Recent Sewing Projects–Elsa’s Autumn Ensemble

Wow, I can’t believe it’s almost October! What happened to August and September? The past few weeks seem a solid blur of errands, housework, and…being sick. Ugh, it’s true. After dodging it for two years, I was struck by the miserable Covid virus😱.

For a solid week, I ached, ran a fever, coughed my guts up, and suffered one helluva migraine that eventually landed me in the ER.

The symptoms have finally eased, and I can sit up and have a little fun on the computer (yay!). Unfortunately, crafting is still out of the question.

I’m not complaining, though, because just being upright feels great. Plus, this gives me a chance to share a few of my recent sewing projects with you, such as this Fall-inspired outfit I made for Elsa!

Before becoming a bedridden invalid, I was laser-focused on making doll clothes, managing to add three new fashions to my sixth-scale wardrobe.

These were sewn by hand, but you could always use a sewing machine. I simply enjoy hand-sewing and often choose it over dragging out my machine.

While I’m chomping at the bit to show you these dolly wearables, I don’t think I can squeeze them all into one post. So, we’re looking at Elsa’s outfit today and saving the Ever After High garments for next time.

Browsing the bolts of seasonal fabric at Hobby Lobby is a surefire way to get my creative wheels turning. The moment I saw this colorful corduroy, I knew I had to make something with it—in miniature, of course.

Seeing as how my dolls have only one coat in their closet (and cooler weather is right around the corner), a jacket sounded like the perfect undertaking.

As far as construction goes, this jacket is pretty foolproof. There is no hood, and the sleeves are part of the front and back panels, so most of the seams are straight lines. I’d say this is a good project for a confident beginner.

As you can see in the picture above, the jacket has a collar facing. To be honest, I find this unnecessary. Yes, a facing gives a nice finish, but folding over and hemming the neckline is just as effective and far easier to sew.

The instructions show two ways for embellishing the jacket:

I felt lace would distract from the rich hues, so I opted to sew four white buttons to the right panel.

The jacket closes in the front using snaps; however, you could nix the idea of fasteners altogether and leave it open for a less formal vibe.

Since the jacket is the star here, I kept the pants and camisole simple. The pants are from the same Simplicity pattern (Pattern 5785). They are the ones shown in View C.

These are, without a doubt, the easiest doll pants I’ve ever made.

As you can probably tell, the pants are very basic. A beginner seamstress should have no problem sewing them. The directions are straightforward, and there aren’t any intricate details, like pockets or topstitching.

That being said, I couldn’t help sewing a faux fly down the center front. After all, I still want these to resemble real blue jeans.

Don’t want jeans? No problem! These pants can be sewn using any non-stretch material, such as cotton, denim, muslin, and more!

One thing I love about this particular pattern is that the pants have an elastic waistband. No snaggy Velcro to sew or bulky snaps to hide.

Just slide them over your doll’s hips and let her enjoy her new attire!

Overall, I think the jeans look great and function even better. The only thing bothering me is the length. They’re a bit short, barely reaching Elsa’s ankles.

I didn’t feel like remaking the jeans then, but I plan to sew a new pair with longer legs to remedy this soon. Who knows? I may even add more topstitching and a couple of faux pockets😉.

The final piece of Elsa’s ensemble is the camisole.

The cami is part of a suit pattern I purchased from Requiem Art Designs. Like the jeans, it’s a cinch to make. There’s no collar and no sleeves to sew in.

Sewing Tip: It’s sometimes cheaper to get specialty fabric as shirts and shorts than yardage from the craft store. For example, I paid $4.00 for this tank top, whereas the same amount of material at Hobby Lobby costs $8.00—unless you catch a sale. Then it’s about $5.00.

Because this is such a simple top, there’s not much to explain. The images pretty much speak for themselves.

The cami has a sweetheart neckline with a formfitting shape. It closes in the back with snaps and has two thin pieces of ribbon for shoulder straps.

I admit this rib knit isn’t the easiest material to work with. It shifts like crazy! Even so, I’d use it again because I love its realistic look.

All Elsa needs now is a cute purse, and she’s ready to go browse the shops on Main Street!

This Mini Fashions Bucket Bag is an excellent match. It’s casual, and the monochromatic color pairs well with the outfit’s warm tones.

Well, friends, I hope you enjoyed this peek at one of my summer sewing projects (and maybe even got some fashion ideas for your own dolls😉).

As always, stay tuned because I’ve got, like, a month’s worth of reviews, crafts, and random fun stuff coming up.

And, no, I don’t intend to wait six weeks between each post. That simply won’t work, especially considering it won’t be too long before we launch into my favorite season—Christmas! And you know what that means?

Yes, I may have already started a Christmas craft or two😄.