First of all, I wish you a mighty happy new year! How was x-mas for you? Mine was a blast because I got a dressform from Mr. *jaszmade. Obviously he thought I need one to get my garments fitted… teeheee… yep, I understand the hint! It’s a used Diana dressform and the best of all: She is pink! Yep! It’s a she! I called her Adelheid after one of my many Alter Egos Heidi, girl of the alps… LOL! Why Alter Ego? Well, some peeps think I looked like her (in the anime) when I was little.

Anyway, what I wanted to tell you today is the story of my sew/craft weekly successes of last year. I started in november after deciding to change the concept of my blog (Remember) and actually managed the challenge of sewing weekly since then: I’ve sewed finger gloves for a friend’s birthday, some cool mod slippers for myself, for my mom, dad and *mr. jaszmade, made a crazy amigurumi cat for my brother (doubtlessly inspired by Amineko) and last but not least I made some dresses (modelled by Adelheid). I love dresses, don’t you!?

The first dress (upper left) is inspired by a burdastyle dress (sorry, can’t find the link anymore), the second by a vintage BIBA dress. I made a similar one in autumn red/brown. The third one I already showed some weeks ago: It was inspired by Sew Tessuti. Last but not least the pinkest of them all: My “I love Mary” dress with a felt daisy brooch (ya, I could have ironed it, sorry).

The only problem I have now is that I don’t know if I am going to wear all of them or if they are just dresses I made for hanging in my wardrobe. Duh! I am an all black and white type and I feel overdressed wearing a turquoise or even more  a pink (!!) dress! I train myself in wearing them at home but well, guess before making more “awesome dresses for my wardrobe” I rather need to figure out what I want to wear and not what I want to sew. After stumbling upon Sarai Mitnick’s (Colette patterns) inspiring post about her sewing goals for 2012, I sat down and thought about my own.

My sewing goals 2012

• buying only fabric when I know what I want to sew next and know that I am going to use exactely THIS fabric next. Otherwise I tend to buy fabric because “it looks so vintage” or because “the pattern is so awesome” without recognising the colours or style won’t suit me or even more the person I am (like the pink dress… huh!?)! Do you know that? ACK! So frustrating!
• After loosing quite a bit of weight I need to adjust all my patterns. I already did but they aren’t perfect anymore. For god’s sake Adelheid promised to help me on that! It’s muslin-time, I guess… gah!
• making the perfect trousers pattern. I have tried already but in the end I don’t wear the finished product because it is too  short on the hips, the pockets look odd (is there a secret how to make them stay in place!?) or well… they just look like self-made :S I do *SO* adore Carolyn’s sewing (well, who doesn’t!?), she even can make jeans looking like “real ones”, can’t she!? sigh…
• learning patience. I really need to improve my sewing for humans. It is not that I am not able to do it better, I am just too impatient to make it. Doll’s clothes are different. I enjoy making them look sweet but when sewing for myself an awry neckline is not what haunts me in my dreams (see pink dress – but then again… I won’t wear it outside my rooms anyway, right!?)
• sewing only clothes I actually wear
• sewing only clothes I actually wear (yeah, twice for me to remember!)

I think that’s already enough to accomplish! What are your goals?

Yay! What you see are selfmade Blythe mod felt slippers… aren’t they super cute!?? They are made in a jiffy and worth to have a pair in every colour of the rainbow! The best is you don’t need to sew a lot, you just add a teeny button and that’s it! Here you go:

Step 1: Download and print pattern

Download *jaszmade’s Blythe Mod Felt slippers pattern here, print it and cut out both tiny pieces around the outline. Do not leave seam allowance.

Step 2: Cut and glue

The slippers consist of an inner sole (red) and a shell (white). Cut 2 soles (left and right) as well as 2 shells and glue the sole to the shell using textile or hobby glue. Wait 20 minutes (you could cut more slippers inbetween… heheee) for the glue to set.

Step 3: Close and add button

Then just close the shell with a quick stitch and add something fancy like a button or a teeny bow, a gem or whatever you like. Cute slippers done!

If you would like to make slippers like these for yourself please try out *jaszmade’s DIY Easy Mod Slippers tutorial.

This year I would like to make most of my x-mas presents myself. Partially because I really don’t like the commerce x-mas has become but mainly because I love to give presents that keep a piece of my heart in them.

The good thing is that I make something like a prototype of each bit that I keep for myself… teeheee… like these easy to make DIY Mod Slippers. They are made of 5mm felt, you absolutely can use 3mm instead and add interlining. Don’t use 1mm felt for yourself (you can use it for Blythe though) or you won’t have a lot of fun with your slippers.

Step 1: Download and Print Pattern

Start with downloading and printing *jaszmade’s easy mod slippers pattern. If you have like me german size 38/ UK size 5/ US size 7 you skip the next step. Those of you who want to make felt slippers for their Blythe dolls as well will find a little extra coming with this pattern: I added Blythesize slippers as well! heheee…

Step 2: Adjusting the Pattern for your Size

To adjust the pattern to a bigger or smaller size than mine, you simply trace around a well fitted pair of your shoes. I chose one of my fave pumps by Daniel Hechter (loooove them!). Make your pattern a little wider than the shoe. Another idea is to draw around your naked foot.

Step 3: Cutting the inside sole

Your mod slippers consist of a shell (mine is black) and an“ inside sole” (mine is pink). First thing you need to do is cutting the inside sole using the pattern without the flips/wings of the second page of the downloaded pattern. Be sure to cut a left and a right piece just turning/mirroring your pattern.

Those of you who adjusted the size (step2), you cut around your freshly made drawing from step 2. You will also need the flips/wings of the second page.

Step 4: Cutting the Shell

Now add the second page’s wings/ flips to your pattern/drawing and cut the shell. Be sure to cut a left and a right piece just turning/mirroring your pattern.

Step 5: Bring Sole and Shell together

I find it easier to sew the sole and shell after glueing them together. I used fabric glue to do so.

Most modern sewing machines should manage sewing two thick felt layers together, if yours doesn’t sew it by hand.

Step 6: Closing and Add Something Fancy

Now just close the flips/wings with two stitches and add whatever your heart is after… like a felt flower, a beeeeeeeg button, a brooch… you see there are endless possibilities!

I am going to add a tutorial for Blythe slippers pretty soon, please keep watching my blog.

Have fun with your *jaszmade mod slippers,
Jasz

Finally another free *jaszmade sewing pattern for Blythe. Today I have an empire style petticoat dress for you. I kept the pattern easy and simple for beginners as well as advanced seamstresses leaving a lot of styling and decor space for you! Just download and print the pattern for free, sew after my tutorial and doll it up to your likings! You are even allowed to sew dresses after my patterns and sell them on your etsy, just don’t sell the pattern or translate it without my permission. If you’d like to share it I appreciate a link to my resource. Thank you!

Step 1: The pattern and fabric choice

Time to start! Click here to download the pattern, print it and make sure the measurements are right. I added two different kind of straps. Strap A is for a tank top look, strap B goes around dolly’s neck and is bound at the back. I love the look of strap B and used it on my finished dress. It is also easier to handle.

Cut out pattern around the outlines. Get your fave fabrics, I recommend light weighted cotton. It is the easiest to handle, especially for beginners. Make sure to choose a fabric that doesn’t stain your doll, especially the one you use for the lining on the inside. I always use white fabric for the lining.

Step 2: Cut

Pin the pattern on the folded fabric (my pattern looks a bit different on the pics as I used the first version, it is exactely the same like yours, just yours is a little more detailed). Then cut out with no seam allowance. Helpful Note: I always cut lining and shell together to be sure, they are 100% the same. When you are done your pieces should more or less look like these:

Step 3: Sew shell and lining together

Stack right sides together and sew along the dark dotted lines (see pattern). I always use the half of my sewing foot (5 mm/ 0.2 “) as a measure where to put my seam.

Step 4: Nipping and Lapping

Carefully nip all curved parts and lap all corners.

Step 5: Pulling inside out and pressing seam

Pull the insides out with the help of your fingers, a chopstick or the peak of your scissors (careful!). Make sure your corners are angled and not too thick. Then press well.The result should more or less look like this:

Step 6: Bring Bodice and Skirt together

If you cut around the outlines carefully you should find a little dent on the upper center of the skirt as well as on the lower center of the bodice (pic 1). Stack right sides together and make the dents meet each other, pin to secure (pic 2). Starting in the middle pin bodice and skirt together. You should stretch the bodice a little while pinning (pic 3).

Helpful Note: As a beginner I recommend you roughly stitch together both parts by hand and remove the needles before sewing them together with the machine. It is much easier than sewing all over the needles and the rough stitch prevents the fabric parts from sliding.

Then sew bodice and skirt together (pic 4).

Step 7: Hide the Mess

Picture 1-3: Nip the curved seam on the inside where bodice and skirt come together carefully, then press the seam open.

Picture 4-9 (optional): For a perfect finish you may want to hide the mess inside. You don’t need to but it looks nicer. Pic 4: First you carefully snip the inner seam allowance (visible shell fabric) to half of its width taking care not to snip the outer seam allowance (lining, for the result see pic 5), then pic 6: fold the outer seam allowance over and press to close the seam. Pic 7: Stitch the seam carefully down to the skirt-part (pic8). Helpful Note: I recommend you roughly stitch the seam down by hand before sewing it down with the machine. As you can see the seam later on the outside of your dress, you may want to have it look evenly and nice. Pic 9: Carefully snip the overlapping.

Step 8: Add Snaps

Step 9: Add Straps

Decide about the straps you want to add. Pic1: Pin both straps of possibility A to your bodice (see pattern marks) and stitch them on by hand. Or Pic2: Fold your ribbon (strap B) in half and sew it to the bodice (see pattern mark). I added a white button as decor, you can use whatever you want (heart-shape, flower… endless possibilities).

And you are done! Hooray!

Now decor your dress to your likings. You can add taffeta for a more petticoat-ish look, ribbons, buttons, trimming, lace, bows, sweet things… whatever you do, please leave a comment below adding a link to your results – eeep! It makes me happy to see what people make using *jaszmade patterns

For more patterns and sewing tutorials, please visit my sewing overview page.