The Introduction to Coraline Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations About This

'this' in this context being doll clothing.  I didn't really know what to expect sewing doll clothes to be like, but I guess I didn't really expect it to be this.  I ended up literally just cutting off the too-small sleeves of Carlos's little flannel shirt, since the body seemed a pretty good fit (emphasis on seemed - we'll come back to that).  I cut a larger sleeve piece and tested it and it worked out actually pretty perfectly.  I also added a little collar (since at this point we hadn't discovered the brand new bottle of fray check in the sewing bin, I actually finished an entire little collar with clipped corners and everything) and some buttons just stitched on for style points.  My mom says I didn't poke the collar edges out satisfactorily and that it looks like the little scalloped edges of a girl's shirt.  I told her I don't actually care at all, I think it's cute.

So I was attaching the sleeves, and came across a definite problem.  Since I hadn't really finished the armholes, the sleeves were literally just tipped under, pinned to the bodice as the bodice was in turn pinned onto Carlos, and then I proceeded to stitch them on with a quilt needle, embroidery floss, and a highly questionable method.

just look at that high-quality finish.  if I ever do get the pattern pieces posted on here, they will not be accompanied by sewing instructions since my process involved such steps as "y'know he's not technically naked without a shirt..", "wait when did this whip stitch turn into outline embroidery?", and the timeless classic "screw it, they're doll clothes".  also because as you can see in the photo, the shirt magically fit really well until it decided to not fit well anymore.  I don't know if it was something about the sewing on of the sleeves or the collar or what, but I could hardly get it to fasten with a hook and eye and a single snap instead of a nice little two-snap setup like I had hoped.  I felt really bad, like I should remake the whole thing with proper pieces and a decent sewing process, but I'd already made an entire collar and sewed on buttons and whatnot so I decided to leave it.  besides - from the front it actually looks pretty fine, and he'll have a lab coat to cover the back anyway. 

(don't worry, my guilt will catch up to me in about 2-3 days and I'll end up salvaging the buttons and closures and remaking this in a proper size)

In other news, I really like how the plaid looks with his hair and skin color.  Like really like.  Much better than the original red plaid plan.  So now onto Cecil's clothes!

I drastically altered the pattern, adding a good 1/4" on both sides of the bodice, and almost 1/2" to the length since it's a tunic after all.  The sleeves I completely started from scratch to give them flare.  I also made a cool swoopy sweetheart neckline to it.  

I won't bore you with the sewing details, but I did do all my hems in a decorative topstitch, which was equal parts a really good and a really bad idea.  On the one hand, they looked really cool where they worked.  On the other hand, the hems were so tiny that the machine frequently bunched all the stitches up and then leapt half an inch ahead.  But overall it looked I think...pretty good anyway. 

now, while Carlos got the tiny fitted shirt, Cecil's is so huge it's practically a dress.  (my mom has informed me of this at least six times now).  Whenever my motivation to fix Carlos's little shirt arrives, I may take the opportunity to sew up the side seams of Cecil's tunic just a little bit further in to decrease the excess flare.  But at least his meets (and overlaps about 1/2") in the back. 

The decorative stitching also messed up the nice little sweetheart neckline and also the sleeves are a bit longer than I'd hoped, but ah well.  I think it's adorable.  I'm gonna make him a little braided belt of embroidery floss later today.  but for now: aren't they a couple of cuties?

Now to quote what my current favorite movie: where are their paaaaaants?

for the answer to that exciting question: stay tuned!