Hoop Skirts

What i have here is a hoop skirt complete with ‘hoops’. You can't see them as they are embedded in sc rows. The hoops are made of 40 lb. test fishing line or leader line for fishing line. This is very flexible and will collapse when Barbie sits.
This will work for those styles that are done in the 1840’s-60’s and Southern Belles of Annie’s Attic and Paradise patterns. This has not been tested under each and every skirt but at leat you have something to go on. I think you will like this pattern very much. You will not have to count each row and increase after the initial rows. And the placement of the fishing line is nice and clear. All you have to do is watch for the inc made on the previous tr row. Some people already know this but I put it here for those who don’t.

Materials

• Size 10 crochet thread
• #7 hook
• 40 lb (.60mm or .024 inch thickness) fishing line

Stitch Notes:

Make your inc in the first of the 2 sts of prev rows; this will make them less obvious. If you make you increases on the second of the 2 sts it make an obvious angle showing where you made the increase.

• 1^st piece 12 inches and goes on row 3
• 2^nd piece 16 inches and goes on after 6^th tr row
• 3^rd piece 18 inches goes on after 8^th tr row.
• 4^th & 5^th piece cut 24 ½ inches long goes on after 11^th & 18^th tr row

I found that those little wooden clothes pins came in very handy for holding the fishing line to the row as I crocheted otherwise it curl around and gets in the way. Also cut your fishing line about 2 inches longer; it can be trimmed off later but you may need it for adjusting the row and this may be better done when finished with the whole petticoat.
You want to leave about an inch or more extending past the beg of the row which you will crochet over at the end of the row and overlap the beg and end of the fishing line. Work sc stitch over these rows; they are not in the row count.

Instructions

working over a 20 inch length of thread attach thread with sl st and ch 4, work 47 tr, ch 4, turn. (48 tr)
Row 2: 2 tr in next st, tr in next st, rep from * across join with sl st to top of beg ch. (24 inc; 72 tr)
1st piece of fishing line goes here; holding the fishing line to the back side of work just do a row of sc over the fishing line after row 2.
Row 3: Ch 4, tr in next tr, * 2 tr in next tr, tr in next 2 tr, rep from * around, join. (24 inc; 96 tr)
Rnd 4: Tr in each tr around with an inc every 12^th st {8 incs; 108 sts}
Rnd 5 -12: Tr in each st with 8 inc sts every tr row. 2^nd length of fishing line goes between rows 5 & 6; 8 & 9, 12 & 13 and after the last row.
From 13^th – 18^th row work even = 7 ¼ inches long
Make 1 more row of sc with fishing line and fasten off. I row of a ruffle could be added for some styles (like the Paradise patterns).

Miniature Heart-shaped Pillow

This little pillow is done in Herrschner’s afghan yarn. It is just a little over 2 inches.

Materials

• Herrschner's afghan yarn
• Size E hook

Notes

1. Do not join rnds and follow carefully rnd 3 as this pillow's shape can be ruined if you don't follow exactly.

1. I am using htr st as a smooth transitional between tr sts and dc sts. A htr is [yo twice, yo and pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through 3 loops. Voila!

1. When you make you 6 sc in the 2nd ch st make sure you have inserted the hook under two strands of the three. Otherwise you will have a hole that is too large.

1. You can make this pillow in thicker yarn but use a crochet hook at about 2 sizes smaller

Instructions

Ch 2
Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook,
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc {12 sc}
Rnd 3: sc in next sc, dc in next sc, [htr, 2 tr] in next sc, [1 tr, 1 htr] in next sc, 2 dc in next sc, [dc, 1 htr] in next sc, [htr, tr, htr] in next sc (this forms the bottom point), [htr, dc] in next sc, 2 dc in next sc, [ dc, htr] in next sc, [2 tr, 1 htr] in next sc, dc in next sc, sl st join to first sc.
Make another one and with same or contrasting color make the edging joining the two sides. Stuff with a small cotton ball before all the way closed and make sc in back lps, ch 2 and repeat half way around with a sl st (no ch 2 before or after) in the sc at top of pillow.

The Ballerina Finished

Finished!

The tulle skirt is finished, hand sewn to the under side of the crocheted skirt. The pattern has been re-vised to include the tulle underskirt and if you have already downloaded this pattern you may want to do so again. Ballet Tutu
The Tulle is not as nice as I wanted but I was using what I had on hand. This had bee purchased from Walmart long time ago; it is rather stiff. However it worked. If using softer tulle you may want to use more layers. I used one piece, folded in half lengthwise which made 2 layers.

Maybe someday i will take it off and replace it with really nice Tulle. The links section have a couple of places where you can purchase tulle, please check them out.

The Ballerina's dance...

When i started the bodice (shown in prev post) i really hadn't thought about what to put with it. But then when the neckline was properly styled immediately I saw a Ballerina's outfit in the making. So, i put on the skirt. This made it right for photo taking and no one could see that her underwear wasn't there yet and also re-confirmed that this would be perfect for a ballerina's dance outfit. I did the panties yesterday and put the final 2 rows for the skirt and have yet to do the tulle under skirt. Since I have it this far I thought you guys should see it, though i don't know how long it is going to be before the tulle underskirt gets done.

The pattern, thus far, is here: B1_Tutu1.pdf

While Working on…

the Millinea Mint project, I pulled out the pattern i had that has that really beautiful bodice and the really very incorrect pattern for same bodice and decided to give it another try. I will not say how many times i have tried to get this pattern correct but I did manage to do it this time!!!! I did it Saturday and today I am going back over it to make the corrections that always seem to need to be done so that you can have a copy of the pattern for the bodice if you are interested.

This is the bodice before the last row that goes on around the neckline. While working on this i decided that it was just too good not to pass it up, to make this into a ballerina outfit. It will have layers of gathered tulle for the under skirt and panties.From there gold thread can be used to make trim around the edges, feathers or other trim can be added and any ballerina outfit will appear from the crocheter’s imagination.

I neglected one thing when i posted "the Next Installment of Millinea Mint"; that link to the pattern. So, here it is...
MillineaMint.pdf
Sorry about that. I didn't mean to forget the link.

The Next Installment of Millinea Mint

I have trim finished and on the bodice. I cannot finish the outfit or the bodice till I can get some more mint thread ‘cause i don’t have enough. I will save this thread that I have for the over-skirt and the new thread will go for the petti-hoop underskirt. This is just in case they don’t match. I also need to get some size 30 mint thread for the placket which I can get from Simply Treasures or Herrschner’s. The thread I used was Royale size 10 and I don’t know how well the new thread is going to match.

In case you didn’t know it those little miniature wooden clothespins are great for holding trim in place…

Because of copyright issues this pattern cannot be given out but I will show you here what i did.

1. The pattern states that the bodice edging was to be done in size 10 thread and #9 hook. Size 10 thread is too heavy for this and you should be using size 20 thread with #10 hook.
2. I also added 10 more half rice stitches than the pattern stated.
3. For the upper edging I repeated that first section up through the picot at the beginning of the row and the end and made the picot a ch-3 picot. This row does the base shaping and the next row finishes the shaping so be careful to follow the instructions.
4. On the lower edging the 3 ch-3 loops I changed to ch 2, sc, ch 3, sc, ch 2, sc and under the picots just one sc in those 2 sps.

That’s all i can give out.

The finished bodice (well, the nearly finished bodice) looks like this….

And the edging fits perfectly….

Sorry that i didn’t have the size 30 thread to finish the placket for this installment and it will probably be a month before I can get more thread so I will have something else in the meantime.

New Links and Edgings

I've added some new links for those interested in fashion of a couple of centuries ago. I've found some new information i did not know about. There was a corset made with a bustle to handle the style of the 1880's. While this is much better than the cage i have seen it would still be hard to sit on anything. But i do so love the styles; the layers of trims on the bodices and skirts. These links are listed under Fashion Notes.

I was working on the edging for the Sleeve of the last post and had hardly started when i thought of another way to do the edge. The first edge was looking so cute though, I decided to do both edgings.

First Edging -



Second Edging-

I have put them together in the file you can find here.

New projects

I have acquired a few of the patterns i had been wanting over the years and so now have the lovely choice of working on this or that one and am having trouble deciding which to work on first. So i guess i will work on several at the same time.

Usually when i get a pattern i try out the lace that goes on the neck line and shoulders. That is the icing on the cake. But if the icing does not turn out right then the cake is not going to get done. I do think I work differently from others, and this is not the way i work if i am doing a pattern from the start. Any way of was working on 2000 Millennium Collection for March (the only one i have right now from this year) found out, so far, that the trim was done in size ten according to the pattern but size 20 on the model and I always hated how it dipped way down in the front when I wanted it to go around the neckline of the dress. I did the lace according to the pattern and, yes, that confirmed what I already knew, so I will have the lace done for the neckline later. I set it aside to do the bodice.

I have always hated the way the bodice instructions do not come near the look on the model so i knew i was going to have to re-do it. So i did. I have the pattern if anyone wants it, but I just did a generic pattern not according to the model either. Somewhere in-between this nightmare and reality is the real bodice that I cannot seem to find. But here is what this one looks like...

And then i took that apart to the waist and put on my own little bodice pattern here with photo below.

And then did the sleeves. And it tickeld me that they came out so cute and perfect. Both bodices and the sleeve are included in the patten So have fun (for those into this kind of crochet work) I have to do some more crocheting.

Dresses for Spring, 1921

Dresses for Spring, 1921
Originally uploaded by blueprairie

For those into fashion - you will love this information. It's what goes on under the clothes that make the silhouette. Don't neglect clicking on the link.

Another item of interest this morning is freevintageknitting.com/doll-clothes-patterns. I know this is knitting but for those who knit also you will enjoy this finding.

Little Doily #2 - Waterlily

This one has a name even. It is also miniature which can be done in size 20 thread or tatting cotton for other size dolls.

Materials

• Size 30 crochet cotton
• #12 hook

Special Stitches

picoted fan (fan) – [(dc, ch3-picot, ch1) 3 times, dc] in same lp

Instructions

ch 6, sl st join to form ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 4 2-tr cluster ch 4, sl st in ring 8 times but on the last one make a 3-tr cluster and omit the last ch 4.
Rnd 2: In first petal ch 3, 8 dc in top of cluster, in each remaining petal 9 dc in each cluster around. Sl st to top of first ch 3.
Rnd 3: Sc in joining, (ch 4, sk 1 dc, sc in next dc ) 3 times, ch 1, sk 2 dc, sc in next dc, rep from *around ending with sl st to first sc.
Rnd 4: sl st to first lp, sc in same lp, * ch 2, fan in next ch-4 lp, (ch 2, sc in next lp) twice, rep from * around ending with a sl st to first sc, fasten off..

Want a Doily?

How about a little doily just for the 12” and under crowd?

Sometime ago i was wanting one for a little table i saw at the Victorian Woodshop. I still don’t have the table, but i can dream. Anyway, i have the doily! This one is 2 1/2 inches across and if you want one a little large just make it in size 20 thread or if you want it for 1/12 scale make it in tatting cotton or finer (size 70 – 100). So here is the pattern….

Doll’s Doily #1

Materials

• size 30 crochet cotton
• #12 hook

Instructions

Ch 4 and sl st to form ring

Rnd 1: 12 dc in ring

Rnd 2: (Sc, ch 2) in each dc around, sl st to first sc.

Rnd 3: Sc in joining, ch 4, 3- tr cluster in next ch-1 sp, ch 4, sc in next sc, around, ending with a tr in first sc.

Rnd 4: *Sc ch 4 lp/sp, sc in next ch 4 lp/sp, ch 4 rep from * ch 4, join to first sc.

Rnd 5: * Sc in next loop, (ch 3, sc) twice in same lp, rep from * around ending with sl st to joining.

Rnd 6: Sl st to next lp, 3-dc cluster in same lp, * ch 4, 3-dc cluster in next loop twice, rep from * ending with sl st to first cluster

Rnd 7: Sl st sc in next ch-4 lp, (ch 3, sc) in same lp 3 times, sl st in each cluster, sc in next ch-4 lp, rep from * around ending with sl st in each cluster and first sc.

Rnd 8: * 2 sc in next ch-3 lp, (2 dc, ch-3 picot, ch 1, 2 dc) in next (center) lp, 2 sc in next lp, ch-3 picot, ch 1, rep from * around ending with sl st to first sc, fasten off.

I think it is about time i wrote something. I have not done anything much since the holidays. Have been looking around the internet for various and interesting stuff. Here is one link that you might be interested in: http://www.gizmology.net/dollhouse.htm. This is a work in progress.

This man has a very interesting site for those into making things a Barbie-size dollhouse. If you click back on the bottom of the page you find there are more interesting things.

Another link I will be visiting soon is this one: http://www.onlinediscountmart.com/aw-f5223.html. I think that is the cutest little tea set ever! Have fun!