Sewing

[Agent47]

Anyone know a good resource for some basic 1/6 sewing patterns, either on-line or otherwise? If I can find some basic ken suit or tux pattern my girl says she can work with that to make some stuff. Thought I'd throw it out there.

 

[vader]

I've also been Googling for such things and yielding no success. The best I've found was an article but with no photos. I guess with a sharp imagination, one can make use of this basic tutorial

https://www.helium.com/items/682075-custom-action-figures-sewing-tips-for-customized-figure-clothing

 

[BillyB]

Hit your local fabric/craft store or Wal-mart. Back where all of the sewing patterns are kept, there are usually some for Barbie/1/6th scale figures.
The one I found ( I don't have the name handy, but I can get it for you) has basic dress shirt, sport jacket, long jacket, and pants. With a little practice, you can use the basic patterns and modify it into almost anything you need.

BillyB

 

[Jessica]

Hit your local fabric/craft store or Wal-mart. Back where all of the sewing patterns are kept, there are usually some for Barbie/1/6th scale figures.
The one I found ( I don't have the name handy, but I can get it for you) has basic dress shirt, sport jacket, long jacket, and pants. With a little practice, you can use the basic patterns and modify it into almost anything you need.

BillyB

Cool! I didn't know that! I always just make my own and cut as I go.

 

[Mooncat]

Whenever Ive sewn something together Ive first tried to find something existing and then carefully tried to unpick the existing stitching, once taken apart ill lay the pieces out on card and the draw round it and then cut it out.

That way you can lay the card pieces out onto the new material and draw/chalk round it onto the new material, cut it out and you can even draw in your stitch lines.

Remember when your taking your item apart to make mental notes (even pen marks on where the stitch lines are) that way when you draw out the new ones you can mark the lines back in. Makes it a hell of alot easier and better when stitching the new one together.

 

[Gruff Old Bear]

Very helpful advice. When it comes to disassembling something to see and copy its pattern, there's an inexpensive tool that makes picking the seams open easier and more controlled, called a seam ripper. Costs a couple bucks.

 

[Agent47]

Hit your local fabric/craft store or Wal-mart. Back where all of the sewing patterns are kept, there are usually some for Barbie/1/6th scale figures.
The one I found ( I don't have the name handy, but I can get it for you) has basic dress shirt, sport jacket, long jacket, and pants. With a little practice, you can use the basic patterns and modify it into almost anything you need.

BillyB

Found it. 11 1/2" doll clothing by Simplicity, in case anybody's wondering. Hey Billy B, you never got back to me about those joker pants. Thanks for the tip tho

 

[vikkitx]

I put some Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, and Random How-To Guides on my website, including sources for sewing patterns ranging from the free patterns available on the Costumer's Manifesto website or via a library, to the moderately-priced Simplicity patterns already mentioned earlier, to the very expensive books I use to make my own 1:6 scale patterns.

 

[Jessica]

I put some Tips, Tricks, Tutorials, and Random How-To Guides on my website, including sources for sewing patterns ranging from the free patterns available on the Costumer's Manifesto website or via a library, to the moderately-priced Simplicity patterns already mentioned earlier, to the very expensive books I use to make my own 1:6 scale patterns.

Vikki, thank you! These are great! Another corner of the universe I have never explored!!

 

[vikkitx]

Vikki, thank you! These are great! Another corner of the universe I have never explored!!

I'm glad they're helping people. I found a lot of stuff by typing variations of "free sewing pattern," "free frock coat sewing pattern," "free medieval sewing pattern," etc. into Google. Substituting the word "doll" for the word "free" also turned up a lot of possible leads.

Charler: In addition to the great Simplicity pattern BillyB recommended, there's also a Vogue pattern for a tuxedo for Trent (a 1:4 scale doll, part of the same line of 15"-16" fashion dolls as Gene). It comes in the same envelope as a pattern for a wedding dress for Gene. You'd have to adjust the scale, but it offers a different vest and a different tuxedo compared to the 11.5" Simplicity set.

 

[Agent47]

Wow Vikktix, awesome. How about places to buy little buttons and tassels, clips, eyeholes, etc?

 

[OSA]

Thanks for the tips vikkitx

 

[vikkitx]

Wow Vikktix, awesome. How about places to buy little buttons and tassels, clips, eyeholes, etc?

Now added to my website. Thanks for the suggestion! I usually only update my site when someone asks a question like this that makes me realize "I really should have added that already!"

My current favorite 1:6 scale buttons are are fingernail decorations from Crafts2Do. There are a variety of colors and sizes. I prefer to use the 1.5mm nailheads as shirt buttons and buttons on breeches, the 3mm nailheads as vest buttons, and the 4mm nailheads as frock coat buttons. I've included some pictures that show off the nailhead "buttons" (as well as some of the outfits I created using the pattern books I mention on my Tips & Tricks site).

I've not been able to find in-scale tassels, so I make my own. Years ago I put up a (poorly-formatted, sorry) webpage showing How I Make 1:6 SCale Tassels (and Jabots, and sort-of Sporrans). I'll try to add that info to my Tips & Tricks page too.

I'm not sure about clips or eyeholes. I've found snaps or hook & eye closures pretty much everywhere (Wal-Mart, Jo Anns, etc.), but I've never liked the bulk they add to outfits. If I'm sewing for myself, now I tend to use straight pins to hold shirts closed. That helps to avoid an ugly snap or hook & eye closure showing up on an outfit.

I'll also try to add a brief reminder about How to Make Frog Closures like the ones on this outfit.