New clothes for Anika

Anika has been lying around naked for some time. It wasn't a pretty sight even though she is just a doll. An opportunity to make her new clothes showed up when I had to shorten and hem my husband's pyjamas. The piece was perfect for a gathered doll's skirt. It was hemmed, so I just had to put in an elastic band.

For the top I used a pattern from Burda , She's a 35 cm high doll.

Anika is a nice reminder of the old times. My mum bought it when I was a young girl, so she is probably over 25 years old. Now I let my daughter play with her. At that time I think Slovenia was still a part of Yugoslavia and nice things were bought abroad, in Austria, Italy, Hungary and Czech Republic. If I remember correctly Anika came from Czech Republic, even though she was made in China.

I would love to make more doll's clothes (and Barbie clothes). That's why I started sewing as a little girl. However, it drives me crazy sewing them on sewing machine because they are so tiny. It's a lot easier to do this by hand. But that's something I just hate nowadays. Sounds like a vicious circle of want and hate at the same time. Anyway, there's another piece waiting to become, hmm, let's say, a dress?

Jacket refashion

 So far I haven't done any really good refashioning projects even though ideas are constantly running through my head and I have a huge collection of old and ugly clothes. But this weekend - boom - I had an idea and I made it happen. I've had this jacket for some time and I hadn't been wearing it because I didn't like it. It looked cheap. It's made of faux leather actually it's PVC, so nothing fancy. 

I changed the sleeves and the collar. I just love stand up collars. I had wonderful fabric (20% wool) to go with the faux leather. I think that I've finally achieved this cool, modern, edgy look. So I'm really pleased with this.

I took the sleeves from Burda 1/2015, mod. 104, and the collar from Burda 8/2013, mod. 113. It was risky that the sleeves won't fit in but I knew that I can squeeze them in some way or the other. I measured the opening and the sleeves curve and it was relatively easy to put them in. I also extended the collar to fit the opening that was left after I took the old one out. Easy-peasy. The old collar was just big enough to cut the new one out. 

Then I carefully ironed the new collar under a kitchen towel and I - of course - managed to destroy a tiny bit of the fabric. It just melted near the iron. I was so (pissed off and) angry at myself. But I just sewed a strip of faux leather over it and it looks fine now. I think that leather and jeans are that kind of a material that can stand ripping, threading, sewing strips of fabric over.

Sleeves

Collar

Our selfie (Tinkara 3y 4m)