I believe a great deal of wonderful articles have already been written on the topic of Waldorf doll-making and, seeing that my own dolls follow closely in the steps of tradition in terms of their anatomy, with the same tightly-rolled wool for the head and similar stylized arms and legs, all made from natural materials, I have decided, instead, to write on doll fashion.
It is the making of a doll’s wardrobe which allows me to fully pursue my creative fancies and develop my own ideas. After perusing many fashion catalogs and blogs, I strive to create garments which would reflect my love of the simple and yet elegant, of beautiful warm color combinations, and of small intricate details. I make doll dresses with the same careful attention and love with which I clothed my own daughters when they were younger. Sometimes, I may be inspired by a simple combination of colors, such as a pattern of complementary bright orange and blue which I used in creating Solène. Placed side-by-side, they seem to invigorate each other and endow the doll with a unique personality of its own, bright and sunny as her name implies.
Other times, my eye may be caught by a work of art in a museum, such as a masterpiece by Amedeo Modigliani, in which I, again, may fall in love with the color scheme. One of my earlier dolls, another redhead, reveals this love of mine for working with soft yellows and browns.
Although I prefer working with contemporary styles, sometimes, especially after visiting an exhibition featuring historical fashion, I may get inspired to re-introduce a style from the past. The blue lace dress I recently made, for example, was inspired by a 19th-century French ball gown, and, in making it, I used the finest silk, lace, and delicate little pearls I could find to create the most authentic experience possible for the doll which had decided to grace a ballroom with her presence.
Sometimes, a character from a story may strike my imagination, such as in the case of Sarah from A Little Princess by Frances Burnett. In her white silk, pleated, low-waist dress, soft linen coat, and small hat, she envelops herself in elegance and grace so appropriate for a little princess.
Finally, I love finishing off monochromatic outfits with a bright dab of color. With her bright red beret to set off her black-and-white couture dress, this doll seems ready to join the casual strollers in the boulevards of Paris.
As a thank you to all of you, wonderful doll-makers and doll-lovers, I would like to offer a give-away of one of my tutorials/patterns to dress your doll. The winner will have the option of choosing between a Dress or a Hooded-coat pattern found in NobbyOrganics etsy shop, which will be sent via email as a pdf file. Both patterns are for a 18-20” doll and are easy to follow.
To enter, visit the shop, then come back here and leave a comment saying which of the two patterns is your favorite, along with a way for me to contact you if you win. The giveaway will run until 9:00 pm EST June 10, 2013. The winning comment will be selected using a random number generator, and announced here on Tuesday, June 11.
If you would like to learn more about my work please visit Petit Gosset Blog and FB Page! Thank you!
I love the variety of clothing styles you present Daria. My favorite pattern in your shop is that of the hooded coat, an item that you do not often find for dolls.
Love you dolls and clothes! What details. I’d say I like the peter pan collar dress pattern the best, so timeless!
Peter Pan collar is my everlast favourite:) So I like your dress’ pattern with this collar most of all.
Goodness they are all gorgeous, I would like to learn to make older style clothing.
So precious! I love the little dress, it reminds me of a first day back to school!
I adore the dress pattern! It has a timeless beauty
Your clothing is wonderfully romantic and beautiful! I love them both Daria, but I really love your dress pattern.
I have always loved the exquisite details of your work. Simple, elegant and perfect miniature examples of real clothing. Your coat pattern is stunning and has always been a favorite of mine, but the dress pattern with the smock reminds me of the dresses that my daughters’s kindergarten teacher wore at her Waldorf school in Europe.
oh what gorgeous dollies! and how kind to share your hard work with us! I love your little coat, perfect doll attire for kicking through leaves! xx
Congratulations! You’re the winner of a Petit Gosset pattern/tutorial! Please send your email address to nobbyorganics@gmail.com. Thank you!
I love them both tbh, but the peter pan colar dress is just amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us!
My daughters would love the Peter Pan collar dress for their Mama made dolls. Such a sweet and classic dress pattern!
I love the hooded coat with the chic ribbon tie!
As a seamstress, I really appreciate the fine craftsmanship in your doll fashions. Your dolls are beautiful too. Thank you for sharing your fine work with the world.
I love the Peter Pan collar dress. Such a classic :).
My favorite pattern is the hooded coat pattern…beautiful!!
heatherdeedo@aol.com (heather)
My fave has to be the coat, especially right now as Victoria Australia is freezing!!!
Thanks everyone so much for your kind words and support! And congratulations to Scarlett – comment # 9!