klswift

I'm not sure about in the U.K., but, here in the US when I need bits of different 'nicer' fabrics for a project, I hit the thrift shops. Often I can find a silk blouse or brocade vest or wool sports coat that I can cut apart. Many items are donated from estate sales and the folks from years past often had remarkable clothes. Be sure and check the linings of some of the jackets - beautiful fabrics. Most of the time these items can be purchased for $1 or $2.

nlgh

That is so beautiful. I can hardly wait to see your finished project.

I started doing a series of 1800's-dressed ladies based on embroidery designs by Vogart, a company that no longer produces embroidery patterns, I guess. I have not seen any for sale in a very long time. I was an embroiderer in my younger days and had several patterns of my own from them. I also had the instructions sheets of several others, so I traced what I had and drew out the rest of the design to complete the dress. Unfortunately, my project is in a storage unit along with most of my other hobbies.

madamekelly

I can just picture your second fabric looking like a damask. Are you going to add the pearls like they wore? If you go online and search for "doll clothes trims" you may find just what you need for your final touches. You might even be able to use slick fabric paints to represent the pearl trims....

San Luis

Beautiful vision! Considering your artistic abilities (Amazingly gifted), have you thought about painting your fabrics by hand to achieve the look you want? There are many good fabric paints out there, liquids, pens, inks....I'm visualizing an approximate 12"x12" piece of white or colored background fabric would give you the amount of fabric you need for each dress. You could replicate a design to scale. Someone mentioned silk, oh my, that would be beautiful! Please keep us appraised as you create.

anniehug

Hi Damkina, We have a couple of shops here in the north UK, both sell patchwork fabrics and also many other types. Sorry I do not know where in the UK you are situated, maybe Leeds, Harrogate, Scarborough are too far to travel. I only suggest actual shops as I prefer to see and feel fabric before purchasing. Whatever you do, the drawing is fabulous as I am sure the finished result will be. Good luck with yur search. Anne

Damkina

Thank you so much everyone, your help is just amazing.
I'm going to leave no stone, (or cloth as the case may be) left unturned. I'm was intending to stay with printed/plain and patterned (raised?) cotton, but there are such lovely fabrics around, I may succumb to the more luxurious fabrics.
I didn't even think of painting them! That is definitely something I may have to look at, San Luis, as it's already intriguing me to what I could do.
Yes, the whole gaggle of dolls are going to be having beads, trims, bows and lace. They're going to be wearing their Sunday Best.
I'm in South Yorkshire, anniehug. I'm having a visit to a couple of quilt shops this weekend, and also hoping to be in Scarborough sometime in October, so will definitely be on the hunt.

This one is what I've been working on for a couple of days... the first drawing of the Georgian doll, but I'm so-so tempted to add a Puritan with the "A" on her gown, and do The Scarlet Letter.

I thought it best to keep drawing whilst I search for fabrics.

Again, thank you.
Damkina

Damkina

San Luis, and All,
Family life interrupted and put a stop to my sewing plans for a few weeks, so I'm only just catching up from where I left off. I'm hoping to to get started again later this week. Painting the dolls had me so intrigued, that I purchased a variety of DecoArt SoSoft fabric paints and a cream, fern fabric for the background.
Now, I've got to admit that I've never painted on fabric before, so this is going to be a whole new stomping ground for me. I've watched some videos on YouTube, but would welcome any suggestions and advice about these particular fabric paints.
When dry, will they keep the fabric soft enough for me to add/hand stitch the beads and trimming, or do I need another medium to add to the paint? And if necessary at some point in the future, will the quilt be able to be washed?
Again, thanks for all the help, very much appreciated.
Damkina

oksewglad

Oh my, this will be amazing! Your drawings are beautiful! One thought on the Tudor dress is: the bodice could be a solid and the skirt with print and/or texture.

madamekelly

I would look in second hand shops for vintage 1970's polyester brocades. The tiny prints in them might just be perfect.

Jane Quilter

What a wonderful challenge. My daughter went to school in historic Williamsburg VA at the College of William and Mary. There was a lot of emphasis on historical costuming and a magnificent textile museum that we got lost in all day at one visit. So don't forget to research your university libraries in England. On the internet, I googled historical costume fabric and came up with this wonderful site that might be useful to you. It even contains a list of where to buy historically accurate fabric:

https://adamselindisdress.blog/2014/...cal-costuming/

Best of luck in your searching, shopping and creating.