Tag Archives: sewing

How Many Times Do You Practice Before Making Real Project?

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 #WIP #stillpractising

 

I’m making a project which design belongs to my favourite illustrator. The drawing is so cute and lots of details yet, few things are not clear enough. I couldn’t see what kind of collar she was intended to be. It was easy to assume it was just flat collar but I was not sure either, besides, i also added another consideration into my thought

There were kind of collars that i had to choose and some were fail. For each collar pattern, i practiced 2-3 times to sew the ribbon, then do fitting to see how the collar look on torso; if the look looked awkward, i put it on doll body. I wasn’t satisfied at all after some trials and decided to use another pattern, the one i was quite ‘pessimistic’ of how it would look. Apparently, it looked the best among other pattern I use. Yet, i was still not satisfied, so I modified the pattern a little bit. Each time, as i mentioned before, I practiced minimum 2 times to sew the ribbon on the collar.

Sewing the ribbon with that curve is not easy. There is techniques to try and of course need a concentration more than before to do it. Quality of ribbon affects, too. So, yess, I also tried some ‘different’ ribbons.

I practiced more than 15 times, trying about 5 patterns. Before making real project, i will make a prototype first using cheaper fabric. Last time, i was so sure to make on expensive fabric, the result wasn’t as expected. In a glance, it looks good but i’m not sure to represent it as ‘sell-able’ clothes (though I won’t sell my real project either…haha).

 

So, again, how many times did you practice before making a real project?

Or may be before that, Do you practice? Or sell right away to get money (even if the result is well not good? Or may be you believe it’s extraordinary work as someone still buys it?). I know some people who have extraordinary sewing skill that still do practice before selling and even they don’t, they still do a great job. I also know some people who have a not too good sewing skill and sell their messy handmade to get some quick money (no need to get offended. It’s reality. My friends have experience with that kind of people. So, i’m not talking bullshit here)

I’m not a professional seamstress, yet. Only selling a few. Yet, my soul is professional. My best friends who sew, too, AND not selling their handmade also have that professional soul. Even for ourselves, we want to do it correctly, well, properly, and decently. 

Real Doll For Quality Control of Handmade Doll Items

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Doll torso

I have  a bad experience when purchasing a hand-styled doll wig. The wig, when is put on my doll head, is unbalanced. The back-ties is more to the left. The crafter/stylist said it’s ok on her doll but i’m not sure if she has tested it on her doll head. She just showed me photos of the wig ,before being sent, on wig-stand (wood made, no face of doll, usually the wig elastic won’t be too tight when it is put there). Because of that, i asked her, did you test the wig you sent to me to your doll head. She didn’t respond to that, instead kept insisting that it was impossible that the wig was unbalanced without her  knowing. (Her wigs are usually ok but when it comes to ‘hand-style’ by her, it’s risky apparently. So, I will not buy her handmade-styled wig again. I will just buy her regular wig).

While chatting to my dear friend who shopped with me, I said few things. This is what I’m going to write here.

Do you see the pic before my write starts? Yes, A DOLL TORSO. Some people may use it to display clothes, to help when making doll clothes, etc. Yet, IS IT A VALID TOOL to represent a doll clothes? I will say, NO. Doll torso is a doll torso, we don’t know which exactly bjd size it is made. Is it eluts? is it volks? is it angellstudio? No, we don’t know. Even a clothes may look good when displayed on a doll torso, it doesn’t mean, it will look good when is put on doll body, and vice versa.

I, personally, use doll torso to help me sewing doll clothes (like to mark few things, to try arranging some decoration on clothes, and so on) and to give a rough look before I finish sewing and put it on real doll for real fitting. Yet, when it looks bad on doll torso, I don’t really take it seriously unless, it looks really really bad and not convincing, then I’ll take out my doll body even the sewing process is still half way. Using REAL doll to do quality control before my product is presented is a MUST. Even if it’s just for my own doll, not for sale, FITTING ON A REAL DOLL IS A MUST.

I asked the wig stylist whether she tried the wig she sent to me on a doll head because i know what is a wig stand. It has no face. So we don’t know where the nose is. We know, the nose is ‘dividing’ our face into two. It’s in the middle (normally). Wig stand has no eyes. The eyes of the doll, they are the ‘border’ of left and right face area that shouldn’t be covered by hair, unless it is the style; Even if it is, then the eyes position is important, too. Wig stand ball is not the same as doll head. The position of the top centre is different from real doll. The top centre of the doll head which will also be used as another control when putting a wig on it. Wig stand ball size as well as (again) shape are not as same as doll head. Even one doll head at one line of size can be differ in shape and size (8-9 inch, the doll head can be 8,8,5,9 inch). From what i see, it looks smaller (because it’s for display, it shouldn’t be ruin elasticity of the wig fabric). Using real doll is better as its size and shape are much more exact to ‘hold’ the wig fabric so it wouldn’t turn around when is being styled. Yet, even if someone still want to style wig on a wig stand, it is highly recommended to use real doll head for quality control because aside of shape and size, it has nose, eyes, and ‘exact’ top centre of the head. I think, when it comes to sell, someone has to make a sacrifice; use the available head to be used as quality control or buy a cheaper head but still at one line of size. We know there are few brands that sell less expensive than the other.

Our product may look the best or slightly best on different doll sometimes. That’s why, sometimes, we have to specific based on what doll size and BRAND (for exactly) we make this product. We can add warning that it may fit on other doll brand at same size line but can’t guarantee the same look and good fitting.

We can buy doll torso and wig stand, but we must have real doll if we want to sell doll items and use the doll for last quality control, even if it’s just head accessories or necklace. Believe me, it’s DIFFERENT.

Erasable Pen vs Erasable Spidol

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I use erasable pen for sewing doll clothes. It was ok until lately. First when i serge the project with the marking was still there. When i washed it, goodness! It was hard to disappear. Second, today. I used brocade fabric for the clothes. I thought, it would be ok, no problem. All i need was to soak it over night. But today, i found the mark was still there! It is even more difficult to remove. I’m trying special remover now. I used the same pen on cotton. It was ok! .

I think, from now on, i must test the pen even it’s ok on other fabric. I think, for some fabric, i prefer Erasable Spidol though. I think, the ‘water’ is still a lot more than the color liquid. It’s easier to be removed. Oh, there are other kind of erasable/washable marker, a pencil. I think, it’s also easier to be removed. Yet, again, must try it first before trying on a ‘particular’ fabric.

So far, the erasable pen is relatively easy to be removed if i used it on satin-like fabric, cotton, sheer. I haven’t tried it on canvas or medium fabric. I usually prefer spidol over pen when working with thicker fabric.

Balloon Skirt

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balloon skirt

 

one thing that my teacher didn’t teach me about balloon skirt ‘concept’ (and some other balloon skirts out there i found ) is that balloon means that this skirt must be filled with something so it looks filled or bubble, or blow from inside.

What I used is making inner skirt with ruffle lace (you can use tulle) inside.

1. the bottom: sew ruffled lace 2 layers close each other so it will be stronger to hold the bottom part of the skirt and give the ‘air’ effect on the bottom.

2. middle: no need to sew closely between layers.

3. top: sew ruffled lace 2 layers closed each other so the ballon effect is started at the top of the skirt.

 

Yukata-Back To Basic (Human Yukata)

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yukata

 

I have the book but i left it in my teacher’s house. So, i printed from internet. Anyway, after 3rd-not-so-satisfying patterns, i decided to use this pattern. I actually ‘learned’ about it but then since it was too confusing, i made it myself. And now, i went back to this pattern and tried to understand eventhough still a bit confusing. Result? With a bit different understanding, i found it that this is the BEST so far.

Yet

I’m also waiting for my purchased yukata. I want to know myself how a good-made-doll-yukata looks on my doll. I also want to know how they did the finishing, so if i want to make and sell yukata, my handmade quality will not be too faaaaar behind. (^O^)””’…

Craft/Sewing blog + Doll blog

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Since, i’m too busy to maintain 2 websites, temporarily (for may be forever…), www.cirquedulamprette.com and www.nichancraftroom.com will be united into one web which is www.nichancraftroom.com (which if you type it, you’ll be directed to this blog). I’m using two names because of branding thing. I want to separate my doll clothes work from nichancraftroom’s works (which is human size).

Check out the special section of CDL gallery or category for my writing about doll clothes upadate.

Thank you (^_^)d