Stacie Is Finally Complete!

I mentioned in my last post that there would be an update to Bathtub Stacie. I know, you all are just dying to know what it is, right? ;)

She got some NEW CLOTHES! But not just any clothes, some real home made clothes just for her!

She really deserved it. After purchasing her like this at the thrift store, she deserved the royal treatment!

She is originally Happy Meal Stacie

Here begins the saga of trying to make Stacie clothes from Barbie-sized patterns. Thankfully it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!

Remember the clothing post of the Barbie fashions that my mother in law made? You can read about it here! (And you really should look because she also has a beautiful mint condition #4 ponytail doll. Just beautiful.) And she MADE all of them from Barbie patterns.

One of the outfits was a fun kimono which to me looked more like a bathrobe because of the soft fleece material.

Well, there is no reason why I can't make Stacie a cute little bathrobe too! Since I finally got my new (new to me) sewing machine that my dad bought at a garage sale, I was ready to bust it out and try it!

So I took out the patterns and started to take a look at what was in store for me.

The kimono is the 4th picture on the leftmost pattern package that reads "advance." SUPER vintage!

I was instructed to read "Barbie's Sewing Book" before I got started. This is a little pamphlet that tells you how to sew (because it's thinking this is the first sewing project of your life so you don't know anything.) Which is good for me because I need all the help I can get! Here are some tidbits from the book.

"Barbie's Sewing Book is a Fun-Book. It will show you that sewing is so easy..and so much fun."

Well, my last project for a dress for me was not so much fun but I'm willing to give it another shot.

"Which design shall you make first? It really doesn't matter because each is a separate adventure, and one is as easy to make as the other."

No. This is incorrect. The kimono is WAY easier than the party dress. I'm sure of it.....

"You will need plenty of elbow room, so clear the table...take the cloth off first...or even a space on a carpetless floor...let's not cut a rug...."

Yes, you don't want the husband mad at you. Or even worse, your landlord.......

"SEW NOW...HAVE FUN"

Well, we shall see.........

Basically this book tells you how to hem, make different kinds of stitches and how to press and finish the piece. Really informative!

So first I needed a piece of fabric for the bathrobe kimono. My local Wal-Mart has the cotton quilting squares which I figured would be perfect for a Stacie sized kimono. However, because Barbie patterns don't need to be cut on a fold like human clothing, it was more than enough and I even had lots to spare in case something didn't turn out right. How cute is that fabric! Rubber duckies!

I figure the easiest way is to start by cutting the original sized patterns then make it Stacie sized by using bigger seam allowances. Much easier than trying to cut down the pieces and *hoping* they are the right size.

Here I have the front pieces and the sleeves sewn on.

I hold it up to Stacie to get a feel for the size. I think she's getting very excited about her new outfit!

Next I have the sleeves sewn on both the back and the front pieces of the kimono. Almost ready to do the side seams and put it all together!

There is a trim piece that I had to cut out to make the "border" for the front edge of the kimono. You sew the trim all the way around the piece and then fold the other edge to the inside and then sew that in place. I did this incorrectly really. I didn't use a baste stitch for the first part so I had to sew over my original stitch to make the back stay in place. Oh well, live and learn.

I figure now I would try it on for size. If it was still a little big I could go around again and take in more on the sides. It seems to be okay, just a little long still.

I know this is the totally incorrect way to do this but I just cut three inches off the bottom of the fabric, through the stitches and all. Since I was making a hem I guessed that those stitches would keep the ones I cut through from unraveling. I think I'll be okay here!

How about Stacie now! I would have preferred to have it just a tad shorter but it's okay!

The last part was to hem the sleeves and make the sash for the waist. There are also pockets that you could put on. Those were supposed to be done first but since I didn't know how wide the front would be, I couldn't put them on yet. And they are so tiny for this Stacie outfit. So I just put one on. Not sure if I like it but I left it on for now.

And ready for the finished product? Ta-da!

So cute no?

The shoulder seams are not in the right place but that's okay since I am an amateur seamstress. I think I did pretty well for a first try and for not having any idea of how to alter a pattern for a smaller doll! So the towel that we had around her before is now a cute fun bathmat.

I also put her hair up in a ponytail. It's more of a "bathtime" look.

What do you think of Stacie's new bathrobe? Look more like a kimono? Or a robe?

I will say the hardest part of this project was hand sewing the hem on the sleeves. That little tiny stitch was a pain. But needed to be done so I just sat down and did it instead of putting it off. :) So I will say that this project was a major success! I am now inspired to make other dresses for Barbie. But I'm still not sure about the party dress! I don't know if I can get the hang of doing a gathering stitch. Seems hard. Oh well, I have lots of spare fabric to practice on.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Be ready for the Haute Couture Doll of the Month coming up Monday!

Until then!

Barbie Baththime

Sorry for the lack of posting. I've been so tired, I feel like Bedtime Barbie ready to crawl into my snuggly Starlight Bed. :) But I'm here today!

And this marks the 100th blog post! Celebrate!!

Remember last time I busted out the My Little Pony bathtub and gave it to Stacie.

Well, Andrea informed me that there was a Barbie bathtub featured in the 90's. So this post will be about the former Barbie bathtubs that have been featured through the years!

First, let's see the tub from the 90's. I think this is it, the Barbie Bubblin' Shower.

www.amazon.com

Obviously the point of this one is to make tons of bubbles!

So let's see what the back of the box says. You add bubble solution to the tub, flip the switch and watch as millions of bubbles float through the air. It also has a vanity so she can get pretty! And everything stores in the vanity seat! (Meaning there are tiny accessories and we love those right?)

www.amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Well, that's fun isn't it? Who doesn't like bubbles? Next I found this tub from the 70's. With luxury bath bubbles and a hand shower that really works! Looks like this one also has a stool and vanity attached.

www.picquery.com

Now we have a collection of tubs that feature the title of "Beauty Bath." First this one from the late 70's or early 80's. This one I think is a spin-off of the tub listed above. Just in a different color.

www.pinterest.com

Now we have the Pink Sparkles Beauty Bath and the Pink Roses Beauty Bath. I think these are also a spin-off of each other but i'm not sure which one came first. Both also have a shower that really works!

www.pinterest.com

www.amazon.com

Now we come into the newer ones with the Glam Bathroom and the Glam Bathtub. These are cute but as I have found out, they are doing away with tiny accessories and putting in paper or sticker accessories. Not fun. But I think that these come with a few so that's good.

www.pinterest.com

www.ebay.com

And I have to ask. Is it just me or does anyone else think that it's really odd that they included a toilet? I like the vanity because that is fun after a bath to get all prettied up. But do they really think that she is going to sit on a toilet? I'm just not sure about that.

We also have some bathtime dolls that came out!

How about the cuteness that is Bathtime Fun Kelly? She is so adorable with her little tub. (I've also seen this one called Shelly.)

www.reddit.com

Now Bathtime Fun Barbie. You can create tons of looks for her using the colored foam she came with. Her skirt is a craft foam type material so it washes right off so you can create anything you can imagine!

www.amazon.com

There's a Skipper too! She is cute.

www.amazon.com

Now we have Foam 'n Color Barbies. You can put foam in her hair for some awesome color change action!

www.flickriver.com

She had her own tub for ultra bathtime fun!

www.amazon.com

And last but certainly not least, Bath Magic Barbie.

www.amazon.com

This Barbie is unique because she has foam objects you can attach to her skirt. Where are the foam things? In the capsules! Did anyone else ever have those? I remember getting a train set and the zodiac signs in those capsules. The capsule dissolves in warm water making a foam object appear like magic! They were the best toys ever. I also got that skirt from the thrift store last summer. Maybe I'll put together Bath Magic Barbie someday.

And maybe someone can answer this. Didn't she have additional capsules you could buy separately so you could attach more foam objects to her?

So everyone, did any of you have any bath sets or want any? Did I miss any tubs you can think of? It would be fun to have one but I'm still holding out for a Barbie pool. :)

I'll have an update to Bathtub Stacie next time!

Until then!

Camp Teresa's Sweet Ride

The post you all have been waiting for! (Well, I've been waiting for it anyway) :)

Earlier, in a short post to you all wishing a happy and safe Memorial Day holiday, I featured the beautiful Camp Teresa, one of my favorite dolls. I mentioned that I gave her a vehicle that I had for a while because it fit her so wonderfully.

Let me tell you a short story first before I get on to the pictures.

Many years ago (I was in grade school) my paternal grandfather who lived in central California had Alzheimers and was slowly passing away. Many times in the weeks leading up until Christmas, my parents made many trips to California to visit him. My brother and I were unable to go because of school and other activities and the sad fact of the matter was that he probably wouldn't remember us anyway. He passed away around Christmas time making it especially hard on our entire family. I remember that my brother and I stayed with my maternal Grandma during Christmas vacation from school so we would not be left with a friend but family for the holiday. Late at night the day after Christmas my parents returned and took us home. My parents did not have enough time to shop for us so she gave both my brother and I one BIG gift (and a few little ones that she had before the trips started.) My brother? He got a Nintendo. I have a picture of him somewhere. He was so excited. By the time he got a system, the NES was old news but it was new to us!

This is a picture of a young me with my gift.

The Barbie Magical Motor Home!! And, I gave it to Camp Teresa because motor home means camping and that's what she likes to do right?

It even has a cab that Barbie fits easily into. Complete with seatbelts!

So Teresa and Ken are going for a weekend getaway.

They pull over for a moment to take in the sights. (Ken looks a little uneasy, pretend he's smiling) ;)

Teresa and Ken invited Barbie, Ken #2 and Skipper to spend the weekend with them as well. They arrived earlier to start setting up camp.

The cool thing about this motor home is this. If anyone wants to go for a drive, the front part disconnects to make an SUV!

Ken #2 will stay behind to continue to set up camp and let the girls Ken (#1) go for a joyride.

I love how the license plate says "Barbie."

And the front license plate too!

When we get back to camp, we just use this little twist nob to reveal the inside of the motor home!

Ta-Da!

Ken stayed behind to make dinner for Barbie. That was sweet of him! (The paper food, cracks me up!)

The motor home as all the modern amenities such as microwave and refrigerator as well as ample counter space

However, the counter space converts into a sink and a stove!

But it gets better still! The stove flips over to reveal a grill if they want to barbecue, but also reveals a makeup counter with all Barbie and Teresa's favorites!

I added a special extra to the chair when I was a kid. :)

Barbie and Ken #2 sit down to a nice dinner while Skipper takes a nap!

But is she really napping? She might be playing with the high-tech stereo system next to the bed. It contains a DOUBLE tape deck as well as a radio!

So where did our lovely Teresa go? She would much prefer to sleep outside in her sweet sleeping bag under the stars!

She will be sleeping under the stars in two ways. Both under the ones in the sky and under the ones on top of her sleeping bag! They also glow in the dark!

After the weekend, all the furniture and accessories pack away neatly inside the motor home.

And the back of the motor home all closed up ready to head back home after the weekend is over.

So what do you think of the Magical Motor Home? Did you have it as a kid or remember when it came out?

Until next time!