There was so much discussion about American Girl, Samantha’s new dress I’m making… talk about the wired ribbon, the bows on the front, the tiny white lace, the possibility of embroidery, and my job was to come up with a solution that hopefully would appease everyone…well, as my title says, I AM just a little bit nervous about showing everyone…but I guess today is the day to reveal what I did…
First of all, I worked on the other pieces I wanted with this set… like a pretty full slip… to hold out those pleats…just a little bit… you’ll see why I have it set so low on her hips in a minute… but it can always be scooted up higher if you like…
Then we got our hair brushed neatly and I made a pretty hair bow out of the wired ribbon… this is the reason I like the wired ribbon I use so much… see this FLAT hair ribbon? It can look like this…
…or like this… you can shape it however you like by just using your fingers…
Okay, here we go…
I removed the bottom bow on the front, by clipping it as closely as I could to the seam where it was stitched on…
…then I moved the white lace trim just over enough to cover it up… and stitched it down with a tiny zig zag..
I added the sash just to the top of the seam line and added a button in the center to mimic the ones above and stitched it in place. Then the sides were gathered up just slightly and stitched in the ditch in the side seams.
I pretied a bow at the end of one side and added Velcro to the ends of both sides…
When the dress is put on the doll, it’s very easy to lap the Velcro together and shape the bow however you like…
I kind of like the rippled look on the back bow… but again, if you like it long and straight or just slightly curled, do it that way…
Now the reason I had the slip pulled down on Samantha’s hips is this…
I wanted it to peek out just a tiny bit below her dress…
So here you go…
Again, I like the wired ribbon because you can go from this…
…to this…
… by just using your fingers to manipulate the ribbon….it’s not hard at all…
Here’s another look…
I realized as I was loading these pictures, I only took ONE full length picture of Samantha… there will be more… :o)
I still want to make her a pair of lacy thigh highs, but ran out of time…and she hasn’t told me what she wanted for an accessory, but maybe over the weekend she will… :o)
So… do you think I saved it?
There was also talk on the blog yesterday about mosquitoes… and this is a picture of what Susette found that works for her… I’ll let her field any questions you might have… I’m one of those people mosquitoes love too… they find me no matter where I am and leave their ugly welts.
See you Monday,
Blessings, Jeanne
Nervous? Jeanne, you DID save it and I love it! What a beautiful save if there ever was one! I see what you mean about the wired ribbon, and I much prefer that to the “flat” look! I think the more ripples you make, the more “Samantha” you get it! It doesn’t matter at all to me that they didn’t have wired ribbon back in Samantha’s time. We are lucky enough to have it today, and if it makes the dress look better, so be it!
I love the dress with a peek of the slip showing! Perfect!
You mentioned making lacy stockings, and that would be great, since her leg does show a bit and the stockings would solve that cut-off area from her slip to the tops of the shoes.
As far as mosquitoes go, I too, am a magnet for them! However, never had them in the house. In fact, I was allergic to the bites when a small child and had to get shots every year so that I didn’t swell up so much. I remember having to stay in bed, with my eye swollen shut and a fever, because of a bite on my face. I outgrew the allergy part, but still must be rather tasty to mosquitoes! Spraying with Off, is the way I usually go, since I move around a lot when working in the yard.
So now go and pat yourself on the back for a job well done on that beautiful dress!!
Wonderful save, Jeanne! I would probably have made it Much more work-intensive, by undoing the stitches and removing the bottom “bow”–and possibly even moving the second one down a smidge! (I seem to like to make work for myself!) but your save was perfect, and unless one knew from reading this blog, you really can’t tell what you did!
I didn’t get into the sewing room today–Ron had a doctor’s appt. He’s been so weak lately, and his back pain has come back, so they did some lab work (usually the weakness means his phenytoin level is a bit too high and needs to be adjusted) and increased his gabapentin (he was on a very low dose, so increasing it a bit seemed a good option). We’ll see how he does after a few days at the increased dose.
Anyway, when I get Bella’s dress finished, I’ll be glad to take pics and send them to Jeanne. Then I need to see what Hanna would like.
And….I am getting Maya! I ordered her tonight. I was waffling, and then I saw someone’s picture of her Maya on FB, and she was so beautiful, I decided to take the plunge. Ah, well, what’s one more dolly?! I doubt Ron will notice! LOL
Dolly fever strikes again!
Congrats on Maya. I’ve been eying her too. đ
I should add, this evening I also made a strawberry-rhubarb pie, an additional reason I didn’t get into the sewing room! Ron asked how much I wanted him to leave for me in the morning! LOL (It’s his favorite.)
Jeanne’s dress and Charlotte’s husband’s blood chemistry — both being adjusted and adjusted until they come out right. With luck, Ron’s doctors will be as successful as Jeanne has been, and Jeanne certainly has been.
I am a fan of wired ribbon because it’s so easy to make it look nice. I like the buttons and bows on Samantha’s dress — they aren’t what I expected and that worked nicely. The lace at the bottom of the dress is a nice, not-quite-expected touch.
Buttons and Bows would work for a title, and speaking of titles, I can’t figure out today’s headline — is it a typo or am I just dense this morning?
You are also right about the high button shoes — they really do go with the dress. And I like the fuller look the slip gives this skirt. The red purse you showed yesterday is so pretty — a purse for this outfit might be nice too.
HI Marilyn,
The title was fine when I went to bed, but sometime after 1:00 a.m., I woke up and picked up my phone to see if the listing had gone on as planned…it had, but I must have hit a few extra keys as I was scrolling up and they went straight to my title… then when I looked at my listing, it looked fine, but the title was hidden part of the way on my phone, so I didn’t see it till later this morning… oops… thanks for saying something or I may have never checked it out…
Blessings, Jeanne
The perfect save and I love the dress. Love when something that isn’t working turns out like Samantha’s dress did. I love wire ribbon and rarely purchased regular. I love that it stays where you want it. Love the tiny bit of lace showing out from the bottom of her dress and that with a slight tug of the slip you can change it up.
The mosquito’s are horrid this year. Like I said they love me and have no problem making a meal from me. Years ago my grandson and I were waiting for the bus so he could go home. We were standing side by side and I must have had a dozen of them on me and he had none. My oldest daughter is severely allergic to their bites and often has has to go to the ER.
Charlotte I take Gabapentin also for severe neuropathy in my back. It has all but killed off some of the nerves on my right ride and it itches like crazy. I’ve never had those levels checked and am going to talk to my specialist when I go back.
Cape May! I used to live in Ocean Grove. The Victorian houses and hotels are wonderful, and you have way more antique shops than we do.
I love including our locations.
I keep trying to include a link to Happily Ever After, which sells RRFF. The post refuses to post. If you want to see — and possibly buy RRFF dolls, google Happily Ever After.
FAO schwarz also has fashion friends, free shipping over $100. Just Tap the down menu, Look under brands, ruby red fashion friends. Siblies too!
I was just looking on the internet at the most photographic architectural wonders in every state and for NJ they had Victorian Cape May. I used to live in PA and Delaware and spent a lot of time at the Jersey beaches after high school but I don’t think I got south of Ocean City. Wish I had. It looks like I missed a lot not visiting Cape May. We never went to the Jersey beaches when I was growing up like all my neighbors did. My mother couldn’t stand the feeling of sand. My husband does not enjoy visiting anything that has to do with water. Hawaii was a trial for him. I would love living in a beach community but I would have to live there by my lonesome.
When you cut out the bottom bow, I thought you would position the sash there. With the button centered it would mimic the original bow. But your way works, too. I am just the teensiest bit bothered by the bigger white space between bow and sash. That’s probably just becauseI have seen it with 3 bows evenly spaced.
My husband and son arrived at Dad’s yesterday. Today we are going to granddaughter/niece/cousin’s graduation from high school. The class of ’21 had the strangest senior year!
So glad your relative is able to even have a graduation. Last year they had a drive by and wave here. This year, since it is outdoors and so many have been vaccinated, back to normal. Yay.
Great save Jeanne! The ribbons and bows are the perfect compliment to the floral print. Samantha looks so good in lavender. I am glad you were able to save your original design.
Charlotte, that strawberry – rhubarb pie takes me back to my childhood in SE Pennsylvania where the rhubarb grows like weeds. Hoping the new remedy works for Ron and he gets some relief from pain. I would love to see pictures of your RRFF dresses.
Funny how things work. The Email this morning and title when first coming on to Jeanne’s blog say I’m a little bit nervous about showing you Samantha’s dress, but once here, it now says I’m a little bit nervous about8 show you Samantha’s dress. Must be a glitch somewhere. đ
I think the changes worked just fine. I like the dress without a huge bow in front or at the side. It seems more demure now and not so overly done. It does look a little sparse now without the 3rd bow. If the ribbon belt was moved up higher, it might fill that gap. It would then sit above the pleat line. It may be like that already, but I couldn’t tell exactly from the photos. To me, it looks like the belt dips down over the pleats. I’d like to see it completely above the seam line. If that isn’t possible, so be it. I especially like the lace slip peeking out below. Sweet. A darling purple bag would hold that special hankie for Samantha. Love Marilyn’s title of Buttons and Bows. đ
Have a wonderful June weekend everyone.
Gorgeous! Looking at the finished dress youâd never know there was ever a âproblem.â That ribbon is so pretty and just plain perfection. I love the wired ribbon for all the reasons you mentioned. And the abalone buttons give an authentic bling. Love it. I hope Sam has been out picking lavender for grandma’s drawers and closets. Canât wait to see more pictures.
GREAT SAVE!! And things can be adjusted to the successful bidder’s liking. I love the petticoat lace peeking out from the under the dress. The fabric and color are absolutely beautiful and look so good on Samantha. I said I’ve never been big on wired ribbon but when I first joined the blog you were doing a dress where you used the wired ribbon in waves down the back. I had never thought of the things you could do with wired ribbon when sewing so I didn’t recognize exactly what it was. I asked how you did it and you said wired ribbon. I was impressed. I’ve just never had need to do it on an outfit or for a hairbow but if I ever decide to, it’s nice to know it’s an option.
If the mosquito trap works I’m all for it. I too am allergic to the nasty things and they just love me bunches. With the bigger mosquitos I get red welts and with the smaller ones their bites feel like the bites from fire ants, which I’m also allergic to, and it takes forever for the sting to leave. I don’t usually have to seek medical care but once I was standing on a fire ant nest and didn’t realize it till it was too late. Fire ants have that pheromonal thing going where they all climb on and then when the signal comes they all chomp down at the same time. Really sneaky. I looked down and they were all over my leg. My leg swelled up so much I had to go to the doctor. That was shortly after I moved to Texas. We didn’t have fire ants up north and I didn’t know to watch out for them and they are everywhere. Even in Colorado I’m looking under picnic tables, etc., for them it’s become such a habit to find them before they find me I forget where I am. The doctor said it is the acid in their bites that gives me the problem. He gave me a shot and I had to drink a soda bicarb solution three times a day.
Congratulations Charlotte on succumbing to dolly fever. I love Maya and she is the next RRFF I will get when dolly fever gets the best of me again. And I hope your hubby’s medication adjustment works well for him.
Debbie, I remember when I lived in Bethlehem, PA, and rhubarb pie was something we had often. I loved it. I really miss it here. I remember when I was working here in Texas one of the men had a friend send him some and he made a pie and brought it to the office for all to taste. Most had never heard of rhubarb let alone a rhubarb pie. I had a hard time with desserts when I got to Texas. I was used to pies that were more tart than sweet. The first time I had a piece of pecan pie I couldn’t finish it. It seemed so sweet to me. And the sweet tea is way too sweet. I actually take my iced tea with nothing in it and my hot tea and coffee with honey.
No rain yesterday and with luck none today. Hopefully the city will be able to start spraying soon and I will be able to go outside without feeling I’m under attack.
Barbara, We took a similar path. You to Texas and me to Louisiana. We have been in Tennessee for 10 years but Louisiana still feels like home, mosquitos and all. There are just as many mosquitos in these mountains but the big difference is no spraying, none! And there is plenty of sweet tea and sweet pie :o)
Debbie
You did it! The whole thing looks just perfect on her. The color the style the bows and buttons, the pleated skirt, the beautiful slip and the lace tights will look perfect.
Well now maybe you can relax a bit. I suppose you have to list it thoughđ
We had the neighbors on our block come to meet the new neighbors Thursday eve on the patio. Over Covid there weâre 4 new families that moved in. All but one came along with the rest of the regulars on our block so it was a big group. What nice new neighbors!
JEANNE, you truly are a sewing rock star!! My goodness, woman, this is SO awesome, and I love that you have made it possible to either scrunch or not scrunch the front (though unscrunched makes it look more like the third bodice bow that you wisely removed.) I have at least one dress you made with the ready made bow for the back with the velcro connection. Works like a charm and SO easy! Are you leaving this dress open all the way down the back? That feature has become one of my favorites in the past couple years as it makes dressing the dolls much, much easier. Lacy stockings, super idea. Lovely hair bow, thanks. When you take your listing pictures, I would suggest âroundingâ the loops a bit more for extra drama.
Like JOY mentioned, I ,also, was thinking PURSE! The slip showing or not is an excellent touch. Would you also consider some bloomers? I was always big on having appropriate underwear when I dressed my girls so meticulously. (When I store outfits, I pack them complete with all their components which makes for less âsearchingâ for the âextrasâ.) As a side note, my Sam doll must have mental telepathy; I am getting âpointed looksâ which I suppose can be interpreted as a request for a new dress. Oh, poor, poor baby.
CHARLOTTE, hope adjusting Ronâs meds help. Very often it does. And congrats on Maya! I splurged and got both Mayas and Stellas and have no regrets. You will have great fun with her. And we are huge rhubarb fans here. We have already devoured about 4 strawberry rhubarb pies and two days ago, I stewed extra rhubarb, strawberries and pineapple for a nice sauce without the calories of the crust, but my super skinny hubby had his with ice cream. Makes the house smell so amazingly good as it cooks. ANOTHER rhubarb favorite is peach rhubarb pie, so I be sure to freeze rhubarb so itâs available when the peaches are in season. We almost like this more than the strawberry rhubarb. Good for you and Ron. Yum!
Have a great weekend everyone. Today is my hubbyâs 74th and youngest son and DIL are hosting their belated Thanksgiving for all their friends along with Giffâs birthday, so a big hoopla and I have been baking like a fiend. And I wish you all success with your wars on mosquitoes. I never heard about such severe reactions other than Nile virus. I used to have a huge problem with poison Ivy back east as it was ubiquitous. I found that planting a huge hedge of forsythia held those darn root systems at bay. But knock on wood, not many mosquitoes in Salida and NO poison Ivy.
JEANNE, once again, you have aced this. đđđ
Sally, I have never heard of combining peaches and rhubarb–that sounds good too! And your sauce of strawberries, rhubarb and pineapple–yummy!
BTW, the pie turned out really good, and Ron is very happy!! đ
Wow, the wired ribbon really works on this. I may be a convert for certain occasions. I do like the wired ribbon in Samantha’s hair. The lace slip edge peeking out is a perfect touch. High button boots are ideal with it.
The mosquitoes haven’t made it here yet. I have heard they like certain blood types more than others. O is their favorite. My mom is O and gets bitten far more than I do.
I was looking for Susette’s info on the mosquito trap, and when I searched, I ended up with your Dragonfly story. That one might need repeating. Especially, since they feast on mosquitos. The story really made me laugh. đ
Dear Jeanne, I love what you have done with the dress. It is adorable!
HI everyone,
I’m a bit late today… we had an unexpected thing happen today… Our refrigerator conked out on us… my hubby tried to save it by cleaning the coils and other things, but it was dying and he knew it, so before it died completely, we had to get my mom’s chest freezer that was being stored in the basement, up and running so we could transfer stuff to it…
Rebecca got home from work early today so she was a BIG help, getting the food stuff sorted out, throwing things away that were almost gone and cleaning out the many coolers we needed to use for the frig stuff. I was elected to run to Walmart to get lots of ice for the coolers and the next few days while we search for a new frig.
My hubby got out the folder on the refrigerator… we bought it 22 years ago this month… how’s that for longevity? My hubby cleans it once or twice a year and has babied it all these years… but NOW… NOW I’m going to get a new WHITE one…one that will match my new white cabinets! YAY!
So I’m glad the dress for Samantha seems okay to everyone… I will do my best to get it finished and listed on Ebay as soon as I can, but a frig comes first… or so my hubby says. ;o)
As I read through the comments I was trying to remember questions that were asked…
Yes, Sally, the dress DOES open all the way to the hem… for easy dressing. AND a big happy birthday to your hubby! I hope you had fun at your get together!
We went out to dinner with a couple we had already made plans with and we were talking about strawberry rhubarb pies… we both had a sweet tooth for some…
Kathie, I hope you had fun at your block party and enjoyed meeting your new neighbors!
And yes, Buttons and Bows it shall be called… thank you Marilyn!
Blessings, Jeanne
You have my sympathies on your dying fridge, Jeanne! Went thru that about 2-3 years ago ourselves. Fortunately, I was able to keep it running (by judicious tapping to “nudge” the thermostat at times! LOL) until they delivered our new WHITE one! I was very thankful to have the one large cooler for frozen foods, and a variety of smaller ones for refrigerated stuff that had to keep cool while we waited for the delivery. Fortunately, it wasn’t too long after I got the old one emptied when the new one came. The guys even allowed me a few minutes to do a good scrubbing of the floor and walls under/behind the fridge before they brought the new one upstairs.
I believe our old fridge was more like 40 years old, so we really can’t complain about it, either!
Love what you did with the sash AWESOME
Jeanne, I am so sorry that the poor old fridge gave out just after completing your fabulous kitchen. Well, as you say, now you can get your new white one for your new kitchen. I only hope you will be able to find one and the wait is not long. May this next week bring that fridge and a new roof. Wouldnât that all be grand?
Happy Sunday, and thanks, we had a great time for the hubbyâs birthday yesterday even with thunder in the air.
Sending a hug.
Sorry about that fridge. Home Depot matches any price and has the other storesâ prices on their in-store computer terminal. I add insurance for refrigerator failure to my policy in case it fails when Iâm on a trip. Great to get a brand new white one for your white kitchen. I wonder whether the old one felt out of place.
Jeanne, You saved Samantha’s dress. I think it is so cute the way you share with all of us how you create things in your home. You go from one idea to another and it helps some of us, probably most of us with deciding how to sew our own creations. It think it is fascinating how you do this. Makes me feel not so badly when I have to do the same thing. I am honestly afraid to wing it like you do. I usually always use a pattern and do what it tells me to do. I love the new creation very much and think you did a wonderful job with it. Bravo!!!