Cinderella's Capsule Wardrobe

This is an extra fashion post to my usual Sunday afternoon article. 

I am a designer at heart. Of course, so far I have four patrons who require my constant services: three little Poodles and a fifty-five year-old doll, Cinderella. This post covers designs for my beloved 'Rella'.

Sometime last year, I started creating a capsule wardrobe, a group of interchangeable pieces. Quite a few months later--I skipped a few working on this--I'm finished!

Starting out, I was was aiming for a resort type wardrobe. I ran out of steam before I got a swim suit and a coverup done (next year maybe?). This turned into an early spring to late summer wardrobe for a doll who doesn't like to swim.

She is a doll of the early 60's and I wanted this grouping to play that up. I recycled old clothes from my closet to create her wardrobe. They mainly were:

• an denim Woolrich jumper
• a Eddie Bauer chambray dress with faggoting trim
•  and old white blouse I made for my daughter but it was just HUGE and even though it was authentic YSL fabric she never wore it. 

The main problem sewing for this doll is that I don't really have patterns to fit her (she's 29" and pretty slim). Thank goodness for Photoshop because I am able to resize any doll pattern that I have.  Still, I usually have to make a few changes. 

It's time to get started..........

The first thing I made was a lined hooded swing jacket with cuffed clam digger pants. Accessories for this look are black leather ballet flats with bows, a navy leather bag and a simple beaded necklace and bracelet set. I made all the accessories, shoes and bags because you just aren't going to find things for a doll of this size. Ebay has nice selections of leather scraps and they suit my purpose just fine. 

Earrings are the exception because I can find them in small sizes. Pearl earrings are the easiest, I just use two of my pearl ended straight pins. 

The triangles at the bottom of the side seams are there for a reason. My jumper wasn't wide enough for the pattern, so there was a last minute design change.

Next, I took the jacket off and added a hat. 'Rella's knitted shell is something that I did as an example for a color theory class I teach for fiber enthusiasts. I hand painted the yarn for this top in a Rectangle Tetrad * of red violet, orange, yellow green and blue green. Each of these colors have been tempered with their respective complementary colors. If there are any fiber folks reading this, I use acid dyes by Lanaset. I find that Lanaset dyes are the most permanent to washing and light that I know.

I kept the pants but changed the knit top for a short sleeve cuffed blouse with a tie belt out of the YSL fabric. I like the hidden button detail. Who can't use a tote bag for shopping?

I pulled out one of my vintage Poodle scarfs so she could look mid-century trendy. American Girl sunglasses are a tad small but still work.

Finally switching out the pants, she is now wearing a skirt and I've added a turban. The turban fabric is some really awful stuff that I got from Walmart for testing out knit patterns (I threw out what fabric was left after that project). Other things I added were a studded clutch and cork platforms. The shoes are always the hardest part of these projects. I use the web site Fashion Doll Shoes for ideas on techniques.

Heading into warmer weather I added shorts and a repurposed straw hat that was given to me years ago by our FCCLA teacher. All I had to do was to add a band, I believe made from the front band of an old dress.

For even warmer weather I added a sleeveless top and some simple slides for her third pair of shoes.

Just in case 'Rella has to go out to a nice dinner, she has a lounging pant skirt from an experimental pattern based on a skirt I made for myself. In case the evening gets a little chilly, I knitted her one of my "Rows Of Many Colors" shawls. Each row is a different yarn. This technique creates quite a nice textured surface.

With that, I'm done because I didn't make any more.

I found a photo of the Christmas morning when Cinderella came into my life. I was pretty proud.

Sadly, her original dress has long since disintegrated.

At this point, you may think I'm a tad crazy. Further, this is not the first time Cinderella has been on this blog. Her first outfit feature is HERE and I talk a little more about getting her.

 *What is a rectangular Tetrad you ask? It is four colors on the color wheel that form a rectangle as shown by this color wheel. 

Add caption

That is enough for today, so I will bid adieu until next week. In the meantime, Happy Styling and sewing (if you partake)!

Photography credit goes today to me and my Dad on Christmas all those years ago.

I am trying a few new linkup parties with this post because it is a little different for me. This was a labor of love and I do want to share it. There are only a few linkups that I found for this kind of post. It could be that I just don't know where to look, but I found:

Wednesday

A Little Bird Told Me
Monday
Inspire Me Monday
Monday Funday
Tuesday
Show and Tell

Adaptation

Hello and welcome to a new blog post. For today's post, I am trying a small experiment. I do like my separates to function on different levels. This topper by Rachel Ann Gottlieb, originally purchased from ETSY for a "Dress Inn All White" party I attended earlier in the Summer, is no different. I didn't want it to be a one-hit wonder. This top has a very long tail in the back and makes quite a visual impact if used with the right look (see below this photo).

The fabric for this top is fairly translucent, although I can't tell you what it is. My gut feeling is that it isn't cotton, but it's still cool and comfortable for Summer. 

The Original look - I wanted drama and got it

When I decided to wear it for a less formal look, it fell short because, well, it needed to be shorter. I was not going to cut the back off, so I wondered how the back would look if tucked in, giving it a waterfall feel. My eyes says it works and  I am going to wear it next week to an event.

Now a word about the other items that I am using with the top. The black silk shell is old and not even visible. The pants are by Mango, a Spanish company that was one of the 200 countries that signed the Accord On Building and Fire Safety In Bangladesh. 

The coral and gold necklace is a Stella and Dot (eBay) and my vintage Rodo black and white bag is another eBay item. I'm wearing a coral and gold leather Enzo Angiolini from TJ Maxx. The chunky vintage acrylic bracelet has been on here before and it came from an online vintage mall, Ruby Lane.

I am very happy with the back. But I imagine it will look different each time I wear it this way.

My favorite focal point about my Rodo is the clasp, which doesn't show up clearly in the photo, so it's stilllife time, always one of my favorite photo shoots to do.

The Polished Accessory
This week's polish is the one I felt matched the corals that I was wearing. I don't have to explain this one, because I know most of you are familiar with Butter London and this is one of my favorite summer corals: Trout Pout. It is still on their web site and I see that it is on sale for $7.50.

And The Dress Doctors Return

If you remember last week, I posted color charts for green. This week, I have finished the black charts. I am showing the charts smaller than they are are on their page (tab found in the top banner).

That is enough for today, so I will bid adieu until next week. In the meantime, Happy Styling!

This week, I am linking up with Cherie's  Style Nudge's Shoe and Tell HERE, Catherine's Not Dressed As Lamb's I will Wear What I like HERE, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish Turning Heads Tuesday HERE, Living On Cloud Nine's Style Perspectives HERE, High Altitude Style's Link-Up HERE, Elegance and Mommyhood's Moda Linkup HERE, Fashion Should Be Fun's Fun Friday Fashion Link Up HERE, Shelbee's Edge of the Week Link Up HERE and Nancy's Fancy Friday HERE.


With the exception of the still life and nails (taken by me), the photography credit this week goes to my hubby, Michael.

Digital ASOS Long Vest

Hello, I hope everyone is having a nice summer. With all the horrible stuff going on here in the US and the world, I work harder in finding the good in life. Our garden is coming in now and so far I have made Plum Preserves, Plum Conserve (with raisins and oranges) and probably my favorite, Corn Relish. The boys have spent a lot of time with us on the farm and with our three ponds, William, the oldest, is in fishing heaven. That catches you up with a little news from MeadowTree, so on with the styling.

Remember my post on my digital ASOS summer dress? Here's the results, a new vest by Liquorish ! I featured this vest in that post and loved it so much I ordered it. If you really like it after this post, it is still available on the ASOS web site. 

I don't see the digital quality of this piece as compared to digital prints that see at Mood Fabrics (click here to see what I mean). However, I love this print and don't think I will tire of it. The vest is nice and long, has inset pockets, two back vents and has ties in the back. For now, I just leave them tied in a bow (there's a back view below).

When I'm wearing something this dramatic, I downplay the under layers, so I did a black column with long slim pants by Mango (old but here's some similar) and a very old but super soft tee shirt that I think I picked up at Walmart during the last decade. I might try something sleeveless later, but I wanted this look for now.

Black was my my choice for the shoes and bag as well. The sandals are by Clark and were purchased over ten years ago (I was going through  Clark mania about then). My bag is an Eric Javets Squishee that I bought second hand from eBay. It's in perfect shape and looks as if rarely used. I was on a hunt for this particular one for about a year and just had to wait for the right one at the right time. 

Beaded jewelry came out for this one. I love beaded collar necklaces, especially for summer (this isn't the only one I own). This necklace and earrings came from Target and the bracelets was, oh yes, another eBay find.

Had to do a still life of this one

 I really need to keep my eyes open more on a sunny day or just put the sunglasses on. Sorry for the squinty eyes but this photo really shows how the vest flows. The two vents in the back are really important to this piece. 

The Polished Accessory 

This print called for a dusty medium blue and I had it with Signet's Blue Lagoon. Signet was an Indie polish that I just adored. It's maker, Lauren, is from Mississippi and has that southern charm and hospitality the the South is famous for. She always listened to what her fans wanted and even let us name some of the polishes. Hey, I even won one of those contests. But small Indies have a tough time making it, and last summer Lauren hung up her mixing bottles and returned to her first love, which is ceramics. 

I had to show the back, that's all.  

It's a short one today; a little news, styling my new vest, a new still life, and one of my favorite Indie polishes.  So, it's goodbye until next Sunday. Take care and Happy Styling!

This week, I am linking up with Patti's Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday HERE, Cherie's  Style Nudge's Shoe and Tell HERE, Catherine's Not Dressed As Lamb's I will Wear What I like HERE, Living On Cloud Nine's Style Perspectives HERE, High Altitude Style's Link-Up HERE, Elegance and Mommyhood's Moda Linkup Here, Fashion Should Be Fun's Fun Friday Fashion Link Up HERE, Shelbee's Edge of the Week Link Up HERE and Nancy's Fancy Friday HERE.


The photography credit this week goes to my grandson, William, for the portraits of me. The still life is by me.