Elise Dress Tutorial

I recieved this Madame Alexander Elise for Christmas.

She came in her gold ballerina tutu.

Elise  borrowed this pink stripe Miss Revlon 

Dress.  Now she needs a dress 

of her own!

Let me start by saying I am not really a seamstress.

I am a craft sewer.  I don't do things correctly, I just

make it up as I go along!

I started the dress with this Tee-shirt pattern.

Feel free to print it.  It should be 8.5 x 11".

Stick with me and you'll see how

I turn it into a dress bodice.

Here are my fabrics.  The white is left over from

an earlier Elise dress I made.

This is that original Elise that I sold.

(I know, what a dummy!)

This white fabric has embroidered flowers.

I made sure the fold for the front of the blouse

was centered on those flowers.

Front and back cut out.

Sew shoulders with right sides together.

Press seams flat.

FOR THE CUFF.

I cut about an inch wide piece of the flower 

fabric and as wide as the sleeve.

I wanted a divot cuff on the sleeves.

I turned the cuff inside out and cut a slit.

Then I sew a VEE around the cut I made.

Turn right side out and push scissor tip into corner

to make it square.

Press.

The following is my own weird

way to add a cuff and collar.

Cuff is sewn on right side of fabric.

Then fold cuff back.

Zig-zag along the fold.

Then fold back over right side and press. 

Now we have this.

Next I turn the bodice inside out 

and sew side seams. I sew from

the bottom hem to the sleeve/cuff.

When I reach the cuff end I backstitch.

To create tucks for shape, I pin the bodice 

on my doll inside out. Pin closed  in the back.

Then I pinch a tuck on each side.

The pin is my sewing depth.

Using my eye I sewed an arc along my pin.

Press.

Next I wanted a collar to match my cuffs.

I cut out two rectangles of my fabric

Folded over and hemmed the ends.

Always press.

I cut the collars in a slight curve to match my neckline.

Again, JUST LIKE THE CUFFS

I sewed the collar on the right side, then folded

it back and back again over the front of the neckline.

Bodice done! 

Now for the skirt.

I used the Miss Revlon Skirt for size.

This skirt is 42" wide by 8" deep.

My fabric was only 39" wide, 

so I cut a rectangle 39" by 8".

For the hem I fold over 2" and press.

Fold under a 1/8th inch and press.

Sew along the pressed fold to hem.

Next the top of the skirt needs to be gathered.

For those who don't know...

HOW TO GATHER FABRIC

(This is not my skirt, but just

an illustration for those who don't know)

Sew along gather edge with a long length stitch.

Tie a knot in the threads on the right. 

The knot will stop the thread from being

pulled all the way through.

Gently pull the bottom thread on the left

to gather the fabric.  

Sew the skirt to the bodice with right sides together.

I then do a zig-zag stitch to finish my seam.

Here is the skirt sewn to the bodice.

That excess fabric on the left I cut away.

I fold the back of the collar into the 

back opening. Sew the skirt closed

and DONE!

Here 

Is 

Elise's

New 

Dress!!!

Here she is! 

I love this fabric!

Very pretty.

One more thing!!

My DH was helping me look for fabric.

I gave him the job to hunt down

Pink Gingham

This is what he found!

I love it.

This is what I made with it...

A school skirt paired with a white blouse.

I love the little daisys!

It is still a bit cool, so

Elise will need a coat!

The blouse and swing coat are pieces

I have had in my doll clothes

collection for years.

It is perfect for taking her dachshund, 

Lacey, for walks.

Lacey was also a Christmas gift

from my Mother in law.

She is also a doll collector!