We're wrapping up our historical school supply series with the third item, a hornbook, to complete the set. A hornbook was a teaching aid consisting of a leaf of paper showing the alphabet, and often the ten digits and the Lord’s Prayer, mounted on a wooden tablet and protected by a thin plate of horn. You can look up images of them online – they all look so neat!

A girl like Felicity in 1774 would have had a hornbook in her family to help her learn how to read. Follow along as we make one! There won’t be any actual horn on the supplies list, but we think your doll will like the finished product.

Supplies:

• Ivory computer paper
• Scraps of faux leather or vinyl (can be bought easily in most fabric/craft stores) (alternatively you could use brown card stock)
• Scissors
• Stick glue
• Ruler
• Pencil
• 9 inch length of leather cord or ribbon
• Sewing machine and dark brown thread
• Computer to make and print text on paper

Let's Get Started!

Step 1:  The first thing you need to do is design the text of your hornbook.  We made a text box that was 1.75 inches tall by 1.25 inches wide. Inside this box we typed out the letters of the alphabet in all caps, then divided with a straight line, then typed out as much of the Lord’s Prayer as we could fit! Our font size for the alphabet was 8 points and for the Lord’s Prayer was 6 points. So small! Then we copied this text box a few more times and printed them out on our ivory computer paper. The extras are in case we mess up when we cut them out!

Step 2: Using the bottom corner of the paper you printed your text on, draw a hornbook shape to use as a pattern piece. The main part of our hornbook shape is a rounded rectangle 2 3/8 inch by 1 ¾ inch, with a rounded handle piece sticking out that is 5/8 inch long by 7/8 inch wide. Draw your own hornbook shape and cut it out.

Step 3:  Using your drawn pattern, cut out two pieces of the faux leather. Use your stick glue to glue them together.

Step 4:  Using your brown thread and your sewing machine set to a zig zag stitch, slowly and carefully stitch around the edge of your faux leather sandwich. We set our zig zag stitch settings to 0.85 stitch length and 3.0 stitch width. We stitched all the way around two times.

Step 5:  If you are using cardstock to make your hornbook, use a hole punch to punch a little hole in the rounded handle. If not, use small sewing scissors to cut out a circle in both layers. Carefully use your sewing machine again to zig zag stitch around this circle two times.

Step 6:  Cut out one of your text boxes and trim to size, then use the stick glue to glue the paper to the center of the hornbook. If you mess up, just start over with one of your extra text boxes. You can cut rounded corners on your paper or angled corners like we did. 

Finally, use the 9 inch length of leather cord or ribbon and lace it through the hole, then tie in a knot. This is the finishing touch to make it look like a true historical hornbook!

Now that you have made all three items from our historical school supply series, your historical doll from 1774 will be ready for her reading and writing lessons!

@forofsuch, for larougetdelisle

PS. Find the other two tutorials to make 1774 school supplies here: Copybook and Inkwell

PIXIE FAIRE STYLE GUIDE: 1920s Fashion For Dolls 

We’ve put together the ultimate style to help you make a historically accurate 1920s look for your doll such as Claudie Wells™ the newest historical character from American Girl®! The 1920s were a time of relentless joy in the aftermath of the First World War. Exuberant styles like the flapper dress and bob haircuts were all the rage. To make a great 1920s-inspired outfit for your doll you’ll want to understand these five components to this particular fashion era: new developments for children’s clothing, dresses, embellishments, accessories, and flapper girls. 

Please be sure to leave a comment at the bottom telling us which pattern you’re most excited to start working on!

NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR CHILDREN’S CLOTHES

Children’s clothing in the 1920s changed dramatically from the past decades because it shifted focus from ornateness to practicality.  The clothes, especially girl’s clothing, began to loosen and feature simple lines that were designed for their needs and comfort.  There was also a substantial loss of layers in children’s clothing.  Before then there would be several layers of bloomers, stockings, and more, but in the 1920s, and thereafter, there was typically only be one layer of undergarments under children’s clothing.  This gave children more freedom to play than ever before.

DRESSES

The new popular style for dresses in the 1920s heavily deviated from anything that was previously in fashion.  Dresses were shortened for girls and women of all ages.  For young girls, dresses fell to the knee or just above.  For older girls, teens, and women, dresses fell somewhere between below the knee and midcalf.  Dresses featured dropped waists which accentuated their boxy fit.  This eliminated the need for corsets and rebelled against the trends of centuries prior.  It is an interesting reversal in trends to note, however.  In the past (and future) girls’ clothing always followed the trends for women’s clothing, but in this unique case, women’s clothing was heavily inspired by girls’ fashion trends.  This is evident through the short and boxy fit of the fashionable dress styles.

EMBELLISHMENTS

Although children’s clothing was more practical than it had been in the past, girls’ clothing in the 1920s was joyful and full of extravagant embellishments.  This is a reflection of the culture during the time period.  Some of these embellishments consisted of smocking patterns, embroidery, and bright-patterned fabrics.  Girls’ dresses and shirts would often also feature large “Peter Pan”-style collars.

ACCESSORIES

Young girls in the 1920s did not wear many accessories besides hats, shoes, or hair accessories.  Hats were popular for all age groups and were most often made of either wool or straw.  Straw hats had wide brims and flat tops.  They also were accented with ribbons or sashes as trims.  The popular wool hat at the time was cloche hats.  A cloche hat is shaped like a bell and extends down to the base of the neck and over the ears.  The brim is small and frames the face well.  Shoes for girls in the 1920s were often made of canvas which was easy to clean and cheap to produce.  In the 1920s girls of all age groups wore their hair in short bob haircuts.  These hair cuts were often decorated with ribbons or headbands to make them more feminine looking.

FLAPPER GIRLS

One of the most iconic looks of all of fashion history is that of the flapper girl.  Although it was not popular with young girls, it was still an influential look during the time period.  The name “flapper” doesn’t have a clear root but describes young women in the 1920s who wore short, drop-waist dresses, bobbed hair, and heavy makeup.  They valued fun, had very loose morals, and were nothing like their mothers from the generations before them.  They dated one man after another, partied nearly every night, spent money endlessly, and danced until dawn.  Nearly any girl in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels was considered a flapper girl, as well as his wife Zelda.  Zelda heavily influenced the flapper fashion culture.

FABRICS AND PRINTS

Popular fabrics for children’s clothing in the 1920s were fabrics that did not take much maintenance.  These would have been things like cotton, wool, or jersey knit.  These textiles were easy to wash and did not require much ironing, which made them popular with the children’s mothers as well!  Wealthier children would have been able to wear fabrics like velvet, lace, muslin, or silk, but these were also often reserved for special occasions.  Bright and optimistic colors as well as bold prints were popular for the era. Take a look below for our suggested fabric choices:

Lace Fabric from Joann Fabrics

Wool Felt Fabric from Joann Fabrics

Black Velvet Ribbon from Mood Fabrics 

Black Velvet Fabric from Mood Fabrics 

Black Fringe Trim from Mood Fabrics 

larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of 1920s era-inspired patterns, but to start check out these patterns below:

1920s Downtown for 18in Dolls

Nautical Pleats Outfit for 18in Dolls

The Little Flapper Dress for 18in Dolls

1920s Downtown for AGAT Dolls

Balmoral Holiday Set for 18in Dolls

Cloche Hat for Hearts for Hearts Dolls

1927 Coat Set for 18in Dolls

We’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment, and tell us which pattern you’re most excited to get working on!

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team :^)

Are you ready for the second tutorial showing you how to make school supplies for historical dolls such as Felicity Merriman? A girl in the 18th century would not have had notebooks of lined paper to do all her writing on. She was provided with a copybook, which was a small bound book of paper. For our copybook, we are going to use some pretty paper Felicity would like, then we get to write in it ourselves!

To see the first tutorial in this series, The Inkwell, click HERE.

Supplies Needed:

• Pretty card stock paper
• Ivory colored computer paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Black pen
• Sewing machine and thread

Step 1:  Cut out your card stock and ivory paper. We decided we wanted our finished copybooks to be about 3 inches tall and 2 inches wide, so we cut our paper into pieces about 3.25 by 4 inches. It certainly doesn’t have to be exact. We cut three pieces of ivory paper and just one of our pretty outside paper. 

Step 2:  Stack up your papers and fold them down the middle. Open back up, and using that fold as a guide, sew down the middle of your papers. Use a heavier duty needle and a 2.7 stitch length, and backstitch at the beginning and the end. 

Step 3:  Close your book up again, and now use your scissors to trim it to size. We are doing this now instead of as a first step because the paper lays differently once it is sewn together. Trim the top, bottom, and side to your desired measurement, and cut in curved corners as you do. 

Step 4:  Now use your black marker to write in your copybook! Make sure to include some scratched out mistakes – girls in Felicity’s time couldn’t use erasers like we do now! A few ideas for things to write are a bible verse, a quote, or practice writing an invitation to tea. Felicity also doodled pictures of horses when she should have been practicing her penmanship!

And that’s it! This craft is easy and fun and a great way to make lots of little quick books for your dolls. 

@forofsuch, for larougetdelisle

Did you know that many patterns can be used interchangeably? In this patten hack, Laura the designer of Love from Lola, shows us how to combine the Bobbie top with the skirt portion from the Amelia pattern to create a darling wrap-front dress for an 18-inch American Girl doll! Follow along to see how it's done!

To start you will need the following pattern pieces from Bobbie:

• A - Front
• B - Yoke
• C - Back
• D - Collar
• E , F, or G - Sleeve
• J1 & J2 - Band, tie closure piece 1
• K - Band, tie closure piece 2
• L1 & L2 - Band, tie closure piece 3

You will also need the following pattern piece from Amelia:

• H - Skirt

Let's Get Started:

A few modifications will need to be made prior to cutting out your fabric.

Bobbie Pattern Pieces: Start with the Band pieces K and L1/L2 from Bobbie. Using the center fold marking as your guide measure 1⁄4 inch below that line and mark. Cut at the line you just made. Discard the bottom portion.

Mark both new band pieces as Cut 2.

Amelia Pattern Pieces: A few markings will also need to be changed on the skirt (H1/H2) from Amelia.Add a marking along the center back edge to cut on fold.Mark the piece as Cut 1 on fold.

Use these new pattern pieces to cut out your fabric.

Follow steps 1-11 in Bobbie to make the bodice.
Skip to step 18 and follow that step to start making what will be the waistband.

1. With right sides together, and matching the notch, stitch piece 1 between band pieces 2 (K) and 3 (L).

2. With right sides together, pin this piece to the bottom edge of the bodice matching the proper left side seam with the seam on the waistband. Do Not stitch yet.

3. With right sides together, and matching the notch, stitch the remaining two band pieces 2 (K) and 3 (L) together.

4. With the right side of the band facing the wrong side of the bodice, pin to the bottom edge. The bodice will be sandwiched between the two waistband pieces. Stitch as shown.

5. Turn the waistband right side out and press.

6. Make a small clip at the center front on the main waistband piece.

7. Right sides together sew two short ends of the ruffle together. Press the seam allowance open.
Hem one long edge of the ruffle by pressing the edge under 1⁄4 inch and an additional 1⁄4 inch. Stitch.

8. Sew a gathering stitch along the top edge of each ruffle strip.
*We recommend sewing two rows of gathers, one at a scant 1⁄4 inch and another at 3/8 inch. Pull the gathers to fit the edge of the skirt, and with right sides together pin the ruffle to the lower edge of the skirt piece. Stitch. Serge or zigzag to finish the edge.



9. Press the seam allowance towards the skirt. Topstitch to secure. Remove
any visible gathering threads. Sew a gathering stitch along the top edge of the skirt.

10. Pull the gathers to fit the waistband. With right sides together, pin the skirt to the main waistband keeping the lining portion of the waistband out of the way. Stitch. Press the seam allowance towards the waistband.

11. Press the edge of the waistband lining piece under 1⁄4 inch. Pin, covering the seam allowance. This seam can be either hand stitched or machine stitched. If machine stitched start with the proper left portion of the waistband. Keeping the tie out of the way stitch, stopping at starting at the tie.

12. Repeat this with the proper right side stitching around the edge of the tie as well.

Try on your doll and tie at the waist to secure!

Today's tutorial is a super cute swimsuit cover-up! It features fun racer-back styling, a single tie at the front, and two tiny pockets. And the best part? All you need is an old t-shirt and the (free!) Liberty Jane Trendy T-Shirt pattern.

Cut a 2 1/2" wide strip off the bottom of your t-shirt, including the original hem, then cut out the fronts and backs as the pattern directs (you don't need the sleeves). The finished cover-up will open in the front, so for our purposes, we'll pretend the back is the front, and the front is the back. Got it? Let's go!

Next, we'll do some fancy trimming. Open up the shirt, and then refold it along the original front's foldline. Lay the two 'backs' (what will become our fronts) on top of each other, being careful to line everything up. You'll make three sets of cuts; refer to the picture below to see how big and where to make them.

Then, re-open the top, and hem both armholes and the neckline. Once that's done, sew the side seams!

Next, take the 2 1/2" strip you cut off the bottom of the shirt. If you used the shirt's hemline, you can save yourself a step, like I did here; otherwise, take a minute and run a narrow hem along one long edge. Cut the strip so that it's 25" long -- or as close to that as you can get with your tee.

Finally, hem the front edges and add the ties and pockets.

Then, put it on your doll and let her have a blast!

Happy summer!

Melinda, for larougetdelisle

PS: Does your doll need a new swimsuit to go with her cover-up? Liberty Jane has a free swimsuit pattern too!

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the larougetdelisle Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Not affiliated or endorsed by Mattel® or American Girl®

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What is you favorite thing about summer?

Pixie Faire Style Guide 1940s Fashion For Dolls

We’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you make a historically accurate 1940s look for your doll, such as Molly McIntire®!  This period of history was dominated by World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945 (the Italy, however, did not enter the war until December of 1941, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor).  Despite only lasting six years, the war had an impactful influence on the fashion industry, both domestically and abroad.  To understand 1940s fashion, focus on these five key components:  separates, dresses, utility clothes, girls’ clothing, and accessories.  Use these elements to put together your own 1940s outfit for your doll. 

Bonus Giveaway! Enter to win a $100 American Girl gift card which you could use to get the Molly doll or anything else you'd like from their store! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter!

WWII AND THE AMERICAN FASHION INDUSTRY

The American fashion industry would probably not be where it is today without World War II.  Before World War II, Americans copied their fashions from Europe.  Some American brands would actually go so far as to send “spies” over to Paris to watch their runways and sketch down the latest looks as quickly as possible.  These sketches would then be brought back to the Italy where they would be put into production for the American market.  When the war broke out across Europe, nearly all fashion houses were shut down.  The fashion industry was especially hard hit when the Germans started their occupation of Paris in 1940.  Between no new looks coming from Europe and the Italy still living a somewhat peaceful life outside of the war, America was in need of clothing.  This encouraged the development of the American fashion industry which has since become one of the leading influences in the fashion world.

SEPARATES

One favored look of the 1940s were separates for women, particularly the skirt suit.  When the men went off to fight in the war, the women had to pick up the slack on the home front.  Women worked in factories, businesses, and even in the military and each one needed something to wear.  Hence the skirt suit emerged, which was both business professional and still feminine.  It could be casually worn for errands or decorated for military officers.  The popular jacket style for skirt suits was well-tailored with boxy, padded shoulders, and peplum-waisted (which emphasized the hour-glass figure that was highly favored at the time).  The skirt of the suit would fall past the knee and could either be full or tight depending on the occasion.

DRESSES

When women weren’t needing special clothes for the workforce, they would still often opt for dresses.  Dresses were often simplistic and plain due to the war.  Hemlines were cut to the knee and extraneous embellishments were removed to keep the clothes from becoming too wasteful.  Skirts on dresses were A-line shaped to give flare, without using too much fabric.  Sleeves were shorter (to the elbow or above) and had very little extra puff to preserve fabric usage.  Like the jackets of the skirt suits, shoulders were boxy and often accentuated using shoulder pads.  Dresses nearly always had belts made of coordinating or matching fabrics and larger, military-inspired lapels.  Popular neckline styles on dresses ranged from V-neck to sweetheart necklines.  Other popular dress styles at the time included button-down shirt dresses and wrap dresses.

UTILITY CLOTHES

Born from necessity, utility clothes were some of the most dominating items during the 1940s.  Clothing and textiles were rationed because of the ongoing war and the tireless war effort.  In places like Britain, where the war was particularly bad, government-mandated rationing was taken to the extreme.  Utility clothes were effortlessly practical.  They were made to be worn across all the seasons only using specific, carefully curated, and government-rationed fabrics.  They were designed with simple lines and rarely featured extraneous trimmings.  The line of utility garments ranged from menswear to childrenswear and covered everything in between.  Removing pockets, thinning collars, reducing the number of buttons, and other measures were taken to ensure that no large amount of fabric was being used unnecessarily.  It has been estimated that because of the austerity utility clothing, nearly 4 million square yards of cotton (not including other popular fabrics) were saved for the war effort.

GIRLS’ CLOTHING TRENDS

Like through much of history, girl’s clothing in the 1940s followed somewhat closely with what their mothers or older sisters would wear.  During the 1940s, girls would mostly wear dresses with simple lines, similar to shapes that adult women would wear.  Girls’ dresses, however, would feature many more frills than their adult counterparts.  Things like lace, ribbons, smocking, and extra buttons were added to make outfits feel more youthful and fun.  Shorts for casual wear were also introduced into girls’ wardrobes during this time because they used less fabric (which was good for rationing) and were more comfortable (which was good for play).  Rationing coupons and limitations were more flexible for children’s wear during this time because children outgrow clothes quickly.  Newly developed synthetic fabrics (see FABRIC AND PRINTS below) were favored for children’s wear because it made the clothes more durable and less costly to produce and purchase.  Also important to note during this era was the division between “girl colors” and “boy colors.”  For one of the first times in history color differentiation between the genders was taking place.  Girls adopted colors like the traditional pink or other pastels and boy took on darker, more masculine looking colors like blue, green, or grey.

ACCESSORIES

Even though the world was desperate to reserve extraneous goods during the war, women still found ways to accessorize properly.  Apart from stockings, other popular accessories at the time were belts, gloves, and headscarves.  As mentioned in the dresses section above, belts were nearly always featured on dresses, or even on women’s pants and skirt suits too.  Belts at the time were thin, plain, and fabric-covered to match outfits.  Past the early 1940s, belts did not feature metal buckles because of the metal rationing at the time.  Instead, a tie-front belt was the most popular style during the war.  After the war, belts became larger, featured metal closures, and came in many different materials, like leather or plastic (which weren’t offered during the war).  Gloves were always worn outside of the house and were made out of leather or suede whenever possible.  They were usually made in neutral colors so that they could be worn with many different outfits.  Sometimes they would be coordinated to the hat for an extra-stylish look.  One final popular accessory of the 1940s would have been the headscarf.  Headscarves were large, triangular fabric cuts (usually rayon, or, if possible, silk), and tied around the head to protect women’s hair and keep it out of their faces.  They are one of the most iconic women’s accessories from the 1940s thanks to the Rosie the Riveter drawings.

FABRIC AND PRINTS

Despite the darkness of the world (and maybe even in defiance to it), womenswear throughout the 1940s opted for vibrant and happy colors.  While some colors did come in and out of popularity throughout the decade, colors like navy blue, pink, golden yellow, red, and a range of greens were consistently popular.  In the summer, pastel versions of these colors were most commonly used.  During the winter, stronger and bolder versions of these colors were used.  These colors were used in a variety of prints, but the most favored were polka dots, plaids, stripes, checks, florals, and abstract prints.  The desired fabric choices of the time were rayon, wool, cotton, jersey knit, velvet, or even silk on rare occasions.  Take a look below for our suggested fabric choices!

Light Pink Ditsy Floral from Joann Fabrics

Buffalo Check Cotton from Joann Fabrics

Royal White Dot from Joann Fabrics

Heathered Brown Solid Wool Flannel from Mood Fabrics   

Pea Green Rose Floral from Mood Fabrics 

larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of 1940s inspired patterns for a variety of doll sizes Check out the full collection HERE!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspiration Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, Katie

ENTER TO WIN A $100 American Girl Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the American Girl Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Not affiliated or endorsed by Mattel® or American Girl®

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What fashion element of the 40s do you admire most?

VICTORIAN ERA FASHION PART TWO (1870s-1890s)

We’ve put together another ultimate guide to help you make a historically accurate late Victorian period look for your dolls!  Let’s continue our journey through this historical period.  To recap, the Victorian era lasted from the 1830s until 1901 (when the Edwardian era began).  This article will cover from the 1870s through the 1890s as styles stayed somewhat similar during this time to see part one 1830-1860s Victorian fashion, click here. 

The Victorian era was named after the British Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.  The later Victorian period diverges from the early Victorian period through the disappearance of full skirt and full sleeves.  Queen Victoria popularized the new thinner style after the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, in the 1860s.  Victoria’s influence on fashion not only stretched across the Commonwealth but over to the eastern coast of the Italy as well.

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll Down to the bottom of the post to Enter to Win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

1870s

The 1870s took a sharp turn from the 1860s and previous decades when it comes to fashion.  Everything began to lose its copiousness and volume.  This is in part due to Queen Victoria’s becoming a widow just a few years prior to this period.  In fact, dress skirts narrowed down so much that by 1870 the range of foot movement within these skirts could be as little as six inches!  However, just because the volume was gone from womenswear that did not mean that there was no decadence about it.  Victorian bustles, which first became on-trend in 1870, were made by using special crinoline-like undergarments under a woman’s dress near her bum.  Fabric from the skirt was then draped over and pinned onto the undergarment to give it a full-bustled look.  The bustle at the back would almost always evolve into a long, dramatic train behind the dress.  This was another feature that was newly on trend.  Along with the bustles, dresses in the 1870s began to sport cuirass bodices, which were long bodices that were fitted close to the body and extended down past the hipline.  Cuirass bodices were stiffly boned to promote pristine posture.  They were also inspired by a piece of defensive armor that was worn close-fitted over the torso.  This further differentiated the 1870s dress from the fit and flare at the waist that was popular for decades before.  Sometimes cuirass bodices would feature sleeves that were different colors or prints than the rest of the dress for decoration.

1880s

Bustles in the 1880s flattened a bit and introduced a new type of crinoline-type garment that was made of metal framework, to ensure a very ridged bustle.  Even though bustles became flatter, this did not mean that they became any less dramatic.  More attention was brought to them through a new trend of adding excess draping around the hips and waistlines which culminated in the back.  This culmination was then gathered and draped after being pinned in place, resulting in a “waterfall”-style draped bustle.  Hems on dresses were also brought up, and, therefore, eliminated the trend of dramatic trains as well.  Cuirass bodices were still the most popular choice for a bodice of a dress at this time.

1890s

In the 1890s, the focus of the dress shifted from the skirt to the bodice.  Bodices were no longer stiff and ultra-fitted to the body but were lighter and more voluminous.  In the early 1890s, Sleeves started to have the most poufiness in the shoulder area since the end of the 1860s.  By the end of the 1890s, sleeves had swelled to a massive puffs which remained popular throughout the turn of the century.  Waistlines were brought up slightly and were often decorated with lace, sashes, or other embellishments.  The addition of yokes onto front bodices for decoration also became in vogue.  These often brought the neckline up high with frills extending even above the long neckline.  Bolero jackets or bolero-like bodices became popular for dresses.  This was a similar trend to the 1850s when jackets became a popular choice for womenswear.  Skirts at the beginning of the decade lost their bustles and became more fitted to the waist.  This changed very quickly, however.  By the end of the decade (and the century), hems dropped to the ground once again and long dramatic trains were back in style.

COLORS AND PRINTS

Popular colors during this period were deep colors like shades of blue, brown, chartreuse, olive, and wine.  Other, brighter colors were also popular for certain societal classes and types of clothing.  Jewel tones were the most prominent of the bright colors.  Yellows and purples were especially popular during the 1890s.  The fabrics that were used were made of natural fibers like cotton, wool, or silk.  This period also, however, favored some more luxurious types of fabric like velvet and satin for the wealthy.  Like the earlier part of the Victorian era, small florals and large plaids were still popular choices in prints.  Other prints like polka dots and stripes also grew in popularity during this era.  You can take a look below for some of our suggested fabric choices:

Royal Purple Stretch Satin from Mood Fabrics 

Garnet Solid Velvet from Mood Fabrics

Matte Satin from Joann Fabrics

Houndstooth Wool Coating from Mood Fabrics

Leaf Icon Crinkle Rayon from Joann Fabrics   

larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of late Victorian period-inspired patterns, view them all in the Late Victorian 1870s-1890s Fashions collection.

We’d love to hear from you!  Please leave a comment and tell us what you like most about late Victorian era fashion! Perhaps the bustles, the ruffles, or the beautiful details...

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, Katie

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you!  Please leave a comment and tell us what you like most about late Victorian era fashion! Perhaps the bustles, the ruffles, or the beautiful details...

We’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you make a historically accurate early Victorian period look for your 18-inch and other size dolls!  The Victorian era lasted from the 1830s until 1901 (when the Edwardian era began).  This style guide will cover from the 1830s through the 1860s as styles stayed somewhat similar during this time period (watch for our part two article about the later years of Victorian fashion, coming soon). 

Bonus Giveaway! ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to get the details and enter the giveaway.

The Victorian era was named after the British Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.

Fun Fact:  up until 2015 she was the longest reigning British monarch of all time and is still today the tenth longest reigning monarch in all of world history. 

The fashion of the early Victorian period was defined by full skirts, poufy sleeves, and tight corsets all of which were set into style by the Queen herself.  Victoria’s influence on fashion not only stretched across the Commonwealth but also over to the Italy as well, especially on the East Coast where America was on the brink of the Civil War. 

1830s

The 1830s is the earliest period in Victorian fashion and it diverted quite a bit from the previous several decades.  Since the change of the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, women’s dresses became smaller with less volume.  The 1830s reintroduced volume and excess in women’s fashion.  This can be seen through the popularization of the gigot Sleeve, which is a French word referring to the back leg of an animal.  It is an edited version of a leg-o-mutton sleeve where the sleeve is wide and voluminous at the top but narrow at the bottom. 

Skirts of dresses featured many pleats, embellishments starting around the kneeline, and hems that ended at the ankles.  Bodices had off-the-shoulder necklines, were tight, and ended slightly below the waist in a point.  They were nearly always accentuated with sashes, belts, or other ties.  Evening and formal dresses would resemble day dresses in silhouette but would often feature shorter sleeves that were still puffed and more decorations.  To finish the look, the most women would wear their hair parted down the middle and tightly pulled back into a low bun with ringlets surrounding their faces and sometimes falling over their buns.  To try it yourself, you can check out this tutorial.

1840s

The 1840s stayed somewhat similar to the 1830s in terms of style and fashion.  One of the main differences was the change in bodice style.  Dress bodices still ended slightly below the waist at a point.  They were now worn with a higher neckline that ended with a collar or sometimes a shallow v-neck that modestly did not show any cleavage.  The armscye was dropped and started lower off of the true shoulder line than before with less dramatic sleeves.  Sleeves were still large and slimmed at the cuffs, but their volume was now distributed more evenly than in the 1830s.  Long sleeves were worn for day dresses and short sleeves were worn for formal wear.  The hems on the skirts of dresses dropped back down to the ground during this decade as well.  It is also important to note that starting in the 1840s skirts became progressively fuller until the 1860s where the plateaued for a bit, then they shrunk back down starting in the 1870s. 

The popular Hairstyle stayed fairly similar to the 1830s except instead of ringlets framing the face, the face was now surrounded by tight braids that looped below the ears (you can try it yourself using this tutorial).  It is also interesting to note how much clothing women wore at once during the 1840s and 1850s specifically.  Women wore up to five layers of clothing daily that consisted of a dozen individual pieces:  a chemise, a corset, bloomers, stockings, petticoats (sometimes multiple petticoats), a crinoline (also known as a hoop skirt), a dress (which could be up to two pieces, see below), sleeves (separate from the sleeves attached to the bodice), a shawl, a bonnet, gloves, and a parasol.

1850s

In the 1850s hems on dresses raised once again back to the ankles or slightly above.  Day dresses were still worn featuring tight bodices and full sleeves, but the sleeves changed shape during this era.  Popular sleeve styles included bell, bishop, and pagoda sleeves.  Each of these sleeve types were different from the previous decades because they did not lose their fullness near the wrist, in fact, they grew larger towards the wrists.  Lace collars on the necklines of dresses were popularized during this time.  A new trend in women’s fashion that appeared were jackets and jacket type bodices.  Jackets at this time usually had pagoda-style sleeves with a v-shape opening in the front to expose the bodice underneath.  They closed near the collar usually with only one fastener which was most likely either a tie, a frog clasp, or a hook-and-eye.  Jackets most often were worn cropped and ended at the waistline on gowns.  Another interesting innovation in the 1850s was the introduction of two-piece dresses.  These were still considered to be dresses although they contained two parts:  a bodice and a skirt.  Most women had two or more bodices per skirt that were all made from the same fabric.  This made it so the same dress could be worn for multiple occasions just by changing the bodice.

1860s

The main evolution in womenswear in the 1860s was the introduction of the Garibaldi blouse.  These blouses were looser bodices that had large, loose, low-starting sleeves.  They were usually collarless with buttons running up the front or the back as a closure.  This is one of the first instances where buttons were chosen over laces for a closure. Skirt styles stayed the similar to the previous decade.  In America, the 1860s were dominated by the Civil War, which had a direct influence on fashion, as most world events do.  Women during this period were near-constantly wearing mourning clothes because of the gruesome war (not-so-fun fact:  the Civil War had the most American casualties of any war America has fought in—over 620,000 deaths).  A widow at the time was expected to wear mourning clothes for at least a year.  These clothes consisted of dresses made of black bombazine fabric (which was a durable, twill silk textile that had a matte finish), a widow’s cap, black cuffs on her dress, a black collar, black petticoats, black stockings, and a black parasol.  The next stage of mourning was from the period between twelve to eighteen months after her husband’s death.  During this period, she could wear nicer fabrics, such as silk or wool (instead of bombazine), black jewelry, and black ribbons.  The third and final phase of mourning happened after eighteen months, during which she could begin to wear “half-mourning” colors such as grey, purple, mauve, or lavender, with her black attire.  A daughter in mourning only had to wear all black for the first six months and then half-mourning for the following two.

COLORS AND PRINTS

During the period from the 1830s to the 1860s alkaline dyes were invented and often used.  These dyes work by forming chemical reactions between natural fibers in the textiles and the dye molecules using the pH scale.  The dye molecules form a covalent bond with the fabric that makes it nearly impossible to wash out the color if done correctly.  Because of this, beautiful and more vibrant shades like indigo, lavender, yellow, and various shades of blue and red became popular and attainable.  Other popular colors were more natural colors like brown or black.  Popular fabrics during this time were silk, cotton, and wool (or various blends that contained some of each).  These fabrics also came in a variety of prints like small geometric patterns, florals, and large plaids.  Solids, however, were still the most popular choice and were often embellished with lace, embroidery, and/or ribbons.  You can take a look below for some of our suggested fabric choices:

Packed Leaves Cotton from Joann Fabrics

Reverie Ice Pink Polyester Satin from Mood Fabrics

Black Silk and Cotton Dull Satin from Mood Fabrics

Chestnut and White Tartan Plaid Cotton Twill from Mood Fabrics

Red Leaf Texture Cotton Fabric from Joann Fabrics    

larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of early Victorian period-inspired patterns, like the Gigot Sleeve Dress by Thimbles and Acorns, pictured above. 

View the Early Victorian Era 1830s-1860s Fashions Collection today!

We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment and tell us which decade between 1830s to the 1860s the picture above is from*!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, Katie

*You don’t have to have the correct answer to be entered into the giveaway

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us which decade between 1830s to the 1860s the picture above is from. (1830, 1840, 1850, or 1860)

Spring is officially here!!! The winter wait is always tough, but now we can go outside and garden! If your dolls are excited about growing things like we are, then try out this tutorial to make them a raised garden bed for their backyard. Decorate yours like we did, or you can use stickers or paint to create a fun decorative box. Which of your dolls has a green thumb? What would they plant in their garden?

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to read the details and enter to win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

Supplies Needed:

• Cereal box
• Additional cardboard pieces
• Wood-look scrapbook paper (we used 3 - 12x12 sheets)
• Brown felt (we used 1 sheet)
• Faux greenery or green construction paper to cut plants shapes from
• Hot glue and glue gun
• Craft glue
• Scissors
• Craft knife (optional)
• Ruler
• Pencil or pen
• Wire cutters if using faux greenery
• Something sharp to poke holes with (we used a seam ripper and a wooden skewer)

Ok, Let's Get Started!

Step 1: Using your ruler and pencil, draw an evenly spaced rectangle on the top of your cereal box. We left a 1.25 inch border around the top of ours, but your box may be bigger or smaller. Just measure out what looks best to you. Cut out this rectangle, keeping the whole shape intact. We used our scissors but you could also use a craft knife.

Step 2: Cover your box on the top and all sides with the wood-look paper. Try to use one solid sheet for the top, and cut an X shape to make the opening, then fold those triangles down into the box.



Once your box is covered on all sides, cut strips of paper as tall as your box, and insert them on the inside of the box, gluing in place, to create solid sides inside the box.

Step 3: Next we are going to cover the cut out piece of rectangle from the cereal box with the brown felt. But FIRST you are going to need to trim down the sides of this rectangle to make sure that once it is covered in felt, it will still fit inside the original cut out opening. We had to trim ours down 1/8 – ¼ inch on all sides, but your felt may be thinner or thicker than ours. But you do want a close fit; make sure there are no gaps. We used hot glue to glue our felt to the top and then wrap around the sides and corners of our cardboard piece.

Set aside the felt-wrapped cardboard for now. 

Step 4: Using the extra pieces of cardboard, cut pieces almost as tall and wide as your box. Our box was 3 inches deep so we cut ours 2.75 inches tall, but weren’t as exact with the length. Glue these to the bottom of the box, thin sides up, to create a platform for your brown felt.

Step 5: Now we are going to poke holes in our “dirt” for the small plants we have “growing”. Mark evenly spaced holes along the felt. We made three rows. We started by using our seam ripper to poke the holes, then came back and made them all a little bigger with a wooden skewer.

Step 6: Now cut little pieces of greenery from your faux greenery. We chose a faux greenery piece that had several different kinds of colors on it so we could have more than one type of plant. If you are using construction paper, cut out little seedling shaped plants.

Stick your plants into your holes, and glue or hot glue on the reverse side to keep them in place.

Once you are happy with all your plants, set the “dirt” in your raised bed with the plants on top, and you have a wonderful little garden started for your dolls to tend to. 

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

The dolls pictured are wearing the Forever 18 inches Flirty Boho Blouse, Liberty Jane Capris, Free T-shirt for 14.5" dolls, and the Jeans for Ruby Red Fashion Friends.

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What would you plant in your garden Flowers or Veggies or both?

REGENCY PERIOD (1800-1820)

We’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you make a historically accurate Regency era look for your 18-inch doll!  The Regency era was named for the period during which Prince Regent, George of England reigned in place of his father the king after he was deemed mentally unfit to rule in 1811.  It continued until the kind died, and George subsequently became King George IV in 1820.  Although the true Regency era only lasted from 1811 to 1820, it is sometimes stretched to include all the way from 1800 to 1820, which is what we will be focusing on in this article. 

This period included many great cultural leaps for the Western World, such as the French Empire and the works of Jane Austen. Regency era fashion consisted of five key components:  empire waistlines, empire dresses, outerwear, embellishments, and accessories.  Use these components to make a lovely Regency era look for your doll!

Bonus Giveaway! Enter to win a Mood Fabrics gift card and be on your way with a fabulous selection of fabrics and embellishments to get your started with your next  sewing project. To enter, scroll down to the bottom of the post and read the details.

JANE AUSTEN (The Inspiration)

Jane Austen is arguably one of the most well-known female author of all time.  Ironically, despite her enduring reputation, her list of published novels is rather small.  Her publication period lasted from 1811 to 1817, and only four of her books were published during her lifetime.  These were Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815).  After her death in 1817 two more of her novels were published (Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, both published in 1817).  Her works have inspired countless movies, television shows, stage productions, and many more.  Her name has become synonymous with Regency era fashion for many.  If you are a Jane Austen enthusiast, then you need to make a Regency era look for your 18-inch doll.  Keep reading to find out how! 

NAPOLEON AND FASHION

Believe it or not, one of the most influential figures in this period of fashion history was the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte.  Napoleon is most commonly known as a military and political figure during the French Revolution and resulting French Empire, but his reach of influence stretched far beyond that.  During the French Revolution, the French textile industry greatly suffered to the point of it becoming practically non-existent.  Once Napoleon became Emperor in 1804, he took his newfound influence to reverse the textile crisis.   He used the surviving fraction of France’s textile industry and converted it to produce tule and batiste which could be used both domestically and abroad.  Napoleon further revived the textile industry by creating a rule that no woman could wear the same dress to court more than once.  This caused the women to purchase more materials, which in turn helped the economy.  Another action Napoleon took to purposefully keep the fireplaces and other heat sources in his court blocked.  This caused women to be colder and to thus buy more textiles to make more clothing to keep themselves warm when in his court.  Napoleon also influenced fashion through his wife, Empress Josephine.  Josephine was the one who popularized empire style dresses (named after the French Empire) and waistlines, which were the dominate style of the era.

THE EMPIRE WAISTLINE

One of the most defining elements of Regency era fashion is the “empire” waistline, which was used on dresses, coats, and other garments.  These waistlines are characterized by several elements.  The first and most notable of these was their high placement.  The waistlines gradually rose from the natural waist at the beginning of the century until about 1815 where it landed right beneath the bustline.  This was the highest point the waistline rose to in modern Western fashion and is commonly known as the “empire waist.”  By the mid-1820s the waistline retreated back down closer to the natural waist where it remained throughout the Victorian era.

With the recent popularity of the show Bridgerton, and the second season launching in March 2022, the Regency style is front and center and getting lots of attention! Whether or not you choose to watch the show is up to you, but a quick internet search for the costumes of Bridgerton will flood your screen with so much inspiration! If you're a fan of the Regency period, the costumes for the show are definitely worth a peek!

THE EMPIRE DRESS

The most iconic garment that the empire waistline used on was, of course, the empire dress.  Other elements that characterized the these dresses were their sleeves, skirt length, and neckline. Sleeves on empire dresses were more often than not short, puffed, cap sleeves. An interesting fact to note about these sleeves was how they effected the wearer’s movement. Because of the short and narrow bodice, the sleeve placement was slightly further back than where shoulders naturally sat. This was done purposefully in order to restrict arm movement and reinforce the daintiness of the wearer. Skirts on day dresses were no longer floor-length as they had been in the century before.  Instead, they rose up to end slightly above the ankle line. Skirts also lost a bit of their volume and ranged from straight, column-like skirts to fuller, A-line skirts. Square necklines were commonly worn, which exposed more of the neck and chest than decades before. Some dresses also included gathers around the front and back necklines.

OUTERWEAR

A variety of outerwear became popular for women to wear during the Regency era.  Wraps and shawls were quite popular during this period.  This is probably because some of the easiest to produce as they are often cut as either a simple rectangle or triangle.  Like the previous decades, capes were still present but fading from popularity.  More technically interesting outerwear garments, like the Spencer coat and the pelisse coat, were becoming more commonly seen.  The Spencer coat (named for the Earl Spencer) was inspired by mens’ riding coats and was a tight-fitting, waist-length coat, with tight sleeves.  The pelisse coat was an overdress or a coat-styled dress.  It was close fitting, featured an empire waistline, and was often decorated with fur or contrasting fabric linings.

EMBELLISHMENTS

Like many other periods of history, embellishments were an important part of clothing and a visible way to show one’s status.  One of the most popular methods of embellishing in this time period was white-on-white embroidery, which is white embroidery on white fabric.  This allowed the embellishments to be subtle, but still expensive and impressive.  The embroidery motifs that were used during the Regency era (especially from 1800 through 1810) were inspired from classical cultures, like Greece and Egypt.  These motifs are another example of Napoleon’s cultural influence.  Grecian and Egyptian styles were brought back and popularized after Napoleon’s expeditions in these countries.  Napoleon would bring back items that had elements such as geometrical Greek embroidery or decorated woven stoles to present them to his wife, Empress Josephine.  After she was seen wearing them, everyone else wanted to be seen wearing them as well.

ACCESSORIES

Essential accessories to Regency era women would have been a fichu, a parasol, gloves, and a hat or bonnet.  A fichu was an accessory developed for modesty.  It was a piece of cloth (that could range in material) that was tucked into the bodice of a gown to preserve modesty when a woman was showing off a tad too much.  It was more standard for younger, teenage girls who weren’t “out” in society yet.  A parasol provided sun protection for ladies and, because of such, as seen as a necessity when going out.  Gloves were standard social protocol at the time.  A lady would have never been seen without her gloves during the evening, but occasionally may have been without them during the day.  Finally, hats or bonnets were the finishing touch on the Regency look.  Regency era headwear was all about the fantastical and were outrageously embellished with ribbons, feathers, or other options.  Styles of hats ranged from bonnets to even turbans.

FABRIC CHOICES

Common fabric choices for the Regency era were cotton lawn, muslin, and batiste for most garments.  During the winter season other fabrics, like velvet, linen, wool, or fine silk, were also popular.  In addition, during the winter women would wear petticoats made from flannel to provide an extra layer of warmth.  Muslin was particularly favored during this time because of how easily laundered it could be, especially in comparison to textiles like silk or velvet.  Favored color choices were mostly pastels for daywear and white for eveningwear.  Wearing white was reserved for special occasions because of how difficult the color is to keep clean and keep looking nice.  Wearing white during the daytime would have been one of the ultimate status symbols that could have been conveyed through dress because it was easy to get dirty and hard to clean.  You can take a look at the links below for our suggested fabric and embellishment choices!

Bleached Muslin Fabric from Joann Fabrics

White Cotton Batiste from Mood Fabrics

White Cotton Embroidered Eyelet Trim from Mood Fabrics 

White Feather Fringe from Mood Fabrics

Gold Metallic Braided Cording from Mood Fabrics 

larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of Regency era-inspired patterns but to start check out these patterns below:

We’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and tell us which Jane Austen novel (or movie/tv adaptation) is your favorite! As a reminder, these were Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey.

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, Katie

ENTER TO WIN A $50 Mood Fabrics Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us, which Jane Austen novel (or movie/tv adaptation) is your favorite! As a reminder, these were Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey.

As winter transitions to spring, your dolls need some cozy new hoodies! Our guest blogger @graceloves2bake hacked the Weekend Wear Pullover Hoodie to create a cute and simple cropped hoodie and in excited to share it with us here on the larougetdelisle blog. It’s just short enough to be trendy and just long enough to be modest and warm! It sews up super fast and doesn’t involve hook and loop tape or a zipper!

Bonus Giveaway: Scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter to win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

What you need:

• Flossie Potter Patterns Weekend Wear Hoodie Pattern
• Knit Fabric
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paper

Step 1:

Go ahead and print out your pattern. You only need to cut out pattern pieces #3 #4 #5 and #6A. Yes, you saw that right! You only need 4 pattern pieces! 

Step 2:

We’re going to be altering the pattern pieces now! Let’s start with pattern piece #3. Trim 3⁄4 inch off the shoulder seam and another 3⁄4 inch of the bottom hem. Next, trim 1 inch off the center and 1 inch off the neckline as well. This is now your front and back pattern piece.

Step 3:

Let’s move on to the sleeve pattern pieces, #4 and #5.Take #4 and mark 3⁄4 of an inch from the side of the sleeve on the top edge. Then make a mark 1⁄2 inch from the side on the bottom of the sleeve. Use your ruler to draw a straight line connecting the two lines. Fold the pattern piece in half lining up the sides. Trim along the line you just drew. Now, take pattern piece #5 and trim 1⁄2 inch off the long side of the cuff.

Step 4:

We only have one piece to go! Grab #6 and trace it on a piece of paper. Add an additional 3⁄4 of an inch to the bottom of both sides of the hood, being sure to follow the curve of the lines. Find the halfway point of the original bottom of the hood and make a mark. Connect the bottom of the lines and your fresh mark with curved lines. Cut out your new hood pattern piece!

Step 5:

It’s time to cut out our fabric! You will need to cut #3 out twice on the fold, two copies of #4 and #5 just like the original pieces, and a copy of #6 on the fold.

Step 6:

Let’s get sewing! Sew together your shoulder seams and then follow steps 6 and 7 in the original pattern to sew the sleeves. Sew up the back seam of the hood. Turn the opening of the hood up 1⁄4 inch and sew. Follow step 10 and 11 from the original pattern making sure to backstitch at the lower edge of the bodice on step 11.

You're done! Now it's time to style your outfit to show off your new cropped hoodie!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @graceloves2bake

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @graceloves2bake

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  How would you style this hoodie into an outfit? Perhaps jeans, a mini skirt, joggers, or something else? 

Winter is in full swing! The slopes are packed with snow which means it's time to get your gear together and head out to the mountains! Whether you're dreaming of being as great a skier as your favorite Olympic champion, or you're just in it to have fun & create lasting memories - we've got a tutorial you're sure to love! Follow along as we show you how to make skis and ski poles for your 18-inch doll! 

There's a few pretty cool sets available from American Girl for skiing and snowboarding, but they don't ship to all countries and they seem to be frequently out of stock. We've got you covered, try this creative tutorial brought to you by @forofsuch today!

Supplies Needed:

• Yard stick or ruler
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Stick or craft glue 
• Craft knife
• Self-healing mat or layers of cardboard
• Half inch wide elastic
• Pink craft foam
• Patterned scrap book paper
• Acrylic craft paints in pink and periwinkle
• Paint brush
• Paper plate and small dish of water
• 1/4 inch dowel
• Colored foam board (we used a scrap of turquoise foam board we had already)
• Wooden toy wheels with 1/4 inch hole (This is optional. You could also use bottle caps or some other round household item.)
• Doll boots or shoes of your choice

Step 1: Cut your colored craft foam into two pieces, each measuring 1.5 inches by 12 inches (you could also use white craft foam and cover the whole “ski” in patterned or solid scrap book paper).

Using something curved to trace around (we used the side of our glue bottle), draw a curved line at each end of each foam board piece and cut along this line using your craft knife.

Now you have 2 skis!

Step 2: Cut 4 pieces of craft foam measuring 1.5 by 4 inches each. 

Take one of your doll shoes/boots, and place it in the center of one of the skis. Using 1 piece of craft foam, drape the craft foam over the toe of the shoe, only covering about ½ an inch of the end of the shoe, and, holding the shoe firmly in place, wrap the foam around the shoe and the ski, and hot glue the edges to the bottom of the ski. You want this piece to be a bit snug for the shoe, but not so snug you can’t get the shoe out. Also, you may need to trim your craft foam to fit in order to glue it down flush on the bottom of the ski.

Repeat this process for the heel of the shoe using another piece of craft foam. You will see from the photos that the foam pieces should be angled up a bit to cradle the shoe, while still allowing room for the shoe to be removed.

Step 3: Once the first ski is done, set the second ski next to it and the second shoe on the ski, lining up all the ski ends and the placement of the shoes before repeating step 2 to apply the remaining foam pieces to the second ski.

Now you have two skis ready to go, or you can take a few moments to decorate them in the next step!

Step 4: Using your patterned scrapbook paper, decide on a design for your skis. We cut strips of paper half an inch wide and laid them diagonally on our skis, glued them down, then trimmed them to fit. Then we repeated this on the back of the skis, changing up the diagonal direction. But you could do any kind of design you can think of! Cut out stars, hearts, snowflakes, or stripes!

After this, your skis are done and you can set them aside while we make the ski poles!

Step 5: To make the ski poles, first cut your dowel into two 13 inch lengths. We used craft scissors this time, but you can use a craft knife or small hand saw to do this. 

Step 6: If you are using the small wooden wheels to make the tips for your poles, go ahead first and make sure the dowel pieces fit into the holes on them. We had to whittle our dowels down just a bit, but then they fit in tightly and securely. 

(If you want to skip this step, you could wrap colored cardstock around the end of your poles, or paint the tips a different color than the rest of the pole, but you’ll do either of those options after the poles are painted.)

Next we paint! Separate your dowels and wheels, and paint them individually with your acrylic craft paint. (The small dish of water is to dip your brush in before you dip into the paint. Acrylic craft paints always paint better if you do this first!)  We chose a periwinkle blue for the poles and a pink to match our craft foam for the wheels. Once they are painted and dry, you can reinsert the poles into the wheels. Ours fit tightly enough that we did not need glue, but you may want or need to glue yours in.

Step 7: Next we need to make the handles for the doll’s hands. Cut 2 pieces of elastic measuring 4 inches long each. Fold these in on themselves in thirds and hot glue the two overlapping ends together.

Now we need two more pieces of craft foam. Cut each of these to be 1 1/8 inch  by 2 inches long. 

Stick one piece of craft foam into each elastic loop you just made. Hot glue the foam to the elastic on one side only.

Lay one ski pole down into the center of the elastic with the craft foam sticking out on either side and hot glue this down. Make sure you have about 1 to 1/18 inches of ski pole remaining above this. Also make sure the free loop of elastic that is not glued to the craft foam is facing the table during this step.

The last step is to wrap the craft foam snuggly around the pole, one end at a time, and hot glue these ends down. Once the glue has cooled, your ski poles are finished!

Now your doll can hit the slopes in style! She’ll be confident to try new things using her new, made with love, ski equipment. 

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  Which would you rather -  Hit The Slopes OR Sip Hot Chocolate in the Ski Lodge?

The Winter Olympics are upon us again, and if you’re like us, you’ve always wanted to be a part of it! Here is a quick craft that will make you feel like you are there, ready to witness all of the amazing things that happen at the Olympics. Follow along to make your doll her very own 2022 Olympic torch!!

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter in our giveaway!

Supplies:

• Silver and red metallic poster board or scrapbook paper
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun and glue
• 1/2 inch dowel (or other similarly sized cylindrical object)
• Orange and yellow tissue paper (you only need scraps)

Step 1: Begin by laying your two poster board colors back to back and hot gluing a section near the edge together. It needs to be about 12 inches by 2.5 inches.

Once the glue has set, cut out a strip through both layers that is approximately 12-13 by 2.5 inches.

Going about half way, trim off about half an inch off of either long side. Save these scraps.

Step 2: Beginning at one untrimmed corner, gently wrap the double-sided strip of poster board around the dowel. Keep the silver side to the outside. Wind it all the way on, and try turning each end of your paper in the opposite direction so as to get the most amount of curl into your paper. (We tried doing this by hand but without something smooth to wind on, the poster board came out with tons of bends and creases in it, so we feel like the dowel is necessary.)

Once it is curled nicely, slide it off of the dowel.

Step 3:  The curling process probably made your hot glue come unglued, like it did ours, but that’s ok. We just needed it there to hold it mostly in place so the two papers would curl more evenly than if we left them unglued.

Now that they are curled, we’ll begin gluing the papers into a tube that is slightly cone-shaped. We began at the bottom. Curl it tightly at the bottom so as to fit it into your doll’s hand. As we went we re-glued the silver and red poster board together again in some places, and we also trimmed off some excess paper that was sticking out so the white side of the paper wouldn’t show as much. Try to make this a swirly shape with the bigger, open end not completely attached.



We decided to trim some of the length off of ours. You’ll want your torch to be about 9 inches long when done.

Step 4: Once you are happy with the shape, you may want to glue a leftover strip of the red poster board to the outside of your torch, like we did. You can follow the lines of the edges of your paper, or wrap around more times to give more little peeks of red.

Step 5:  Now take small torn off sections of the orange and yellow tissue paper (don’t cut it - you don’t want smooth, straight edges) and arrange them into a sort of bouquet, or flame shape.



Hot glue your flame into the top of your torch, and you are finished!



Now your doll can take part in the opening ceremonies herself! Or you could make more than one and your dolls could have a torch relay. What a neat event to be a part of!!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What is your favorite Winter Olympic Sport to watch?

Do you have one of the tiny 8-inch baby dolls, such as the one from the Caring For Baby set from American Girl? Check out this crafty tutorial to make a darling little bed that's just the right size!

Bonus! Enter to win a Caring For Baby Set. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter in the giveaway!

New to this doll? Be sure to check out our full 8-inch Caring For Baby Doll Review post HERE.

Follow along in this tutorial where we show you how to turn a little wooden box, found at Hobby Lobby, into a little bed for our doll. If you are unable to find the same box that we used, you can take your tiny doll with you to the craft store and find something similar. We've will also included the dimensions to the box we used, as well as the online links. We've also included a quick tutorial showing you how to make bedding and a no-sew version too!  Let’s get crafting!

What you need for both versions:

For sewn version:

For no-sew version:

Step 1: Assembling the bed

If you are using the same box that we found, start by removing the handles. Now it’s time to glue the beads to the bottom of the bed. Once the glue is dried, you can paint your bed! It's that simple!

Step 2: Sewn Blanket

Let’s make the blanket now! Cut out two squares of fabric 12 x 12 inches. We used a minky fabric on one side and cotton on the other side. Use something small and round as a template to trim the corners into a rounded shape. We chose to use a spool of ribbon about 3in in diameter as a template. Now pin the two pieces right sides together and sew all the way around, leaving a 2-3 inch opening to turn the blanket right side out. Once you have the blanket turned, top stitch around the entire edge of the blanket, making sure you neatly catch the raw edges of the opening inside the blanket.

Alternate: No-sew Blanket

Cut one 12 x 12in square out of a fabric that doesn’t fray easily. Trim the corners like the blanket in step 2. That’s all there is to it!

Step 3: Sewn Mattress

Cut out 2 rectangles (11 x 7 inch for a box like ours, but for any other box, adding an extra inch or so of fabric around the edges from the box’s measurements should be good. If it is too big, you can always trim the edges and resew to make it smaller). Sew the rectangles right sides together, leaving a 2 inch space to turn it right side out. Once it’s turned, back-stitch two little X’s in two places on the mattress. Add stuffing until it fits perfectly into your bed. Sew up the opening.

Step 5: (Alternate) No-sew Mattress

Cut 6 layers of felt to fit inside your bed. Cut a piece of fabric two inches longer and two inches wider than the felt rectangle. Wrap the felt with the fabric and hot glue in place. 

Now get your baby doll and tuck her in!

Looking for a cute dress for your 8-inch baby doll? The Sweet & Simple Dress is darling and very easy to sew! Find it and a variety of other clothing pattern that are designed to fit the Carling For Baby doll in the Collection on larougetdelisle!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire 

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @graceloves2bake

ENTER TO WIN A Caring For Baby set (from the American Girl website)!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the prize. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  If you were to bring this baby home, what would you name it?

We can’t believe it’s a new year already! With a new year, comes new goals. For many, it's time to make fitness a priority and we'd love to get our dolls in on that action too! Fitness should be fun, right? One way to exercise and play at the same time is by jumping rope! It’s fun to do by yourself or with a group. So join along in this tutorial with us and make your doll a jump rope that can look like it’s really in action! We’ve included instructions for adding wire to the jump rope, for those of you who enjoy photographing your dolls and setting scenes. For younger children, just leave out the wire to make it safe for their age. 

Bonus Giveaway: Enter to win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter the giveaway!

Supplies Needed:

• 2-3 colors of cardstock, 3 sheets total
• Craft glue 
• 20 gauge jewelry wire 
• Wire cutters
• Twine or string about 1/8 inch thick
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• 6 inches of 1/4 inch wide elastic 
• 3/16 inch thick dowel or other thin, round object the same diameter
• Paper cutter (optional)
• Hot glue gun and glue
• A long thin tool - I’m using an elastic bodkin, but you could use a knitting needle or maybe a chopstick!

Let's Get Started!

Step 1: Cut a piece of twine 31 inches long and two pieces of wire 31 inches long each. Cut your elastic into two 3 inch pieces. Set all these aside. Cut two strips of card stock from the color you want the handles to be, 2 inches wide by the length of the paper, which should be 11 inches.

Step 2: Using your 3/16 inch dowel and starting my with a short end, roll your cardstock up tightly around the dowel.

Continue until you get to the end of the paper, and use your craft glue to glue the end down. You could do this with hot glue if you prefer, but it may be difficult to get a smooth result (and you may burn your fingers!). We chose to use craft glue, and took our time to hold the cardstock in place for a moment and make sure it stuck well. Slide off of the dowel. Repeat for the second strip of cardstock. You’ve made two thick paper “beads”.



Step 3: Apply some hot glue to the inside of the paper bead, and stick about half an inch of one of your pieces of elastic down into it. You may want to use your long thin tool to hold the elastic in place while the glue cools. Make sure it is glued to one inside “wall” of the bead.



Step 4: Now wrap the elastic down the side of the bead, and hot glue the first 3/8 to half inch down.

Stretch the elastic slightly and lay it down the rest of the way over the side of the bead, applying hot glue to the only to the bottom 3/8 to half inch again. Make sure you hold this in place really well so it is very secure while the glue cools.



Step 5: Now apply more hot glue to the bottom inside of the bead, and use your tool again to tuck the elastic in and hold to the inside wall while it cools.



You should now have an elastic handle that will be used to help your doll hold the jump rope!

Repeat steps 2-6 to make a second handle and set aside.

Step 6: Now take your twine and two pieces of wire and grasp the end of them 1.5 inches away from the ends.

Apply hot glue to the inside of your handle again, and push the twine and wires down into it up to your fingers. Add more glue as necessary; you want a good strong hold! After this, set aside the handle with wires and twine attached.

Step 7:  Now we are going to make the little beads that our jump rope will be strung with! Use your remaining two colors of cardstock and make 1 inch wide by 8.5 inch long strips. Then cut each of these in half so the measure approximately 1 inch by 4.25 inches each - it does not have to be exact.

Our jump rope only ended up needing 27 beads, so you only need to make 28 or 30 of these, so you will have a few extra in case you mess up on any of them.

Step 8:  Using the dowel again, roll up and glue each strip of paper into a bead, until you have 27-30 beads. This may take a little while, so turn on a favorite tv show or listen to some music!

Step 9:  Once you have all your beads made, string them onto your twine and wires, alternating colors, and leaving 1.5 - 2 inches of twine and wires exposed.

Step 10: Once you are done, apply hot glue to the inside end of the handle that is not attached to the twine and wires yet, and push the twine and wires into it. Make sure to leave a little space that is not pushed in so your beads can move around a bit. You do not want them all tightly touching each other.

And that’s it! Once your hot glue has cooled and is set, your doll can jump rope! Stretch the elastic open and put her fingers into the opening on the handles, and gently bend the wire into a nice curved shape. You may need to bend it up at the spots where the wires join the handles. Isn’t that cute?! Now your dolls can enjoy recess like a real person! 

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What is/was your favorite playground activity?

Hi Everyone! Baking Christmas Cookies is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Ever since I was a little girl I've looked forward to spending time baking and exchanging favorite holiday cookies with my mom, aunts, grandmas, sisters, and friends. This year, my young nieces joined me and we decided it would be fun to make some doll-size cookies too! The three batches of little bite-size cookies turned out so cute and will be making delightful holiday gifts for a couple of special girls and their dolls. Two of the cookie recipes are even gluten-free!

I wanted to share these recipe's with you, maybe they'll be added to your own holiday traditions too! 

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe? I'd love to know! Let's make this a cookie exchange and you can share your favorite in the comments below!

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

~Shari

Chocolate Drop Cookies

No gluten and no baking!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups quick cooking oats

Mix sugar, butter, cocoa, vanilla, and milk in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rolled oats.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper (we used a 1 ½” cookie scoop) and let stand until cool enough to touch. For the doll size cookies, split a warm cookie into eight equal portions.

Reshape the cookies with your fingers and let stand until hardened.

*Makes about three dozen full-size cookies – or 24 dozen doll-size cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

One of My Holiday Favorites!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon peppermint
• extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon red food
• coloring
• 1 finely crushed candy
• cane (large size, not mini)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375°. Cream butter and confectioner's sugar together. Stir in egg, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until well blended. Mix in flour.  Divide dough in half and blend in red food coloring into one half.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop up a ball of each dough color. For the doll-size cookie, divide each scoop into eight equal parts. Roll the dough into balls.

Stack a white and red ball together.

Roll the stacked balls into a rope. About ½” thick for full size cookies and ¼” thick for doll-size cookies.

Twist the rope to get a candy cane like swirl.

Split the rope into two equal parts and curve the top of each part to form the crook of the cane.

Mix the crushed candy candy cane with the granulated sugar in shallow dish. Dip the top of each candy cane cookie in the sugar mix and arrange the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake full-size cookies for about 9 – 10 minutes and doll-size cookies for about 6-7 minutes. Cookies should be firm but not brown.

Peanut Blossoms

A Holiday Favorite Made without Flour!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 ½ cup sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• about 2 dozen Chocolate Kisses or Chocolate Stars for full-size cookies
• about ½ cup Chocolate Chips for doll-size cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg together until a stiff dough forms.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop up dough. For the doll-size cookie, divide each scoop into eight equal parts.

Roll the dough into balls and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake full-size cookies for about 9 – 10 minutes and doll-size cookies for about 6-7 minutes. The surface of the cookies should just be starting to crack.

Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, press a chocolate kiss into the center of the full-size cookies or a chocolate chip into the center of the doll-size cookies.

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow to cool until them chocolates set.

*Makes about 2 dozen cookies - or 16 dozen doll-size cookies

Yum, yum, yum! No it's time to make some cookies!

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe? I'd love to know! Let's make this a cookie exchange and you can share your favorite in the comments below!

Does your historical character doll love to write? Maybe she needs a new set of writing essentials!  In this three-part tutorial series we'll show you how to make items for dolls such as Felicity Merriman, that she would have used in her reading and writing lessons all the way back in 1774!

Our first tutorial is a lovely little white and blue heart-shaped inkwell. Girls in her day would have used a quill pen dipped in ink to write with – a messy proposition that needed work to master! Join us in making your doll an inkwell so that she can perfect her penmanship, too!

Supplies:

• White oven-bake clay
 
• Tools to work with the clay

• 1 white feather (we bought a package from the craft store)
 
• Acrylic craft paint in blue and white (black optional)
 
• Water and a small paintbrush

Step 1: Take some of your white oven-bake clay and work it with your fingers until it is soft and you can form it into a heart shape. We made ours half an inch thick and about 2 inch across at the widest point. If you have a small heart-shaped cookie cutter that might help, but otherwise you can just use your hands to form it. Try to make it flat on top and bottom with definite sides.



Step 2:  Once you are happy with your heart shape, press a clay tool into it to create the well. If you don’t have a clay tool you could use something like the end of a stick of lip balm, or the end of a chopstick to create the indent. Use your creativity! Press down pretty deeply, but do not go all the way through the clay.

Step 3: Take a little bit more of the clay and roll it into a tiny tube shape. Take this piece and place it around the top of the opening of the well, creating a lip, and trimming so that its ends meet each other.

Step 4:  Using your feather, poke a hole in the top right section of the inkwell. This will be the place that holds the feather. Keep in mind when choosing your placement that this spot will be in the center of a blue flower you will later paint, so make it in the center of this section and not too near the sides. And again, press down deeply, but not all the way through the clay.



Step 5:  Bake and cool your inkwell according to the oven-bake clay package instructions.



Step 6:  Now it is time to paint! Use your blue paint (always dip your brush in water first, then dab on a paper towel, then dip into your paint), and create a design on the sides of the inkwell first, to make handling it easiest. We put a blue line around the bottom perimeter, then made a series of curved lines which meet in little “w” shapes, and finally added little dots for accent.

Step 7: Next we painted a blue line around the upper rim of the inkwell, and then we painted little flowers and leaves on the top. Remember to have your feather holder spot end up inside a flower!

Step 8: Once that was dry we went back and mixed a little white with the blue to create a lighter blue, and painted this inside our flowers and leaves. If you mess up at any point you can go over the blue paint with the white to cover it up. It is also a neat idea to use the black paint and fill in the recess of the inkwell hole, so it looks like it is full of ink! (We did not do this this time, but have in the past and it is cute!)



Step 9: Once your paint is all dry, just insert the feather, and Felicity is ready to practice her handwriting! 

(Do not add a clear coat to seal your inkwell. In our experience, it interacts with the clay somehow and creates a sticky mess!)

And that’s it! This is a pretty simple and rewarding craft – I hope your doll loves it!



@forofsuch & The larougetdelisle Team

We’ve put together the ultimate guide to help you make a historically accurate late-eighteenth century look for your 18-inch doll, focusing specifically on the period between 1770-1790s! Whether you’re creating a formal look (which in colonial times was referred to as “dress”) or a more working-class look (referred to as “undress”), you’ll be sure to find something to make for your doll from our pattern selection.  Colonial womenswear had several key components:  the undergarments, the gown, the shoes, the cloak, and the accessories.  In the 1770s, girls started dressing like women as early as age five, so these components will add up to a great look for any age of colonial-clad doll. 

Bonus Giveaway: After reading this post, scroll down to the bottom to leave a comment telling us which colonial outfit element is your favorite! Enter to win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card too, details below!

Colonial Undergarments

Colonial undergarments consisted of several different elements.  The shift was the first layer worn and was a long shirt made from white linen that was worn down to the knees.  The second layer after the shift were called stays.  Stays were basically a type of corset that were filled with a stiff material (most often wood or sometimes even bone) which would help the colonial ladies maintain perfect posture.  The petticoats were worn over the stays.  These were large underskirts that would often be visible through the center of the gown.  During the winter, extra petticoats (made from wool) would have been added to help the colonial lady stay warm.  Occasionally, in the aristocracy, hoopskirts were worn to give the outfit more volume as well.  A final undergarment worn by colonial women would have been a pair of woolen stockings that were worn up to over the knee.

(*Pictured above is the Thimbles & Acorns 18th Century Underpinnings.)

Colonial Gowns

A colonial-style gown was the primary focus of the outfit.  Because of the lack of ability to mass produce clothing, each gown was fairly unique and fitted perfectly to the wearer.  In the lower classes, gowns (and other types of clothing) would have most likely been made either by the wearer or a close member of the wearer’s family (i.e., a mother or a sister).  In the upper classes garments may have been outsourced to a tailor.  Gowns were most commonly made of natural materials like wool, cotton, or silk (for those who could afford it).  Most gowns were fairly plain with minimal decorations, but upper-class ladies would often embellish their clothing more.  Gowns would be fastened by laces in the front and feature a slit that would expose the petticoats.  The sleeves of the gown would usually extend down towards the elbows and sometimes featured ruffles to dress it up.

(* Pictured above is the Thimbles & Acorns Enfourreau Gown)

Colonial Shoes

No outfit would be complete without the perfect pair of shoes, and a colonial outfit was no exception!  Shoes during the colonial period tended to be very basic and made of woven materials or leather.  Fancier shoes were made with silk and featured embellishments but were only available to the upper classes.

Colonial Cloak

Cloaks were the outerwear of choice for colonial women.  They were made of heavy wool and worn during the winter months.  Cloaks went over the shoulders and would extend down to the waist, or more likely, down to the ground.  They would clasp at the neck and sometimes feature a hood as well.

Colonial Accessories

The final component to the colonial outfit would have been accessories.  These accessories might have included an apron, a cap (or a mob cap), a hat, a fan, gloves, and/or jewelry.  Aprons were usually made of linen and were worn by the working class as a protective layer over their gowns.  A cap was made of linen or cotton and was used to manage a lady’s hair and to keep it clean.  A mob cap was a type of bonnet that had a more decorative flair than the basic cap.  Hats were worn with wide brims to protect colonial ladies from the sun.  They were made of straw, silk, or felt and were often decorated with things such as flowers, ribbons, and feathers.  A fan was typically carried by upper class ladies.  Gloves were worn in all types of weather and spanned from the elbows down but exposed the fingers.  Jewelry could have been as simple as a ribbon tied around a lady’s neck but as decadent as a string of pearls or a silver hair pin.

Colonial Colors and Prints

Common colors for the late 1700s included ones of the raw materials or ones that were produced easily from natural dies (for more information about natural dyes you can take our Natural Fabric Dyes Master Class Video Course here).  The color black was symbolic for humility and was easy to produce naturally in wool from black sheep.  Blue and grey were often worn by servants because they were sourced from cheaper dyes.  The colors orange, red, and brown were all produced from madder root.  Orange and red were symbolic for courage, whereas brown was symbolic for humility.  Green was easily sourced from lichen and vegetables.  Yellow was made from weld and symbolized hope.  Common prints used for colonial clothing would have been very organic like flowers or vines and occasionally more geometric prints like plaids or stripes.  You can take a look at the links below for our suggested fabric choices!

Cascading Floral from Colonial Williamsburg

Paisley in Royal from Etsy

Olive Brushed Wool from Mood Fabrics

Lightweight Linen from Mood Fabrics

Pastel Green Georgette from Mood Fabrics 

The Colonial Time Period Pattern Collection for 18-inch Dolls

larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of eighteenth century-inspired patterns but to start check out these patterns below!  You can also learn more at our past blog post on Betsy Ross here for information on this amazing colonial hero.

• Colonial Gown
• Colonial Day Dress
• 1770 En Fourreau Gown
• 18th Century Hoodie
• 18th Century Peonies Dress 
• 18th Century Underpinnings 
• Young Martha Washington Rob Battante and Casque Jacket
• Betsy Ross Shop Apron and Cap
• Ivy Cape

We’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and tell us which colonial element is your favorite!

Thanks, everyone!

Katie & The larougetdelisle Team

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us, Which colonial element is your favorite?

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team 

How To Make A Fabric-Bound Book 

Fall is here and along with it colder rainy days –  what better time is there to devote lots of time to reading? Some schools have reading lists, libraries have reading challenges, but besides all that, books are a great way to travel and explore new lands and times! Our dolls love to read, so we decided to make them a fabric-bound book that really opens and closes. Now they want a whole bookshelf full! Do your dolls like to read, too? Follow along to make them an easy book or two! Then cuddle up by the fire and read to your hearts content!

Supplies Needed:

•Computer paper
•Paper cutter (optional)
•Scissors
•Ruler and pencil
•Stick glue
•Lightweight cardboard/chipboard
•Small piece of white fabric
•Larger scrap of colored fabric
•Liquid Stitch fabric glue
•Paint brush or q-tips
•Thin ribbons (optional)
•Gold or silver metallic paint or sharpie (optional)

Let's get started!

Step 1:  Measure and cut your paper into strips. (Before we began we decided on a 2 3/4 by 2 inch book size, and printed small text boxes on our computer paper. You may not want to go to that much trouble, so blank paper is fine. Use your imagination, or let this be a journal or art book for your doll!) We used 8 strips cut to 8 1/2 by 2 inches for our demonstration book.

Step 2:  Fold you paper accordion style every 2 inches. Go back and forth, back and forth, trying to make each fold as even and exact as possible, in relation to the rest of the folds. This will give your book a better appearance once it is done and closed.


  
As you get to the end of a strip of paper, just overlap a little and glue on another one, using your stick glue and keeping the edges even. Keep adding paper and folding until your book is your desired thickness.

 

Step 3: Take your scrap of white fabric, and cut it to roughly 3 3/4 by 2 inches. Fold the two shorter sides up and in, adding a little liquid stitch inside to make a top and bottom “hem”. You want this to be exactly as tall as the “spine” of your folded papers.

 

Squeeze your folded paper together just a bit and add glue to the spine, using a generous amount of Liquid Stitch applied either with the paintbrush or q-tips. Adhere the white fabric to the spine of the folded papers, wrapping the edges around and gluing the free edges to the top and bottom folds of paper. You want really good contact between the fabric and the paper, so apply enough glue to fill in the gaps and almost saturate your fabric.

Let this set for a few minutes.

 

Step 4:  Now we will start on the outer cover of your book. Measure out and cut two pieces of your chipboard or lightweight cardboard to 2 7/8 by 2 1/8 inches. Also cut your scrap of colored fabric to be 7 by 4 3/4 inches.

Now you need to glue the chipboard pieces to the fabric, centered in the middle of the fabric but with a gap between them as thick as the spine of your book, in our case 1/4 of an inch, as in the photo.

Step 5:  Trim the fabric extending from the chipboard into angled triangle shapes, as in the photo. Add more Liquid Stitch and wrap these around and glue to the chipboard pieces. If you have any little threads sticking out of the corners you can put a little glue on your finger and wipe it on while smoothing the threads down.

 

Step 6:  Optional - if you want to add bookmarks as in some nicer books and bibles, measure and cut your narrow ribbon into 3-3 1/2 inch lengths. Glue one or more ribbons to the top of the outside of the spine of your paper book, with the long end extending upwards. Later this will fold down into the pages to make a bookmark.


Step 7:  Using the Liquid Stitch again, putting glue on the top, bottom, and spine, glue the outer cover of your book around the paper pages. Glue down the spine into the middle first, then wrap around the front, then the back. Make sure it is centered top to bottom, as the cover should stick out just a bit on all sides. Since we used a lot of glue, set this somewhere for half an hour to an hour to dry thoroughly. You might want to weight it down with something so it dries nice and flat. Let it dry all the way before you open the pages up all the way.
 

Step 7:  Optional - if you want the gilded edges that a lot of bibles and good quality leather bound books have, hold the pages together tightly and brush on gold or silver metallic paint. Use a dry brush and do several light coats, rather than one thick one, if you feel like you need more than one coat.
Make sure to loosen the pages from each other after each coat so that your pages do not stick together. You could also use a metallic sharpie and color the outer edges.

Once everything is dried and set, let your doll enjoy her new book!




*A couple of other ways to get text into your book are: You can scan or take photos of the inside of a book, or look on the internet for photos of the inside of a book, size those images to the size of your pages and print them, trim them, and glue them inside your book for a bit of realism. Or you can look in magazines for fine print and cut and glue those in. Or your child or doll could make it a scrapbook or doodle book, adding art or magazine clippings that they like best!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What is your favorite book to read?

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team and @forofsuch

We’ve put together the ultimate resource guide for the 8-inch American Girl® baby doll. This doll was released as part of the Truly Me line, in an accessory set called Caring for Baby™ Set. Since its release, this mini baby doll has won the hearts of many American Girl® fans. We’ll be giving you an overview of the doll’s features, a comparison to other similar dolls, as well as some project ideas.

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter to win the Caring For Baby Doll Set! 

About the American Girl® Caring for Baby Set 

[Image and description from the American Girl website] Along with the 8-inch baby doll, the Caring for Baby Set comes with a lot of fun accessories. The baby comes dressed in a top, footed pants, and a bow headband. For mealtime, the set includes a high chair, bib, bowl with food, spoon, and a bottle. For changing time, you’ll find two diapers, a wipe case, and a changing mat. There is currently just one version of the set available, which includes a light skinned baby with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The set was released in spring 2021, and as of September 2021 is still available at American Girl®. 

American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll Features 

• Vinyl head and body 
• Rotating arms, legs, and head 
• Painted face, eyes, and hair 
• Similar face and limb molds to the 15-inch American Girl® Bitty Baby® Dolls

American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll Compared to Other Dolls 

Perfectly Cute 8" My Lil' Baby Doll (sold at Target) 

My Sweet Love Mini Soft Baby Doll (sold at Walmart) 

Madame Alexander Little Cuties Baby Doll (Sold at Amazon)

There are a few similarly sized baby dolls currently available on the market. The biggest differences between the American Girl® 8-inch baby and these alternatives are the facial features and the body material. The American Girl® 8-inch baby is the only one with a poseable vinyl body. This is also a unique feature compared to other mini baby dolls that American Girl® has previously produced, such as Baby Polly (part of Felicity’s collection) and the Baby and Stroller Set available from 2005-2007, which both had cloth bodies. While the vinyl body makes the doll less cuddly, it allows for lots of adorable posing alongside 18-inch dolls! 

Post update (Thanks Teena!) Target sells an all-vinyl version of the 8" baby in a boxed set with a tub and hooded bath towel for $15, in addition to the cloth-body versions that are $4. Perfectly Cute 8" Baby Doll 

Another doll worth comparing to the American Girl® 8-inch baby is the Disney nuiMOs©. While these plush character dolls are not comparable to the baby dolls themselves, it turns out that the collection of nuiMOs© outfits can fit the American Girl® 8-inch baby fairly well. 

The Ultimate Pattern Collection for American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll 

The larougetdelisle Pattern Collection is always growing, and new patterns for the American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll are currently in the works!

Since the 8-inch baby is around half the height of the 15-inch Bitty Baby®, we have a trick for converting accessory patterns that are designed for the 15-inch Bitty Baby® into a nice size for the 8-inch baby! When printing the pattern, simply select 50% scaling. For instance, the My Baby Sitter 15" Baby Doll Accessory pattern scaled down to 50% for printing works great for the 8-inch baby! Just remember to rescale the 1/4" seam allowance to the appropriate width after printing the pattern at 50% since it will be scaled down to a narrower width.

Another accessory pattern to try for your 8-inch baby is the My Sunshine Dolls Baby Carrier Pattern. The infant carrier in this pattern also fits the 8-inch baby doll, and can be worn by an 18-inch doll! 

For clothing patterns, the 50% scaling trick doesn’t produce the perfect fit, so keep an eye out for more patterns designed for the 8-inch baby coming soon.

We tested the 123 Mulberry St Basic Playsuit scaled at 50%, and compared it to a redesigned version adapted to fit the 8-inch baby more precisely. The Basic Playsuit pattern designed specifically for the 8-inch baby has a much better fit!

We have a growing collection of patterns designed specifically for the 8-inch baby doll. Be sure to take a peek at the full collection of Patterns Designed to fit the 8-inch Baby Doll today!

Enter To Win A Caring For Baby Doll Accessory Set!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the Caring For baby Doll Accessory set. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment and tell us: What is baby accessory or clothing item should we make a pattern for?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with Mattel® or American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

It’s that time of the year when all the stores have shelves and shelves of fun school supplies! All the colors, designs, and characters make it fun to shop and pick out a collection that you’ll love. Follow along with this easy tutorial to see how to make your dolls their very own curated collection of back to school folders, ready for the upcoming school year!

Supplies:

• Pretty cardstock paper (you want stiffer paper for this)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Craft or tacky glue
• Hole punch

Step 1:  Draw a rectangle on the back of one of your papers 7 inches wide and 6 inches tall.

Step 2:  Cut out this rectangle, and draw in the following lines: measuring up from the bottom 1 1/2inches, draw a line. Measuring down from the top 1/2 inch, draw a line. And measuring in 3/8 inch on either side, draw a line.

Step 3:  Cut off the top two corners at a diagonal angle, just touching the point where the lines cross. At the bottom corners, cut off the tall, thin rectangles made by your lines, doing so at an angle at the top and long sides. See our photo for reference.

Step 4:  Carefully using the edge of your scissors, score along the straight pencil lines. To score means you barely scrape the paper, but don’t go all the way through. If you are new to this, please protect your work surface.

Step 6:  The scoring will make it easy to do the next step - fold up the large bottom flap, then fold in the side flaps, then the top flap. Use your fingernail or edge of your scissors to make nice sharp creases.

Step 7:  Apply craft glue to the side and top flaps only, and glue down. Make sure the side flaps go over the large, bottom flap. Hold in place until set.

Step 8:  Once the glue is set, fold your folder in half. Then use your hole punch to punch three holes along the folded edge.



Step 9:  Using lined or plain white paper, cut sheets of paper for your doll that are 3 1/2 inches tall and 2 1/2 inches wide to put in your folder.



These are sooo cute, and so easy to make! It’ll be easy to make your doll a fun collection of folders she can’t wait to use for school this year!

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us what your favorite school supply is/was!

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team and @forofsuch

With fall 2021 right around the corner, we’ve rounded up some great fall patterns for you to work on for your doll!  This trend report was inspired by top designers’ looks from Fall 2021 ready-to-wear runways, and we’ve found some patterns that will help you “steal the look”  for your fashion-minded doll!

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to learn more and leave a comment telling us what you’re looking forward to most this fall!

1.  SWEATER VESTS

One charming trend we’re seeing this fall is sweater vests!  Sweater vests have become increasingly popular among Gen-Zers through popular social media sites and are now hitting the runways. This trend is also perfect for fall because they have a very academic vibe for the back-to-school season.  Try layering these sweater vests over a button-down shirt and pairing them with some bootcut pants to complete the trend.  Grab your knitting needles, and take a look at the patterns listed below for starters:

2.  HEAD-TO-TOE DENIM

Another popular trend for the upcoming season is head-to-toe denim.  The “Canadian Tuxedo” is back and prominent for ready-to-wear fashion.  Try making a pair of jeans or a denim skirt and pairing it with a chambray button-down shirt and a denim jacket to complete the look.  Alternatively, you could make a chambray dress with a denim jacket over it.  Either way you can’t go wrong with this trend!  larougetdelisle has plenty of denim/chambray-friendly patterns for a variety of doll sizes:

3.  STATEMENT COATS

Statement coats are the perfect trend for the coming fall season!  Try making your doll coat with a fun print or texture to help her stand out and also keep her warm when those chilly, fall breezes hit.  Adding details like embellishments or zippers will give a coat extra pizazz.  Check out one of these patterns to start your project:

4. MIDI SKIRTS

Instead of the mini skirts that were popular during the summer, midi skirts are what’s on trend for the fall.  Midi skirts (or dresses) have longer hem lengths that will fall anywhere between below the knee and above the ankle.  You can start by taking a look at these patterns:

5.  FLARE PANTS

The final fall trend on this list is the ever-so-70s inspired flare pants that are making a comeback!  Pant leg style is starting to trend away from the skinny leg and back towards bootcut leg and even the flare leg which  have been popular in decades past.  You can make these pants for your doll out of denim for a casual, everyday look or with a bold print or color for something more unique.  Check out these patterns for some project inspiration:

FALL 2021 COLOR PALATTE

When thinking about starting your projects, always consider what you’re making them out of!  A great way to make sure your projects stay on-trend is to create them using “in” colors and prints.  According to the Pantone Trend Report, this season’s colors are surprisingly bright for fall.  Other popular colors that have been seen on the runway and on the streets that weren’t listed by Pantone are colors like lilac and lime green. 

FALL 2021 TEXTURES & PRINTS

The popular prints and textures this season are bold, colored leather, leopard print, acid wash denim, and sequins (especially using sequins for casual, everyday clothes).  Mixing these prints and colors are a sure-fire way to give your doll a trendy look for the coming season!

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us what you’re most looking forward to this fall!

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team

We’ve put together the Ultimate Resource Guide for the new Disney ILY 4EVER 18-inch doll line available at Target. This new line of dolls is designed with the idea that each one is inspired by the classic Disney Princess but with the personalized twist that gives a nod to the traditional styling with a modern styled outfit. The collection features five dolls, trendy fashions and aspirational accessory packs that offer kids a fun way to showcase their personal sense of Disney style.

Here's the official Disney ILY 4EVER image of the current collection of available dolls. Image ©Disney.

In the Design Academy course, we've often talked about using homage to pay tribute to a character that you love,  this is the perfect example of just that! Don't just copy the princess outfit, create your own look using the theme, color scheme, and important details. The design team at JAKKS Pacific has done just that with these darling iIy 4ever dolls! It's so fun to see individual personalities shine through with each and every character!

“The ily 4EVER doll line introduces a new and imaginative way for fans and collectors alike to embrace storytelling and channel their love for favorite Disney characters through fashionable dolls and contemporary inspired-by styles,” said Leslie Kay, author of “Disney Bound: Dress Disney and Make It Fashion” and Disney Style expert. “It’s been incredibly inspiring to see the Disney Bounding community evolve over the years as fans continue to find unique ways to express themselves. Now kids can join in the fun and create their own styles with ily 4EVER.” (quote from Business Wire)

Watch this video from Disney Princess Youtube - it's too cute!

The dolls are available at Target in-store or online. 

Disney ily 4EVER is an 18-inch doll brand inspired by beloved Disney stories and characters. It includes a line of dolls, trendy fashions and aspirational accessories that celebrate everything kids love about Disney. Inspired by characters such as Ariel, Minnie Mouse, and Tinker Bell, and themes such as outdoor activities and culinary arts, this line combines the best of Disney with the latest fashions and must-have accessories! (from the Target website)

Here's the official commercial from JAKKS Pacific too:

More about the dolls (images and descriptions from the Target Website):

Disney ILY 4ever 18" Brunette Cinderella Inspired Fashion Doll:  Show off the Cinderella in you with this 18-inch doll from Disney ily 4EVER! Her fashion is inspired by her favorite Disney character, Cinderella, and she is all dressed up for the dance. She has long, straight, brunette hair with golden-brown eyes. Her Cinderella-inspired outfit includes a sparkly blue dress and translucent shoes. A carriage-print purse and silver star-shaped headband completes her look and with tickets in hand, she’s ready to go! Shop Now

Disney ILY 4ever 18" Blond Ariel Inspired Fashion Doll: Show off the Ariel in you with this 18-inch doll from Disney ily 4EVER! Her fashion is inspired by her favorite Disney character, Ariel, and she loves spending time at the beach. She has beautiful blonde hair with crystal blue eyes. Her Ariel-inspired outfit includes a big floppy sun hat, a seashell-print cover-up, and a pair of strappy sandals. A lilac Make a Splash tank top and a pair of flower-printed shorts to complete her look. With a pair of sunglasses and some sunscreen – she is ready for a perfect day at the beach.

Disney ILY 4ever 18" Brunette Tinker Bell Inspired Fashion Doll: Show off the Tinker Bell in you with this 18-inch doll from Disney ily 4EVER! Her fashion is inspired by her favorite Disney character, Tinker Bell, and she loves spending sunny days at the park. She has beautiful long hair and dark brown eyes. Her Tinker Bell-inspired outfit includes a fairy-print summer dress, belt, and shoes. A trendy denim jacket and a sparkly necklace completes her look. With the perfect pair of sunglasses – she is ready for a fun day at the park!

Disney ILY 4ever 18" Brunette Minnie Inspired Fashion Doll: Show off the Minnie Mouse in you with this 18-inch doll from Disney ily 4EVER! Her fashion is inspired by her favorite Disney character, Minnie Mouse, and she enjoys traveling and sightseeing. She has beautiful brown hair with emerald green eyes. Her Minnie Mouse-inspired outfit includes a red sparkly shirt, cute denim shorts, and a polka dot jacket. An adorable bow headband and matching shoes complete her look. With a polka dot camera and a water bottle – she is ready for a day of exploring and adventures!

Disney ILY 4ever 18" Brunette Elsa Inspired Fashion Doll:  Show off the Elsa in you with this 18-inch doll from Disney ily 4EVER! Her fashion is inspired by her favorite Disney character, Elsa, and she is ready for a day of ice skating. She has beautiful curly hair and brown eyes. Her Elsa-inspired outfit includes a silver puffy vest, and a blue Ready, Set, Snow sweater. A pair of blue ice skates and a snowflake-print skirt completes her look. With an Olaf-inspired beanie and a water bottle – she will have a great day twirling on the ice!

Disney ILY 4ever compared to American Girl:

Like you, we were wondering how these 18-inch ILY 4ever dolls compare to the 18-inch American Girl dolls. Surprisingly, they are pretty close! We have a "Inspired by Cinderella" doll and have a set of pictures showing her in comparison to the American Girl Luciana doll. The Luciana doll is wearing a dress from the Liberty Jane pattern collection (coming soon!) The dresses can be worn by either doll and fit just about the same on each body.

To get a better look at the body, here are a few images of the doll both wearing the 123 Mulberry St Gotchies pattern for 18-inch dolls.

The Disney ILY 4ever doll has a full cloth body, similar to the American Girl doll. Her arm length is a bit longer and her waistline is a straighter, but overall they are pretty close. 

Here's a look from the side to see that the ILY 4ever doll is more similar to an American Girl Doll than a Journey Girls or My Life As doll which as much slimmer.

Looking for doll clothes for the new Disney ILY 4ever doll? We're pretty confident that most of the patterns designed for 18-inch dolls (such as American Girl) will fit this doll too! You can browse our full collection of 18-inch Doll Clothes patterns here.

Some of the shoes can be swapped, like flats, slip ons and sandals. But the ILY 4ever doll does have a slightly larger foot, just slightly.

Stay tuned for more info as we update this post!

This is an independent review. larougetdelisle is not affiliated with Disney® or JAKKS Pacific.

We'd love to hear your thoughts! Which doll do you like most?

Enter To Win A Disney ily 4EVER 18-inch doll!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the Disney ily 4EVER doll of their choice (if available). You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment and tell us: What Disney ily 4EVER doll is your favorite?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with Disney®, no endorsement implied.) 

10 BACK-TO-SCHOOL ESSENTIALS

It’s nearly fall which means your doll will soon need all of those back-to-school essentials!  We’ve rounded up the top ten school must-haves that your doll will need for the 2021-2022 school year.  This list includes plenty of patterns found on larougetdelisle to get you started making this the best school year yet!

1. Backpack

The first back-to-school essential that any and every student needs is a backpack to carry all of the important school things.  larougetdelisle offers a selection of different backpacks, but check out these ones for starters:

Urban Backpack

Animal Backpack

Old School Backpack

2.  Lunch Bag

What would school be without lunchtime?  Chatting with friends and swapping snacks makes lunchtime a highlight of any school day.  Try making your doll a well-rounded lunch and a stylish bag to keep it in too with these links:

My Lunch Bag

DIY Doll-Sized Lunch

3. Supplies

Make sure you give your doll the right academic tools for a successful year! Check out these crafty tutorials to make a variety of school supplies for your doll.

DIY Art Tote

DIY Tiny Books

DIY School Folders (Coming Soon!)

4. School Books

Stock your doll’s backpack with a selection of great reading with these classic books:

Little Women and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice

Little Princess and Secret Garden

5. Study Space

Make your doll the perfect study space for academic success! All she needs is a quiet place to sit, a few things to keep her organized, and some activities for short breaks to keep her focused.

Bean Bag Tutorial

Bed Rest Pillow

Modern Sofa Set

6. School Clothes

The best part about going back to school is getting new back-to-school clothes!  There are dozens of great back-to-school patterns available on larougetdelisle.  Here are a few to get your started:

Pullover Sweater

Polo Shirtdress

Study Hall Pants Suit

7. School Uniform

If your doll’s school requires a uniform, don’t fret! We’ve got school uniforms covered too:

School Days Jumper and Blouse

School Daze Jumper and Blouse

School Sweater

8. Coat, Hat, and Gloves

Keep your doll protected from those chilly fall and winter recesses with a new coat, hat, and gloves for the new school year!

Fog Chaser Accessories

Piccadilly Peacoat

Hooded Bog Coat

9. Gym Clothes

One of the quintessential classes in school is PE.  Make sure your doll is as prepared as possible with a cute new gym clothes set.

Yoga Pants

Baseball Tee

Fast Track Suit

10.  Recess/PE Games

What would recess or PE be without games to play?  No playground would be complete without a basketball hoop or jump rope, and no school gym would be complete without a volleyball net!

Volleyball Net

Basketball Uniform

DIY Jump Rope (coming Soon!)

We hope this gives you a bunch of ideas for getting your dolls back-to-school wardrobe into full swing!

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team 

We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment and tell us: What was/is your favorite grade in school!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’ve put together the ultimate resource guide to summer accessories for your doll!  From head to toe we’ve got your doll covered with fun accessory ideas for you to DIY or buy. 

Be sure to leave a comment at the bottom telling us which is your favorite summer accessory!

Summer Shoes

No outfit would be complete without a good pair of shoes!  The Clog Shoes would be perfect for backyard activities like gardening or badminton.  The Dollistocks shoe pattern are a great go to for playing hopscotch or chasing the ice cream truck down the street.  The Jelly Flats are a wonderful dressier, option for brunch or a birthday party.  larougetdelisle offers plenty of other shoe patterns for every occasion, but you can check out these ones for starters:

Summer Hats

Another fun summer accessory is a hat.  Hats are a summer must-have for warding off sunburns on those extra hot days.  The Lilli Sailor Cap conveys a sporty vibe whereas the Pheobe Hat is perfect for lounging around on a sunny beach.  The Happy Hats pattern is a great and fun basic that would look splendid in a bright colors and small prints.  You can use one of the following patterns to make one for your doll:

Summer Bags

There are plenty of places to go and things to see during the summertime, and to make sure your doll is prepared for every occasion make her a super stylish purse to bring along!  Most of these purses can be easily done with summery cotton prints to make a purse as unique as your doll!  Use one of the patterns listed (PS. the Sweet Scallops bag is free!):

Summer Jewelry

What would a summer outfit be without the perfect piece of jewelry to compliment it? You can make some basic necklaces or bracelets by stringing beads together, or try for something more detailed with one of these patterns:

Summer Hair Accessories

Hair accessories are always a lovely summer accent to add to any ensemble.  If you feel like making a fun DIY check out the Flower Crown from larougetdelisle!  Really on-trend hair accessories at the moment are bold and colorful claw clips (take a look at the Amazon link for ones that are the perfect scale for your doll).  Finally, you can never go wrong with a great headband as a summertime hair accessory, so take a look at our free tutorials and incorporate one into your dolls next hairstyle! 

So, that's our list! We hope this inspires you to add the perfect accessory to your dolls summer outfit!

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team :^)

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We’d love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment and tell us: Which is your favorite summer accessory?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

The 2021 Olympics are here!  To herald in the exciting world event, we’ve put together the ultimate guide of how to get your doll ready for the Olympics!  Whether your doll is an athlete or a spectator, we’ve got something to help her show her team spirit.  For the US fans, any of these patterns will look perfect in red, white and blue! If you are representing another country, simply choose your country's color palette and show your team pride!  

Bonus Giveaway: We're giving away a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card to one lucky reader! Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post to fond the contest entry widget. Be sure to leave a comment at the bottom telling us which Olympic sport is your favorite!

Original Modern Olympic Events

The modern Olympics started in 1896 in Athens, Greece and only had fourteen nations competing in it.  The only sports that were showcased during these Olympics were:  athletics (which is a form of track and field), cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.  Check out these patterns from larougetdelisle to make uniforms for some of the original events:

Basic Leotard 18in

Gold Medal Track Suit 18in

Long Distance Running Outfit 18in

Team Spirit Leotard Pattern Hack

Free Swimsuit

Serve It Up! Tennis Dress

Newer Olympic Events

Since the beginning of the modern Olympics, dozens of new sports have been added.  The latest additions this year are surfing, skateboarding, rock-climbing, karate, and baseball/softball.  Starting at the end of this month, the Tokyo Olympics will feature nearly 400 events in 33 sports, including basketball, equestrian, golf, and volleyball.  Take a look at the patterns below for some superb athletic gear:

Shootin' Hoops Basketball Uniform

Karate Uniform

Atta Girl Baseball/Softball Uniform

Riding Pants, Riding Jacket, Riding Boots

Volleyball Net

What to Wear as a Spectator

Even if your doll isn’t an athlete, she can still get in on the Olympic spirit!  Here are some great patterns and DIYs for you to make that will be perfect for any watching occasion.  Whether she’s just watching casually with the family or attending a fun viewing party, we’ve got her covered:

How to Make a 4th of July Tee

How to Make a Starry 4th of July Headband

Surfrider Sundress and Romper

Summer in Japan Dress

Summer Picnic Outfit

For more inspiration, you can take a look at this People.com article for what Team USA’s offical summer uniforms have looked like over the past fifty years. The image below is from the 1984 Team - perfect for Courtney fans!

You can also take a look at the Ralph Lauren website to see the full collection of 2021 US Olympic Team wear. They are an an official outfitter for the team, they have a nice overview of the athletes and a variety of different clothing items for athletes and spectators alike! The Flagbearer Jacket especially caught my eye!

Finally, no Olympic look would be complete without a winning medal!  Take a gander at our Olympic Medal Tutorial for step-by-step instructions on how to make your own.

We’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment, and tell us which Olympic sport is your favorite! 

If you make something and share photos online, we'd love to see them! Use #pixiefaire when posting on Instagram or add your photos directly to our Inspiration Gallery for all to see!  

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team :^)

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and tell us: Which Olympic event/sport is your favorite?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

Summertime is full of hot days, and there’s no better place to cool off than the beach!  We’ve rounded up the top ten beach essentials that your doll will need for next time you head to the shore. For more summertime trends, be sure to check out the Summer Swimsuit Trends post on larougetdelisle!

Bonus Giveaway! Enter to win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card.

Be sure to scroll to the end of this post to enter our limited time contest. Leave a comment and tell us: What is your favorite beach to visit?

 Ok, here is our top 10 Beach Essentials List:

1. Swimsuit

The first beach essential is, of course, a swimsuit.  Whether your doll is just sunbathing or splashing in the waves, she’ll need a swimsuit!  larougetdelisle offers a wide variety of swimsuit patterns for all different doll sizes, but check out these ones for starters:

Aloha Vintage Swimsuit

Splash Back to the 1980s Swimsuit

Swimsuit Variations For 18-inch Dolls or 14-15" Dolls

2. Cover-Up

When your doll is done soaking up the sun or frolicking in the water she’ll need a cover-up! Try one of these cute patterns or mix things up with this super cute Carnaby St. Cover-up pattern hack.

Crochet Swim Cover

Beach Cover Up

Summer Fun Cover-Up

3. Floppy Beach Hat

Beaches are notoriously sunny places, so it’s important that your doll brings a hat to keep her safe from the sun’s harmful rays.  There are plenty of hat patterns available on larougetdelisle, but give these patterns a gander first:

Atta-Girl Baseball/Softball Cap 18in

Phoebe Hat

Three Straw Hats

4. Sandals

When the sand is hot from the sun, your doll will need a good pair of shoes to protect her feet! Try a cute pair of sandals, jelly flats or crocheted slip-ons to keep your feet cool!

Dollistocks

No-Sew Foam Boardwalk Sandals

No-Sew Janes Slip-on Shoes

5. Beach Tote

Beach totes are a definite must when spending the day at the beach.  You can pack these bags with sunglasses, snacks, and magazines to fill your doll’s beach day with fun!

Beach Tote Crochet

Megan Deck Beach Tote

DIY Summer Totes For Dolls

6. The Perfect Towel

Towels are wonderful for lounging in the sand and useful for drying off, making them yet another beach essential. Need something a bit bigger? Try the Watermelon Picnic Quilt and create a hangout zone for all her friends too!

Pool Party Collection Beach Towels 18in

Palmettoo Swimsuit Cover Up and Towel

Watermelon Picnic Quilt

7. Floaties For All

Floaties are the most wonderful way to relax in water without getting too wet and there are so many fun types of floaties to make!

Fun-Flateable Pool Birds 18in

Swim Rings 18in

Life Jacket 18in

8. Somewhere to Sit

When your doll is done playing in the waves or in the sand make sure she has a comfy place to lounge about and relax. Maybe it's time to use your craft skills and make a no-sew doll hammock using popsicle sticks! Try these crafty patterns too:

Pool Party Collection Chaise Lounge Chair

Basic Beach Chair

Island Breeze Hammock

9.  Cooler

What is a beach trip without an ice-cold soda or water?  This cooler pattern is the perfect way to make sure your doll’s refreshments stay ice-cold and if you have something smaller try the single serve lunch bag too! If you have a big group, you might need something even bigger to transport it all, try the Little Red Wagon!

Soft-Sided Cooler

My Lunch Bag

Little Red Wagon

10.  Volleyball Net

Finally, what could be a more iconic beach game to play than volleyball? This crafty pattern project is easy to follow and makes a cute summer activity set for your 18-inch dolls. Try the Rashguard and Boy shorts, or the Gotchies patterns to sew a few matching beach volleyball uniforms too!

2-in-1 Volleyball/Tennis Net System

Rashguard and Boy Shorts

Gotchies 

We’d love to hear from you and see what combinations you will create for your dolls ultimate beach day! If you make something and share photos online, we'd love to see them! Use #pixiefaire when posting on Instagram or add your photos directly to our Inspiration Gallery for all to see!  

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team :^)

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and tell us: What is your favorite beach to visit?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

The Carnaby St. Dress by Liberty Jane is So cute and versatile! We're loving the swish and swirl of the flowing circle skirt design! With summer in full swing we've modified this design a bit to create an adorable sundress or a swimsuit coverup your doll can wear anytime this summer!

It's super easy to do -- all you have to do is modify the sleeve pattern piece and add ties to the neckline, and then continue on with the regular pattern instructions to complete the dress. (Click on the image, or the link below, to view the original pattern on larougetdelisle.) 

What you will need:

   ☼ Liberty Jane Carnaby St. Dress 

   ☼ Lightweight cotton fabric

   ☼ Scissors

   ☼ Ruler

   ☼ Blank piece of printer paper

   ☼ Pen or Pencil      

   ☼ ¼ inch elastic

Step 1:

Go ahead and print out the Carnaby St. Dress pattern if you haven’t already. You will need to cut out the pieces from pages 28-30.

Step 2:

Take your piece of paper and fold it in half. Draw a 1in. line right next to the fold and close to the top. Position the center fold line of the sleeve pattern piece on the end of your line. Trace the top of your sleeve pattern just on one side. Without moving the pattern, go down 2½ inches from the top corner of the sleeve and draw a ¼ in. line off the side of the sleeve. Connect the end of your line and the top corner of the sleeve together with a straight line. Now draw a straight line from the ¼ line to the fold, creating the bottom of your sleeve. Cut out your new sleeve pattern piece and unfold it.  

Step 3:

Cut out your fabric, making sure you use the new sleeve pattern in place of the original and also cutting out 2 strips 1in. by 5in. for the ties.

Step 4:

Turn down the short end ¼ of an inch on one side of each of the ties as shown in the above picture, sew down. Then sew the ties into a tube, right sides together. Turn them right sides out with a bobby pin. Find the tutorial right Here!

Step 5:

Sew the dress front and back shoulder seams together and the inner facing shoulder seams together.

Then zig-zag or serge the outer edges of the facing.

Step 6:

Pin the ties to the neck of the dress, positioning them to your liking and then tack them in place. Sew the facing onto the neckline as directed in the original pattern instructions. Topstitch the neckline and then press down the ties. Optional: Tie a knot in the bottom of each tie.

Step 7:

Roll hem the bottom of the sleeves. Cut two lengths of elastic 5in. long, zig-zag stitch the elastic to the wrong side of the bottom hem of the sleeve, stretching the elastic to reach both ends of the sleeve. Gather along the top of the sleeve to fit the sleeve opening and then sew onto the sleeve opening. 

Step 8:

Follow steps 21-26 in the pattern instructions to finish the dress.

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire 

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @graceloves2bake

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - How would you style this darling new dress? 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

Summer is already upon us, but we still have lots of warm weather ahead of us! If you're looking for some creative ideas and designs to inspire your next doll clothes summer outfit you're in the right place! Here are some great design ideas to update your dolls wardrobe! 

We hope your summer 2021 is full of sun, fun, and sewing! For more fashion inspiration, check out our DIY Summer Totes tutorial post .

Giveaway Alert! We're giving away one $50 larougetdelisle gift card in this limited time contest. Scroll to the end of this post and leave a comment telling us: Which summer trend project you are most excited to work on?

Summer 2021 Trend #1:  Matching Sets

One very prominent trend we’ve been seeing this season (this whole year, actually), has been matching sets.  This has been especially popular with Gen Zers.  These sets are a perfect way to showcase fun and bold prints and colors on your doll!  Simply choose a fabric that works for both pieces and voila, you've got the look! Try pairing a crop top with a mini skirt (two other trends this summer) for bonus stylishness.  You can sew the look with patterns like the Catalina Top and Skirt option (which is available in two different doll sizes); the Chic Suit 18-inch Doll Clothes pattern, and the Sun and Sand Shorts Set.

Catalina Crop Top and Dress

Chic Suit 18-inch Dolls 

Sun and San Shorts Set 

Summer 2021 Trend #2:  Crop Tops

Crop tops are also a very prominent item that is being showcased this season!  While showing a little midriff and cooling off from the heat, crop tops are perfect for the summer season.  Try making these tiny tops out of cotton, knit, or even try crocheting one!  Check out these patterns for some project inspiration:

Peasant Crop Top 18in

Summer Picnic Crop Top 18in

Dallie Delish Skirt and Halter for 18 inch dolls 

Summer 2021 Trend #3:  Mini Skirts

The rise in popularity of mini skirts this summer is in part due to the re-emergence of the Y2K era of style.  The mini skirt is just as cute now as it was then!  Mini skirts can be very versatile in your doll’s wardrobe—make a denim one for a basic or a bright printed one for a statement! Either way, you can’t go wrong with this project.  Use one of these patterns offered from larougetdelisle to make your own:

Flirty Mini Skirt 

Trendy Skater Skirt 

Bellevue Romper (Skirt Variation)

Summer 2021 Trend #4:  Halters

The halter neckline for tops and dresses has always been a summer favorite, and that is no different this year!  Think about pairing a halter top with some denim shorts or combining trends and making a cropped halter top.  A halter neckline can be equally as fun on a flirty sundress—try it in a fabulous summery floral.  You can make this look with these patterns:

Heat Wave Halter Dress and Top

Halter Dress and Top 18in

Halter My Opinion Dress

Summer 2021 Trend #5:  Bucket Hats

The final summer trend on this list is bucket hats!  Bucket hats have always been a popular outdoor accessory but rose to mainstream popularity only a few years ago which is where they have remained.  Bucket hats can be made easily with fun quilting cottons.  Check out these patterns to start your project:

Summer Camp Collection Bucket Hat 

Surf Side 3-in-1 18in 

Alana Hawaiian-Style Shirt, Shorts, and Hat 14.5in 

Colors and Prints On-Trend Summer 2021

When thinking about starting any of the projects, always consider the materials you’re using!  A great way to make sure your projects are extra-on-trend is to make them with the “in” colors and prints.  This season’s colors, according to the Pantone Trend Report, are bright and optimistic (see the graphic for my favorites), which are so fun for summer projects!  Other trends we are seeing a lot of this season are checkerboard, bright florals, bold stripes, and tie-dye (a summer classic).  Mixing prints and colors will be sure to give your doll a unique and on-trend look!

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and tell us which summer trend project you’re most excited to get started on!

Thanks, everyone!

-The larougetdelisle Team 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

I'm sure you're familiar with Betsy Ross, she is is best known for the stories she told her children about sewing the first American Flag. But what you might not know is that she was also an 18th century entrepreneur! Have we piqued your interest? Read on to hear the truly remarkable story of her establishing a successful upholstery business during a time when women were not usually at the forefront in the business world.

Bonus Giveaway: Scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter to win the complete set of Flossie Potter Betsy Ross 18-inch sewing patterns and a ready to sew kit to make the dress!

More about Betsy Ross: On January 1, 1752, while the rest of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was ringing in the new year, the Griscom family was busy welcoming their 8^th child into the world. The baby's name was Elizabeth Griscom, but she quickly became known to her family as Betsy. The Griscom's, like many families in Pennsylvania, were Quakers. When Betsy was old enough, she was sent to a Quaker school where she was taught reading, writing, and a trade – which was most likely sewing. After she finished school, Betsy's father apprenticed her to a local upholsterer.

During her apprenticeship, Betsy did what many young girls did, she fell in love. The young man that won her heart was a fellow apprentice named John Ross. Betsy and John were married in November of 1773 when she was 21. Betsy joined her husband at the Episcopal church, the same church that George Washington attended. 

In 1775, John and Betsy started their own upholstery business. This was a very bold decision as competition was tough and there was a great deal of political unrest at the time. In January 1776, their business was struggling from want of supplies from Britain so John joined the colonial militia. Sadly, John was killed in a munitions accident that same month. It was a very tough time for Betsy, but she carried on and kept her struggling business going by sewing flags and filling munition cartridge's for soldiers.

According to the stories she told her children, it was in May or June of 1776 that she met with George Washington, George Ross, and Robert Morris about making the first American Flag. She said they originally wanted a six pointed star until Betsy showed them how easy it was to cut a five pointed star.

(Photo credit: USHistory.org Painting "The Birth of Old Glory" by Percy Morgan 1917)

We don't know for a fact that Betsy Ross made the first American Flag. It's not that her story is untrue, there just simply isn't any evidence to prove it. The facts we do have are that she did know George Washington and made flags during the American Revolution. Whether or not the stories she told her children are true, Betsy Ross is still a woman to be remembered for her contribution to the American Revolution as well as a great example for women entrepreneurs from the 18th century. During one of the most difficult times in American history, Betsy Ross established a successful upholstery business in a male dominated society that would eventually employ a number of people from her family. Her daughter Clarissa took over the business when Betsy finally retired in 1827 at the age of 75.

And the rest is history...

Interested in recreating the Betsy Ross look? We have a beautiful collection of patterns from Flossie Potter available for 18-inch American Girl dolls.

Enter the Giveaway!

Enter to win the complete set of patterns, plus a complete sewing kit to make the dress! The kit includes all the dress pieces already cut from a darling vintage print cotton fabric. The neck trim and bias ties are already sewn too! All the fabric pieces are neatly labeled and ready to sew!

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below this post by telling us about one of your favorite Women-owned businesses! We'd love to hear who you admire, who's inspired you, or who you simply love to shop from. Tell us in the comments below.

The contest is open today July 1, 2021 through Monday July 5th at midnight PST. We will pick a winner on Tuesday July 6th and update this post once they are contacted.