About the service
Every doll is her own size, so I start with measurements and not with a ready pattern. You send me a photo of the toy lying flat beside an ordinary ruler, plus the height, the chest, the waist, the hips, the shoulder width, the arm and leg length and the head circumference. From those numbers I draft the pattern in scale, cut a calico test piece and check how it sits on a body of that shape. A soft bear needs more room across the tummy, a hard-bodied doll needs a longer back seam, and a jointed toy needs the sleeve cut so that the arm still turns after dressing.
Fabric matters more at this scale than at any other. A print that looks small in the shop looks like a bedspread on a twelve-inch doll, and a cloth that is merely medium in weight turns a coat into a board. I work with fine cotton lawn, batiste, thin wool, soft jersey and light coating, keep the allowances narrow and the hem properly turned, and finish every seam, because thin cloth frays quickly on tiny seams and an unfinished outfit falls apart within a week of play. The back fastening is small hooks or snaps, set so a child's fingers can still reach them.
If the doll belongs to a little one who actually plays, I sew the set the safe way: no small buttons, no beads, no long ribbons or drawstrings. The fastening is hook-and-loop tape or one large snap, and everything is stitched down hard. No pins, no small findings and no loose trim are left in the finished piece, and I check each item twice before packing it.
What I can sew for you:
— a day dress or a two-piece set, cut to the measurements you send;
— a lined coat or jacket with a matching hat or bonnet;
— shoes built on a small last, so they hold their shape and go on easily;
— knitted pieces for a bear: sweater, scarf, cap, little trousers;
— bedding for a doll cot: mattress, pillow, blanket, sheet;
— wooden-style hangers and a drawstring bag for keeping the wardrobe tidy;
— a fitting stage: I sew from your measurements, you try the piece on and I correct the fit;
— a repeat of the same set in different fabric, from the pattern already drafted for your toy.
Usual turnaround is seven to fourteen days depending on the number of items; coats and shoes take the longest, because both are built in layers.
Fabric matters more at this scale than at any other. A print that looks small in the shop looks like a bedspread on a twelve-inch doll, and a cloth that is merely medium in weight turns a coat into a board. I work with fine cotton lawn, batiste, thin wool, soft jersey and light coating, keep the allowances narrow and the hem properly turned, and finish every seam, because thin cloth frays quickly on tiny seams and an unfinished outfit falls apart within a week of play. The back fastening is small hooks or snaps, set so a child's fingers can still reach them.
If the doll belongs to a little one who actually plays, I sew the set the safe way: no small buttons, no beads, no long ribbons or drawstrings. The fastening is hook-and-loop tape or one large snap, and everything is stitched down hard. No pins, no small findings and no loose trim are left in the finished piece, and I check each item twice before packing it.
What I can sew for you:
— a day dress or a two-piece set, cut to the measurements you send;
— a lined coat or jacket with a matching hat or bonnet;
— shoes built on a small last, so they hold their shape and go on easily;
— knitted pieces for a bear: sweater, scarf, cap, little trousers;
— bedding for a doll cot: mattress, pillow, blanket, sheet;
— wooden-style hangers and a drawstring bag for keeping the wardrobe tidy;
— a fitting stage: I sew from your measurements, you try the piece on and I correct the fit;
— a repeat of the same set in different fabric, from the pattern already drafted for your toy.
Usual turnaround is seven to fourteen days depending on the number of items; coats and shoes take the longest, because both are built in layers.
