1/12th Scale Patterns for Static Display

Good Morning!  The entry today is to discuss a static display in your room box or vignette.  Oftentimes, the patterns and dresses that fit dolls are not suitable for fro room displays.  They do not always hang well on a hanger, though some do, nor do they manipulate well for laying across a bed or scrunched into a chair. 

The 2000 category of La Petite Belle Patterns is made just for this purpose.  The design of the garments is there without all the girth of the dress to fit a doll.  These patterns for you today do NOT fit onto a doll.  But if you wanted them too, you would have to do some extra fabric cut on the sides to make them work.  If you like the pattern for a project, do give it a try, you never know what you will achieve. 

Before I moved, I wrote a bit for AIM magazine.  It is a FREE e-zine completed by the Artisans that are shown in the periodical.  This is their blog address, and it is a great resource.  http://www.artisansinminiature.com/  Do visit the archives.  The magazines are through SCRIBD, which is also a Free to join enterprise for publishing books and periodicals.  This link will take you to the most recent issue, but there is plenty to see there.  https://www.scribd.com/document/423776008/AIM-IMag-Issue-71

I did a monthly for a jet setting woman of the 1950s and completed 12 articles for them.  Today I am providing you three of those patterns.  They are large PDF’s and printing is laden with color, so if you want to save them it is fine, be warned about printing them.

Today I have included some undergarments, always pretty to display.  I understand one of the products I used, Fairy Lace, has been discontinued, but I have some suggestions for if you would like to make this set.  If you cannot get the Fairy Lace, you can use any 2mm ribbon, or even cut the header off of heirloom lace and use it.  Thin pieces of fabric and even braided thread will work as well.  For Fairly Lace, please visit:

http://www.dragonflyintl.com/shop/contents/en-us/d56.html

The links for the patterns are under the picture, they are clickable. 

The dress and hat are meant to go together, pick some fun and contrasting fabrics to make a perfect ensemble.  The fabrics in the 1950s were colorful and fun.  Also, can be made in a sheer fabric a la Grace Kelly. 

Courtesy- https://www.theweddingsecret.co.uk/magazine/iconic-wedding-dresses-in-film-high-society/

I hope you use these patterns and have great fun with the fabric interpretations.   

 

https://www.minidolls.com/images/03SewRetroMarch.pdf

https://www.minidolls.com/images/04SewRetroDress.pdf

https://www.minidolls.com/images/PurpleHat.pdf

Have Fun!

Kathi

Dior Room Complete

 

Last week we looked at a basic room box and basics to complete a fun vignette.  A simple box like that can be the jumping-off point for many a miniature collection.  And this was for us as well.  

Let’s jump right into the details.  After completing the room, we wanted to press home that it was a collector’s room, so we added some finishing details to the room.  Many things can be done with a basic box.  Our collector collected vintage clothing.  We borrowed a picture from the internet (picture was not sold) and made a frame for it.  Under that, a Demilune table of my design and added a (sold out) floral arrangement.  Debbie made a mirror to fit the vanity space, and a pouf was added for sitting.  A lady must have a place for her make-up and perfumes.  Plus, a beautiful box that comes in many colors is carried by Debbie at Minikitz.com to keep treasures locked away.  I chose black.  We had special shoes and hat boxes cut, as well as shopping bags.

The room with the basics is really starting to say something and we are getting a picture that this is really a closet or dressing room. 

Now all we need is to add the fancy things. 

Her we find our lady has saved her cake topper and shoes from her wedding.  I am sure there are other keepsakes inside the box.  As her veil tails along the top shelf she has added other special boxes and keepsakes.  Her shoes, hats and purses peek out on the shelves. 

What fancy and sparkly boxes and bags for mementos.  Wow those have to be special shoes to come in a shoe box that is glittered. 

 

Candy has received a box of roses.  What a special day!  And more shopping bags to be filled.  Lingerie, perhaps?

And finally, a completed room.  So much added.  Enjoy the details.  Click on the pictures and they enlarge.  Coco, the poodle, is as excited as Candy. 

I hope you have enjoyed this look at a long-term project.  It was so much fun bringing this idea to fruition. 

Have Fun!

Kathi

The Dior Project or Candy's Room

 

Late last year my friends Debbie Jones of Kitz! and Dana Burton and I got together on the MiniDollList forum and created a project for our group. 

https://groups.io/g/minidollLIST (Click to join the forum.)

https://www.danaburton.com/  Dana made the doll named Candy, there are no more kits available. She is our inhabitant.  Dressed for a special night on the town. 

https://www.minikitz.com/ Debbie sells many miniature kits at great prices for the DIY crowd.  Also, if you want a miniature doll she has contacts for some really talented miniature doll makers. 

It was great fun and wonderful confab! 

We started with the idea of a 50’s Closet, Dior, Chanel, and other designers of the 50s.  We wanted something that could be contemporary but perhaps a woman who collected period clothing and the ideas flowed freely from there.  We had a lot of fun doing it and our group participated in all the best ways, and like Japan month, everyone contributed. 

Each of us had our function; Dana created the doll and doll kits; I did the design and Debbie did everything else.  She did a lot! LOL!   

Today I am going to show you the room I designed, and Debbie’s husband Charles cut for us on a laser.  We spent some time on the design, fitting, and building of the closet.  building designing and building the closet.  We all decided on a black and white base theme as it was to be a closet or dressing room, and we wanted all our participants to be able to put their own personalities into them. 

The entire closet fits into an 8” X 10” picture frame and fits together using foam core board walls and floor.  The closet structure fits within the walls of the frame.  This closet is so expertly cut, it just slides into the space once it is assembled and painted.  The white color allows for all the accessories to pop. 

The Closet.

We looked for this closet to function as any real dressing area might, concentrating on display.  There is plenty of space for hanging clothes, a vanity, and cute little pouf for a tuffet (every girl needs one) finally drawers and shelves.  Filling and imagining what all will go into it is such fun! 

The Basics

We planned for the demilune table with a picture and accessories such as a perfume tray, nail polish, a floral display, or whatever someone wanted there.  Kitz! Got it all together in one place for people to pick and choose what they wanted.  No small feat!  The picture borrowed from the internet reinforced the display theme. (the picture was not sold it is a copyrighted item) however a set of frames were developed, and one could use anything available or their imagination.   

If you would like to take on this project, please see what is available here:

https://www.minikitz.com/ZenStoreP1/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=134_236

There are two pages.  Click through if you would like to make some of these items or have ideas of your own. 

In the next two weeks, we will look at more of the items prepared for this project, free tutorials, and some free patterns as well. 

Until more surprises next week,

Have Fun! 

Kathi

A Tale of Two Cities

 

Paperdolls from Booklet, Background by Diana Vining, 

and paper doll scene construction by Melissa Turner

Do you like Paper Dolls? 

I do!  My father was a career Airman. Whenever we moved there was a lot of cleaning out and leaving behind, either donated or trashed of our toys especially.  I had been allotted a 3 cubic foot box to have as a toy box and if it fits, it shipped.  (Thank you post office advertising.) Military members have weight allowances and a lot doesn’t make it onto the truck.  My little twin bed, and my narrow 4 or 5 drawer chest, a box of clothes, a suitcase, and my “toy box” were all I had.  I might have had to divest of dolls and things, but with a nice shoebox, some paper separators, my paper dolls were good to go. 

Sadly, I do not have a single box of paper dolls now.  How is that possible?  Married a Marine.  More weight limits and well, toys didn’t make the cut.  Had my mother stayed in one house perhaps I would have had my things stored, but eventually, she moved as well, and so did dad, and anything left was gone.  It’s a life. 

Never-the-less; I love paper dolls and find that any I have collected now over the years are in small books that are stored and not cut out.  But oh, how I love a pair of scissors!  Snip, snip, cut, cut, turn, a knife to get just there, PERFECT! 

And that sound.  You know the one I mean; it is as wonderful as the sound of scissors sliding across the table to cut fabric.  Crunch. 

But I digress. 

I remember reading Rachel Hoffman, most recently of Virtual Doll Conventions and boy do we love them, writing in her blog that “we are enough!”  Who hasn’t felt marginalized at some point?  I have never been a great participator.  I don’t like belonging to clubs as I prefer to do my own thing.  Introverted, but not shy. I will speak up and I have done a couple club presentations.  I wanted to do something to participate from afar for the Winter Virtual Doll Convention.  Silly me, I asked, “What can I do to help?”

 She was so sweet, and not knowing what I do or when I do it, she said, “Make some paper dolls.”  Oh, for goodness sake!  Really?  I have never painted a paper doll in my life.  My mind was going this way and that.  How was I to tell her no?  So, I just warned her I would give it a try.  I asked her what she would like, and she said, “Queen Victoria!”  Yikes.    I emphasize I have never done this before.  I did not want to let her down.  I asked her to give me a call.  We talked on the phone and I know she was worried that I would renege on my offer, and I said, I wouldn’t, but really did not want to over-promise anything.  My deadline was December 1.  It took me months to do, months.  I drew and painted every day.  I used, and still do, a couple of friends, to critique my work.  They helped me a lot.  Thank you, Debbie and Gillian. They have different gifts and I felt many things were covered in their criticisms.  They helped me to provide a nice product in the end. 

So, the day came for the paper dolls to be introduced to everyone as a souvenir and there were technical issues.  The next day was Saturday, and Rachel was so kind in her explanations about the dolls.  I can now provide them to you all as well.  I am hoping you who like paper dolls will be able to download the PDF.  And I hope you enjoy having them as much as I worried about making them. 

Have Fun!

Kathi

If clicking the picture above does not take you to the link to download try this link:

https://www.minidolls.com/images/Eugenie%20and%20Victoria%20by%20Kathi%20Mendenhall.pdf