Doll Skirt Pattern Comparison

You may have noticed that this blog has not been as active the past few months as it has been in the past. That bothers me, because I love blogging and interacting with readers on a regular basis, and I've been thinking about it a lot. Since I started my other blog about Blythe dolls, my attention has been divided, but it seems that I don't have enough material for two active blogs...so the obvious solution is to combine them. That's what I've decided to do. I am going to post everything here and let the Blythe blog go.

The main reason I wanted to get a Blythe doll (and another, and another...) is that there are so many crafty things a creative person can do with her; she needs a wardrobe, of course, but there are all the little accessories and furnishings that a dolly requires too. So Blythe and the things I make for her will fit in just fine here.  The emphasis will still be on crafting, with only the occasional "pretty dolly" picture! (I've got a great one ready for St. Patrick's Day!)

Okay, let's get this thing started with something for dolly sewists.  I came across two different free skirt patterns on two different blogs, and I wanted to compare them.  In the picture below, the doll on the left is wearing a very simple skirt made from a one-piece pattern I found at Miseducated. It is meant to be made from felt, so there is no hemming or sewing other than adding a snap or velcro to the back. I decided to make my fully-lined version from cotton fabric.  It looks great, and was almost too easy!

The skirt on the right is from a three-piece pattern at Hello Moshi. It was more complicated and time consuming, because I wanted it to be fully lined too, which meant I had to carefully and precisely cut six  tiny fabric pieces.

The Hello Moshi skirt is fitted; it's the one on the left in the picture below, with a distinct curve.  The Miseducated skirt lies completely flat. They look very different off the dolls, but ON the dolls, they look almost the same. I had to ask myself, why would I ever bother to make the complicated skirt, when the simple one is so similar?

Oh, I know!!  If I wanted to use a fabric with a linear print, it would definitely look better using the Hello Moshi pattern.  I would be able to place the pattern pieces on the print so it would line up properly all the way around the skirt.  If I used the simple Miseducated pattern for that, the fabric design would look wonky on the sides and back.

Since starting to sew doll clothes, I've been thinking more and more about sewing clothes for myself. The experience of comparing the fit and construction of two doll skirts has helped me envision what type of skirt would work best on me, so I'm hoping my thoughts translate into action soon!