We're finally having some Christmassy weather today.  It has been dry, blue and clear for several weeks now.  Which has been great for my husband who is relandscaping the backyard after we had our three beautiful birch trees removed last summer.  They were threatening to consume the house, and were, yes, a fire harzard.  Sad though.  On the flip side, they dropped something on the patio and whatever was out there, throughout the year.  Even sticky stuff from a pest that eats the leaves.  And, that was the worst of all.  

But, it is raining today and a fire's been warming the house in the fireplace since last night.  We so need the rain, but to me, its a gift that keeps giving.  And, maybe there will be snow in the Sierras to go cross country skiing in this week!  If there's enough snow around 5000 ft., we'll go.

And, Peggy Sue's Christmas wish came true early.

I knew I wanted to make her a coat.  I would love to make her some snow play clothing, too, but this will have to wait until after the New Year.  Alice Leverette did not give us a pattern for a jacket or coat, much less a bonnet to go with them, so I put this off as long as I could.  Am I getting lazy in designing patterns?  Maybe a little.  Only because I have two other projects on the table and have been caring for a puppy that just had major surgery when a piece of rubber got stuck in his small intestine.  Good grief.  What next? 

And, I've been decorating the house in bits and pieces.  The main decorations, which were minimal this year, have been added to slowly as the spirit and inspiration hit me.  Maybe this is okay.  A little Christmas every day.  Its feeling very Christmassy and cheery around here now, and dolls have been getting redressed for the holiday as well.  Even little trees for the dolls are getting decorated, both pine and tinsel.

When I was browsing for coat ideas for Peggy Sue, I spotted this darling retro Christmas card, and the decision had been made there and then, that I would do something like this for her.

The swing coat in the illustration shows a peep of a star print dress beneath it.  I thought I might make a dress like this to go with it, but I'd already made a similar one that was the backdrop for the half apron with the white Merry Christmas embroidery on it.  If I spent less time making up the Winter Holiday wardrobe, the coat and bonnet made up for it in effort.  Velveteen is such a beautiful fabric, but it is such a bear to sew on.

So I put to the task of making up a pattern for a swing coat and bonnet to fit Peggy Sue.  If you think this looks familiar, you're correct!  Skipper got something similar in the early 1960's.  In fact, my Barbie Dream House is decorated for Christmas now, and Skipper has joined Barbie and Ken to watch them decorate with lights.  What Skipper's coat did not have was chunky red buttons and a bonnet lined in silk.  I don't think the fashions really began to change so much until the mid 1960's.  Full skirts and dresses were still the fashion and I remember my mother swishing around the house in them.  Even June Clever was seen dressed to the nines when ironing and cooking!  But, I digress as usual...

I chose the thinnest cotton velveteen in a bright red for the coat.  This fabric came from the U.K.  I don't know if you've tried purchasing expensive cotton velveteen before, but it can be a variety of thicknesses and only the thinnest works for small dolls.  The coat has then been lined in a fabric called Duchess Silk Satin.  Its thick and luxurious and seemed appropriate for the coat and bonnet.

I was a little hesitant to try attaching a bodice to the circle skirt of the coat, but then I realized how many times I've done something similar with hats and hat bands, and other garments.  Fabric does allow itself to be manipulated.  You just need a good degree of patience.  If I haven't mentioned this in awhile, I'll do so again as a tip to sewing velveteen and lining it as well.  Alternate the direction of your long silk pins when pinning the pieces together.  Its keeps the fabrics from pushing against each other in the feed dog and separating.  I did get a walking foot, but have yet to try using it because I have to read directions and try something new, and we all know how I am with directions.  Hopeless.

But through this all, I managed to make Peggy Sue a fancy and luxurious Christmas coat and bonnet set.  I had to use fine silk ribbon for the ties on the hat because I couldn't find the silk satin ribbon in my stash.  At this time of year, arrivals of orders have slowed down to a near stand still.  I can always redo the ties later, but the thin silk tucks nicely under the pointed collar. 

This, for now, concludes my sewing for the young lady.  I have countless items I've made for her since summer and enjoyed making every single one of them.  And, now I must somehow make them all fit in the aqua display case I bought her several months ago.  

Peggy Sue is packed and ready to travel with her family to her grandparent's home in the country for the holidays.  There will be skating on the pond, a sledge pulled by grandfather's large work horses to ride on, grandmother's wonderful candied ham for Christmas dinner, and best of all, loads of presents under the tree.

I hope you'll enjoy some of the 1950's ephemera shown below.  The first image the bonnet that inspired Peggy Sue's.

Wishing you the best of the season while Christmas approaches!

Melissa

My parents did this!

New image, but so pretty!