Dolly Dingle's Little Witch Costume for Halloween

Two more weeks to Halloween!  It seems like I've been racing against the clock to dress so many dolls in costumes this year!  Finding I don't have this, or realizing that would look good in the display...so many little things to play Halloween with.

There's only one or two of the older American Girl costumes that I don't have in my collection now.  Like the bride of Frankenstein one, or the witch spider costume.  Just don't like them.  But, with the recent addition of the Wood Fairy, my collection is full, and to my satisfaction.  Of course then I had to get the luggage cart from the Grand Hotel accessories, to hang a few of them from in her "room".  Blaire has a Halloween party to go to just about once a week, and can't wear the same costume twice.

Barbie and Ken, and Skipper, are in their masquerade costumes in the Dream House, which I decorated for Halloween of course, and

my two Little Darlings got new knitted Halloween costumes this year from a fabulous Russian artist. 

 Of course, Peggy Sue's been keeping me company in her gypsy costume on my work table, and my displayed Bleuette, Bernie, is once again in her gypsy costume by Kathy O'Malley.  

The Club Grace box arrived a week ago, and I'd ordered a cat suit for her from some clever artist that sews for the VDC.  Then I remembered this adorable little witch button that Diana Vining illustrated the first year of the VDC, and I couldn't resist making the costume for Dolly.  Although I'm still not a big fan of what's been arriving in the Club Grace boxes, I'll see the year out.  And, this add-on Halloween cat suit was sewn to perfection.  Rachel added a tiny box of itty bitty Halloween stickers to the collection, so Grace is holding them 

as she enjoys stickers and scrapbooking as much as I do.

So here's a short journal posting on Dolly's little witch costume.  I adore this "button", as Diana calls it, so much.  I  think I had just gotten Dolly when I saw it, or she was being made at the time.  My memory is poor in this regard, but now I was able to bring it to life.  Diana was dear enough to send me a digital copy of the original artwork, and its more beautiful than I would have hoped for!

So I made the costume in silks.  All of it.  Silk has a sheen and brightness of color that cotton just cannot.  

There's not a lot to say about making the costume, but I wanted to share it with you.  

Dolly wears a striped pair of tights in dark pumpkin and black beneath the purple silk dress with white inset bodice.

Three little mother of pearl buttons were sewn down the front.

And, I managed ruffled cuff ends at the end of the long puffed sleeves.

The only problem I had with this costume was running out of the matching purple thread, but since the costume is fully lined in white batiste, I was able to use white thread for much of it.

The witch hat is black silk, and the base of it is buckram.  I had a gold silk that I used for the bowed ribbon, and used a paint pen to make the green polka dots on it.

A view of the back.  Its closed with snaps.

And, a view of her little black witch booties.

I used the pattern I'd made up for the flamingo slippers from last January or February, and they went together fairly quickly - after I remembered how I made them.  They are made from black wool felt and sewn together with a blanket stitch.

Below are some very old Grace Drayton paper dolls of Dolly Dingle Halloweens.  I think the second one is my favorite, for the little cones you can make from it.  Hats?  Perhaps.  Just darling.  And masks!

The best news is that the items I needed to make Peggy Sue's second costume this Halloween, arrived the day I completed Dolly's costume.  Now let's see if it turns out!

I hope you're enjoying the beauty of autumn and are having fun with Halloween, if you enjoy it as much as I do.

Off to sew!

Love, Melissa

Grace in her cat suit with Dolly.