Dollieh Sanctuary

Ok, those who've read about that donation call for Barbie stuff for an eight year old will recognize what some of this is about. The first day after I read the post was Store Day, so didn't have time for anything else then. I started the day right after, but lost more time than I thought I would retracing old faded patterns, picking out material, cutting pieces, etc. I have all the prep work done for all the pieces I'd like to sew, which are probably more than I'll have time to do.

My sewing machine is currently down, so I'm handsewing. It takes me around four hours to sew each item. I'm slow and out of practice. Also, I had to restart the lab coat at one point because of a bad choice of fabric - it started fraying apart when I started sewing it, and I don't have Fray-check and can't get any within the deadline limit.

It's now early AM on the 22, I have to have this in the mail by the 26th, so it has to be finished up the 25th at the latest so I can catch the mailman or hike to the nearest Blue Box if I miss him. So... here are a few pictures that are partly showing off and partly to encourage me to try to sew faster and keep going. All were quickly snapped while checking to make sure the clothes actually fit well on the doll I intend to send. Yesterday' work (the 20th, really) is first because that's been washed, dried, and tried on. Today's work is still drying, so I'll have to post it tommorrow. The last day's I guess I'll have to take a hair dryer to. XD

Stuff I have cut out to possibly make: Labcoat, tube top, fleece sweater, tie-dye top, pink formal dress, denim pants, denim knee-shorts, floral-print t-shirt, sweatshirt, white t-shirt, tank top, yellow check sundress. Total items 12. There's almost no way I'll get them /all/ done, the trick is to get as many done as I can, and prioritize.

20th's work:
Tube Top


Tie-Dye Shirt

Update. The 21st got the sweater done, sans adding velcro, and the dress done also sans fasteners and bottom hem. The last bits were done the 22nd. Here those are:

Fleece sweater:


Formal dress:


The velcro on the back of the dress is a bit misaligned due to distractions, but it still fastens just fine - I couldn't get it back off to try to adjust it.

Then disaster struck. I sewed the pants according to the pattern, but the result...


They're even a little baggy on Obi-Wan. I don't know what went wrong. I can't send those to a kid, though. And I can't send all tops and no bottoms - the denim shorts are out too, as they came from the same pattern.

It's now 2 am on the 23'd, and I'm going to hunt around for a fix for this. As a note, I also have two more tops and the labcoat partly done.

They look like comfy sweat pants. Gather the ankles and put a school logo along one of the legs. Maybe try a pair without the seam allowance?

*just woke after being up till nearly noon sewing* They might pass for sweatpants on a Ken, if done in a different fabric. I already have a better pair of denim pants cut and stitched up except for elastic and hemming. After the Marathon I might take the defective pair apart and re-cut the pieces to make a pair of jeans to keep.

7 items to go, all of them except the sweatshirt at least partly sewn... so today should make up for the lack of 'completes' yesterday, barring further incident.

I really did think the pattern looked awfully wide while I was sewing it, but just thought to myself 'Eh, it's been over a decade since you've really done more than patch holes in things, and it's a storebought pattern', and went on.

Quick update: Finished new pants (they fit!), hemming tank top, lab coat just needs collar, side seams, and bottom hem. Photos coming after I feel decently caught up.

Quick update: tank top just needs velcro, last hem being done on floral-print t-shirt, realized I forgot to even draft the pockets for the labcoat...

Quick update: White t-shirt and sweatshirt now only need hems, side-seams, and velcro. In other words, all those bleeping inset sleeves are now done. One pocket on labcoat, two more to be hemmed and added. Floral top just needs velcro. Sundress just needs hems and straps and velcro. My eyeballs hurt.

Quick update: Just woke up. Cut LAST two pieces for labcoat, a pattern that is now up to a total of 12 pieces (unless I miscounted), and I don't even really know what that silly little strap across the back is FOR, but my labcoat has it so this one gets one. Other remaining clothes just need hems, side seams, and velcro. This is the LAST day to get sewing done so package can be in the mail in time to meet deadline. Had a very panicky few moments of not being able to find my postal scale, but it turned up.

Also, a few notes:

The tube top only fits twist waist Barbie. The tie-dye top and sweater also fit Fashionista/bellybutton Barbies (among others). The pink dress is too loose in the bust on Fashionista but fits twist-waist. Others have not been test-fitted on other dolls yet. Pending...

Photos also pending, just haven't taken a break to grab the camera.

Also, I use a paper-piecing trick when I sew to help manage little pieces and get my seams nice and exact. This is experimental and needs some refinement.

Known issues:

Difficultly removing all of the paper from darts or under the thread on the inside of fabric. I did get almost all of it off, but there are a couple tiny stubborn bits. Sorry about that, but they are harmless.

White glue washout does not seem to be complete with all pieces. Fabric seems slightly stiff on a couple as if starched. I will handwash all items again in warm soapy water and rinse them out good and use the blowdryer to get them dry (insufficient air-dry time) before packing.

Quick update: Jabbed myself with the needle getting the labcoat collar on, but managed not to bleed on anything important. 5 side seams, 3 1/2 hems, and 8 pieces of velcro away from completion! I might actually make it.

I apologize for all the spammy short updates. I won't do something like that again, and don't really know what I was thinking there. I'd just delete them, but that would possibly make things worse... Anyhow, I'm done, here are the pictures.

Pants - also have a small white letter B painted in the inside back of the hem because it's always a little hard telling the front from the back of some Barbie pants.


The sundress - turned out better than I thought it would


MIT Tank top


MIT Sweatshirt


Floral T-shirt


Chick With Brains T-Shirt - I somehow missed getting a pic of this on the actual doll being sent, but it's the same pattern as the floral shirt above, so it fits. Here's a pic of it on Angela when I was doing tests to see what patterns fit multiple doll bodies. She has a LIV body, just as reference.


The Lab Coat - my camera died (dead batteries) right after the first pic, so fuzzy pic of the back logo had to be taken with the webcam.



About the tests on multiple dolls - except for the tube top and the formal dress, everything sent also fits well on a newer bellybutton/Fashionista Barbie, and also for the most part on LIV. The Lab coat will also fit well on a LIV Male, so presumably would also fit Ken (I didn't think to try, and it's all packed now). So it should work out to a decent range of clothing.