Among the new patterns uploaded is a mannikin number 4275.  It is for shirtwaist dress with several different style options .

Mannikin pattern number 43O8 is for dinner dress.  The dress is floor-length has an interesting draped bodice, and can be made with or without a collar.

Pattern number 4432 is for a two piece suit.  The jacket has raglan sleeves making its super easy to sew.

Minikin Pattern number 4637 is for classic 1942 two piece bathing suit.  A young girl today wouldn’t be caught dead wearing it in public but in 1942 it was the height of fashion.

Mannikin pattern number 4736 is for another classic dinner dress.  This dress again has different sleeve options.

Mannequin number 4987 would have been right at home at a ‘luncheon with the girls’, at a business appointment, or just about anywhere that required something other than a “house dress”.

Several other patterns are also included in this week’s update for the mannikin store.  These patterns are only available as downloads.  You need a printer that will print on legal size paper.  The patterns are available as soon as payment clears.

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Antique French Fashion Doll Clothing

This picture shows two antique French fashion doll outfits that I acquired off Ebay.  The fashions are in very bad shape.  The fabric is deteriorating, but by carefully taking it apart and noting how it was sewn together, I will be able to reproduce the fashions.  These were purchased from a woman in the Netherlands.  She was not sure whether they originally came from France or from Germany, but the outfits are from the 1880s or early 1890′s.  The outfits included hats.  I will be reproducing these patterns to fit more modern size fashion dolls.  The originals fit the 27 inch doll.  Although the seams are frayed and coming apart, the hand stitching on the outfits are still firm.

Making patterns from actual vintage doll clothing is one way of making sure that the outfits are made exactly like the originals.  Most fashion dolls have been redressed at one time or another.  It is often very hard to tell what the original dolls looked like since you usually have no idea what the originals were like.

Once in awhile it is possible to acquire vintage doll fashions and use them to make new close for a doll.  Usually the price even of close that are in pour shape is prohibitive.

Whenever I can, and when I can afford to, I buy older doll outfits that I am sure are from very early periods of time.  My purpose is to reproduce them, or I probably should say reverse engineer them. By picking them apart stitch by stitch and making notes on how the outfits were constructed, I can reproduce a very accurate pattern.  Most of the outfits on original French Fashion dolls were not mass produced. If you a lucky enough to have one in bad shape, consider remaking the outfit using period correct fabric and sewing methods instead of throwing it out and buying something that may not be appropriate to your doll.

If you are going to replace your doll’s outfit, keep the following in mind:

If you don’t feel that you could do the pattern remake,  you can look for someone who can do it for you.  Please remember that something of this type takes time and patience to do it correctly.

This picture was sent to by email.  I think it was a very good example of a dress that would be easy to reproduce.  The front detail is the only part that might prove challenging.

In the last few months I was lucky enough to acquire a small collections of Harper’s Bazar Magazines that were in good condition AND complete with the pattern sheets.  I am going to try to scan, clean, etc. 1 issue each week and upload the fashion information to the website.