It's a big day for us, with a NEW pattern and NEW fabrics to make it with!

We have two ENORMOUS releases to talk about today. They are related, but quite different — so be sure to read the whole newsletter...

• Introducing Lee & Pearl Pattern 1074: Mix-and-Match Ballet Costume Accessories — Tutu Plates, Sleeve Puffs and Sleeve Ruffles for 18 Inch Dolls.

• Super-gorgeous, super-generous 100% SILK ORGANZA CURATED KITS are now available in the Lee & Pearl Etsy store.

Introducing Lee & Pearl Pattern 1074: Mix-and-Match Ballet Costume Accessories — Tutu Plates, Sleeve Puffs and Sleeve Ruffles for 18 Inch Dolls.

We are thrilled to announce the release of this versatile pattern, the perfect complement to our popular Ballet Performance patterns for 18 inch dolls — and the perfect way to accessorize all your doll's dance costumes, even purchased ones!

CLICK HERE to go to Pattern 1074: Mix-and-Match Ballet Costume Accessories — Tutu Plates, Sleeve Puffs and Sleeve Ruffles for 18 Inch Dolls in the Lee & Pearl Etsy store

Do what the professional ballet designers do and create a whole range of creative costumes out of just one tutu using interchangeable, apron-style TUTU PLATES and easy on-and-off SLEEVE PUFFS and SLEEVE RUFFLES for dolls.

You won't believe the repertory and recital variations you can create with these easy-to-make, just-like-the-real-thing ballet pieces.

Our pattern maker studied hundreds of inspirational dance images and videos to create the most iconic and versatile tutu plate patterns for your dolls: the six-petal FLOWER, the SNOWFLAKE, the tabbed FOLKTALE, the elegant PRINCESS and the 3-dimensional ruched ROSE.

And of course, our pattern maker also created doll-scale patterns for the double-layered and gathered SLEEVE PUFFS and SLEEVE RUFFLES that are such important parts of any ballerina's stage wardrobe.

The Flower, the Snowflake and the three-dimensional, ruched Rose are all based on a six-pointed star, so they can be worn separately — or stacked together for a whole range of looks.

Try the Flower on the bottom to add some color magic to really pop that Snowflake. Or put the Flower or the Rose on top, and let the Snowflake peep between the petals like leaves. Either way, these plates work beautifully together.

Based on a seven-pointed star, the tabbed Folktale is a useful design for rustic maidens and lighthearted toys — while the Princess plate is one of the most popular ballet styles, emulating the look of swept back 18th century skirts. It's often part of the design for Sleeping Beauty and Sugar Plum Fairy costumes.

This pattern package also includes an easy-to-use DESIGN TEMPLATE with directions to create your own unique plates, so you can make doll-scale versions of just about any real-world or fantasy ballet costume you can imagine.

And here's the best part — all of our tutu plates fasten in back with ribbon ties, Velcro® or hook-and-eye closures, so costume changes are as easy as tying on an apron!

We designed these tutu plates to be worn tucked under the basque piping of our Pattern 1073: Prima Ballerina Classical tutu — a delightfully realistic pancake style that hugs the hips.

We adapted them as well for our Pattern 1072: Corps de Ballet waist-cinched Romantic tutus by including a separate cutting line for the slightly smaller waistline.

Multi-lobed plates like the Flower, Snowflake, Folktale and Rose work particularly well with gracefully flowing tulle skirts, which is something to keep in mind if you're designing your own plates for these Romantic tutus.

But you don't have to make your own tutus to enjoy this pattern!!!

Tutu plates can be fastened apron-style over any purchased tutu that lands at the right point — on your doll's hips if you use the standard cutting line, or her waist if you use the Romantic tutu cutting line. Since most purchased tutus have elastic waists, it's easy to push them up or down to get the fit right.

Here's our American Girl® Sonali wearing the same soft, satin Rose plate with our Pattern 1073 Classical tutu, and with the American Girl Shimmering Ballet Outfit.

How perfect is that?

And of course the sleeve puffs and ruffles can be worn with anything!

CLICK HERE to go to Pattern 1074: Mix-and-Match Ballet Costume Accessories — Tutu Plates, Sleeve Puffs and Sleeve Ruffles for 18 Inch Dolls in the Lee & Pearl Etsy store

Then complete your doll's dance wardrobe with our other beautiful Lee & Pearl dance patterns for 18 inch dolls, including —

Pattern 101: Gym Shorts for 18 Inch Dolls
Pattern 1001: Unisex T-Shirts for 18 Inch Dolls
Pattern 1051: Ballet Basics Leotard, Unitard and One Piece Swimsuit for 18 Inch Dolls
Pattern 1072: Corps de Ballet Bodice and Romantic Tutu for I8 Inch Dolls
Pattern 1073: Prima Ballerina Strapless Bodice and Classical Tutu for 18 Inch Dolls
Pattern 1075: Ballet Slippers for 18 Inch Dolls

Super-gorgeous, super-generous 100% SILK ORGANZA CURATED KITS are now available in the Lee & Pearl Etsy store!

The ideal material for the tutu plates in our new pattern is a light, crisp fabric that comes in pretty colors, can be trimmed quite close to seam lines, doesn't unravel easily, turns neatly around curves and sharp corners, and presses absolutely flat.

There is such a fabric — 100% SILK ORGANZA.

Recently, Lee & Pearl purchased an estate collection of traditional Korean silk fabrics, which included an eye-popping array of beautiful silk organzas, in ONE HUNDRED AND TEN different shades.

We will be posting these organzas, and the other fabrics in the collection, as individual bolts in the weeks to come. But we are starting our silk sale TODAY with a group of six curated kits, with FIVE generous half yard (18" x 44") pieces of 100% silk organza in coordinating colors in each kit.

We know it can be hard to judge colors on screen monitors, especially when you're trying to judge between ONE HUNDRED AND TEN colors. So our designer has done the preliminary work for you — arranging all the bolts by hand into five themed color groupings: Royal Jewels, Spring Morning, In The Pink, Autumn Leaves and Shifting Sands. We've also included a Mystery Pack option, because we know many of our friends enjoy giving themselves unexpected and beautiful gifts, as well they should!

When you purchase one of these curated kits, you'll receive FIVE colors of beautiful silk organza that have already been selected to work together.

And don't worry — we'll let you know which five colors you've received, so you can reorder your favorites when we post the bolts individually. But don't wait too long to reorder. We don't have a warehouse. All of these materials are in the Lee & Pearl workroom, in limited quantities. Once a color sells out, it's sold out for good.

We are selling these 2 1/2 yard kits for $27.99 — with FREE shipping in the US included. This is a near-wholesale price. We were able to make a once-in-a-lifetime deal to get these fabrics, and we're thrilled to share that good fortune with our friends!

And here's some important information for our international friends:

If you would like a kit or kits shipped outside of the U.S., send us an email and we will try to set you up with a special order. We have not included international shipping on our Etsy listings as Etsy currently does not allow shops to offer flat rate First Class international shipping, and we do not want to use calculated rates as that would double charge international buyers for the shipping costs already included in the price.

Want some more inspiration? Check out our SILK ORGANZA INSPIRATIONS Pinterest board to see all the amazing things historical, traditional and modern crafters, artists, sewists and couture designers are making with silk organza (and that you can, too!)

And please don't be intimidated by the word "silk" or the word "organza." If you are used to working with slippery silk chiffons or polyester organza, you are in for a pleasant surprise!

100% silk organza is a light, crisp and sturdy translucent fabric that barely unravels, cuts and pins with ordinary sharp tools, runs through the sewing machine like a dream, steams gently into billowing folds — or presses absolutely flat like paper.

It really is as easy to work with as quilting cotton.

Here’s what our Pattern 1074 testers had to say about sewing with silk organza:

“I was very nervous about working with this silk as I hadn’t ever used it before. It was so fun and easy! Making the plates was super easy… They give a great base for many designs. I can’t wait to see what people come up with.”
—Melangell P.

“This fabric really is amazing to work with. I can’t believe I was so nervous!!”
— Amy S.

Silk organza makes beautiful doll clothes, and it's also an amazing craft fabric. Maybe you'd like to make some Korean pojagi patchwork hangings for your windows — or silk flowers, or beadwork, or embroidery, or any number of other wonderful crafts?

Everyone should get the chance to work with beautiful silk organza — and with our new silk kits, everyone can!

CLICK HERE to go to the Fabric & Trim Kit Section of our Etsy store to see our NEW 100% Silk Organza Curated Kits!

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See you next time!