Style 116

This stylish suit was inspired by the Hollywood costume designer Bill Travilla. He designed this costume for the 1981 made-for-TV movie "Evita Peron" starring Faye Dunaway.

Many of these photos have been lightened to show the detail better.

Click on any photo to make it larger. 

JACKET

I like to make patterns for all the fur pieces out of a manila file folder and trace around them.

Trim some of the fur out of the seam allowances.

Stitch the side and sleeve seams, leave the bottom of the sleeves open.

 Jacket and facing/lining stitched together.

 Pressing the seams open.

Pressing the lining seams open.

Hand stitch the sleeve lining and the fur sleeve together at the openings.

Stitching the cuff to the sleeve.

Hem line is basted 3/8" from the bottom of the jacket.

 Hem is hand stitched.

Baste the bottom of the lining to mark the hem.

Lining hem is pressed up.

Lining is hand stitched  1/4" from the bottom of the jacket.

Jacket is tacked at the shoulders.

"Frog" Placements

"Frogs" are Lazy Daisy stitches. 

Make sure the stitches are as close to the center as possible. 

Detail of snaps and beads. 

Inside view of the jacket to show how to keep the stitching as neat as possible. 

  Jacket snapped together.

Stitching the frog loops to fit the doll.  Make sure to finsh the skirt and fit the jacket with the skirt on the doll.

Knotting off the first loop. 

Fitting the second loop. 

Weaving the thread through the stitches on the inside of the jacket.

SKIRT

Cut  3/8" off the bottom of the skirt lining.

For more instructions on making the skirt, click here.

HAT

Fuse the interfacing to the center of the top of the hat. 

Hand gather around the top of the hat. 

Pull the gathers until they turn in.  Knot the thread and press. 

Lining pattern is traced onto Wonder-under and it is fused onto a scrap of lining.  Cut out.

Remove the paper backing from the Wonder-under and fuse the lining onto the wrong side of the top of the hat. 

Interfacing is fused to the hat crown along the markings.

Press up one end of the crown along the markings.

A narrow strip of Wonder under is fused to the top of the crown.  Press down the top of the crown.

Remove the paper backing from the Wonder-under and fuse the top of the crown down.  Fold up one end of the crown and whip stitch.

  Hand stitch the crown to the top of the hat.

Fold back the other end of the crown.

Cut off the extra part of the crown.

Whip stitch the end down.  I used a different piece of thread to do this.

Finish stitching the crown to the top of the hat. 

Stitch the ends together.

Mark the veil placement 1" - 1 1/8" on each side of the center back of the hat.

Hand gather both ends of the veil.

Tack the veil to the hat.

The end of the veil will point towards the front of the hat so when the veil is flipped right side out the stitching will be hidden. 

Veil is flipped right side out.

Adjust the veil.

The feathers are stitched right next to the veil on the right side of the hat.  Add a small dab of glue to secure the feathers.

PURSE

  Stitch the side of the purse.

Hand gather the bottom of the purse. 

  Stitch through the bottom of the gathers to secure the bottom of the purse.

Whip stitch the top of the purse down.  Before knotting off, pull the thread a little to close up the top of the purse. 

Make small knots on each end of the ribbon handle.

Stitch above the knot on each side of the purse.  Turn the purse right side out.

Style 115

 This adorable dress was inspired by a costume worn by January Jones in "Mad Men".

I love this design.

For more information about this outfit click here.

Click on any picture to make it bigger.

 Center front bodice pieces sewn together.

View from the wrong side

Sleeve hems have been finished, pressed up.  Ease stitch the top of the sleeves.

Bodice lining stitched to the bodice front.  I did not line the sleeves, to reduce bulk.

Notice how the front seam allowances are directed towards the center front.

Bottom of the bodice lining has been stitched and pressed up.

Bodice lining neckline has been under stitched.

Inside view of the dress.  Lining has been tacked to the bodice front at the seams.

Lining has been tacked at the shoulder seams.  Sleeves are hand hemmed.

Snaps

Measure from the table up to mark the skirt.  Make sure your doll is standing up straight.

Sew the snap to the back of the belt.  I like to offset the belt a little to keep the two snaps at the waist from being right on top of each other.

Pin the extra belt up to make the bow.

Underside of the belt with the bow knot.

Belt with bow

Belt on dress.

Style 114

This stylish suit was inspired by the 1965 classic "Sound of Music". The Baroness Elsa Schroeder wore this suit in the film.  Pattern includes instructions for the suit, and blouse.

For more information about this outfit, click here.

Click on any picture to make it larger.

JACKET

 

 

Sides sewn to the center fronts and center back.  Neckline stay-stitched

 

Cuff sandwiched between the sleeve and the sleeve lining.  Lining under-stitched

 

Lining hem is stitched 1/4" up from the jacket bottom.

 

Tucks at the front facings

 

Faux buttonholes

 

Buttons

 

 

SKIRT

 

Cut 3/8" off the bottom of the skirt lining.

 

Under-stitch the lining at the waist

 

Lining under-stitched at the hem.

 

The shorter lining makes the shirt hem.

 

Hand stitch the back opening

 

 

BLOUSE

 

Blouse lining pinned to the blouse.

 

Gathering line on the peplum

 

Peplum gathered

 

Bow and tail (I called the tail a tie on the pattern, but they are the same thing)

 

Center of the bow marked

 

I gathered the bow with two different needles on each side of the bow's center.

 

Tail gathered, one side is shorter than the other.

 

Bow, tail and knot.

 

Bow assembled

 

Tack the bow to the peplum and shape the bow with pins or hand stitch.