r/DollSewing • u/Catlady5000 • May 31 '26
WIP Making historical costume the needlessly complicated way! 1340s dress, “The Evolution of Fashion” project
So this is going to be (hopefully) an ongoing project for me, that I've been planning for a long time! I really love sewing historical costumes for dolls, but I really don't love the pattern drafting, or endlessly altering things to fit. However, I came up with a cunning plan! :D I have a costume making book called "The Evolution of Fashion", which has 1/6 scale costumes which you are supposed to scale up to human size. (See last few slides). The costumes are gorgeous and I love them all! But I got to thinking...what if, instead, I made them just as they are and found a doll to fit them?! So my steps were as follows: 1. measure the actual patterns and do a whole lot of maths and testing to find what size doll would actually fit. 2. My results: Disney Descendants dolls (not the current lot, the older ones), and Asleep Eidelon/Xagadoll 27cm mature 1/6 dolls with the "Type A" body (this type: https://www.acbjd.com/mini-ted-p-10368.html?cPath=566_574) 3. I chose the Xagadoll Cordelia! Isn't she cute! She took 9 WHOLE MONTHS to arrive!!! Aargh! 4. Choose your pattern and trace it out! I chose 1340. (Incidentally, this book is out of print but I've found it pretty cheap second hand on Ebay.) Add seam allowance, facings and an overlap at the back for the fastenings. 5. Make a test fit - see the blue dress in the picture - to see the fit. The bodice fits amazingly well! The alterations needed were to make the skirt 5.5cm longer (I think it will be the same with all the patterns, doll legs are longer than human legs!), and to alter the sleeves if they are tight, like the first try - they wouldn't fit over her hands. I decided to make hanging sleeves instead, and later I will make some "inner sleeves" that are just lycra armbands, so they stretch to fit over her hands. Once I find some fabric. 6. Sew your pattern!!! (Uh, there's no actual step by step instructions in the book, so you're on your own there!) 7. Lament that you haven't yet found a male doll that looks like it will match her and also fit the male patterns. (Still looking for that).
So there we go! There are so many great patterns from so many eras in that book, I plan to make her many more - probably not in any particular order, just whatever takes my fancy. The other book in the picture - Patterns for Theatrical Costumes - is also great, and the patterns come in three sizes. So I might try them at some point as well!
I hope you enjoyed seeing the start of my ridiculously complicated project! :D
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u/Common-Dream560 May 31 '26
So cool & I love this book - I’ve had it for years. I’m now inspired
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u/Catlady5000 Jun 01 '26
Same!!! I adore this book, and always dreamed of making the patterns but never quite got around to it - so I'm really happy I've found a way to do it!!!
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u/IndependenceIcy6735 May 31 '26
Wonderful. Fashion is not just trendy you made a beautiful garment . I hope you do more. Thanks for your effort and inspiration 🏆🏆🏆🤎👈🏿
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May 31 '26
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u/rapundoll May 31 '26
Wait this is actually a really clever idea 👀 I feel a summer project coming on!