A Dolly Version of "Betsye Gray"

 I had fabric leftover from the little girl's sundress, so I decided to make her a dolly version of her own dress.

First, I adapted the smocking design for an 18-inch doll, eliminating the big flower with black center.

Smocking complete, I sewed the skirt to the yoke, sewed shoulder seams, then sewed the yoke to the lining at the neckline and armholes before turning. 

Many patterns will tell you this can't be done.  Sure it can!  It's a cinch!

After finishing the side and back seams, it's time for the tucks and hem.  I wanted two 1/4-inch tucks.  It's easy to hem and tuck at the same time.  

First, press up the seam allowance.  In my case, it was 1 1/2-inches.  Now, press up that same amount again.  (This did not make sense to me when I first read it.  I thought that meant I'd have to compensate by adding more length to the dress.  Nope.  It only dawned on me as I actually did it!)

Now stitch the tuck...

...and press it down.  Voila!  You've got a tuck with the raw hem edge up inside it.

I measured 5/8 from that stitching to press my second tuck.

Here they are!

If you want dolly's dress to have a sash, as mine did, here's an easy way, with no turning.  Narrow hem long edges.

Fold right sides together and stitch across one short end.

Trim the corner.

Turn the corner out and press flat.

I did include these sashes in the side seams.

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Anyone interested in the pattern for this doll dress?  I'm thinking of offering patterns here.

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Betsye Gray

 My client wanted a sundress for her daughter's portrait sitting.  She sent me this pale blue linen and asked that it be smocked with white and have black centers for the flowers.  At first I was alarmed.  Black centers?  On a little girl's dress?  But then my client showed me a picture of her own blouse she'd be wearing in the portrait.  It was made of black lace. 
  

Edgestitching the neckline

I came up with this smocking design.  It's quiet elegance kept me thinking of my great-great-great grandmother, Elizabeth "Betsye"  Gray, who is a bit of an enigma to us genealogists in the family.  
   

The dress is collar-less, with a big sash to tie in back.  I made two tucks at the hem, incorporating the hem into the bottom tuck.   I'll discuss how that was done in a future entry.

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