Hi everyone,
You only saw a few snippets of the dress I was planning to make for my new Tinker Bell doll. Actually, I’d like to get in the habit of mentioning the dresses I make will be for My Meadow’s Mae, or any “Moppet” doll, (that’s what My Meadow calls her 15″ dolls) and not just for the Disney Animator dolls. It’s pretty nice that they are both almost identical in body measurements.
Anyway, this is the pattern I downloaded from Etsy last night…
This is a bigger picture of it…
I chose it because I liked the ruffles over the shoulders and thought a sleeveless dress would be a good start for my first dress this size. But when I got to the skirt part, I didn’t really like how straight the skirt was going to be. You KNOW I don’t like skimpy skirts, so I went rogue and started making it my own way… I added a midriff band and then added a full skirt to the bottom of that.
I added some buttons in few different colors on top of a felt leaf in a bright green.
When I put the dress on Tinker Bell, that big fluffy hair wasn’t working, so I gave her some French braids and tied some bows in her hair using a piece of some aqua micro-mini check.
I liked the way the ruffles turned out, but I would make them just a bit wider as they were a bit of a pain to work with… but it may have just been my fabric. It’s like a voile and very soft, so it was a bit tricky to sew. But when you pressed it, it was almost like it had spray starch in it, and that was nice. It’s very crisp looking.
The back is open all the way to the hem. The pattern wasn’t. I don’t have the snaps sewn on yet, but they are next.
I am planning on making a pair of pantalettes to go under her dress, but wasn’t sure which fabric to use…the aqua check or the dress fabric…
I would like to ask a favor of someone who has a Mae, or any Moppet doll… I’m needing to know the circumference of the armhole area on Mae. I like a good close fit when I make sleeveless dresses for dolls and getting a good bodice with a nice armhole is key for me.
I took a piece of paper and cut a hole in it to see what the size hole for Tinker Bell was… If someone could do this or even just take a piece of twine or string that doesn’t stretch, and wrap around the armhole area and give me that length or the circumference, I’d be very grateful… This is what I’m talking about… see the pictures below.
The hole I cut out of paper looks like this…
I could also use the measurement of Mae’s bicep…to make sure her sleeves have the right length for a cuffed sleeve. If someone could measure her upper arm, like this, I’d appreciate that too.
Well, here is Tinker Bell in one last picture… she was a good model today!
Today was my first full day back in my sewing room. I’ve also gone 3 days without wearing my hand/thumb brace. I can feel my thumb pull sometimes, but it’s getting much better… not all the way there yet, but hopefully soon.
I will see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, my goodness, Tinker Bell looks SO cute with her hair braided like that!! Love it!!
And her dress turned out so pretty. I like the fuller skirt (I’m definitely with you there!), and the fabric is just lovely on her. I would go with the bloomers of the same fabric. Since you haven’t used the micro check anywhere else on her outfit, I don’t think I’d introduce it at this point. It will forever look like it doesn’t belong. Now if one of the ruffles and/or the waistband had been the microcheck, then yes, it would have been fine to do the pantalettes in the check
It sounds like your thumb is doing much better these days! So glad you could work some without the brace–for sure, that is progress! Don’t be afraid to put that brace back on, should it start feeling a little “iffy”. It will really help!!
I think I am in the right place today, Jeanne! Oh my goodness, what a darling dress for Tinker Bell! The skirt is exactly what I was hoping for, and the ruffles on the bodice are just so sweet! I actually thought that you were going to just have a straight skirt on her, but I should have known better than that!
Her little braids give her an impish look, and when looking at her dressed, you kind of forget those big eyes, because the overall effect is so cute! How about some little sandals for her? You have made some cute ones for smaller dolls, and I do have a pair for Betsy, so I think these might be just as easy, if not easier, because she is bigger.
Can’t wait to see what’s next, and so glad you thumb is doing better and healing!
What a darling dress. The fullness of the skirt balances the overall impression so the eyes aren’t the first thing one notices. Checked pantalettes and matching sandals would carry the checked theme through from the hair bows nicely. There’s genius and expertise shining through here!
So glad your hand is healing with time 👍! 🥰
Oh my goodness, I have lost weeks of blog posts, I will have to go back and read while treadmilling~~~ reeally, they did not come into my email1
This dress is adorable.
I am glad to hear your thumb is getting better.
I banged my knee in February and I still feel it now and then.
I love this adorable Tinkerbell doll, wow, what an sweet little poppet
I think you should make the pantalettes in both fabrics, every doll needs two pair.
I am so glad I have your blog coming in again, Happy Wednesday Jeanne
Another early day for me here having grocery shopping. The dress is darling and just my style with the double shoulder ruffles and full skirt. The micro check bows as well as French braids are cute. You almost can get past her big eyes. Of course, J. M Barrie’s Tinker Bell looked a bit different. I completely agree with Charlotte and I would have made the inner shoulder ruffles in the check to carry the theme through, so now I would also just make the bloomers in the dress fabric.
Love the French braids. So sweet for Mae AKA Tink. The new look dress is much improved from the pattern. I really like the midriff band which camouflages Mae’s belly. 🙂 I would go with the same as the dress pantalettes with maybe a tiny checked accent as a little bow or piping. It’s a perfectly sweet dress for a special Meadow girl. I do know what you mean about a well fitting armhole. I hate it when I see a sleeveless outfit with the top of the armhole top sitting there above the arm. I’ll see what I can do about that armhole measurement, but it will have to be later in the afternoon as we have to make a cat food run this morning. And we don’t even have a cat. 🙂
I really would like to see some sweet little white sandals for Mae. Fitting shoes to Mae’s foot is difficult though. She has toes that sort of pop up. But, a simple pair would be so welcome for the owner of the dress. Now, if she had a little kitten, that would be sweet as well. 🙂
The outfit you’re working on is adorable but I really like the pattern as pictured, and since you chose it you must have too. On the original I love the simplicity of the softly gathered skirt, the feminine smaller ruffles for sleeves. Large ruffles and full skirts get a little too 50ish for me. To me if there was a flower made of the checked material instead of the felt flower then the checked panties would coordinate beautifully. But that’s my preference and I know I’m in the minority.
I love Tink’s dress. It’s what I imagined. I realized after I commented yesterday that you were just placing pieces and what we were seeing was nowhere close to the finished look of the dress. I was in a hurry so didn’t think it through. Or maybe I panicked when I saw the straight skirt. I love her hair in the French braids. I have no creativity when it comes to hair. When my daughter was in dance competitions they had to have their hair in French braids. The dance mom that could do them was overwhelmed by people like me so I just took Andrea to my hairdresser or if her big sister Marca (David’s younger daughter) was visiting she would do it for her. She was really good at braiding hair and had no trouble with Andrea’s very thick hair.
I’ve run into another disturbing situation regarding doll shoes. I’ve been looking for shoes for Elllowyne and checked out Deb’s Adorables. She told me she had no shoes for Ellowyne and didn’t expect to be getting any. I did find some high heels in a couple places and some boots on eBay but I was looking for more casual shoes like a pair of espadrilles for her to wear with a short set I’m going to make. I saw pictures of Ellowyne in espadrilles with certain outfits so I felt some should be available. I found a pattern on Pixie Faire so will have to make them myself. Over the years since I’ve been doll collecting I found every kind of shoe for every doll that I wanted. I have no clue what is going on these days.
So glad you thumb is improving. But I would think for a while it may feel tired from time-to-time and need the brace again.
Barbara, for doll shoes, you can reach out to Ed at Happily Ever After (online store). He has tons of shoes. Here is the link to his shop: https://www.happily.com/
Thanks Dorothy. I’ll do that.
I love the dress! You have done a beautiful job on it. It would look great on a Moppet doll. One of mine would be glad to model it for you! I love mixing and matching fabrics so personally I would use the check for the pantalettes, but I know what you choose will be beautiful.
Look forward to seeing the finished outfit. God Bless, Marsha
Dear Jeanne, what a cute dress. I like her hair in braids.
Tinkerbell! Great name, and brings back lots of memories 😍 she looks great with the braided hairstyle you created.