Playing with dolls

Scroll down for english, please!

Esta é uma das Barbies da minha filha. Comprei-a há um par de meses atrás numa feira de velharias. Poderia ter sido para mim, mas desta vez não, foi mesmo para ela. A boneca vinha com um vestido rosa  choque, tipo princesa, mas horroroso. 

This is one of my daughter's Barbies. I thrifter it a few months ago. It could be mine, but not this time, I really bought it for her. The doll came with a not flattering, princess look, hot pink dress. 

Um dia destes, há coisa de um mês, dei com ela toda despida, enquanto arrumávamos os brinquedos e nem pensei duas vezes. Fui a caminho dos últimos retalhos que sobravam pelo meu quarto de costura, e sem um plano ou sem um molde sequer, meti mãos no tecido, na tesoura e na linha e agulha e a boneca ganhou uma nova vida e um look bem mais moderno. 

One of these days, as we were putting toys away, I found the doll, naked, and I didnt have to think twice. I grabbed the lattest scraps I had in my craft room, and without a plan or pattern, I got my fabric, scissors and needle and thread, and this doll got a new life and a pretty much modern look. 

Comecei pelo top. Recortei um circulo, no meio recortei um mais pequeno para passar na cabeça da Barbie. Depois fiz uma pequena bainha toda à volta, e para finalizar, fiz duas costuras para criar uma espécie de mangas. Foi tudo costurado à mão, para matar saudades do tempo em que essa era a única forma que eu tinha de costurar. E porque soube bem, costurar de sofá, com os meus miúdos por perto. O tecido é o que usei nos vestidos mãe & filha, aqui. 

I started with the top. To make it, I cut a circle with a smaller one in the middle, so I could get the doll's head through it. Then I hemmed it all around, and added two rows of stitches to create a sort of sleeves. Everything was hand sewn, to go back to the time when handsewing was the only way I had to sew anyway. And it felt good to just take everything into my couch and stay there with the kids around. The fabric I used, is the same one from the mom & daughter dresses, here. 

Depois passei para as calças. Cortei tudo a olho e fiquei super satisfeita com o resultado porque ficaram mesmo, o tamanho perfeito para a boneca. As calças são compostas de 5 peças: duas frentes, duas traseiras e cós da cintura. Em baixo têm também uma pequena bainha, mais uma vez, tudo costurado à mão. O tecido é o mesmo que usei para fazer o meu 2º par de M is for Motto Joggers, que cortei mas que ainda não terminei. 

Then I made the pants. I've cut it by eye and I was super happy with how they turned out because they were really, the perfect size for the doll. The pants are made out of 5 pieces: two front, two back and a waist band. I made a small hem on the legs bottom, and again, everything was hand sewn. The fabric is the one I used to make my second pair of M is for Motto Joggers, which I haven't sewn together yet. 

Knock it off Series

This is probably my very favourite series from the sewing community! I wasn't going to participate this time, I haven't been sewing, but then it crossed my mind that I had just finished a knock off a few days ago. The Series are over by now, by I was able to add this project to the Flickr group before it ended, however, I am only able to blog about it right now. 

This knock off was actually ordered by a costumer. Her little girl celebrated her 7th birthday on the 28th of July (same day nd age as my niece) and her mom threw her a Barbie themed partie. She wanted me to make her a tutu and a shirt like the one in the first photo but she requested a few things different. She wanted no bows in the shirt, the silhuette to be black instead of pink and an extra bow for her daughter's hair. 

I made a no sew tutu. I used the knots technique for the second time ever and this one turned out so much better. I might have to make a third for my daughter. She's been into Anjelina Ballerina and dances in her toes often... wouldn't she look adorable doing that in a beautiful tutu?

The t-shirt was my favourite! I searched for a Barbie silhuette online, this one was the one I liked the most, printed it, cut it out and used it as a pattern to cut it on my fabric. I added some interface to the fabric before I cut to make it easier, and then sewed into the t-shirt. Quick and easy with a perfect result. 

I have a friend whose little girl turned three on this very same day too and also had a Barbie themed party for her daughter. I wonder if she would have liked an outfit like this one... 

Isn't she so lovely?

I've got a thing for the Barbie doll... I do, I've always had. Perhaps because my parents couldn't afford a genuine one when I was a child, I found myself buying one in my late teens. I just had to have one. And this was the first real Barbie I had. I didn't like the outfit she was originally wearing, so, I have made her a new one, of course. I guess I made this in 2010, but I am not 100% sure anymore. I did sew it by hand entirely.

I still haven't decided for a name for her. Any ideas? 

Later I bought another one. One day I'll get around to finally make her a new outfit too and then I'll introduce her to you.