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Has anyone ever made a girl-sized AG costume? I am thinking of making one for myself and I would like to try Josefina's meet outfit or Christmas dress. I have found a few patterns I could use for Felicity's meet dress also, but I have one from when I was younger so I wanted to do a new doll [img]wink.gif[/img] Also, I think Josefina's outfits are really pretty.
If anyone has made any AG costumes for girls (it doesn't matter which doll) could you tell me which pattern number (if you know it) and how hard it was.
My grandmother just made me an Elizabeth dress [img]smile.gif[/img] but I'd really like to try making one myself this summer.
I would love a Kit outfit too, maybe the red Christmas dress or the scooter dress. I'm guessing I'd just have to buy a sweater set for the meet outfit and make a skirt (which I could do).
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I know the you were able to buy Josefinas Christmas dress and Meet dress a long time ago. Maybe you could check e-bay?
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My mom made me a Kirsten dress a LONG time ago; the pattern we used probably doesn't exist anymore. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Josefina should be a very easy project. For her Meet outfit, there's a great chance you could find a camisa in a thrift or department store. If you really want to make it, you should be able to find a similar blouse as a regular pattern. You wouldn't really need a pattern for her skirt, either; just take a wide rectangle of fabric about the right length and pleat it into a waistband, then hem it with the lace trim on bottom. I don't know how the sash is done; if you were to be authentic I guess you'd actually weave it?
If you were doing the Christmas outfit, I'm thinking the semi-Regency-era costumes might be the way to go, since they'd have the high waist. The way the sleeves are diagonal (on the bias maybe? I sew but I don't know the terms [img]tongue.gif[/img] ), the costume would probably be more complicated, though.
I think Kit patterns might be more difficult to find and make, since her clothes have more of a retro flair. (Josefina's clothes aren't modern, but they're both simple, and in a sort of free-spirit-type style that I think is still in catalogues.) But Kit is possible--definitely her Meet skirt. I've never seen a sweater set exactly like Kit's but I wouldn't imagine it would be impossible to find.
Best of luck! Sounds like a fun project..and Josefina's Meet Dress, you could wear in public and look unusual, but not like you're wearing a costume. [img]biggrin.gif[/img]
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Thanks.
I've really had my heart set on making a Josefina outfit since I thought hers or Kirsten's would be the easiest to start with.
I didn't realize I'd be able to buy a camisa, so I might try that. And I have a feeling I'd be able to pick up a sash somewhere. All I have to do now is find good material for the skirt and some edging for the bottom. As for the Christmas dress, I might be able to have my grandmother make it similar to my Elizabeth Bennet Halloween costume for this year, but with long sleeves.
I also agree that I could wear the Josi outfit without looking like I'm in costume, as my dolls do all the time (hers are their favorite clothes and they wear the skirts all the time) so that's one of the other reasons I picked Josefina's to start with.
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Several sellers on ebay sell blouses that would work as Josefina's listed as renn faire shirts. You can also search mexican shirts, but most of those are embriodered. Most ren faire/pirate blouse patterns can be adapted.
I have a real handwoven sash, but a very long scarf or a long piece of fabric trimmed with fringe works too.
The skirts are normally just a HUGE piece of fabric with an elastic waist put in or sewn to a waistband.
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I agree that Josefina's would probably be the easiest. The skirt wouldn't really need a pattern, even if you've never done anything like that before. As for the camisa, it's quite simlar to the designs of a rennaisance chemise which all the major pattern companies have designs for, due to the demand for fairs and such.
IF you really, really, really want a pattern for a skirt, you could probably get a renaissance pattern with both a chemise and a full skirt and just hem the skirt significantly shorter. YOu may need a thick, stiff fabric, or some sort of "fluff" underskirt to get the fullness, but perhaps, that could be the lace sticking out underneath?
There are some differences, obviously, but only a well-trained eye would notice.
As for the sash (and rebozo for that matter), I would recommend a loosely woven fabric, sewn in a tube and then fray the ends and knot them together.
Edited to say: Sara and I must have posted at the same time, with the same thought on Camisas and Ren Chemises. I also suspect that Camisa is just the spanish word, but having never taken spanish, not sure.
<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ June 04, 2006 11:44 PM: Message edited by: supernonamegirl ]</font>
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I didn't specifically make anything to be a costume to match a doll, but I used to do 18th century interpretation, so I have some things I made from that. It was pretty time-consuming stuff copied out of a book called "Fitting and Proper," which is charts someone drew based on 18th c. garments in the collection of the Chester County Historical Society.
I've seen people who've gotten some very good results from Butterick's "Making History" series, though I've never gotten around to using the patterns I've bought from them yet. Because of the popularity of Civil War reenactment, it's especially easy to find good patterns for all kinds of Addy-era outfits.
I don't know how into historical accuracy you want to get, but these sites have some pretty good patterns and a few also have some more generic ready-made goods:
~I like Townsend's site for 18th century and early 19th- they also have good ready-made goods, "accessories," and costuming books:
http://jas-townsend.com/index.php
(scroll down and click on "clothing patterns")
(this site definitely has some kid-sized patterns, too)
They have an empire-waist dress pattern that looks like it would make a very good facsimile of Josefina's Christmas Dress here:
http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=424
http://www.mantua-maker.com/index.html
http://www.farthingales.on.ca/patterns.php
~An easier brand-name pattern that covers several periods:
http://www.sewingpatterns.com/simplicity-patterns.html
~Make a pocketbook/wallet like Felicity's:
http://www.interweave.com/needle/pro...pocketbook.asp
~Ready-made stuff, mainly 18th century:
http://www.smilingfoxforgellc.com/
(items on site are expensive, but give good pictures, esp. of shoes, so you can find modern-day substitutes)
This may be an HB member's site, I don't remember... but I bookmarked it a while ago because the person has done a lot of costuming and has a lot of photos of finished work, but a lot of the things are hand-drafted patterns based on those in costuming books. She gives a really thorough idea of the work involved for period-accurate stuff, and also includes a few easy-to-follow patterns for various small things.
http://www.koshka-the-cat.com/
How to make a fairly easy, plain, but pretty accurate 18th century shift:
http://www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto...8chemise.shtml
Oh, and something to note: It'll be easier to pick the earlier characters if you want to go for the matching look, since girls' clothing was still pretty much just small versions' of women's, with maybe some allowances for length. Especially in Samantha's time, though, you'd be old enough to be wearing the outfits with the longer, slimmer skirts, and knee-length skirts like Samantha's would be inappropriate.
And Felicity's movie took a lot of liberties with headcoverings, or the lack thereof. Colonies further north, at least, tended to be a bit more strict with dress, especially with headcoverings and social judgements based on hair being left loose.
