Monday, May 2, 2011

Dolls! Book Review for Hankie Couture

Hankie Couture: Hand-Crafted Fashions from Vintage Handkerchiefs
Image from Amazon.com

You must all know by now that I like a good reference book. This new one by Marsha Greenberg titled 'Hankie Couture' is about the unique concept of using vintage handkerchiefs to make clothes for dolls roughly the same size as Barbie. The book gives the reader an abundance of ideas for making vintage style clothes using these hankies. The prints are divine and whimsical. There are patterns included for dresses with 3 different bodice designs, a wide brimmed hat and a purse. Go to Amazon and preview a portion of the book online using the Look Inside function to get a good look at the dress designs, as the author has been generous with the amount of images she has supplied.

I don't know if I will be able to track down too many vintage handkerchiefs, but modern craft prints might do the trick, especially if I can cut around the designs to create scalloped edges, and use the satin or zig zag stitches on my sewing machine to finish the hems. The author also uses embroidered linens, tea towels, lace doilies and more in her designs, so I will keep an eye out for these items on my travels to the op shops.

The only designs I am not mad about are some of the long floral dresses, but some people might just love them. It is a fabulous book, and I am glad I found a copy at the book store.

I am working on a secret dress design for a vintage barbie at the moment. I should have it stitched up and ready to show you next weekend. The colour theme is black and white and I am thinking of adding a splash of colour in the form of a wrap.

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