Miniature clothing projects for dollhouses, roomboxes and dioramas
The baby clothes are in babies page, the kids clothes in nursery page.
Adult clothing can be found in crocheting, sewing, knitting. Also see fashion, dresses and specific theme pages, eg Medieval
Directions for assembling, wigging and dressing dolls are on the character doll page.
Fabrics and embellishments are important parts of clothing too!
What is a woman without her shoes, gloves and bag?
Don't forget flowers can be pinned to a hat, purse or clothing!
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Links to miniature clothing projects
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- photo albums, blog posts, webpages
Dollhouse Textiles and Clothing - by Lissu (1:12), see e.g. her Flickr gallery
Doll Clothing from 1:12 to 1:4 - by Raija
Miniature Clothing in Blogs
- Blogs concentrating on clothing or categories/labels about it in blogs
Antique Lilac - tutorials, patterns for dressing ball jointed dolls
Miniature Clothing in Groups
- Discussion groups, forums (or forum categories) and photo groups dedicated to clothing.
Miniature Clothing Supplies for sale
- Supplies needed for making clothing projects.
Cynthia Howe Miniatures - insect pins for draping -no pin holes!
Doll Artist Workshop - insect pins, Clover Iron, ironing board
Dolls n More - ironing board
Jo-Ann - Clover iron
Miniature Clothing for sale
- Do you have a section for clothing in your shop? Add a direct link to that item here.
Clothing - Landon House Miniatures
Contemporary Miniature Clothing - by Thelma Lewis DeMet
Miniature Clothing in Books
- Books about miniature clothing projects (also books with chapters about it)
Books and Booklets - to make and dress Miniature dolls, from House of Caron. Includes a wide selection of period clothing, children's clothing and hats.
Instructions for miniature clothing
Miniature Clothing Printables
Miniature Clothing Wallpapers
- Wallpapers that go well with clothing projects
Other Miniature Clothing Printies
- Book/magazine covers related to clothing
Miniature Clothing Links
- links to sites showing how to make items related to clothing
1:12 Suspenders - by Susan Cariola
Belt - from Miniature Collector, Kids Corner
Chic Underwear - La Boite a Poupees
Christine, a Creative Journey - from Antique Lilac. How to dress a doll in close fitting bodice, create a tiara, reduce bulk
Costuming Hannah - by Nicky CC
Doily Vest - by Hanna and Lijonna
Doll Stand or Skirt - from toilet paper roll, from Wanna in El Paso
Enlarging/Fitting Patterns - from Delarae
Folded Ruffle Shirt - by Tanya
Folded Men's Shirt - with long sleeves, from Casey's Minis
Folded Turtleneck - from To Do Minis
Futuristic Dress - Tanya's Mini Dolls
Guide to Miniature Dress Making - by Melissa on the Greenleaf Forum
Hoffman Miniatures - colour and draping tutorials by Stacy
How to Make a Custom Fitted Coat Pattern for Any Type of Doll - from About.com
Jacket and Jeans Patterns - from Le Monde en Miniatures
Lab Coat - Erek the Time Traveller by Dana of Miniature Art
Lady Starlight - by Dana of Miniature Art
Man's Shirt - PDF file for man's shirt pattern from Miniturama
Man's Shirt with Tie - made with $ bill, from All about Orange
Man's Tie - from Casey's Miniatures
Man's Vest - dutch site, Elinekes Design
Making Clothes - Step by step tutorials by Taru
Making Doll Clothes Dirty - by Wanna in El Paso
Measuring and Fitting Patterns - from Delarae
Pattern Drafting - from the Renaissance Tailor - scroll down L side
Puchi Collective Sewing Patterns for Blythe, Lati and Puki Puki
Robe and Slippers - by Sassy Minidoll
Smocked Nightgown - by Rachelle
T-shirt - by Perhe Malmstrom
Miniature Clothing Videos
- YouTube videos about miniature projects related to this subject
Men's Shirt in a Box - Easy DIY Miniatures
Miniature Clothing Research/ Inspiration
Miniature Clothing Tips/Hints
- How to know if a fabric pattern is in scale -use the inch test. Measure a 1" square section in the center of an index card and cut it out. When looking at fabric, put the card over it. Is the pattern pleasing to you through> that hole in the card? Is the flower covering the entire hole? then it is too big. If you put it over a pattern, but don't see the pattern then it is too big. Also take a doll's hand/arm with you and hold it against the fabric. If it looks too big for the arm/hand, then it probably is. For lace, if the holes on the lace are bigger than the hand, it is too big.
- Hold your fabric up and see how it drapes. One way will be easier.
- Cut the pattern on the bias or on the weft (parallel to the selvedges). Pay attention to nap (shading), even and uneven plaid. Mark right and wrong sides. Consult a sewing book for terms.
- Draw around pattern with a pencil, then put a very thin line of glue atop the pencil edge. Use a finger to smooth out the glue along the outline. Then let it set for a minute (If you don't use too much glue, it usually doesn't need to dry). When the piece is cut out, the edges are sealed and won't fray. Works the same as Fraycheck. This technique makes it possible to have in scale collars and cuffs and sharp clean edges where the thickness of a folded seam edge would be too much. Experiment first to get the hang of it before trying this on a fine fabric. The key is less is more when it comes to the glue line.
- Make some long johns out of red t-shirt material. Cut out the basic pattern, which is very straight, glue edges together and add a square for a flap at the back with 2 beads for buttons.
- Overalls from old chambray shirts are easy too
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Belts - using rigid wire or staples, bend them with needle-nose pliers into a circle or square. Or try wrapping wire tightly around a round or square dowel of the desired size (or a toothpick), slide off and cut into individual circles or squares.
- Male dolls - cut patterns on the grain, which helps with draping. Use a light fabric.
- Try pants on inside out and put darts as needed at waist. (look at your man's pants). The full porcelain dolls have a butt and the pants fit so much better. If your doll is only part there, use something to form buttocks.
- Their hair should also be thinned out. It is much easier to apply more, if needed, than to thin it out after. If a younger man, don't skimp, but on the older man, thinner with some gray is great.
- Drape their clothes. Even though they don't have a volume of skirts, trousers still should look like there is some gravity and weight involved. Use hairspray, and while still damp, pinch and pull. While trousers had no center crease back in the good old days, a hint of one makes the legs look so much better. Crinkle the back of the knee area, where the pants would naturally wrinkle from sitting. A little extra length allows the hem to drape area over the foot with interesting folds. If the seams are glued, alter the legs (usually for a snugger fit) by dampening with water, opening the seams and triming. Re-glue after all is dry. Pants have an inner leg seam and an outer leg seam.
- Spray the sleeves and push up toward the elbow with little folds. Over-do the effect, because some of the creases can be lost after drying. The thinner the fabric, the better. Cotton is best. Buy used men's shirts from the thrift store. Many have tiny woven in designs like stripes, checks, houndstooth, that are in perfect scale.
- Some male dolls are too chesty and broad shouldered. Make sure to have a nice rounded shape for the shoulder. Sleeve the arm after it's attached and overlap the glued area with the rest of the garment. Also the chest slopes outward gently from the base of the neck in the front. The neck is mounted at an angle, and more towards the back of the torso. The back of the neck is quite a bit higher.
- Generally speaking, clothes are too large for most of the dolls. Sleeves need to be tighter fitting, and it helps to put some stuffing around the arm, not just bare wire. Sleeves should have a little of the shirt cuff showing, but not so much that it makes the sleeve look too short. Pants also need to be less wide, again legs should be wrapped. The other area that is hard to fit is around the neck, it should fit tightly and not gap in back, not easy to fix. Check it before adding the collar, sometimes the back seam needs to be tapered towards the neck to get a good fit.
- To get a nicely fit collar. Cut out on bias, so that you get some stretch, and notch all around. Find the center and lay it around the neck and add glue (carefully). Pull the neck edge of the jacket over to glue it to to the collar. When all is dry, fold the collar down and it looks natural, the way a collar should be attached.
- Avoid extra bulk by making only a shirt dickey, eliminate shirt sleeves and just make the cuff. Don't use a lining. Depending on the material, fusing may provide for some extra firmness for the jacket but not for sleeves or pants.
- Men poke their hands in their pockets; lean against doorways, arms crossed, with legs crossed at the ankles; stand with legs wide apart, elbows slightly akimbo, clasped hands draped loosely over their middles, toes pointing outwards; sit with knees wide apart or with one leg lying with ankle across the other knee; cuffs sort of draping around their shoes, not-so-pinky complexions.So glad
- Try sculpting the eyebrows and mustaches and then painting them.
- Jacket Lapels
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Make an upper lapel which wraps around the back of the neck, and a lower lapel which is an extension of the jacket front. Lay a paper towel pattern of the jacket front on the doll. Mark on the pattern where the lower lapel is to be. Cut that triangular shape right out of the pattern, flip that over so two tips just touch the original pattern so that the lapel is now extended, and lay a piece of tape over it to secure it to the pattern. Trim the excess tape off. Now the pattern includes the lapel part. Make a duplicate of this pattern and trim it so that it is only about a half inch wide, trimming away the side area (arm hole side) and preserving the lapel side. This is the pattern for the lining. Cut both pieces out from your fabric, leaving a 1/16th inch seam allowance. Turn the raw edge seam allowances under and glue. Glue the two pieces together (right side out) matching edges carefully. Now the jacket fronts have lower lapels with lining. Use a large knitting needle (or similar tool) to roll across the pieces and firmly press them together.
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The upper lapel is a rectangular piece of fabric, twice as wide as what you want, plus seam allowances. Make the lapel longer than needed and trim after it's glued onto the doll. A pattern piece is not necessary.
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Start with a piece of fabric about an inch wide and two inches long, fold the fabric in half lenthwise, then in half widthwise. Cut the piece out, starting on the fold end, thinner and then flaring a bit wider toward the ends. Open it up and glue down the long raw edges. Fold again in half length wise, glue the long finished edges together, use extra glue towards the ends which should be completely coated with glue. The ends will be simply snipped off, so they must be glued securely together. Now you have a double thickness with the long raw edges folded inside and the short ends are raw. Find the center and glue to the back of the doll's neck over the jacket back, seams down, fold up towards head. Wrap it around and bring it down the jacket front. Tuck it under the lower lapel in the front and mark it a tiny bit longer than you want, and snip it off at an angle cutting off your mark. Tuck it under again and secure with glue. Do the same for the other end. Secure the lower lapel over the tip of the upper lapel and tack into position with glue.
- To make folded over edges, use a sharp exacto blade to grab the edge of the fabric and pull it over and into the glue. Use the other hand to press. ie, fold it over with the blade, and follow along w ith left hand to push the fabric into the glue. Be careful of that blade! The knife is like a sewing machine needle, the other hand is like the presser foot. A very thin edge can be turned using this method.
- Do the sleeves first, slide them on and attach to the doll. Slide the sleeve over something round first and pleat it together in the elbow area, squeezing in some wrinkles, attach to doll. Form the upper collar/lapel and attach that to the back of the neck. Attach the jacket back to the back collar and doll's shoulder and back of sleeve. Lap the front over the back at shoulder and side. The front shoulder is a raw edge, so stabilize it with tacky glue on the under side, then give it a clean cut through the dry glue area. The lower lapel is an extension of the front. Make a lining for the front by cutting a second front pattern. Turn the raw edges under and glue two fronts together, the lining becomes the visible lapel. To adjust the upper collar, trim it to fit and use glue on the underside, then a clean cut to shorten it.
- Hems and Seams
- For a nice center seam, like the back of a jacket,I fold and glue the center raw edge both pieces so that they will butt up against one another. Take a narrow strip of the same fabric, and glue both pieces to that strip, touching each other. It's easiest to glue just one piece to a wider strip, trim the strip so it's very narrow, then glue the other piece to the strip.
- Try ironing the hem under (1/8") before applying glue.Then you can fingerpress for a sharp edge. Be careful if you iron to seal a seam after gluing - the fabric scorches easily, and the glue tends to become stiff.
- To reduce bulk, press one seam under, then place over the raw edge of the other, creating only three thickness instead of four, especially for tops.
- Glue a seam line at the very edge of the fabric piece, place both pieces of the fabric together, then press with an iron,. Then press all thickness of of fabric towards the back of the garment. This secures the seam and makes the garment smooth and flat. Draping is not a problem.
- Make skirts (fly) in the wind --- take a bit of extra Fimo - make it rounded and adhere it to the T-PIN top. This
way - the skirt draps in a ROUNDED fashion - instead of straight. A LOT more realistic!!!
Ideas about what is needed for these projects
- links to inspiring pages
For modern dress, google pattern companies such as Burda, Simplicity, Vogue.
Alley Cat Scratch - Movie Costume Study
The Costumers Guide - to movie costumes
The Costumer's Manifesto - clothing styles from pre-historic to modern times. An awesome resource!
Corsets and Crinolines
Costume and Needlework Links
Costuming Diary - free patterns and tutorials
Paper Dolls - Pinterest board by Heather
Fashion Era
Frock - antique, vintage and couture
Gentleman's Emporium - inspirational site, even for steampunk!
Kish Collectible Dolls - modern costuming on 14" dolls, great ideas for mini dolls!
Laughing Moon Mercantile - costume patterns
Lisa's Doll Closet - large dolls, for reference
Miniature Clothes - Pinterest board by Maria Van G
Miniature Clothing - Pinterest board by Diane Leyh
Miniature Clothing - Pinterest album by Wanda Waterfield
Paper Doll Costumes - Hollywood Costume, Movie Stars, Royalty, Famous Historical Women, Literary Heroines, Vintage Brides
Past Patterns
Romantic Threads
Victoria and Albert Costume Collection
Vintage Patterns Wiki - from McCalls, Simplicity, Vogue. Not the actual pattern pieces, but the envelope covers
Wisconsin Historical Museum - articles of clothing and dates worn
- ideas for shop names
3 Shirts to the Wind
Encore Consignment
Ragtime
Second Time Around we
Suitability Tailors
- YouTube videos about the subject
Facebook Links
Darts - from Sharon Carioca
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