P is for Pilgrim - Thanksgiving Mayflowers

Daisy's Thanksgiving Greeting

In the autumn of 1620, a tiny crowded ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England.  On board were 102 passengers - a mixed company of pious Separatists and "Strangers" thrown together by fate on a perilous voyage to find new homes in the wilderness of British North America.  Among them were three young ladies, Daisy, Lettie Lane and Polly Pratt.  Oh.  Is this not how the story went?  You'd be hard pressed to convince our three little pilgrims otherwise.

After completing Polly's Halloween costume, I was on a roll.  I love the story of our American Thanksgiving, and did so even as a child.  When I was five, and in Kindergarten, our teacher had us make craft paper hats and collars, and we had a Thanksgiving parade around the Kindergarten green.  I wore those pieces day in and day out until they fell apart.  Now, many years later, I've created costumes for my own girls.

Inspiration for Daisy and the Plum Pudding

Having spent many, many hours with vintage postcard images of Halloween, I began poking around Ebay for Thanksgiving images.  I have quite a collection of Old World Christmas Thanksgiving cards, sparkled with glitter, and romancing the great turkey feasting holiday.  The vintage postcard examples are vast for all of these holidays.  Beginning in 1898, all American postcards could be mailed for 1 cent.  This sparked a new fad for sending and collecting postcards that peaked between 1905 and 1915.  By 1913, the total of postcards mailed in the U.S. reached over 968,000,000.  These beautiful collectibles are still in demand, and for me, a haven of inspiration. 

Let's be clear.  I've not tired of creating clothing from Sheila Young's illustrations of paper dolls, but "now that I think I know what I'm doing", I want to try many more styles.  The Lawn Mowing outfit was just the beginning.

Cashmere and Melton Wools, Ribboned aprons.

In the past month I made five of these lovely pilgrim costumes.  I had a request to make two in a light wool for the hotter climes of my Florida customer.  I chose heavier wools for my own girls.  Among the wools I purchased were Swiss, Cashmere and Melton.  As you might guess, sewing on these different wools would require different techniques.  By the time I made the fifth and final, Daisy's, I pretty much knew what I was doing.  Now I'm not asking you to agree with me, but what I found with sewing the lighter wools together, you could easily stay with the 2.4 stitch on your machine.  With the heavier wools, I upped the stitch length to 3.2  I learned this only after finding that the stitches were too tight and too deep in the heavier wools.  It was quite a relief to discover that a longer stitch did the job just as well, if not better.

Inspiration for heaving wools and ribboned aprons.

Lighter wool gowns with capelets

For starters, I'd fallen in love with the dress style of the two little girls with black bows at the center of their collars, carrying a harvest basket between them.  This would be the inspiration for the patterns I created to make all five gowns.  With the lighter wools, I wanted a more traditional look, and made all-white bonnets with a luxurious cotton sateen that ran around $16 a yard.  The wools themselves were exquisite to the touch and wonderful to work with.  The aprons were edged with Swiss lace reminiscent of the illustration I chose to make their capelets from.  The lighter wools also allowed a fuller skirt, and this was something I'd struggle with using the heavier fabrics for my own.  This is quite evident in my own Lettie's black Cashmere dress.  It appears more tapered, but in truth, it was the exact same width of fabric used for the lighter wool.  I'm learning!  Polly's wasn't such an issue since she's a smaller doll.  And, of course by the time I decided Daisy needed a spectacular costume of her own, I'd added six inches to the width of the skirt.

The aprons are different on both sets as well.  Swiss lace was used to decorate the aprons of the lighter wool dresses, and double faced silk ribbons, in three rows, decorated the heavier wool gown.  To neaten the look, I sewed the aprons into the bodice at the skirts' centers.  With the lighter wools this was not an issue.  But, with the first heavier wool, I could not gather it together, and had to put the gathering stitches in by hand.  Another trial for me, was the constant changing of thread colors as I stitched the pieces together.  I think I can thread my machine in less than 30 seconds now!  Finally, silk velvet ribbons in two rows, matching each dress, were sewn to the hemlines in the heavier wool gowns to detail the look of the dresses in the illustration.

Inspiration for capes and Swiss lace

Cozy Capes

I was really enjoying myself making these costumes.  It was not my intention to make the capelets, but after many hours gazing on the postcard of the laced apron, I decided to give them a try.  I used a camel colored wool for the capes and lined them in cotton.  I felt this would be much more traditional, since I doubt silks or satins were available or used by the Separatists.  If I recall, I began with a Bleuette cape pattern to make them.  They needed lots of circle width to drape over the shoulders.  When making Daisy's blue wool cape, I simply added 7.5 inches to the length, and tiny grosgrain ties instead of the covered button band - which snaps to the cape.

Patty's Turkey

Inspiration for Patty's Turkey

I procured two vintage baskets and filled them with size appropriate harvest fruits and squashes.  I made Daisy a covered Plum Pudding in a basket, and Patty, bless her talented heart, made the most perfect needle felted turkeys I've ever seen.  I keep thinking that some day I'd like to learn this craft, but when someone like Patty creates perfection, who am I to mess with it?  Maybe.  Someday.  But, for now, I'll enjoy feeling more confident as I continue to design and sew for my dolls.

This is my second post today, so please read on for Katy Curls' Thanksgiving Party apron below.  I've run out of steam, but have some lovely images to share with you inclusive with this post.  Sometime this week I'll begin designing for Christmas.

Wishing you a perfect month filled with the beauty of autumn, and the warmth of family and friends.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

Little Behinds

Portrait of a Pilgrim

Pretty Pilgrim Polly

Daisy's cape in progress

The Thanksgiving Party

Katy's Costume For the Thanksgiving Party

Normally I like to do a little research into the costuming before I begin a project.  No.  Let me rephrase that.  I love to do a lot of research into costuming at any given time, but especially when something as interesting as crepe paper costumes comes to mind.  My introduction to crepe paper costumes came quite awhile back, and even though I've now and again typed in a few search words and read about them in books describing costumes from the 20's and 30's, I've only come to surmise that they were a work book project by Dennison Manufacturing Co.  Dennison most likely was leader in producing a wide array of color choices in garment worthy crepe paper.  They produced several small books with detailed descriptions of how to make your own fabulous costumes from their crepe paper products, including the Bogie Book, which detailed Halloween costuming.   

Frances Tipton Hunter's Illustration and Description

Many of the costumes you'll see in vintage postcard images were most likely the product of crepe paper costuming.  I'm not sure whether these were made as one time wear, disposable party costumes, or fabric was too costly for such an occasion.  And, I seriously doubt they came out as fabulous as the illustrations in the books detailed, but I'm certain they were fun to make, and made a merry rustle as you entered a room

An Original Copy

Even Katy Curls got one.  Her costume is described by, "It's a "slip-over" and wreath  made of autumn leaf crepe paper."  Its possible that Dennison made a printed leaf crepe paper, similar to the printed tissue paper we see today.  But, finding such a thing on today's market is improbable, and impossible at best.  When designing Katy's Thanksgiving Party Costume, I decided best to use fabric so it will stand the test of time, yet still marvel at the idea of using crepe paper.  Certainly it is not unheard of, as little dolls have been dressed in crepe paper over time...moreover, paper dolls were dressed in crepe paper costumes!

Example From the Book

I began working on this in early September when Jo Ann's started stocking their fall prints.  I found two leaf print cottons that I felt might work, but chose the softer, romantic leaf print instead of the brightly colored one.  I had to purchase a couple of yards just to get enough small printed leaves to cut out.  These were done as I would the silhouettes I make, then ironed on.  The same leaves were then cut out for the crown she wears. 

I counted the white backings just for the fun of it, and if I recall, I snipped out no less than 80 leaves for the apron and wreath crown!

Puff likes those beads and ribbons!

The apron is neatly lined to encase the silk ribbon tie ends.  I knotted the ends then with a large eyed needle, went through the open space in the lining before closing it up and strung the ribbons through.  Finding the perfect beads for the ends took a bit of effort as well.  There are two beads at the end of each ribbon.  One is an amber flat, and then the crystal cut balls ending in a knot.

A side view.

I made a simple light mango tinted skirt to emulate the crepe paper one, and finally a little white, Peter Pan collared blouse, with puffed sleeves to go under the apron.  It was my guess, only, what she may have worn under that apron since the illustration doesn't help much.  As a paper doll outfit, it would have gone right over her undergarments, but in November??  I would think it might be a bit cool not to wear at least a little blouse under it, or even a sweater.  And, so you see, I'm beginning to think on my own two back paws when it comes to design.

Her crown, or wreath, is made from a simple strip of thin cardboard going around the circumference of her head, with another thin band going across the top.  Multiple leaves are overlapped to create the look.  That was certainly a lot of detailed snipping!  But, so very worth the effort.  These leaves remind me of the beautiful illustrations drawn by Eulalie for books such as The Bumper Book, that I had when I was little.  Whimsical and pretty.

And, now Katy Curls is ready for her Thanksgiving Party and will enjoy this little costume all of November.  The next outfit for her will depend on what I can find when Christmas wear comes into the shops.  Finding a green, white and red striped sock for her hat has been very problematic.  This is okay.  I can wait.  Should I not find it, I'll make her blue coat ensemble for winter.  She is so much fun to sew for!

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

A Wreath of Leaves

 




Thanksgiving decorations from The Bogie Book

Leaves on the back panels as well.





"Happy Thanksgiving" from Katy!

Autumn Leaves Are Falling



Katy Curls ready to catch a leaf

It is rare that I find myself at a loss for words, but here I sit, about to write, and there I am.  Perhaps its autumn that is stirring my thoughts.  They are thinking on the change of Aspen leaves, of a trip I might take to see them next week.  My thoughts are on decorating a few small corners of my little hole in the wall today, with Halloween fancies.

They are on a book I'm reading that I wish to pick up and snuggle with in the afternoon warmth of my special corner.  They are as tired and restless as the fall, as the year becomes the busy season.  And, yet Katy Curls is ready to skip down the streets and hop up now and again to catch the stray leaf as it sweeps from limb to ground.

Katy is dressed for the cool afternoons following a happy day of pencils and books, and Golden Rules.  As you may recall Katy Curls was the first paper doll in The Little Busybodies collection by Frances Tipton Hunter, debuting in November 1922's Women's Home Companion.  Her wardrobes illustrated real patterns that mother could buy to make both her daughter and her daughter's little doll.  The first outfit I chose to make Katy was something to play in.  I believe a little girl can never have enough play clothes.

Her Autumn Play Suit

By 1920, clothes were very much designed with children in mind, and attention was paid not just to style, but to the comfort and needs of children. The Roaring Twenties was an era of liberation in much of society and this was reflected in clothing trends for men, women and children.

Comfort was achieved in both style and fabric. Whereas for decades everyone had worn many layers, now a summer outfit might consist of just a single layer over underwear. Even in winter, clothing was kept streamlined with minimal layer. The emphasis was on good fabrics that would stand up to weather. A wool dress worn over  stockings and a long knit underwear suit with a knitted sweater and jacket on top was common.

Katy's little play suit reflects the fashions of the time.  She wears her undergarments comfortably under this linen tunic with a pair of poufy knickers.  Jacquard ribbon trim decorates the tunic in rows down the front, around the edges of the belled sleeves, around the peasant collar and the bands on the cuffs of the knickers.  She wears of pair of long stockings and casual oxfords (by Fran Quinn).

Blouson Knickers

This little outfit, simple in appearance, posed many designing problems along the way.  For one, its a pullover tunic.  This was new for me since I typically dress my dolls from the feet up.  Her wig must be removed to pull the tunic over her head, but creating it as a pullover, rather than hooked or buttoned in the back was essential to the look of the outfit.  I had to make a long enough opening in the front to accommodate all of Katy from the top down.  There's a little snap-on piece that goes under the tunic to complete the look (I do not know what this is called, but often sailor tops have them).

Pattern No. 4240

The tunic is all one piece, the fold being at the shoulders.  In order to create the pouf of the top, I lined the tunic with a shorter hem.  When I attached the linen hem to the lining an inch or so up, I tugged a tad to create a bit of gather on the inside and this created a blouson affect. 

This is a simple outfit, but it was not easy to figure out or make.  It also took a great deal of time and patience to sew the ribbon on, of which there was much.  This had to be done first before the lining went in and the sides were stitched up.

1920s Montgomery Ward - Notice the apricot outfit bottom row, center.

I agonized over her socks for months.  In the illustration her stockings have a blue and two red lines at the top.  I had to settle for brown heather stockings omitting any extra colors.  Sure.  I thought of fabric paint.  I thought of embroidery.  One would have been stiff, the other would have taken away the stretch.  Still, they turned out cute and a nice alternative to a more decorative one.  I'm fairly happy with the close match I was able to make with the ribbon trim, which I purchased from Ribbonworks.  They seem to have a nice selection of petite ribbons for doll clothing.

My intention is to make the satchel that goes with the red school skirt and sweater next, and also a mini version of this play suit for Squeezicks, her dolly.  Squeezicks' outfit may take me a few days to do, although it will be much simpler in design for construction.  It is also notably a different color.  I need a fabric that is thin and won't ravel!  Good luck!  This beautiful linen for Katy's outfit was a gift from a dear friend, and making this outfit (as it turned out), would not have been possible without her loving generosity.

I am tired.  I need a break and this is exactly what I'm going to do first.  Even if just for a few days!  When I begin again, it will be with the holidays in mind.  Katy has play clothes for autumn now, so don't be surprised if she's seen amidst a pumpkin patch or two, or skipping down the windy streets catching autumn leaves.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

The leaves had a wonderful frolic.
They danced to the wind's loud song.
They whirled, and they floated, and scampered.
They circled and flew along.

The moon saw the little leaves dancing.
Each looked like a small brown bird.
The man in the moon smiled and listened.
And this is the song he heard.

The North Wind is calling, is calling,
And we must whirl round and round,
And then, when our dancing is ended,
We'll make a warm quilt for the ground.

(Anonymous)

A Pullover, gathered at the neck as well.

Squeezicks' Version

Autumn Leaves Are Falling

The Autumn Winds Do Blow

Daisy's Owl Hat and Kimono Costume

How lovely it is to sit down with a hot cup of tea!  Especially after completing a particularly tricky project.  Or two!  Its a quiet afternoon, my studio has been tidied up.  Not a single scrap of fabric or slip of thread lay about.  Yet.  Later this afternoon, I'm certain I'll be ready to pay some attention to poor Katy who's been standing around in her skivvies for a month now.  But, I do enjoy making Halloween costumes.  Perhaps I can say that I enjoy creating them best of all.

While completing Polly's Orange Pierrot Costume, I switched gears for a couple of days and made Daisy a new costume, too.  When I once again came across this well known illustration of an elegant lady in an owl hat, I thought to have one made for Bleuette.  I asked a friend of mine if she might be interested, but she wasn't (I really do not like sewing for Bleuette), so I let the thought go, then decided to make a large version for Daisy.  Why not?

I found three Bleuette kimono patterns on the Bleudoor Portal, selected one, enlarged it, redesigned it, and took to the sewing machine.  Patty Kascsak was asked to make the fabulous Owl Hat, and what an owl hat it is!  This artist's work makes me giggle, and takes my breath away all in one sweep!

Daisy's Owl Hat and Kimono Costume is made from a black jacquard fabric.  It has a tiny stitched floral pattern in it, which I felt would be suitable for this beautiful kimono.  I used a gold crinkle silk for the border and full lining.  The redesigns were few, but did take awhile since the pattern was so large.  I lengthened and widened the sweep of the kimono, opened the sleeves wider, and shortened the collar to include a gentle scoop back to the edge.  Using my favorite Magalie Dawson lining technique, it went together fairly quickly.  This Owl Hat and Kimono Costume, is at once elegant and whimsical.



Examples of Japonisme in Impressionism

Many artists during the Impressionist movement painted women in Japonisme.  The novelty and new accessibility to The Orient was beautifully portrayed by painters like Monet and William Chadwick, to name a couple.

Another note of French charm came with Pierrot, the sad clown whose origin is late 17th c. Italian comedy.  It is said that Pierrot pined for the love of Columbine, who broke his heart leaving him for Harlequinn.  And, as with the Japonisme kimono, the Pierrot costume passed the test of time and became a staple of costuming.  Even Polly Pratt got one!

Polly's Orange Pierrot Costume

Polly's Orange Pierrot Costume was another hopeful from last fall.  I recall discussing the checks on the cuffs and lantern with a friend of mine, who then referred to it as checkerboard print.  Ah hah!  So I began searching in vain for a tiny orange and black checkerboard print and came up empty.  Before I even began this costume, I had to figure out how to make the checkerboard myself.  I fussed with this for almost two weeks until I was able to get the right combination of scale.  The first cuff set was large enough to fit Daisy and Lettie.  The second set was almost too small, but my own Polly owns these now.  The third set was appropriately in scale for both the cuffs and the lantern...and I'll never make checkerboard again!  I call it mini-quilting.

I use a decimal ruler for my measurements, and I found that .9 was the best in width, and 1.1 for length - taking in account the 1/8" seams needed to sew them together.  Determination is the key.  Also you had to back stitch the edges or they'd come apart when you turned the lined cuff inside out.  Those done, I moved on to the rest of the costume.

Checkerboard

Sheila's Illustration

The Lantern

Polly's Orange Pierrot Costume consists of a bell shaped tunic and 3/4 length trousers. The double ruffle Pierrot collar is black satin and hooks in the back.  The hat, for lack of a better term, I'll call a country hat.  It is not a witch's hat, but a clown hat with turned up edges.  The pom-poms were another trial.  There was no way I was sewing polyester bag pom-poms on this costume!  For one, they didn't even look like the costume's pretty pom-poms.  So I learned how to make them myself, and did so out of wool yarn.  Satin silhouettes of bats decorate the hat and cuffs, with the addition of a witch and crescent shaped moon on the lantern.

The lantern is a soft sculpture.  Its base is both buckram and cardboard to hold the shape of the two cylinders.  This was another toughy.  I have to laugh as I'm writing this because "who is crazy enough to go to these lengths for a doll costume"?!  Me, I guess.  More checkerboard had to be sewn for this, and lucky me, I had enough length left over from the good cuffs!  The best way I can describe the construction is like a pillow case sewn up on the edge, then the two edges hidden ladder stitched together.  Now to get the lantern hung!  I threaded embroidery thread through the top, crossing the lengths to be centrally hung on a wire hook attatched to a pole.  Since the center cylinder was longer, this was not an easy task.

Puss In Pumpkin

To complete the picture, I asked Patty, once again (she's so wonderful to work with!), to make a couple of fat, black kitties standing on their hind legs for the pumpkins.  There is no such thing as a papier mache pumpkin without a top, that doesn't have a face carved into it.  I did find some nice ones though, and took a box cutter and set to taking the tops off.  Guess what I found beneath?  Plastic!  No wonder it was so hard to carve into.  A trusty can of Krylon paint and a day's worth of many layers produced the orange pumpkin for the Puss and Pumpkin display. 

The last third of this cup of tea has gotten cold.  The autumn wind blows the trees about in this pleasant, sunny afternoon.

Am I done with Halloween costumes?  Probably not.  There is yet one more I'd like to make, but this one will be for the French Fashion Portrait Jumeau (16 inches) doll when she arrives with a new shoulder plate.  It is likely I'll use the leftover kimono fabric for it, but then again, a pretty satin or even black velveteen might be nice.  Since she is a young lady doll, this costume might be my first outfit for her, and a new challenge.  Dressing lady dolls.

The Masks

Oh!  I almost forgot.  I was asked to make masks for my customer's Polly costume and her Lettie's Grape Harvest costume.  Polly's is rimmed in tiny pom-poms with a crescent moon and bat added to the corners.  Lettie got two.  One is on a stick (which I love since it is an accessory), and the other is a face mask.  Both have the leaves, but the stick also has a small cluster of grapes and the green vine winding down the stick.  This green vine was used to hang the grape clusters on the costume.

Below are lots of photos of the details. 

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

Fabulous Owl Hat

Back Sweep of Kimono

Underneath it all, a tulle slip.

Checkerboard Cuffs

Patty's Kitty

Pom-poms

Lettie's Mask on Stick

Polly's Mask

Checkerboard Mess - Never again!

 

Costume for the Portrait Jumeau lady doll