I tried, honestly I did! I tried to make this dress work for Julie, then for Addy, but it just wasn’t coming together. I read and re-read all of your comments… and thought I’d just go with Marilyn’s suggestion of making the dress a midi length, add some boots and maybe a pair of lacy socks and add a choker and a shoulder bag… but I just couldn’t get things to come together. So many of you liked the straighter skirt on the bodice, but I kept thinking the sleeves were so dressy and how could I make it all tie together with just a ribbon around her waist?
Conni said why not just add the long skirt back on and call it Jeanne Marie Couture?
Dorothy wondered “why” the dress had to be a “period” dress… was it destined to ONLY be a 70’s dress, or a Civil War dress, or something else?
Judi thought the bodice of the dress looked a little too big… so I studied that…
Kathie liked the fuller skirt and thought the tiers balanced out the sleeves… hmmm…
Several people thought the dress needed the skirt attached a little higher up…
So many suggestions and thoughts… so what did I do? I turned to the internet (again) and first I typed in 1970’s dresses and all of your typical dresses came up… Flowing Caftan dresses, mini dresses, brightly colored dresses, etc…
I kept looking, until a dress from a 70’s collection in Japan came up.. I did a screen shot of it off of my computer and it was the first thing I had seen that I liked… something with a starting point… so I proceeded to mimic it…
I cut off 3/4″ on the bodice and added a few gathers under the bust to take up any fullness there… then I added a waist band that hit sort of on the rib cage area… so far, so good… I thought!
I gathered up the one piece of fabric that I had left to use for a skirt and held it up to the bodice and midriff band…
Nope, that wasn’t working for me…
So I looked over at my dolls on the dolly shelf and saw Samantha standing there and thought, I wonder what it might look like on a brunette? Would her darker hair pick up the brown in the edges of the sleeves? Samantha did have more pinky tones to her skin than Julie… hers were more peachy! Samantha was a more dainty doll and this dress was reading too “girlie” to be a 70’s dress…
Anyway, this is what Samantha looked like in it…
It isn’t hemmed yet, or the back finished, but it looked the prettiest on her so I’m moving forward making it an Edwardian/Victorian dress! I stole the pearl necklace Rebecca had made for the peach watercolor Regency dress that didn’t sell and used it…
I think it looks feminine and sweet on Samantha and hope I can keep going with her…
I do have something… this…
…that is a perfect match to the flowers in the fabric and who knows what that might become??? ;o)
I put my other dolls back on the dolly shelf and will concentrate on finishing this for Samantha…
Who knew a dress could be so difficult to find a doll that looked good in it? Hope you like it!
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow, Jeanne, you really have been run “thru the mill” on this dress, but I think you may have hit upon the solution–a different doll!! It’s really lovely on Samantha!!
I remember the midriff band thing very well–I made myself a dress with that (and flutter sleeves) out of an orange (!!!) and white gingham check with flocked flowers here and there. I would guess probably 1975 or so–I think I was already married by then. These days, I go for much looser-fitting dresses! 😂
A good night’s sleep and a 2-hour nap this afternoon have helped me feel more “normal” after my long day yesterday. Ron did pretty well while I was gone, though tonight he did ‘fess up that he’d had a small fall while I was gone, but managed to get himself up okay, and wasn’t hurt.
Barbara, I hope you were able to get the serger you have been wanting!! Nothing like a new power tool to get the sewing juices flowing!!
Jackpot!! I do like this a lot, Jeanne! I always thought that Julie looked too washed out in those colors! Samantha is exactly the right doll to show it off, and I love the “new” way the dress is starting to become! I do like those flowers at the waist on the illustration, just “something” needs to be there.
Might that be a pretty pink ruffled slip for underneath the dress?
Jeanne:
Ive been following the comments and looking at the dress for several days now. I agree that Rebecca’s coloring is more flattering than Julie’s for this.
Dresses of the ‘70’s with this romantic Gunny Sax styling were much thinner hand of fabrics, so they laid flatter to the body and arms. The bodice is fine, the ruffled sleeves are out of proportion, they stick out too far. The smoother lines of the skirt are much better now.
Sometimes we need to walk away from a design (put it in time out) and move on to our next fun project.. revisit it later, and you will be able to see it with fresh eyes. This may be one of those times:)❤️
Lightbulb moment! Coming together now. Raising the bodice and gathering it has helped with two points. Looks much better to me. The length and gathered skirt also helps balance the bell sleeves. I kept thinking the skirt should be 70’s and not gathered, but this gathered full skirt length works with the top, but no longer 70’s. I wonder what some brownish sparkly smaller beads would look like hung just over that AG neck seamline? Maybe with a simple tiny bobble in the middle. The pearls seem a little short to me. Just thinking. Are you making her a pink fluff umbrella to carry? Just a guess on the pink ruffles. 🙂
Lovely fog this morning and so much cooler. 🙂
Dear Jeanne, Samantha wears the dress well. I love the pearls.
Oh yeah!!! This look has my vote and Samantha is one of my favorites.
I bought my new serger yesterday, a Baby Lock Triumph, but it is living in San Antonio at the moment. They usually make a trip to the Katy store about once a week but with the cost of gas sometimes it’s two weeks before they make the trip unless there is an urgent need for something. Hopefully it will make it to the Katy store next week but if not it will be the next. Considering I’ve been wanting for a new serger for years, I guess I can wait a week or two. And then I will have two classes to attend. My timing was actually perfect as Baby Lock was having an August special. The serger comes with a “bundle” of very pricey things, one of them is the plexiglass extension. I have one for one of my embroidery machines and love it. I’m glad I don’t have to buy it separatly. Plus there is a package of feet that would be $1200 if I had to buy them separately. I can’t remember the other things but I’m over the moon with my purchase.
Can’t wait to see what accessories are going to be included with Samantha’s new outfit. This one has definitely been a challenge.
A big congrats on your serger and the great extras as well. Hope they hurry up and deliver soon. 🙂
Thanks, Joy.
WooHoo, Barbara! Congrats on your new toy, and all its accompanying goodies! Major score, I would say!! Enjoy!
Samantha is lovely, my favorite of the original three. I’m definitely sensing the 1970’s/80’s Gunne Sax look. Not the double bell sleeves, but here’s one with a tiered skirt no less
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1229091174/vintage-70s-gunne-sax-style-bell-sleeve?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-clothing-domestic_med&utm_custom1=_k_4993189d83da18d5fa247b9a25779d52_k_&utm_content=bing_412372857_1307319623418043_81707540073621_pla-4585307091743505:aud-805670566:pla-4585307091743505_c__1229091174&utm_custom2=412372857&msclkid=4993189d83da18d5fa247b9a25779d52
Such a pretty dress. Saw it was in an XS. Woe is me. 🙂
Wow. The dress looks gorgeous on Samantha!! Julie looked a little “washed out” but Samantha looks fabulous. It’s really interesting how the different doll coloring makes such a difference.
BINGO! You did it! I love the changes you made and it does look fantastic on Samantha.You have certainly worked hard to get it just the way you want it to look. Typical of your hard work ethic😉 I love the pearls…it hides my one negative thought about AG dolls…that seam showing at the neck.
What will you come up with for accessories? Hopefully that pink fluff will get used somewhere🥰 Great job Jeanne!
This Samantha was the right choice for that fabric. Still, I loved Julie in the very first version. Of course, I love Julie and I love brown so I was sure to love the combination.