Alice Liddell's Winter Coat - A Victorian Christmas

Alice Liddell's Winter Coat With Muff

Normally I am quite inspired to write a journal posting after completing an outfit, but I've had the flu, for a week, and am still not feeling quite myself.  However, I am hoping as I begin, the words will flow.

Oh, how I wish you could see this doll in person.  16" of precious and precocious charm.  And, with her dressed in such elegance, Alice Liddell becomes all the more endearing as a little Victorian Miss, growing up in a proper English society with her friend, Charles Dodgson, who encourages her curiosity and teaches her the magic of imagination.

The Last Paper Doll Outfit

This, the last of the true paper doll outfits from the book The Other Alice, is her Winter Coat With Muff.  This outfit, like Botanical Garden and the Greek key Autumn Stroll, had been in the planning for over a year.  I knew I would want to make it for the holidays this year, but having done so almost completes the costuming I intended for her.  There are other dresses she wears in the book, and there is a set of pajamas, under garments and accessories (like a parasol), but the Winter Coat With Muff, is the pièce de résistance.  And, so perfect in red velveteen for the holidays.

Here She Is!

I actually began this costume from the boots up.  (photos further down)  One of the reasons I hesitated in even making it, was the bowler hat.  I do not have the kinds of hat molds needed for this type of work, and it frustrated me.  To my rescue came Jenny Norden.  She collects the BJD dolls and knew of an artist that made bowler hats and ordered me one.  I am still grateful beyond words for her thoughtful generosity.  Knowing the hat was coming, I began with a pair of gray and black striped stockings.  Then the boots.  This was an entirely new pattern since the boots needed to be as close to the illustration as possible.

The Under Dress

They are constructed of two side pieces, a toe box piece, then the fur trim.  The question for me was how to create them with a closure.  These didn't appear to be side button boots, and I wasn't sure how they would "pull on", so I created elastic loops to pull over bead buttons in the back.  This seamed as reasonable an idea as any and it does not obstruct the image of how they appear.  I was quite proud of myself for coming up with this.  The elastic was colored black with a fabric marker. 

A side view with fur detailing.

The next stage was to create the patterns for the coat and skirt.  While this is called her Winter Coat, I saw it as two pieces.  At least this was fitting for dressing a doll and achieving the look I wanted.  I used a wide sweeping semi-circle skirt pattern on the fold for both the "dress" and the peplum of the coat.  The hem length of the skirt is 27" and the peplum slightly less.  Which means, a lot of fur trim had to be hand sewn on!

I used the same high-quality white silk dupioni for the bodice of the skirt, as well as the lining of the velveteen in both jacket and skirt.  I line everything.  It makes for a much smoother and prettier finish.  It has come to my attention that when I sew with these fussy fabrics, I think little on "the pills" and "frays" like I used to.  Just plow head and sew.  If you fuss over these annoyances, it will undermine the process.  Silk is going to fray.  Velveteen is going to pill.  There's nothing you can do about it, so you just push through it. 

Stocking with front of winter boots.

This pattern I made, the coat and skirt, has a particularly clean line, and lovely one.  I wish I'd taken a photo of how this looked before adding the fur trim.  It would make a lovely riding habit, and I was so tempted to omit the fur on principle.  But, that wasn't the outfit intended.  Out of character, I know I will make this again in an evergreen velveteen with a brown fur collar (only), so the pattern of the outfit shows.  Why not?  Englishwomen were equestrians, too, so why not take Alice for a pony ride.  I think she'd enjoy it.  Maybe I'll do this for spring.

How the boots close in the back.

Yards and yards of fur trim had to be cut and hand sewn on.  It took me three days, alone, to sew the fur to this outfit.  The width of the fur on the jacket is about 1/8" less than that on the hem of the skirt.  Both the top edge of the fur trim must be sewn to the garment, then you go back and sew the bottom edge.  Its a lot of work, but I did do this, if you recall, with Lettie Lane's skating costume last winter (see below).  This was such a pretty costume, that its worth another look.  I hope you'll agree.  Why not?  Its Christmas!

The Back

While working on the fur trim, I also made her a muff.  This, too, is lined in the white silk.  Wouldn't it be fun to wear something like this to a Dicken's Faire?  San Francisco used to hold a Dicken's Faire and I went twice.  I surely do miss the fun, the step-back-in-time, and the costuming of the sellers/actors that put on these extravaganzas.

Front Details

Then finally the bowler hat arrived.  I trimmed it with red silk ribbon and a feather.  Not too much work there.  The interesting thing about this hat was in setting it on her head for photographs.  I kept thinking, "Alice will get hat-hair".  Unlike the toque from the golden autumn outfit, this one sits down on her head.  I like it.  Its a smart little look for this dainty child.

Let's Make A Snow Angel

And, that's about it for Alice Liddell's Winter Coat and Muff.  This was not a difficult outfit to make, just terribly time consuming with all the hand work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the process.  I love her little boots and I won't shy away from trying more interesting boot styles in the future.  I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Below are a few very special Victorian Christmas images to share with you for the holidays.  There was no reference to winter activities in the book The Other Alice, or illustrations of her wearing this in the story.  So please enjoy the holiday season.  Stay safe and well, and celebrate every single day in the magic of Christmas.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse



 

Recalling Lettie Lane's Skating Costume (2013)

Such a gentle scene.

With gold accents!

The Merriment of Christmas

The Robin

Svetlana Angel

"Now YOU have a Happy Christmas" said Alice.

The Delight of Fairy Tales - It Begins with Father Tuck

The Delight of Fairytales - Red Riding Hood

My friend, Jenny Norden, recently asked me how long it took me to make an outfit, a costume.  I wasn't quite sure how to answer this (and I know I've brought up the subject before), but it all depends on how long I've been designing the piece in my head, collecting the proper fabrics, and drafting a pattern.  Then we must take into account that I often have to make something three times before it turns out the way I want it to.  But, for the sake of today's journal, let's just say a week...at least for this Red Riding Hood costume.

Father Tuck's Fairy Land Panorama

Let me begin by introducing Delight to you.  In my quest for finding Lawton dolls that need a reincarnation, I came upon a Wendy Laton Rose In Bloom who was in ghastly distress of a new life.  She was on one of my favorite bodies, the wood body that makes up a 12" doll, and she was missing her original dress, and all of her belongings for that matter.  The seller thought she was rare, and we've heard that before, but when I told her the actual state the doll was in, and how I'd help the doll into a good home, she sold her to me (for a decent price). 

Dressed for a walk in the woods.

It was then that I had to figure out what to do with her.  She had this smile that didn't quite fit the solemn portraits I've been creating, and a friend of mine, Betsy, suggested Gigi.  As in Leslie Caron as Gigi.  I researched the clothing, the subject of the film, and in the end decided that the doll's face was more childlike than a young woman's.  I think I'd been looking, at the time, at Tonner Halloween costumes for my (Re-imagined) Patsy, and found a Red Riding Hood outfit.  I fell in love.  It occurred to me that I'd never done a fairytale doll, or costume, and The Delight of Fairytales was born.  I gave the doll hazel eyes and a dark brown wig, completely changing her look from the blonde, blue-eyed Rose that she was. 

Dress with button attached reticule.

My own delight with fairytales goes way back to childhood.  My mother had the crumbling copies of her mother's childhood Grimm's Fairytale books, and I'd spend hours looking through the strange pen and ink drawings on the thin, browning pages.  My own first fairytale book was a Little Golden Book, Little Red Riding Hood (see below for image).  I read that thing over and over again, marveling at the fabulous illustrations between the covers.  I'm certain I imagined myself as the child on her mission, but I'm also positive I was very skeptical of how the wolf, or even Grandmother, could survive the things they went through.  Yes, the wolf dies in a tragic way, but consuming an entire woman that could resurface intact, is simply amazing!  I'm sure I would tell my mother that this was just not "logical".  But, enough of that.

With the velvet vest.

Delight is a child that has a fabulous imagination, and loves the Grimm Brothers fairytales.  She also loves to play dress up, and I won't disappoint her.  She will be receiving some beautiful fairytale dress-up costumes by some of my favorite illustrators.  Today she is wearing Little Red Riding Hood as illustrated in the Father Tuck Panorama.  With all the possible illustrated costumes to select from (and they are vast), Father Tuck's had the Grimm Brothers German feel to it.

I began with her shoes and socks.  I designed the little brown shoes with the white buttons to have that peasant look about them.  A pair of royal blue stockings finished the first day's work.

Close-uo

Since Delight is the same size as Alice Illustrated, the dress took a simple day to put together.  I used cotton sateen for the aqua dress, and white shirting cotton with tiny satin dots on it for the cuffs and bodice.  The apron is of silver and white striped cotton and hangs a bit below her dress, like an old kitchen towel, as in the illustration.  Her vest is marine blue velvet, and this piece caused me lots of difficulties.  First in that I had to recut the pattern twice for a deeper "neckline", and second because I had to pull lined velvet through a half inch shoulder area.  I almost gave up.  Why velvet?  Why the richness of sateen?  Because she's a Lawton doll and they are very used to elegant fabrics.  White double-sided silk ribbon was laced through the vest.  Both dress and vest close in the back with hooks and thread loops. 

Pointy Hood on Velveteen

Yesterday was the second day of designing the hooded cape.  The hood piece is huge.  It had to be drawn in a way that would allow the hood a point at the top, and enough fullness around the face so that you could gather it.  This cape is of red cotton velveteen, lined in red cotton sateen.

Finally, I had one more piece to make.  The reticule.  I used a small key ring as the base and wrapped it in silk ribbon.  Then I used silk dupioni to make the little round bag.  It is only cosmetic and does not open.  I looped silk ribbon around the ring and knotted it on top, then sewed a small brown button to the bodice of the dress to hook the little bag to.  Hah!  Brilliant.  A bouquet of daisies for Grandmother and a basket of goodies by Lawton Doll Company complete the look.

Delight will be costumed as Gretel, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow White (no, not Disney Snow White), and possibly other fairytale heroines as time goes on.  She will need a dress up trunk, and I have the perfect Lawton doll trunk for her to store her costumes in.  Suggestions of fairytales would be welcome!

Father Tuck was chosen for Little Red Riding Hood, but will not be used again.  We have untold numbers of illustrators throughout time who've conceived their own versions of these fairytale heroines, and one will speak to me for each story.  I was telling Jenny that working with red made me happy.  Delight has a costume that will take her through the holidays, and Alice Liddell will get her red winter coat in December.  She must.

Please enjoy a sampling of a few of my favorite Red Riding Hood illustrations below.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse
 

My Childhood Book

Johnny Gruelle 1916

Unknown (to me)

Genady Spirin's Little Red Cap

Margaret Tarrnat

Vintage Paper Toy

Trina Schart-Hyman (one of my favorite illustrators, I began collecting her books when I was 16)

Fabulous!

(unknown) ...with now-a-days frocks

Carl Larrson



Off to Grandmother's House

Katy Curls' Red Play Sweater and Cunning Cap - Paper Doll Page Complete

Katy's Red Play Sweater and Cunning Cap

This is an exciting morning for me.  For this is the first time I've completed making all the outfits from a paper doll page!  I began creating for my Frances Tipton Hunter Katy Curls back on September 6, 2013.  I had recently received my precious 14" Katy from the loving workshop of Candy Anderson, and I was ready to jump into a new project. 

The Little Busybodies' Katy Curls was the first in a new series of paper dolls by Tipton Hunter for Woman's Home Companion, launched November 1922.  Katy's outfits were illustrated to introduce patterns a mother could make up for her daughter's wardrobe, purchased through the pattern department of the magazine.  She was given a year round wardrobe to include a Thanksgiving Party costume, a child's Russian Smock Dress, a Best Coat, and a Play Sweater and Cunning Cap you could crochet.

From the Womans' Home Companion, November 1922

Since my Katy came to me sans clothing, I had to begin with the chemise and under pants combination to see she was always dressed properly.  I would ask Fran to make her a pair of brown oxfords, and Patty would make her kitten, Puff, for me.  Her doll, Squeezicks, was one I had made when learning the art of porcelain.  I loved Katy for her impish smile, bright eyes, and soft, curly red hair.  And a little over a year later, she is finally, and happily now wearing the last outfit from the paper doll page.

With A Plaid Skirt and Red Socks

Sometime this past year, I'd collected several plaids to make up her pleated skirt from.  I'd also hunted through the racks at Goodwill and found an extra large women's red sweater to make hers from.  The hold up seamed to be in finding a knit of red, white and green stripes with which to make her cunning cap.  It was in the spring, at Petco, that I found a little doggy's Christmas sweater on the sale rack, and purchased it for the set.  Of course I had Alice Liddell on my mind and several other dolls (giggle), so Katy's last outfit would have to wait.  But, to be honest, the red sweater was giving me doubts.  How was I going to create the white sport stripes on it?  When something plagues me like this, I'll hold off on the entire project until I have it figured out.  I don't make incomplete paper doll designs. 

Stripe Details

I started this a couple of weeks ago with the pleated skirt, and that was a cinch.  I think I've made enough pleated skirts to sink a ship by now.  I made her a pair of red socks to brighten up the entire look of the outfit, then began on the hat. 

I discovered that by using the "cuff" band of the dog sweater that it would create a snug fit around her head, so I attached that to a square of the striped knit.  The top of the hat is stitched together in four seams like a plus sign.  I purchased whole bundles of red, white and green complimentary wool yarns to make her multi-colored pom-poms and braided the ties to swing them from the crown of her cap.  I used a crochet needle to insert one end of the tie through the pom-pom, and then into the center of the plus sign stitch finish.  This produced a "believable" knitted cap for Katy. 

The Cunning Cap

The sweater was going to be another matter altogether with design.  I made several pattern renditions of the sweater, and selected one that would be placed on the fold at the shoulder.  This would give the sweater a clean line and drape off the shoulder nicely resulting in a piece that resembled a crocheted sweated without seams.  Stripes would need to be added and this provided me a pause in the process.  Although I have untold yards of ribbon, the right kind would need to be used to produce a faux crochet effect.  I settled on Petersham Grosgrain (Ribbon Connections), in a bright white.  It took RC a full week to get the ribbon to me even though the California based business is only 50 miles away.  I love their selection, but this company drives me crazy.

And so on Friday the ribbon arrived and I began appliqueing the ribbon onto the sweater to complete the design by Saturday.  The Petersham Grosgrain is flexible and worked beautifully for the curve at the boat-neckline to run down the length of the sleeves.  I almost didn't follow the bottom three bands around to the back, but decided it would be best to do this right.  Adding this ribbon is a lot of work.  A lot of patient sewing.  I'm glad I did though.

Having sweaters in my doll clothing collection from companies like Ruby Red Galleria and Tonner Doll Company, I was able to get a good idea of how they make their knit fabric sweaters open at the back.  A turn under on the left side, and a piece of grosgrain added to the edge of right finishes the edges.  While they typically use snaps (I hate sewing snaps on), I fastened the back with my hooks and tiny thread loops.  This creates a much more snug finish. 

With Squeezicks in Her New Outfit

The hems of the sleeves and bottom were finished by sewing a band of costume stretch knit to them, then hand sewing in the hems on the undersides.  I have to admit that this sweater came out a lot better than I'd hoped.  This was my first time working with sweater knit fabric.  That cap gave me a start, the sweater gave me practice.  Katy is now ready for outdoor play after school, and the colors will take her through the holidays with cheerful brightness.

One more note, I made Squeezicks something to wear besides her onsie.  I have a very difficult time these days sewing for tiny dolls.  My inclination is to sew them as I would a large doll's costume, and you simple must have a different approach.  Finding thin enough fabrics to work with is another grievance.  But, by a lark, I dove into my closet and found an old, worn out knit top that I could cut up for her Russian play set that matches Katy's.  I could probably make a "third" one and do it even better, but I'd like to pretend that Katy made this for Squeezicks and therefore it has a child's simplicity.

The other outfit for Squeezicks may or may not ever be made.  It would require a very super thin cashmere wool in a spring green, and this would be most difficult to find.  Creating the paper doll outfits from the page was the purpose of this journey, and the accessories for Squeezicks were always optional.  But, now Katy can take her doll out on an autumn day and play with her.  

Below are photos from Katy's complete collection.  If asked which one was the most difficult (and they all had their challenges), I would have to say the Best Coat.  If asked which one I most enjoyed making, I'd have to say her Red Sweater and Cunning Cap (with skirt), this last one.  This has been a wonderful experience, and I'll have to contact Candy for another doll in 2015.  The plan is to make Jolly Jane from this line of paper dolls.

Enjoy the set of photos, and look for something wonderfully NEW in my next post.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse 



The Little Busybodies Katy Curls

Undies, Squeezicks and Puff

Play Apron for Thanksgiving Party

Russian Smock and Dress

A Variation on Pattern No. 4240

Katy's Best Coat with Bluebird Bag



Red Sweater, Cunning Cap and Squeezicks!

Alice Illustrated With Marjorie Torrey

Alice Illustrated In Marjorie Torrey

I recall Jean Nordquist suggesting to me to begin dressing the 12" Alice Illustrated in classic Tenniel fashion.  She had recently shared both her Pinterest pages and scanned composites (gorgeous by the way!), of some of the various outfits Alice had been illustrated in over time.  I was dearly wanting to try something "daring", but I felt in my heart that she was right, so that when I introduced her, there would be no question as to who she was.  We all know and love Alice in her classic blue dress with the black ribbon bands at the hem, wearing a white pinafore often trimmed in red.  But, oh what fabulous ways she's been dressed by others!

Marjorie Torrey was one of them.

Ruffled Pinny

I could not find much written on Marjorie Torrey, although she surely is one of my favorite Alice illustrators.  Born in 1899, she both wrote and illustrated children's books.  I was not familiar with any but Alice in Wonderland, but titles such as New Star of the Show, and Hoodoo That Voodoo, certainly sound worth looking up.  From what I gathered, the breadth of her work was between 1938 and 1966 (or 1976).  What I love best about her illustrations is their sweetness.  A tender charm that many illustrators in the 1950's produced with the innocence and joy of childhood in mind.  For her Alice, she chose green, with a Degas flare for the apron.

Truly Degas Inspired

I gathered together a few various shades of green in silks and cottons, and eventually chose an emerald green silk dupioni to create her dress with.  I seriously doubt Torrey would have intended silk, more like cotton, but my Alice Illustrated will be dressed in the finest fabrics I can find.  Even if it is a cotton!  While I'd taken several photo sessions in different lighting of her dress, it was impossible to truly photograph the brilliance of this beautiful emerald green.

And a Red Hair Band

This is basically the same dress as the blue Tenniel design, however I added three inches to the 19" width of the original skirt.  Her pinafore is completely different.  And, what a challenge those ruffles provided!  I had hoped to use a heavier cotton sateen for the apron, but the ruffles proved to be too heavy and wide for the straps while attempting to turn the lined bodice inside out.  The pre-ruffle length was only twice the length of the straps to allow a flowing look as in the illustration - while I usually cut a ruffle length three times the width of the piece its intended to be sewn on.  The apron is fully lined, as well as the bodice of the dress.

I also chose Marjorie Torrey's illustration as her second dress because the green had an autumn feel to it - like a forest.  However, while finishing the back with hooks and tiny thread loops, it came to me that with the red headband, and the green and white of the costume, it would be perfect to keep her in through Christmas.

Other illustrators I would like to honor with a rendition of their dress for this doll are Rene Cloke, Maria Kirk, A.E. Jackson, Gwynedd M. Hudson, Arthur Rackham, Agnes Richardson and Maybel Lucie Attwell...to name a few.  This little doll is such a perfect size to sew for.  An entirely enjoyable experience.

Please enjoy some of the illustrations from Marjorie Torrey's 1955 (copywrite) edition of Alice in Wonderland.  Notice how incredibly dear the little animals are!

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

Cheshire Pussy Cat

Upset Jury

Absolute Favorite!  The Card Soldier!  Brilliant!

Here She Is Again

The White Rabbit

Drink Me - Love the Lampshade

They Were Only Cards