, but this dress kind of softens her up a bit.
I never did show how to do the yoked slips… maybe I’ll do a glitter slip and a yoked slip at the same time to show how it’s done.
Well, I bet Sophie is smiling at you now! Way to go on getting her dress started! She’s got to be one happy girl! :o)
I looked at the FF dolls again today… silly me! :o) Why do I torture myself like that?
Thanks Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
Happy Friday Eve Jeanne! I love Fridays : D Can you tell?
Patsy’s dress is adorable. I know it won’t last very long if you are putting it up as a Buy It Now.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs
Ingrid
Hello Ingrid,
I love Friday’s too… :o)
Thank you for your kind words on Patsy’s dress… I did get it listed on Ebay and YES, I did put a BIN on it… It also fit’s Bailey but I ran out of time getting it listed and Bailey was an afterthought. You’ll see her in it tomorrow’s post.
You can go to my blog and click on the picture of Patsy’s dress and see it tonight if you want.
I plan on having a wonderful weekend, hope you do too!
Blessings, Jeanne