Polka Dot Project - The Little Mommy

Despite the lack of activity seen on my page and in my store, I have indeed been busy at my sewing and embroidery machines.  Thread was a flyin' for weeks but most of my holiday embroideries literally were parceled out as gifts for family and friends.  Finally as we jump into January and days begin to lengthen once again, I can take the opportunity to feature some of my projects.

First on my list was finding a "not so creepy" baby doll for our 18 month old granddaughter for Christmas.   I was actually looking forward to purchasing something that wasn't going to require batteries, a charger and a computer technician for a change.  It seemed as though it would be a pretty easy undertaking.  After the sleigh stopped in to the 3rd store in one day I wasn't so sure.  Maybe I'm just particular but it didn't seem to me that there were that many options.

I settled finally on this -  

a sweet little Cabbage Patch Newborn.  They smell like baby powder.  Of course that is no surprise to anybody that ever owned one but I raised 2 sons and soccer balls smell like, well, leather.  This doll is one of a set of "surprise" twin dolls packaged together. I didn't really need 2 Cabbage Patch babies but when grandma waits until mid December to find a doll, the choices are obviously quite limited.  Not wanting to head on to store number 4, into the cart they went.

Well then, knowing our dear little granddaughter, you can't just come away with a doll or two and not have all the proper accouterments.  Hmmmm!  No adorable baby doll ensemble on any shelf.  The cabbage leaf outfit was cute but I knew that wasn't going to be enough our budding little mommy and G'ma wasn't satisfied with the limits of that and the lone gender neutral t-shirt in the box either.

Thus the beginning of the doll clothes insanity.  Like I had TIME for this the 3rd week of December.

It wasn't so much that they were high on the difficulty scale it was that I had to make two of everything.  Ah!  But I was happy with the final result below, cute and adorable I think for sure.

Piper Quinn in Simplicity pattern 3572
Spray adhesive is your friend when you are trying to put a zipper in knit fabric.

In the Hoop Doll Dresses
Found this free online design sized as a top for an American
Doll but worked perfectly as a little dress with ribbon sash
 for
Piper Quinn and Jillian Reilly

You can't be a little mommy without a diaper
bag and a couple bibs.

Thanks G'pa for giving up a new t-shirt - I didn't have to hem
the sleeves or bottom of knit - just used the one from the shirt.

 

Well here's Jillian in her garden party dress.  This was originally created as a top sized appropriately for an American Girl doll but worked perfectly for the Cabbage Patch Newborns as a dress.

Embroidered on my Brother 8"x14" hoop.

After a little searching on a few sewing blogs I found this design FREE!  The Dress was done in 2 hoopings on tearaway stabilizer and then sewn by machine along the side seams and shoulders.  All edges were beautifully satin stitched including the scalloped hem.  I added a ribbon sash and didn't even need buttons or snaps on the back.  It easily closes with a simple bow.

As you can probably imagine, all this was way more than a couple days work.

Why you might ask don't I have a picture of the twins together?  Well .... it was decided on Christmas Day that we would separate the twins at birth so Miss Isabelle could take one baby home with her.  As you can see in the picture below, she is a very good mommy.