1. No flaming. Duh. "I hate it" is not helpful to someone. Try to keep all comments helpful to the sewer.
2. To that end, for every negative thing you say, try to add something about what you liked about the outfit
3. This is all experimental and we hope it'll go well so we can do it again!
4. You can do these in a judge style the way we do, or not - totally your choice.
Without further ado, here are the posts for review:
Lindsey's Volunteer Outfit by Gomunk
Lanie's garden outfit by Fin
Chrissa's Winter Outfit by Allicapri
Sonali's Mix and Match by sewingmama
Lanie's Boston Sports Teams 2-in-1 by curiouser
Marisol's folklorico dress by jchappa
Marisol's Folklorico outfit by Heritage4.
Mia's warmups by Holley
Sonali's Pattu lehenga by prncssme
Mia's Sugarplum Fairy Skating Outfit by Stellakelly
Kailey's Ocean Outfit by Seaflower
Nicki's tiered dress by numberonekitty
If you weren't included in the above list but would like to be, you can comment below or email us and we'll edit it in (it's totally okay even if you miss the deadline; it just means you'll be added later in this case).
Note that if you emailed me and told me you wanted to be included, but didn't specify for which round, I'll assume it was both one and two unless you let me know otherwise.
Curiouser: I just want to start by saying that I am completely in awe of Sewingmama's shrug. Honestly, her outfit for Sonali was my second favorite. If AG offered that set of clothes up I'd snap it up in a second. I love the mix and match possibilites and I want that shrug... I can't knit anything besides scarfs or blankets for tiny toys, but even so I'm really picky about the scale of knitwear for dolls and I just love that shrug.
ReplyDeleteCuriouser:
ReplyDeleteGomunk's Volunteer Outfit: I think I feel less of a connection to this outfit because I don't really love Lindsey and have never read her book. I love that the top and bottom of the scrubs are diferent prints (coming from a family full of nurses I know how realistic that is... they only time they wear coodinated scrubs is when they have to wear the ones supplied by the hospital because and "accident" happened to theirs). Also, my younger sister thought about becoming a vet in high school and had a few part time jobs cleaning the cages and answering phones at two different animal hospitals and she did wear a labcoat when working with the animals. The only part I don't get is the hat... but I think that is because of the photos. In some of the pics it looks like it doesn't fit right. I'd like to see the hat from another angle so I can get the right idea about the back of the hat.
Allicapari's Winter Outfit: In love with the coat. Want it! The headband is awesome and I love the jeans. The texture of the shirt is so cool. I've never been a fan of puffy sleeves, so I didn't really like them, but the whole shirt looks well made.
jchappa's Folklorico: I loved the colors of this one. I also love that it's a top and skirt so you could use the top in other outfits. I do wish that the skirt was fuller and that the lace at the neckline was a little shorter. (I know the lace issue would be because of what is available, they really don't design lace with doll clothes in mind...)
Heritage4's Folklorico: Looking at all that ribbon gives me a headache... because I know how long that would take and how bad I'd want to kill myself half way through the job for even trying... I think the whole dress is beautiful, well-made and polished.
Actually, I think all the folkloricos were hurt by all the others in the judging.
Holley's Warmups: Again, I haven't read Mia's books, but I believe everything posted about he outfit. Makes TONS of sense (of course Mia would have warmup outfits) and very well made. This outfit should have been made for Mia.
prncssme's Pattu Lehenga: Beautifully made. It looks authentic and Sonali looks great it in.
I have not read many of the GOTY stories, so I comment on the relevance. So, I am going to comment on the outfits themselves.
ReplyDeleteLindsey's volunteer outfit: you did a great job with the sewing, everything is nice and even. The fit is also good.
Lanie garden outfit: very smart to reuse items. The outfit looks very comfortable & well made.
Chrissa winter outfit: I agree about pants in winter, you'd think a company based in WI would know that! I love the jeans, the pockets are so cute & the coat, they are both so well made. The scarf has wonderful details & ties to her story.
Sonali mix & match: lots of great pieces, even undies - so cute. I am in awe of the pants, they fit so well & have pockets. It looks like pieces my kid would wear. And you must be a fast knitter to make the sweater so quickly.
Lanie's Boston sports team: so smart to use baby clothes, the print scale is perfect. You sewed everything so well & the pieces look very comfortable.
jchappa's Folklorico dress: this was my co worker's favorite. I love the detail & you did a great job keeping it all even (wow!).
Heritage's Folklorico dress: Wow, this dress must look awesome when she spins around. I love the colors and the design is stunning.
prncssme: loved this one! The fabric is beautiful & I bet it was hard to work with.
Stellakelly: I loved the detail on this one. I can totally see this as a skating dress for a "real" person, or even a ballet costume. I wish you would have shown us the back.
Seaflower ocean outfit: I like the top, the color is beautiful & the petals are really creative. It does look like something to wear by the ocean.
I'd love to be included in the list!
ReplyDeletePART ONE
ReplyDeleteCan I preface by saying that if you feel I criticized your piece unfairly please let me know. It was not my intent at all. I love open discussion and love constructive criticism. I always want to know how I can improve my work. It will only make me a better seamstress/designer. I don't know if everyone else feels this way though.
Gomunk's Lindsey outfit: Every piece appears to be really well made and fits nicely. It all does look like actual scrubs! I could see AG introducing an outfit like this back in Lindsey's day. I felt because of the nature of what it was- scrubs and a lab coat- that there wasn't too much WOW factor- but it really suited Lindsey.
Firinel's Lanie outfit: For a novice sewer- great job! I loved the v-neck detail on the shirt- the two layers were proportioned perfectly. I would have like to have seen the outfit at different angles- side views and close ups too.
Allicapri's Chrissa outfit: The coat! Great color and styling- looked very well made. The headband was genius! I love the you included functional back and side pockets on the jeans. I have pattern 7083 and I've made many modifications on that one too. I would have liked the jeans to be a little more fitted- but I loved the color.
sewingmama's Sonali outfit: Who doesn't love that shrug?? I want one in 6 colors for my dolls! All the pieces fit well and look to be sewn masterfully. I love it when things fit well. I would have liked to have seen some bling or some kind of a graphic on the tees- but that's just me.
Curiouser's Lanie outfit: The placement of the graphics on the tees was perfectly done. Love the contrast top stitching and the sleeves. It was all in perfect scale to the doll. And the jeans fit!!! I loved the color- so hip! Not sure how relevant the two outfits were to Lanie's story or collection- but I'm sure if she follows baseball- the Red Sox would likely be her choice.
Holley's Mia outfit: I adored your pairing of pink and grey. Very classic to me. The whole idea of the warm up set was brilliant. I'd never considered she was missing a warm up in her collection. But it's so true! The hand applique on the jacket was really well done.
prncssme's Sonali outfit: Those details on the bodice are amazing!! I loved your color choice. I know nothing of traditional Indian garb, but I felt it fit Sonali really well and look authentic to me.
StellaKelly's Mia outfit: I love pink! Your pairing of pink with the gold really was eye catching. There was so much work put into this outfit! It was definitely less of a skating costume- not something Mia could actually compete in- but more of a skating showpiece. Ok- I have to say WOW to what you did with Mia's hair. I am in awe of the styling! Looks amazing! Her tiara was the perfect crowing element.
Seaflower's Kailey outfit: The lavender print is gorgeous- it really had an ocean feeling to it. Great fabric choices. The pleated look of the skirt really mimicked an ocean wave effect to me which fit in perfectly with Kailey's theme. The sleeves seemed to overwhelm Kailey a bit though. A little less fullness might have given it a lighter look.
PART TWO
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Jessica about how having multiple Folklorico dresses was a handicap to them all.
Jchappa's Folklorico dress: I loved the detail of the ribbons and lace at the skirt hem. Spacing was perfect. The bow in the back was a sweet touch. I felt that the red lace could have been scaled down just a bit though. But I loved the choice of red at the neckline for Marisol. Great color for her.
Heritage4's Folklorico dress: The ribbons were amazing. Placement was amazing. I adore the effect the skirt has when splayed out. All the work that went into that is crazy- and definitely appreciated. The white lace trim at the neckline and collar really popped for me. I wasn't in love with the yellow color on Marisol though. But her hair was fabulously styled. The braids and the ribbons were the perfect touch- did not look as though a hair was out of place!!
Thanks Teresa!
ReplyDeleteYeah, after I'd seen the amount of photos that others took, I wish that I'd taken more photos, too. I was originally concerned that "too many" photos would be annoying to others, that there'd be too much to thumb through, with all of them, and then all of everyone else's. I'm really glad that I got feedback that that wasn't the case, and that more was better -- for round two I made sure to include more views.
Peer Reviews
ReplyDeletestellakelly
Round 1
PDR 2010
Gomunk - I thought this was a very interesting choice and one that took a lot of thought. I mean, why wouldn’t Lindsey volunteer at an animal shelter (I will admit that I haven’t read the books so don’t know if she actually did or not). I like the comment that someone wrote about the scrubs not matching, it does make it seem more realistic and even though it was also said that a volunteer would wear a lab coat, I have a hard time buying that one. I have been to PLENTY of vets and not even seen vet techs wear lab coats. I also wish, just a little, that you had chosen brighter colors. I just watched a show about Cats and it was said that cats only see very bright colors. Maybe make use of facts like that. The last question I have is about her shoes. They seem awful shiny and nice. I would have liked to see some crocs or beat up athletic shoes. Something that looks like you won’t cry when something wet gets on them. Great job though. Wonderful idea!!
Fin - I have to say I cannot believe no one else did something like this. I remember reading the threads were everyone complained that Lanie should have more appropriate gardening wear. I am glad that you took that and ran. I love your chice and combination of colors and I adore the tie-dye. However, I still think this is too nice an outfit for digging in the dirt. I maybe would have called this “Lanie’s Camping Outfit” or “Nature Exploring Outfit”. I truly do believe that it belongs in her wardrobe. I also love the use of the crocs and the addition of the kneeling board as a nice prop to make it more complete.
Allicapri - This is another one of my favorite outfits because it’s such a “DUH” choice! I mean why wouldn’t they give a kid who is riding her bike to the pool all year round a coat? I love your choice of fabric for the coat as well. As a mother, we like to choose sensible coats that can be worn for many occasions and with anything. This fits that bill. I love the jeans, you can hardly ever go wrong with jeans and Chrissa is a jeans type of girls. I have to comment on the shirt though. I love the textured fabric but it is so dark and the rest of her wardrobe is so light. I feel that the colors are out of place. The style is right on though as is the headband!!
sewingmamma - Let me start by saying that I think you did a fabulous job knitting that shrug. I also admire the workmanship on the rest of the outfit. I love that you chose pants other than jeans. And I think the bright pink looks wonderful on Sonali’s dark complexion. However, I am unsure about the color you chose for the shrug. I do myself crochet and also love veregated thread. However, knowing a bit about the character of Sonali, I feel that that she would have matched her colors her a little better. It would have really looked more put together if you had chosen a yarn with some pink, tan, brown, cream. I also would have left out the other shirt totally. It really isn’t necessary to have two tops but if you were, I would have chosen a yarn that matched both. But the pink is my choice because of the way is looks on her. Great job!!
jchappa - Well this was the obvious choice of the century!! I thought about it myself. I will start out by saying that I am not a dancer but I have built MANY dance costumes and some for Folklorica. The biggest problem you have is the lack of fullness of your skirt and that red lace. Putting gathered lace on a doll outfit can be tricky because the scale is wrong but next time just find a line to follow and trim it down. It won’t ravel. If you did that and made the skirt larger than a full circle, I think it would work better. I love the crisp whiteness and the little red bow. As it stands, if you take off the ribbon and trim, you hve a nice versatile outfit that you could turn into a lot of things.
ReplyDeleteHeritage4 - Your dress was a show-stopper. I love the color and the hair pieces. I like that you did something different, you took a risk. But, as a seamstress of more than 30 years, I am going to pick on you for something. I have seen your work and I know you are very talented BUT please sew your ribbon down both sides!!!! Unless you are doing some kind of decorative stitch or it was on purpose for some other reason, that sticks out to me like a sore thumb. My professor told me in college that “God is in the details”. This was regarding costumes. And I think you should always remember that. It has kept me from taking many shortcuts!! Love your work though! You are a very talented young lady!
Holley - Yes indeed Mia should have a warm-up outfit (one to actually keep he warm like yours) but why does it say Nelda’s Notions? She worked for her one time and was paid in fabric. It would make more sense to me if it said the name of her skating team, or the name of the ice rink, or some cute saying or thing she likes like Penguins, or a picture of michele Kwan, etc. You get my drift. Just a big question I had. But, on a brighter note, I love it. I know that patch took hours to make. I love the side striping on the pants and think the pink lining is devine!!!
Prncssme - You know, I was just thinking that if Ivy has a Chinese dress, then and Addy has an African Dance Dress, then Sonali should have an Indian dress. Now we don’t actually know much about her family but I imagine, her being 100% East Indian, that her family follows some of the cultural traditions. Her character is not really large enough to include such detailed items but it makes sense. Besides that, it is beautiful!!! And very well made! I adore the colors on her.
Seaflower - I would like to begin by saying this is a very interesting outfit. I love the texture on the fabric, I love that you chose a nontraditional color pallette. However, I am not sure of the purpose of this garment in Kailey’s wardrobe. I will admit, I never read her books so I am going on the little I know about her. But it seems to nice to wear to the beach. Is it a dress for a special occasion? And while I did compliment your color palette, I would have liked to see something that made me think more of the water, keep the belt. Use an interesting green or blue for the dress. I love the petals on the dress and it all mirrors your name. I suppose that is the point. Good job, well made, but a little confusing.
numberonekitty - Nicki is another GOTY that I don’t know much about her story but from what I do know, the outfit you designed and made for her suits her to a “T”. I love the design that you choose (designed yourself?) and the details that were added. The fabric is perfect. It does not over power her beauty, she is a gorgeous doll. And the vest is such a nice touch. I know that vests are hard to sew (at least for me) but yours looks professional. I am not a fan of the Ranch style so my Nicki doesn’t dress like that but if AG made this outfit, I would probably buy it for the dress alone. And I always love outfits with more than one piece for their mix - n - match potential. Great job!