Chapter 8 Part 2

Go to... ~ Classroom ~ Pattern ~

Milli’ - The French Boudoir Doll
Ó 2000 Judi Ward -Judi’s Dolls

…Chapter 8 Part 2...
... Making the sleeves, skirt, and adding the lace
and trims to the bodice…also the "panty" ruffle. ...

All gathered.

The skirt pinned to the outer yoke.
Note the lining is still free.

15) Right sides together, fit, pin and sew the skirt onto the OUTER yoke (not the lining) folding about 1" of the lace towards you on each end, so the back opening has a nice finish. Arrange the gathers as evenly as possible as you are fitting, pinning and sewing.

Little notches for lining up the gathers with the yoke don’t work well on lace, they just get lost in the gathers, so you have to arrange the gathers yourself, using the "it looks great" approach!

NOTE*****An extra option*****If you wish you can cut a piece of very fine netting, (Tulle) to match the skirt, minus 1" in length, (17" instead of 18") and gather and sew it to the yoke over the lace skirt. I have done this with some of the dolls I have made and it is really nice. One I did with dark purple tulle, under lavender lace…One with navy blue tulle under burgundy lace and one white under white.

16) Now, fit, pin and hand sew the lining down, turning the raw edge under.

The lace sewn to the outer yoke.

The lining pinned down.

The lining hand sewn down.

The right side. My "cool" old fabric.
This fabric was from one of my skating
competition costumes!

17) Sew the center back seam to within 4" of the yoke. Put the skirt on and decide whether you are going to sew it on, or put small snaps or VelcroÒ on the yoke, to close it. If you are really neat, you can even glue the back closed.

The skirt is on.

Time for the trims and to cover the bust.

1) The covering and trimming of the bust area and sleeves is FUN. Again, I hot glue most of the trims on…Please sew if you want to. Pull out all the stops if beading and such are your forte’. In the classes here at the Castle, some students have stayed up half the night doing hand beading and such all around the shoulder plate lace and even up the cleavage. Kind of a beaded tattoo.

The doll I am working on has about a ton of hair that I needed to get out of the way to do the bodice trimmings, so I tied it up…WOW! Love that look, even without eyelashes! Just wait til the eyelashes are on! Think I am going to leave her hair up.

2) Get out your 2" wide gathered lace***It can be wider (2 1/2" –3") but narrower doesn’t work well.

3) Start at the center back, letting an inch or so extend beyond the center V.

Lay the edge of the lace right along the edge of the shoulder plate, working up to the top of the shoulder and over the shoulder to the front. Glue or sew it down as you go.

Sew or glue the lace trim along the edge.
Note the overhang of the lace at the middle.

The gluing or sewing stops here for this side.
DO NOT cut the lace off yet!!!!!

4. Now trim the first back edge at an angle.

Trim the first back edge of the lace at an
angle.

5) Now bring the edge of the lace loosely UNDER the first boob and hand tack it in the middle between the boobs. Leave the thread hanging there, because you will be using it to gather the center of the lace in a minute.

6) Bring the lace loosely under the second boob and up the edge by the arm like on the other side and start sewing or gluing the edge of the lace over that shoulder and back to the center back. Trim the end at and angle to match the other end, with just a little overlap.

The lace UNDER the boob and stitched in
the middle.

The lace UNDER the other boob and going
over the shoulder.

The lace sewn or glued down the back.
The end cut at an angle.

About now many are thinking we are NEVER going to get those boobs covered!!!

7) Remember the needle and thread hanging in the middle? Using it, run a gather stitch down the center of the lace and secure the lace with more stitches in the center between the boobs.

Gathered down the center.

The gathers pulled tight and
secured by stitching in place.

8) Now, pull the lace across to one side and sew it in place in the corner, by the side of one boob. Repeat for the other boob.

As you are sewing it, be sure the lace over the sleeves stays turned down, not up.

Pinch the lace in the corners and
sew it to the side of the boob.

The boobs are finally covered, though
not very modestly!

9) Time for trimming…finally…First, I like to gather up the center back of the lace trim and secure it.

The center back of the lace gathered up and sewn in place.

Lets look at some trims that are suitable for putting over the edge of the lace. The ones I am picturing are not necessarily for this doll. They are just to give you an idea of things that look nice over the edge of the lace. I am sure you all have a stash, just full of pretty "stuff" that you can use. I am going to use the gold braid in the middle.

"Stuff" that makes good trim over the lace.

10) Let’s add the trim….Start at the front, by one boob and sew or glue the trim over the lace edge, down to the center back and back up over the shoulder to the side of the other boob.

11) Now add flowers, ribbons etc. to the center, between the boobs. At the sides by the boobs and in the center back.

12) Also, tie ribbons where you tied the sleeve gathers and add flowers there too if desired.

Pictured are some flowers I got at Walmart, Michaels and Jo Anns. Some are Memory book trims so they are advertised as acid free.

You can of course sew or glue the flowers and ribbons in place.

I like ribbon tendrils and streamers, and really love the organdy ribbons, but none are pictured here with this assortment for the cream and brown doll.

I have some on several of the other dolls that have been pictured here and there in the class.

Some flowers and ribbons.

Now, please decorate to your hearts content. I am only going to show the "basic" decorations. Go All Out!!!! Pull Out All The Stops!!!! Use Your Most Wonderful "stuff"!!!!

Have Fun!!!!

Streamers and flowers in back.

A simple ribbon bow and flower on
the sleeve.

A pretty front. I used all of the cream flowers.
The ruffled ones and the pleated ones.
I also used the little gold flowers.
I decided against the golden yellow ones.

Appliqué’s are also fun for the fronts of the torso on some dolls. I have dyed some, by making up Rit dye, and painting it where I wanted it. Some have been purchased in the color desired. At classes here, some of the dollmakers have used the larger appliqué’s coming up over the boobs too.

Pictured are some I have, one cream, one dyed and one on a doll. They would be really pretty beaded too…but…I don’t bead. Do you?

A dyed appliqué and a cream appliqué.

A dyed appliqué on a doll.

Well, that does it for this chapter.

We will do those eyelashes and decorate the shoes in chapter 9.

Look for pictures of those wonderful resin shoes that are for sale all over the place to give you ideas for shoe decorations.

Have a little oven baked clay ready too, if you want to do the clay tabs.

Dolly Hugs, Judi

A Bohemian look achieved by using an old skirt,
a vest front, and making
"boot tops" for a regular Milli' doll.