Blouse and Skirt: Prototype finished

This is a mockup (although wearable) of a vintage blouse and skirt set for the Resinsoul body.

I based it on a sewing pattern cover from 1940 reproduced in Blueprints of Fashion: Home Sewing Patterns of the 1940s.

I made this mockup out of cotton voile. I think it is a good choice for the blouse, although it is sheer and maybe too lightweight for the skirt.

The gathered detail on the blouse yields an interesting front pattern piece: it is cut on the fold, but a section on either side of the center front are gathered up. 

The angled piece at the top left side is the top of the armscye; the horizontal piece below is gathered up, pulling the curved bottom part of the armscye into alignment with the top part.

My first attempt here rides too high above the bust point, and creates a fold across the bodice that make it look like a yoke. Also, the print fabric disguises the cool details. The next version will be a solid color.

I will move the slit to near the bottom of the armscye, and make the slits not as close to the center front of the blouse. I will also maybe widen the gathered section just a bit to accommodate this doll's generous bosom.

It closes in the center back with three snaps.

The sleeves are gathered at the cap and the wrist. I will make the cuffs just a little bit bigger around next time, and maybe narrow them a little bit. I could barely fit the snaps on.

The skirt is an 8 gore style, and will have pockets on the final version. I made this mockup to close on the left side, but this doll is so skinny that the pockets would overlap that opening. The final version will have pockets and close in the center back.

This waistband is a little too wide, and it also rides a little high. I will lower the top of the skirt a little bit, narrow the waistband, and include belt loops. I think the middle of the waistband should lie at the natural waist. I cut the waistband on the bias and I think it works well.

The length of the skirt is good. The final version will be lined.

Dog Pose-off!

I finally got around to the Dog Photo Shoot.

Here ya go!

Very Hairy: Obitsu dog Mark II: Final report

Finally finished the dog. I did the head three times. Finally chose to use just the dark brown patches on the faux rabbit skin, and trimming it all down before sewing except for the nape of the neck, the ears, and a section for a beard. This version of the head had no seam allowance added from my masking-tape pattern. So it was really tight going on, but I think it looks plausible.

I used a scrap of silk satin, interface fused to the right side (so the wrong, less shiny side is visible) and I welted it with a tiny bias strip of cotton voile in dark brown, to give the dog lips, to hide my crappy stitching, and to prevent the red from rolling out of the mouth for the "dog in lipstick" effect of a previous attempt.  I'll confess to using a Sharpie marker to color over some of my visible stitching.

The only way I would consider covering the feet would be with a thin 4 way stretch fabric, seam located on the top of the foot/front of the lower leg. Then you'd have to attach it to the bottom of the furred section.

Ain't gonna happen: I'm happy with her little clear paws sticking out.

This is a picture of her scratching. That clear bit sticking out of all the fur is a back paw. 

I've decided to name her SooSoo.

So, if you take the other (partially covered) Obitsu dog, called Obi (for Oberon), 

and put the names together you get.

Obi-Soo, which is more or less like Obitsu. So there.

Very Hairy: Obitsu dog Mark II. Progress Report 2

Fought the head. Fought the head again. 

Finally decided I really really need red felt (something that does not stretch, does not fray and is a bit stiff) for the inside of mouth. I know I put it in my shopping cart in the fabric store but it did not make it home. Oh well.

Believe it or not, the only things exaggerated on the fabric head are the ears. I trimmed the fur back from the face, revealing Dog Freckles! Oh well.

Here she is, one front leg and one back leg left to go, and the head to finish.

I finally twigged to the idea that some of the fur is longer in some places, and some shorter. So I took advantage of that and chose the longest, hairiest parts for the legs.

Now, that's one HAIRY leg. Gillette is drooling, I'm sure.

I decided to leave the back of the joint completely free of fabric and fur, just stabilizing the fur placement with a couple pieces of thread.

I made the pattern to extend just past the first joint of the leg, since the fur would hang down and cover most of the rest of the leg.

One of the cool things about these Obitsu dogs is their ability to stand and pose, which comes from the mobility of their joints. So covering the foot would make an unstable surface to stand on and would also not allow the leg to bend as much. Bending like this

is essential for the dog to crouch. And I am pleased to report that the my plan worked and the leg bends nearly this much, even covered in excessive amounts of fur.

Here's the dainty foot peeking out.

Very Hairy: Obitsu dog Mark II. Progress Report 1

Worked some more on making a second furry Obitsu dog today. I have a yard of fake rabbit fur from Distinctive Fabric. Most of it will go to doll clothes, but some for the dog project.

I masking-taped the dog over saran wrap, cut the tape off, and used the pieces for a pattern. Look up Duct Tape Double for the basic idea.

I marked the direction of the fur on both sides of the pattern pieces.

Cut out the fur from the wrong side, with the pattern pieces face down.

Stitch together with an overcast stitch. This fur is pretty good quality, so the cut edges don't come apart too much.

If your stitches are tight enough, it looks pretty good from the right side.

Here are the torso pieces all stitched together and the torso laid in place.

This jointed dog model has shoulder and hip joints that are very mobile. I want to preserve that mobility as much as I can, so I cut holes in the torso fabric. 

The yellow pins mark the center of the holes.

 Look! A Hole!

As I sewed the torso fur in place, I left the legs attached to the body, since I wanted to make sure the holes stayed lined up. A good thing I did, since my belly seam at the front of the torso is not quite on the bottom of the dog. No worries. All that hair hides a lot.

The torso, tail, head, and each leg are all sewn separately. Everything but the legs are slipstitched in place while on the dog.

I had previously made a head from the swatch of fur I originally got. I tried putting a mouth in but did not like the "lipstick on the dog" effect I got. 

I will redo the head.

Next is covering the legs. I have no idea if this will work at all. I am pretty sure I'll need to eliminate any fabric (not just fur) on the back of the legs where the joint is. I may also trim the fur short on the torso behind the shoulders and hips. I may also need to make the torso-holes larger.

Dresser, gussied up and ready to go.

I finally picked up a cheap piece of pre-fab trim from the local craft store. It did not take the stain as well as the unfinished wood drawer units, but it'll do.

I'm not totally pleased with the final effect. The trim in the middle is too light and the stain did not take evenly on the drawers. The bottom drawer is particularly awful. So I'd suggest painting stuff like this instead.

Speaking of painting, I had fun obsessing over faux Delft drawer pulls: I painted the already attached knobs with white acrylic paint, painted a blue blob, and then put a couple coats of clear acrylic gloss.

They are pretty primitive, but because the design is simplistic, I could reproduce it three more times.

I used cardstock to line the drawers. It is easier to handle than paper is and glues in place with out warping or anything.

With the doll, for scale.

Sidetracked!

I am easily sidetracked. If you read the last post, chock full of plans, you can have a good laugh.

Last night I glued together some cardboard, this morning I sawed some dowels, and played with saran wrap and masking tape.

Three layers of cardboard glued together with yellow wood glue, and a doll's foot precariously balanced on a sawed up piece of dowel.

The sole and foot wrapped in plastic wrap, covered with masking tape, and the uppers drawn on in pencil.

The upper cut off and trimmed.

Then I played with masking tape some more.

I wrapped my clear Obitsu dog in plastic wrap, then encased him in masking tape.

Masking tape shells cut off

I made a flat pattern by strategically cutting the masking tape shell. I marked the direction of the fur on the shell before I cut it off.

I had enough of beige artificial rabbit fur (a sample I requested from Distinctive Fabrics) to do the head and the tail. I have more of the fake fur on the way.

When I turned the head inside out, it looked like a horrible mistake.

So I groomed the head a little bit. The ears are not very distinct but smoothing some fur up makes them look more plausible. I need to stitch some red felt or something in his mouth. And maybe add a tongue!

 and then I draped the poor dog in scraps to get an idea of the finished product.

Then I did it again, because once was not enough.
This one makes me howl with laughter every time I see it.

Zombie electrocuted mutant wolf cat? No clue.