Category Archives: Fall Doll Fashions

“Ready, Set, Autumn”

Are you ready for autumn? Maybe I’m not, but Lucy sure is! She is wearing a new design made for her and her sisters.

I’ve been in love with this vintage knit pinafore jumper ever since I saw it quite awhile ago. Isn’t it adorable, as is the little model! *sigh* The photo looks like it’s from the 1970s, but I cannot find any definite information about it. I haven’t forgotten about it though, and really wanted to see one of my Little Darlings dressed in this style.

Here’s my miniaturized take on the knitted pinafore jumper.

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Lucy likes this new look so much that she has picked it for her back-to-school outfit. In addition to wearing a special outfit, the children always bring a little friend for show-and-tell. Lucy’s friend is “Miss Friendly”, named for her tiny, but sweet smile. Lucy says Miss Friendly’s cuteness will help her make new friends. I think she’s right, don’t you?

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Miss Friendly is needle felted out of wool roving by me, in my studio. She has black Delica bead eyes and embroidered features. She wears a bow out of matching yarn and a heart dangle that matches the heart on Lucy’s bracelet.

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Lucy’s pinafore jumper is hand knit out of Peruvian Highland wool in a heathered warm rosy pink. The suspender straps really button with buttonholes, but do not need to be undone for dressing. The back has tiny pearl beads all the way to the hemline. Only the first three open with buttonholes for dressing; the others are sewn in place. The jumper is embroidered with coordinating blossoms underneath the ribbed band and at the hemline.

The 3/4 length sleeve blouse is made with a pastel cotton floral print. The bodice is completely lined; no raw or serged edges are visible on the inside. The facing is hand sewn, and the sleeve seams are double turned and hemmed by hand. To prevent added bulk, the blouse closes with snaps above the jumper only.

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Lucy’s seamless beret is knit from my beret pattern, and is made from wool/angora yarn. A little embroidered motif decorates the front and a two-color tassel decorates the top.

Lucy’s accessories include a necklace and bracelet, which are made out of 14k gold-filled findings. Underneath her jumper is a pair of ivory cotton tights.

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“Ready, Set, Autumn” will be available tonight (August 14, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

“Fall-ing for this Sweety”

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Hi all! Are you enjoying August? Honestly, it feels like September to me. My daughter is all moved in at college and ready to begin her second year. Temperature-wise, it is another rather chilly morning. I’ve heard others say how back-to-school feels more like a new beginning than January first does. I feel this way, do you?

I feel like planning gobs of new ensembles and patterns, and painting my studio, which will then need to get straightened and pared down. Yikes! One step-at-a-time!

Today I decided to get Gracie’s new ensemble ready to show you. I’ve been writing the pattern for her cardigan as I’ve been creating the ensemble, so it’s taken a little longer to complete. However, she is now all ready!

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Gracie’s cardigan is knit with fingering weight merino wool. It is wonderfully soft and hand dyed to a cool tonal pink. This color picks up the cool rosiness of the roses on the dress print. Bullion stitched shaded roses and rosebuds in three different shades (plum, mauve, and raspberry) are sprinkled on the front panels of her elbow length cardigan.

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The cardigan can be worn unbuttoned or buttoned with off white glass pearls.

Her dress is made with a Japanese cotton print which features tiny rosy colored roses/rosebuds on a cool plum ground. The bodice is shaped with waistline darts. Her full skirt is embellished with very fine scalloped English cotton Cluny lace snugged underneath a tuck. A raspberry colored silk ribbon ties twice around her waist and ties into a bow in the front.

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Gracie wears a delicate necklace and bracelet made with amethyst colored AB Czech glass crystals, golden Delica beads, heart charms and a gold-toned bow charm. Her headband is hand made with velvet ribbon, and has an elastic loop at the back for slipping on over her hair. She wears off white cotton Lycra® tights.

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Gracie holds a Victorian styled crocheted basket with a beaded handle and tassel. Inside the basket are a few lilac blossoms she’s picked just for you.

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“Fall-ing for this Sweety” will be available tonight (August 8, 2017) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

Look for Gracie’s cardigan pattern later this week. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.

I hope you all enjoy your day today. ❤

“As Seasons Change”

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Is it starting to feel a bit like fall (or spring) where you live, maybe a day here and there? We had a morning last week that was quite cool. If I hadn’t been aware of the exact day on the calendar I could have believed autumn was right around the corner simply by a “feeling in the air”. But alas, we still have August which is still summer. And, I am happy about that; I’m not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet.

Lucy is my last little model in the July fashion show. She is wearing a transitional ensemble in navy blue, my favorite back-to-school color. Her dress is made with a popular print designed by Rifle Paper Co. and manufactured by Cotton + Steel. If you go to Instagram and search with the tag #riflepapercofabric you can find lots of other thing made with this print. It was also produced with a light blue ground and a warm peach/salmon colorway.

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I customized Lucy’s rose with cobalt seed beads to mimic the stylized roses on her dress.

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Lucy’s hand knit lace cardigan sweater is made with a heathered rose colored merino lace yarn. There are vertical lace panels on the fronts, sleeves, and a wider one on the back. The cardigan can be worn unbuttoned or buttoned with natural stone navy bead buttons.

It took me a few tries to get the shade for the rose embroidery just right. I kept trying shades that perfectly matched those on the dress, but they did not look right at all. Finally, I squinted my eyes and picked the color that the pink and red blended together to make, which was the color that you see here. There is some reddish orange in the yarn, so this shade of embroidery also ties in with the sweater.

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Lucy’s beret is knit in the round from my beret pattern. It uses a heavier yarn, but in the same colorway. A hand made two-color pompom decorates the top, and a tiny hand made navy silk (same color as the waistline ribbon) bow decorates the front.

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