Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Back in the Country: Backwoods Barbie

I actually made this outfit some time ago, but I never took pictures of it. It suits though that I waited until I was living more in the country to post it, since it's kind of a country girl look.
I started with some jeans shorts, using the pattern I used for the jeans in this post. I planned for these shorts to be worn by a doll with a Liv body, so I used my smallest version of the pattern, but neglected to account for the decreased stretch in this denim, so it doesn't fit Liv! Fortunately, the posable older style flat foot Barbie body has quite slim hips, so these fit Teresa very well.
To turn the jeans into cut-offs, I just cut the pattern piece short, and placed the hem line on the cut edge of the denim, which had already frayed just from handling.
The top is also from Simplicity 4702, with some slight alterations. The pattern instructs you to make a casing for the sleeves, but I just stitched on the elastic and turned it under. I used clear elastic to minimize bulk.
The neckline is supposed to be finished with a facing, with a bit of lace trim sandwiched in between the neckline and the facing. I skipped the lace altogether, and gathering the neckline into a facing seemed like an exercise in futility at this scale, so I just applied elastic in the neckline, just like the sleeves.
I added some elastic shirring under the bust for some shaping, and trimmed the empire line with polka dotted ribbon and a satin rosette.
I made a halfhearted effort to match the gingham at the side seams. It came close, so I'll take it. My walking foot doesn't like these teeny seam allowances, so I need to pin more. You can see the teeny rivets I included on the shorts. Teeny rivets (actually 2mm hotfix studs) make me happy.
She also got functional back pockets on her shorts. Her top closes in back with velcro. The gingham matches well back there!

3 comments:

Kathleen Cooper said...

The top is so pretty- snd I love those tiny pockets on the shorts

Alexa Shelton said...

So cute! I'm an advanced beginner sewer, and I'd like to try making some Barbie clothes. Do you have any suggestions for a good pattern or two to get me started?

Katie Deshazer said...

Barbie clothes are super fun! I've had really good luck with the current Simplicity patterns, particularly 4702 and 4719. They seem to fit the belly button Barbie really well. If you are looking to sew for the older Twist and Turn or vintage body with the smaller waist and broad shoulders, I've had great luck with vintage Advance patterns. They fit well and have great instructions. I've found them on Etsy for reasonable prices. There are tons of tutorials and free patterns online as well, but they vary as to their quality. I really like the tips that Sharon has posted on her blog though - http://sharonsews.blogspot.com/search/label/Barbie. They've helped me a lot.