Never Throw Away an Old Wallet! Doll Purse & Shoes Tutorial & Free Pattern

Ever heard the old adage, "Waste not, want not!" My mom used to say that to me all the time. And it stuck. In the case of this doll purse and shoes, never throw away an old wallet even if it's looking worn. After I purchased a new wallet and emptied my old wallet out, I looked at the fabric and decided that it was only the edges that were worn so why not use the other parts to make a doll purse and coordinating shoes?  Waste not, want not! 

I'll admit that my first attempt at sewing this idea failed.  The shoes were too small for my doll and the purse turned out okay, but was kind of boring looking.

Another thing my mother always taught me was to "try, try again."  So, try I did. For round two, I purchased another faux leather wallet (though any type fabric may work if you'd like to go for a different look) for $1.50 from a thrift store and finally, I created a winning combination. So, here's how my second attempt turned out...

To get started, you'll first need to cut up the wallet.  

• With sharp scissors, cut the wallet apart as close to the seams as possible.
• Put a size 14 needle into your sewing machine.
• Using a scrap of your "faux" leather, test the needle on the leather to make sure this is the right size for your leather.
• Download the free doll shoe and doll purse pattern HERE.
  
  
  

HOW TO MAKE THE DOLL PURSE:

 

1. Sew together the front seam.
2. Sew together the bottom of the purse.
3. Clip curves.
4. Sew the buckle onto the center of the purse.

5.  Reinforce the buckle by stitching from both sides.

6.  Sew on the handles on both sides of the bag.

HOW TO MAKE DOLL SHOES:

Trace your doll's foot.  Make the tracing 1/8" larger than the doll's foot for your pattern.

1. Cut out cardboard; 2 each for the lining
2. Cut from the faux leather; 1 each for soles

To assemble:

1. Sew the back seam together using 1/4" seam.  
2. Sew the strap together.
3. Trim seam.
4. Glue cardboard to soles.
5. Glue body of the shoe to the soles.
6. Sew small buttons onto the outside of the shoe.

Have fun cutting up your old wallets!  I'm wondering if this pattern would be cute if I cut it out of felt. Hum, maybe that will be my next project.  For one more way to use an old wallet, see this POST.  - xoxo Grandma

Shared at:  The Dedicated House, Nap-time Creations, Creating My Way to Success, as seen on Sewing Gossip  

Baby Clothes Refashioned into Doll Clothes

Just in case you didn't see this post that I created for Mother's Niche on turning baby clothes into doll clothes, today I'm going to show you how to easy this is to do.  These two outfits designed for American Girl Dolls are super easy projects for beginner sewers.   

To get started, you'll need the following: scissors, seam ripper, thread, a needle or a sewing machine and baby clothes of course.

Project #1: Baby Top into a Doll Dress
Skill Level:  Beginner
Need: A baby shirt preferably one with a 1/2+" casing along the neck

I decided the appliqued apple was too large for this doll so I unpicked it.  Hopefully you won't need to do that step.  Follow the steps below:

Project #2:  Onesie into a Doll Sized Maxi
Skill Level:  Intermediate  
Need:  Infant onesie - I used a 6 month size  

Follow the steps below:

To finish up this maxi dress, add about 1 1/2" velcro to both sides of the back opening (see step 7). Turn your dress right side out, iron it and be amazed that you can make doll clothes without spending hardly anything.

Are you ready to dig out those old baby clothes and see what you can do with them?
Trust me, your child will think you are amazing when you tell them that their "new" doll clothes were once things they wore.  - xoxo Grandma

Summer Ramblings and a Few Newborn Creations

It's been a busy summer for me.  I attended a family reunion at the beach and a few weeks later a big high school reunion.  Last week, my husband and I celebrated our 37th anniversary at my favorite coastal town in Oregon.  On top of all these activities, instead of wishing my family was close by, they've actually been around a lot this summer! As you can imagine, I've been enjoying a house full of children and grandchildren.  

At the end of July, my son's family was able to leave the country were they've been living in tumultuous circumstances and come back to America.  This weekend, my son finally gets to leave that same country and join his family here too!  What a relief it will be to this mother's heart to have his family all together in the U.S.  

Later this week, I'll kiss my youngest daughter and her family goodbye as they journey over 6,000 miles away to live for a few years, while her husband serves in the military.  I keep wondering if my children and grandchildren couldn't try living a little closer to us?  Of course, I realize that their oversea adventures just means I have some pretty cool, new places to visit.

This past month, I discovered a few fun things.  One discovery was a great little fabric store in Cannon Beach, Oregon called Center Diamond Fabric, where I purchased two wonderful batik seahorse fabrics - I'm excited to show you these fabrics and make something adorable for my granddaughters out of them!

I also learned that the clothes I make for my newborn grandbabies look much cuter on the babies than on my clothes line.  I know, not much of a surprise with that discovery. Remember the lace shoes I embellished for my granddaughter to coordinate with the lace dress I refashioned?  Here are a few photos of that outfit on this baby girl.  Isn't she precious?

Stay tuned, because I just finished another sundress and the cutest outfit for this little one, so she'll have plenty of outfits to wear in her new home overseas.  I'll post those photos later when my house gets a little quieter!    - xoxo Grandma

Refashioning 3 Jeans + 2 Sweatshirts = Slow Progress

When refashioning three pairs of jeans, two sweatshirts and leftover fabric from a men's dress shirt, this jacket took about FIVE weeks of off-again, on-again sewing....not the TWO hours that the pattern stated! To be fair to this pattern, if I hadn't cut-up so many articles of clothing, it surely would have taken me less time... at least that's what I'm thinking.  Next time, maybe I'll find a large cozy blanket to refashion into a jacket. But I'll wait until next fall.  I'm certainly not in the mood to sew this pattern again. At least not for a while.  

I think my problem stemmed from starting this jacket when it was still chilly but once the weather hit the mid 60's, I kind of lost interest in finishing it.  Now that it's finally done, I love how it looks. But it wasn't the right size for me, so I gave it to one of my sweet sisters-in-law. Doesn't it look great on her?

I love how the gray fabrics look with her hair. Alas, I will not be attempting such a pretty blazer for quite some time. But if you're feeling up to the challenge, let me know if you need some tips. In the meantime, this photo sums up how I'm feeling about making this: 

- xoxo Grandma

Shared:  Creating My Way to Success

Easy Back to School Skirt - A Refashion & a Tutorial

A ruffle on the bottom and side pockets make this a great back to school skirt.  Starting this project with shirts you no longer wear, make this an economical project. Not only is this skirt economical to make but it's also super easy to sew together because half of your seams are already sewn!  One more version of this skirt can be seen HERE.

Here's a list of what you'll need to make this skirt:

• Knit women's tee shirt (main skirt fabric) 
• One additional tee shirt or an old camisole 
• Scissors
• Ruler
• 1" wide elastic
• Coordinating thread

1.  Fold  your shirt in half making sure the hem lines up.  Measure off the length of the desired skirt.

2.  Cut off shirt right below the bottom of the arm hole.

3.  From a camisole or another knit shirt, cut (3-4) 1 1/2" stripes.

4.  This is what all fabric pieces will look like. once cut.

5.  Cut apart at the seam each of the 1 1/2" fabric stripes.

6.  At a diagonal, sew the stripes together to form one large continual circle.

7.  Determine the center of the ruffle fabric - 3/4"

8.  Down the center of the ruffle circle, sew a basting stitch all around the fabric.

9.   Unpick about 5-6 inches from the top of each side seam.  Pin a pocket to each side.

10. Sew the straight edge of the pocket to the skirt.

11. Gather the ruffle and pin it along the bottom. I lined the bottom of the ruffle to the bottom stitch on the hem.

12.  Sew the ruffle to the skirt. 

13.  This image shows one pocket sewn to the skirt and the opposite pocket pinned.

14.  Right sides together, pin the pocket and then sew around the edge at 1/4".

15.  Pin the side seams at the top and bottom of the pocket.

16.  Stitch the top seam and the bottom seam.

17.  I like to stitch the bottom of the pocket together twice to make the pocket stronger.

18.  Finish the top edge of the skirt with a serger or an overlapping stitch.  Fold down 1.25" from the top of the skirt to form a casing.  Stitch close to the edge of the casing.  Make sure to leave a 1/2 - 1" opening!

19.  Thread 1" elastic through the casing.  I use a safety pin to help push the tread through the opening.

20.  Overlap the elastic and sew it together. 

That's it! Your easy back-to-school skirt should be done.  It's super cute, right? You and your child (or grandchild) will be so proud that you made this stylish skirt for them!

Shared:  Threading My Way, Creating My way to Success, Snickerdoodle Sunday

Precious Purse - Fit for a Doll

A girl has to accessorize! Well, this little precious purse is perfect to make for your doll.  I found the free pattern HERE and changed it up a little by adding a fabric flower, whose edges were melted using a candle and embellished with tiny seed beads for the center.  Cut out flowers using THIS free pattern.

 

1.  Sew together the main purse pieces - leaving a small opening in the bottom of the lining of the purse.

2.  Clip curves.

3.  Turn the right sides of the front of the purse and sew together.

4.  Once the purse is turned, this is what your purse will look like. 

5.  I used book rings that I already had and looped the ribbon over the handles.  In the photo below, I found a scrapbook ring which also works for the handles.

6.  Hand sew the handles by looping the tab piece over the ring.

7.  Sew the flower onto the purse, making sure you only sew the flower to the front side of the purse.

8. For the purse handle, do one of the following:

• Sew together a piece to 1 1/2"  x 9 1/4"strip of fabric, turn right side out.
• Sew together 1 1/2" x  9 1/4" of ribbon, sew sides together.  No need to turn the ribbon, it'll look great.
• Use 1/4" velveteen ribbon 9 1/4" long onto the metal rings.

Add a necklace, bracelet and a lace jacket (as shown in the first photo) and your doll will be set for Fall.

- xoxo Grandma 

Shared at: Lou Lou Girls

Doll Skirt from a Lace Doily - A Tutorial

Back-to-school shopping is in full force over here! If your little students are wanting something new for their doll to wear too, then find a lace doily and let's get started:

1.  Fold doily into fourths.  With a fabric marker, draw an arch about 2 inches down from the center. 

2.  With fabric folded, cut out the arch along your lines.

3.  Open up your doily and make sure the circle goes around your doll’s waist.

4.  Finish off the cut fabric by folding extra wide seam tape around the cut edge.  Sew close to the edge of the seam tape.

5.  Measure the doll’s waist and cut elastic ½” longer.  Thread the elastic through the seam tape casing.

6.  Stitch the elastic together.

7.  Stitch the opening to the casing closed.

Dress you doll in her new skirt and enjoy! - xoxo Grandma
Shared at: Lou Loug Girls, The Dedicated House