For the Love of Barbie

Oh yeah!  Deep down, I'm a kid at heart.  And this kid loves her new Barbie (FYI: she's Fashionista Therese).  I've been wanting one for a long, long time and my family finally gifted me one for Christmas. :)

One Happy Kid ;)

Therese out of the Box

And with a Barbie doll comes the responsibility of dressing her in the most smashing outfits.  Have you seen some of the doll clothes in the toy aisle?   I have two complaints: 

• A) The official Mattel Barbie outfits can be pricey
• B) Those very same outfits may not be pretty or stylish, especially the cheaper ones (the expensive ones tend to be pretty, but pricey--see A above).

What's a crafter to do?  Make her own Barbie clothes of course!  I dug out an old Patons Beehive doll book (the original I lost many moons ago, but I found a copy a few years ago for 25 cents).  I actually made some those outfits when I was a kid.

Patons Beehive Book No. 139

I also found a site with vintage Barbie patterns (not sure who the original publisher was, but the patterns can be accessed off the website for free OR downloaded for a fee in a digitally enhanced e-book).

And if someone is handy with a sewing machine, they should check out the Craftiness Is Not Optional blog (scroll down to the end of her tutorial page to find the Barbie stuff).  She's got picture tutorials for a ball gown, skirts and tees to fit Barbie and friends.

Of course a search on Ravelry proved rather fruitful too.  There are a few crochet and knit patterns.  In particular, I found a great site with hundreds upon hundreds of Barbie patterns--all for free!  And some of the designs are just cute.  Check out Sticka till Barbie where the site owner/designer has patterns in many languages, most of which use fingering weight (good way to use of leftover sock yarn).

Right now I'm attempting a little top with cap sleeves.  I should be done by this afternoon--I hope.

Burgundy Top in Progress

Meanwhile, my Barbie patiently poses while awaiting her new outfits (it's hard work being stylish).  ;)

Striking a Pose

Hope you're enjoying the after-glow of good holiday spirits. :)