March 2016
Look what people are making with Lee & Pearl™ patterns!
Our year is off to a great start with two of our most popular pattern releases ever!
We're thrilled at how much people love our 2016 FREE pattern for Lee & Pearl mailing list subscribers — Pattern #1035: Olá Brasil! for 18" Dolls.
Best of all, people aren't just signing up and downloading the pattern — they're grabbing fabric and beads and making the Samba Top, Bahia Dress, Baiana Headwrap and 18" Doll Jewelry right away. Hooray!
Here's Melangell's red-and-white Hawaiian print version of the Bahia Dress. We love the crisp color combination, bold but simple fabric print, and echoing lines of machine embroidery on the shoulder and underskirt ruffles.
Linda D.B. outfitted this perfect Carmen Miranda fan in a stunning blue-and-yellow border print Bahia Dress, fruit-bedecked Baiana Headwrap and glorious cascading beaded necklace. Fabulous!
Here's Karen L. of SewLikeBetty's vivid orange version of the Bahia Dress. Her mix of coordinating prints is almost subtle, though subtle might not be the right word for colors this sunshine-bright. If you have BOLD prints in your stash or want to shake off the winter blahs with some HOT HOT HOT colors, this is the pattern you are looking for.
Ralphie50 went in a different direction with this lacy, demure version of the Bahia Dress, cut from a salvaged drapery sheer... oh, who are we kidding, with that awesome gold underskirt, this dress matches her Addy's gold-sequined shoes for daring attitude.
We hope ralphie50 doesn't mind if we repeat what she had to say about our subscriber patterns: "I think I look forward to your annual free patterns more than I do the Girl of the Year."
Thank you, ralphie50!
Here's agundone's sweet, summer version of the Samba Top in soft yellow and cornflower blue — perfect colors with GOTY® Lea Clark®'s sun-kissed hair and skin tone.
And we could write a whole newsletter entry about honeychile's Samba Top, beaded necklace and Baiana Headwrap, paired with matching low-slung ruffled-hem capris.
We want to drop everything and go to Brazil with this doll. Thank you for sharing, honeychile!
If you've had any trouble signing up or downloading Pattern 1035: Olá Brasil, please send an email to info@leeandpearl.com. Let us know what trouble you're having and we'll make sure to get it straightened out for you!
Our second release this year consists of two patterns — Pattern #1073: Prima Ballerina Strapless Bodice and Classical Tutu with Basque and Panty for 18" Dolls and Pattern #1072: Corps de Ballet Fitted Bodice and Romantic Tutu with Basque and Panty for 18" Dolls — also offered together in the BALLET PERFORMANCE BUNDLE for ultimate costume design flexibility at a lower price.
We have wanted to make these just-like-the-real-thing ballet performance patterns for a LONG time, so we could not be more thrilled at the amazing response they have found.
Here are a few of the comments we've heard since releasing these patterns:
"[T]ruly a masterpiece of doll couture."
"I can't think of any pattern I've ever enjoyed making more."
"Stunningly realistic! Thank you for designing and executing these wonderful patterns for us to indulge our inner ballerinas!"
"All of the sewing techniques were fully explained and the apprehension about sewing with tulle was removed after sewing a few inches."
"Even if you don't give two beans about ballet, you owe it to yourself to make the new Lee & Pearl™ tutu patterns. They're like little pieces of artwork."
That last compliment — and we're blushing, really — is from Lee B., who used the BALLET PERFORMANCE BUNDLE to make this astounding Wili Queen Myrtha (from Giselle) costume for her American Girl® doll. We're going to let this picture speak for itself.
Here's another breathtaking — and completely different — ballet costume made using the BALLET PERFORMANCE BUNDLE. Doesn't Sewbig's doll look regal in this sky-blue ensemble made using the Corps de Ballet piped-edge bodice and the Prima Ballerina Classical tutu?
Using the same pattern pieces, Melangell made this sugar-sweet Valentine's Day themed bodice and tutu. We love the sparkling effect of the white tulle layers tucked in between the rosy pink layers — a favorite effect of professional ballet costume designers, as well.
Here's a great thing about making theatrical costumes like these: there is no such thing as over the top!
Jozel W. adorned her sparkling silver-white Prima Ballerina strapless bodice with silver-gilt lace and aurora borealis rhinestones, then paired it with a glittering silvery tulle Classical tutu with silver piping, and topped the whole thing off with a crystal-studded tiara. Too much? Nope — just exactly right.
If you enjoyed these pictures, and would like to see even more, click here to visit our Made With Lee & Pearl Patterns Pinterest Board
And if you have pictures of outfits you've made using Lee & Pearl™ patterns that you'd like us to share on this board, please send them to info@leeandpearl.com. Include the name, initials or sewing group handle you'd like us to credit the image to, and your shop or blog name if you have one!
Happy Easter from Lee & Pearl™
It's almost Easter, but you still have time to make our easy RABBIT EARED FELT BEANIE and some of our wonderful CARDSTOCK-AND-RIBBON BASKETS!
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT OUR FUN WITH BEANIES TWEAK OF LEE & PEARL PATTERN #1008: CLASSIC BALL CAP FOR 18" DOLLS
Last Easter, after craft-meister "Lee" wound up with a pile of leftover, brightly colored 1/8" ribbon from a different project, she realized those ribbons make perfect doll-scale versions of the brightly colored weavers in children's Easter baskets.
An experienced human-scale basket weaver, Lee set to work, turning a complicated process into an ultra easy, doll-scale PRINTABLE craft. Lee simplified the construction process even further by experimenting with narrow, double-sided craft tape instead of glue — and look at the beautiful baskets we made!
Even if you downloaded this printable packet when we introduced it last year, you should download another copy now as we've ADDED A NEW BASKET SHAPE FOR 2016!
Our new basket is larger, with 23 ribs on the printable template instead of 17. It also features straighter sides for an entirely different silhouette — while keeping the same easy, connect-the-dots construction as the original basket.
If you have a little more time to spend — and at least three skeins of coordinating embroidery floss — why not try this faux-willow version of our new basket shape? We used glue to attach the handles on this one instead of the usual double-stick tape. The glue makes the handles sturdier, for a basket that will stand up to gentle play well beyond the holiday.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR EASY WOVEN EASTER BASKET PRINTABLE AND TUTORIAL PACKAGE
Happy Easter! See you next month...
— back to the Newsletter Archive —
