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| Mini-Magic, Inc. 1873 promenade dress that was constructed using silk (blue) and cotton fabrics. This promotional photograph is from the Dollspart Supply website. www.dolluniverse.com |
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| 1879 Evening Dress |
I have recently purchased two French Fashion Doll kits designed for 16 inch dolls from Dollspart Supply. The quality of these kits was so outstanding that I have decided to blog about them and recommend this company, even though it will be a while before I start constructing the gowns.
The photograph above and the illustration to the right show the kits that I purchased. The fabric included with the kits is silk - the finest quality silk! Cotton is included for the lining, slips, and blouse (the promenade dress).
When I opened the package after I received it, my jaw dropped simply from the quality of the packing. Each pattern/kit was impressively packaged with a care that is rarely seen. When I opened the packaging and examined the fabrics and notions, I was amazed that the quality of the materials was significantly superior to that which can be readily found at a fabric store.
Each kit was packaged in a clear, reusable box. A box that will be handy for storing the dresses as they are assembled.
The supplies for the promenade dress are shown above. All of the fabric was cut on grain, so I will not have an issue with straightening the grain when I prepare to cut out the pattern. All of the notions needed for this dress were included in ample supply. There is enough of everything!
The colors shown in my photographs do accurately reproduce the colors of the fabric. However; your monitor or screen settings could cause distortions. The blue is a shade of aqua - a teal blue.
This photograph shows the materials for the evening dress kit. As with the promenade kit, all of the fabrics are of an outstanding quality. The packaging of the floral embelishments is a wonderful bonus. They have even supplied a container to keep them organized while you are working on the dress.
As with the other photograph, the colors shown are a very accurate representation of the actual colors.
The striped silk fabric included with the evening dress kit is perhaps my favorite. It is finely woven and perfectly scaled for a 16 inch fashion doll. It will add a touch of beauty and drama to the finished ensemble that I expect to be breathtaking.
The promenade dress/pattern kit cost $37 and the evening dress cost $67. The cost difference is not a reflection of quality - the evening dress just requires more silk. Both kits contain fabric and notions of equal quality.
At these prices, I was expecting to receive a good quality kit. However, the quality exceeded my expectations. They could not be better. The silks could not be nicer. All of the materials were fresh, with no indication that they had been sitting around on a shelf for years. The fact that they were cut on grain was also unexpected...I thought that I would have to do that myself!
If you like what you see and read here, please don't hesitate to purchase a kit from Dollspart Supply. I feel very confident in saying that you will not be dissatisfied. In fact, if you buy something from them and are disappointed, I give you permission to write all sorts of horrible comments about me on my blog!
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| Mini-Magic, Inc. Dinner Dress from Dollspart Supply |
You can purchase these, along with the two kits I am reviewing as both a kit or as a pattern. All of the kits come with the complete pattern, so that you can reuse it as many times as you want. Most of these kits come with several color options and all come with a choice of sizes: Small, Medium, Medium/Large, and Large. They are designed for French Fashion dolls but the patterns can be readily adapted to fit modern fashion dolls. The Mediums will work for all 16 inch dolls and the slightly taller 17 inch Deanna Denton and Evangeline Ghastly Dolls.
These dresses are replicas of actual dresses. In all cases they are exact replicas that may have some very minor changes to make them workable for a fashion doll. Some are based on illustrations while still others are based on existing fashion relics.
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| Faille Worth Reception Toilette Dress - Dollspart Supply |
The patterns are printed on decent paper - not on the flimsy paper used by your standard pattern company. This is an advantage because you can trace the patterns onto pattern fabric and avoid damaging the original pattern. Pattern fabric can be readily found at any fabric store. In a pinch, you can use regular interfacing, which is similar but will not hold up as well.
Upon examining the patterns, I found that they will be readily adaptable to modern fashion dolls. There will not be any need to adjust the length of any of the pieces. Minor adjustments will be required for width. These adjustments can be readily made by an experienced craftsperson/seamstress.
I typically do a test run with my patterns before using them with expensive fabrics, which I plan to do with both of these patterns. My test runs will be made using fine quality cotton that has a similar weight, weave, and body to the silk. My plan is to size for Ellowynne Wilde dolls, so that I will have a dress that will be a decent fit on most of the dolls in my collection. After working with the pattern the first time around, I will know if it has any glitches that need to be corrected for when I construct the kits.
Right now, I want the blue dress to fit an Wilde Imagination Amber doll, but I could change my mind. I am leaning towards making the evening dress fit a Madame Alexander Alex doll who I envision wearing this dress better than any of the others. Of course, I am fickle and I could see things totally differently in a few months time...
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| Mini-Magic, Inc. 1881 Walking Dress - Dollspart Supply |
