Welcome to Cyber Week at Lee & Pearl™!

DAY THREE — Wednesday — Nutcracker ballet costumes for dolls and a BIG (80s) announcement!

We hope that you're enjoying the 20% OFF SALE on every dance pattern in the Lee & Pearl Etsy store. That sale will continue until MIDNIGHT (CST) tonight, Wednesday December 2.

CLICK HERE to go to the Lee & Pearl Etsy store, where every dance pattern is still 20% OFF through midnight tonight, 12/02/20!

It's Nutcracker Season at Lee & Pearl!

Join our designer in the Lee & Pearl workroom for the making of two of our Nutcracker ballet Kingdom of Sweets costumes for 18 inch dolls — the Candy Cane and the Gingerbread Cookie!

Two weeks ago, we took you behind the workroom scenes for the making of our glittering Nutcracker Sugar Plum Fairy.

Isn't she lovely?

This week, we're going to show you how we created two more just-like-the-real-thing doll outfits from the iconic holiday ballet's Kingdom of Sweets second act.

Here's the first — American Girl® Kit as our Nutcracker Candy Cane ballerina.

Pearl started this outfit with a classical — or "pancake" — tutu of white tulle and a bodice of white bengaline, both made using our amazingly realistic Pattern 1073: Prima Ballerina Strapless Bodice and Classical Tutu with Basque and Panty for 18 Inch Dolls.

Next, as the perfect light-but-sturdy base for her planned decorations, Pearl made a garnet red silk organza tutu plate using the "Princess" plate pattern from our Pattern 1074: Mix-and-Match Ballet Costume Accessories — Tutu Plates, Sleeve Puffs and Sleeve Ruffles for 18 Inch Dolls.

Then the fun began as Pearl pulled every bit of red or white trim and fabric off the workroom shelves and tried them out in layers on the plate — and tucked under the plate, as well.

The winners were a piece of large-scale white rick rack, a strip of red and white striped holiday cotton and this adorable ribbon of dangling, tiny pom-poms — the result of a last minute trip to JoAnn Fabrics in search of that "one more thing" that no one ever seems to have, no matter how large the stash.

To attach the trims, Pearl started by hand stitching the pom-pom ribbon in place, with the pom-poms just peeking out from under the edge of the tutu plate.

Next, Pearl hemmed and finished the strip of striped fabric, gathered it to fit the edge of the plate, and then hand stitched it to the bottom of the plate, over the white pom-pom trim.

Finally, Pearl arranged the rick rack on the plate to her liking, and hand stitched that down as well.

With the bodice, tutu and tutu plate done, it was time to consider final touches — like these garnet red tulle sleeve puffs, also made using our Pattern 1074: Mix-and-Match Ballet Costume Accessories for 18 Inch Dolls.

Pearl snipped a few of the tiny white pom-poms off the trim, and loosely stitched them to the edge of the sleeve puff. Though Pearl used a needle and thread, dabs of fabric glue would work just as well. It is important to note that the pom-poms are attached separately, so that the elastic edge of the sleeve puff can stretch over the doll's hand.

Finally, Pearl dug this collection of poly clay candy canes out of her box of doll food, wrapped them in gold ribbon and glued them to an alligator clip for a hair ornament.

Then she made a choker from a scrap of red velvet ribbon and finished it with a red plastic poinsettia pendant from the bridal aisle at JoAnn.

And with that — our Candy Cane Kit is ready for her Nutcracker debut!

For our American Girl Lea's Nutcracker Kingdom of Sweets Gingerbread Cookie costume, Pearl started with exactly the same white classical tutu from our Pattern 1073: Prima Ballerina.

And yet, the outfit looks completely different as the white tutu is worn with a ginger brown long-line Russian bodice made using our Pattern 1076: Grand Gala Dropped Waist Ballgown with Evening Gloves and Russian Ballet Bodice with Neo-Classical Tutu for 18 Inch Dolls — and a set of matching tutu plates that snug up against the bottom of the bodice for a seamless look.

That's the wonderful thing about our mix-and-match ballet costume patterns — with multiple, easy-to-make bodice and tutu plate options, a very small number of tutus can be used to create a remarkable number of unique character costumes!

Pearl layered TWO tutu plates for this costume — a simple circular plate on the bottom, made out of the same fabric as the bodice, and a "Flower" plate on top made out of toffee silk organza, with a loopy white "icing" trim created by stitching white piping all the way around the lobed edge.

Though we love the ornate gold lace and glittering crystals on our Sugar Plum Fairy and kaleidoscopic red-and-white trim on our Candy Cane, this Gingerbread Cookie is a real Corps de Ballet costume — a costume of simple lines that will be most effective in a group of matching costumes, like a baking tray of dancing cookies!

But at the last minute, Pearl decided to add one more bit of trim. Red Hots® are our favorite candy for decorating gingerbread cookies, so Pearl dug some red plastic domed shank buttons out of her button box, and wrapped them in leftover pieces of white piping.

Stitched onto the bodice, these icing-swirled buttons make the perfect final touch on our Gingerbread Cookie's yummy ensemble!

We hope that you've enjoyed this trip behind the scenes in the Lee & Pearl workroom. And now we have a BIG (80s) PIECE OF NEWS about our upcoming NEW FREE PATTERN for mailing list subscribers.

Here's the news — it's coming. TOMORROW.

Here are a few sneak peek pics to tide you over...

We'll have the full reveal of this NEW exclusive free pattern for mailing list members tomorrow, with download information for subscribers. Stay tuned!

If you are NOT a mailing list subscriber yet and would like to get BOTH this new pattern and our current exclusive pattern for subscribers — Pattern 1038: The Gift Bow Front Dress for 18 Inch, 16 Inch and 14 1/2 Inch Dolls — sign up below before midnight tonight!

Want pattern announcements, tutorials and behind-the-scenes news from Lee & Pearl delivered directly to your inbox — along with our exclusive FREE pattern for subscribers? Click below to join our mailing list!

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See you next time!