Fashion Doll Patterns: Change of Blog Name

Administrative Aggravation

You can also view all Lord Perry Patterns @ LordPerryPatterns.com

Change of Blog Site....LordPerryPatterns.blogspot.com


Note the correction from the old name LordPerryPattern to LordPerryPatterns; what it was meant to be in the first place is now possible.

Fashion Doll Patterns: Accessories for your OOAK

Just like styling for your your body, your fashion doll needs just the right accessories for her (or his) costumes or fashion ensembles; often finding them can become quite a challenge. Of all the accessories, I believe the most difficulty is in finding just the right shoes and jewelry.

Most of the shoes are much too trendy for historical costumes, and much too cheap looking for historical or couture OOAKs. 

I have been learning to make a lot of my own jewelry for unique fashion ensembles for both myself, and realize now how easy it is to make for my fashion doll (s). Actually, one has and advantage making it for the dolls because so much design can be adapted  from jewelry that is already made.

Today's post is going to apply to making your own special doll jewelry.  Fortunately, you really do not have to have either a lot of experience or to look very far to find jewelry that you can de-construct (adapt) for your doll, and you really only need a very few tools.  The best part is that you need NO experience and can usually make it for very little cost.

IN mall shops such as Icing or Claires you can usually find many earrings that simply need a snip or two, insersion of a jump ring (found at any craft shop,) addition of a small chain and clasp using the small wire cutters and needle nosed pliars found in most home tool boxes (or craft store), about 10 minutes, and voila!! a necklace for your fashion doll. Frankly, I can make most of mine for less than the cost of purchasing them (IF I can) at doll shows or doll supply outlets.

Nigerian Princess in the upper left hand corner is adorned with a small pair or circle earring that simply were replacements for the tacky plastic earrings originally worn by the doll.  The plastic ones were removed with needle nosed pliars, a small dab of instant glue was applied to the hole and immediately the metallic round replacements were inserted.  The necklace is 1/2 of a pair of adorned metal earrings that had the ear wires  cut off, the ends cut off, and inserted around the neck. The necklace has been resting comfortably on the dolls neck for fourteen years (part of my own personal collection).  

A versatile pair of earrings work wonderfully as a base for many items of doll jewelry; I have used them for earrings, bracelets, and especially necklaces.  The second picture shows one earring with four dangling featherlike designs; I snipped away at one of the dangles until I got the correct amount of neck space, added jump rings at each side, attached chain and clasp using the needle nosed pliars (btw, two pair work best when separating the rings and closing after working in the chain, etc.)  

I have enlarged the picture to your left so you can more easily view the placement of the pieces. in these necklaces.   Remember to leave enough space for your fingers to close the clasp.  (You usually need at least three inches of neck space for an 11 1/2 inch doll such as Barbie) If you do not plan on removing the necklace at any time, it may work best just to fasten with very thin metal wire and tying it.  You can usually find metal thread of .010 mm that is virtually invisible and quite strong.  I have added spring ring clasps to my examples as I will be selling some of them at a fund raiser craft show for my home owners association.  


The picture of the necklace to the left does not do it justice.  The necklace was created from a brooch in a glitzy arrangement of silver toned metal and immitation amythest.  It is made for a Tonner doll that requires a four inch chain.  

In the picture on the lower left, I have shown a selection of the necklaces I am making for the craft show (and also for some of the new proto-type dolls I will soon be adding to the Lord Perry Patterns collection. All of the items that I have shown have been easy to find (a Lord Perry tradition); I purchased all the original jewelry or jewelry products at 50% off sales (frequent in all of these types of stores). 

As always, the success of your creation depends upon the choice of materials, the correct proportions, and suitability of the material used.  It does require a little patience and imagination.

TIP:  You can often find great pieces at thrift stores for very little money that can be de-constructed to make original art for you OOAK.

Fashion Doll Patterns: Tips of the Week

When checking my blog site today, I was reminded of my practice of including a section called "Its the little things" in conjunction with my "tip of the day; well, certainly, when discussing fashion dolls, we are addressing "little things"!!.  I especially recall frustration from some of artists who were using my patterns to create their own One of A Kind dolls; several of them could not sell their dolls for the same amount of money that I could command.  I was reminded of a post I did five years ago (2011) and how much the advice still applies today......I am re-posting because although boutique creations are not as fashionable as "once upon a time", beautiful fashion dolls always have a timeless market space (as well as the artists who just like to create their own lovely ladies.

.......".We have talked about choosing the fabrics and trims for your designs, and how to prepare the materials to help you produce a great piece of wearable art for your doll, but all that will be wasted unless you choose the right doll for your garment.  If you are dressing a doll in historical costume, you need to remember that skin tone as well as hair style is very important.  Dolls dressed in Renaissance and other European Court dress as well as Civil War fashion need a skin tone that is as pale as possible. 

Lord Perry Patterns was developed so that designers could create wonderful OOAK (One of A Kind) dolls by picking up usable fashion dolls anywhere, even garage sales as well as thrift stores.  Many of the designs we have developed (over 75 patterns) have head gear, etc. that work very well on dolls that have not been gently used.  Many time just a dab of paint to change lip or eye color will give new life to a tired fashion doll.....

Picking the right fashion doll, the scale of fabric design and trim, and the styling of the hair and cosmetics is crucial to creating and styling a doll that can always be sold; you just need the right buyer.

Remember, our new website is LordPerryPatterns.com I do find that sometimes when you click on the link (or input the name directly) that you do a message that you "cannot find that address"; according to the host, the web-crawler (?) depending upon traffic, ignores (?) the request..keep trying, the site is there, and under that name.  I have had the same experience myself....

Fashion Doll Patterns: Web Site Available

Hooray!!  LordPerryPatterns.com is up and running!!  I still have a few kinks to work out (such as adding an additional drop down menu for shipping fees, etc.) but I am well on the way.  I am also posting this public appreciation to eHost for their truly excellent "intuitive" website; the picture gallery is awsome!!  I have almost all of the patterns loaded and hope to be complete by the end of the day.

To the left and below, I have added some of the Afriquennes.  You can check the website for prices and more information regarding the patterns.

Patterns: Catalogs for Patterns

To use an old fashioned expression, Halloween is next door, and Thanksgiving just around the corner!!  It is not too late to dress your fashion doll(s) for the holiday boutiques or for your own pleasure.  Lord Perry Patterns offers three different costumes for each fall and Christmas holiday season. Additional views exist for Christmas and for New Years.

To the left is Vampira from "Queens of the Night", pattern # 3004,

who is accompanied by

our Victorian era Thanksgiving  lady.

The Pumpkin Princess and fashion concious Pilgrim damsel is from "Magic Moments" collection, #3003, 

The charming apron with  gingham lass and russet clad fashions are from our "Country Classics", #3001

Our Druid princess and wide collared pilgrim is from "Festive Femmes", #3002.

Hopefully, all of the Lord Perry Patterns will be available on our new website, 

LordPerryPatterns.com and also on the Lord Perry Pattern page in Facebook. You will also be able to obtain them for a fee.  Please contact me for additional information.

Lord Perry Pattern Website

Lord Perry Patterns is once again offering its  historical, ethnic, fantasy, and special occasion patterns for sale by mail order (and maybe some limited trade shows).  We offer over 50 patterns for the 11 1/2 inch fashion dolls such as Barbie, etc.  We also have new release of two patterns as well as several in the pipe-line. 

We are also in the process of developing patterns for the 15/16 inch dolls such as Gene, Alexa and the Tonner dolls. Currently, only Grande Bella (Versailles) is available at this time.  

Due to the wonderful improvement in site technology, we are in the process of developing a complete gallery of all the Lord Perry patterns on our new web-site. Once again you can reach us at http:Lordperrypatterns.com or else e-mail me at geneva@lordperrypatterns.com.  I do anticipate a few hic-ups along the way, so I am also trying to get several of them on Facebook and this blog.  Our last attempt to create a web-site (back in the early 2000's) was a disaster because the pictures too long to load based on the browser capability, etc.  Hopefully, all of us can reasonably view the online catalog. (cheaper for all of us, too).