dioramas in progress 2

I've not been lazy, it's just too hot to think a lot about new stories and things, so here's another random post about the diorama's progresses.

This is going to be Sebastiano's room, I prepared a daybed and a this strange but useful chair out of cardboard and sponges.

As you can see Pietrina is already enchanted with her boyfriend and they spend a lot of time making music.

Winston believes the guitar case is his bed, he will be disillusioned soon

Odette and Carlo are not too happy with their new neighbors, everybody likes some music now and then, but too much is too much!

Let's take a peek at Margherita's and Ermanno, it looks like they are now on talking terms.

He looks amused and she's now intrigued. One wonders how they had those twins. This is the one misterious mistery around here, and I don't know if I will ever come up with some sort of an explaination!

The twins aren't going along too well, Giacomo is simply bored to tears by Samuele's endless bowling tales!

Let's talk about Costanza's family, a bit of insight about them is needed because (if I'll be able to write down my ideas) they are someway pivotal to many of the diffrent stories that have happened on this blog so far.

Luchino: No Armando, I'm not going to buy you a Ferrari

Costanza as you know is a movie star, she's still active and pretty famous. She married Luchino at the beginning of her career, so he're the explaination for her grown up boys. Of course Tecla hates her as Costanza is not a "has-been".

Luchino is a movie producer and agent, so I expect Tecla to bother him for her "comeback" , Orso Maria to hang around him in order to get his movies produced and Nicola trying to get some of his brainchild books and novels accepted as scripts.

the boys are  going to get a post all on their own.

Last but not least here's the Persian room! just a sneak peek Pietro is enjoing a nargile while I'm sewing him an outfit.

I'm completely revamping the other rooms of this cabinet. Here are the pictures from a distance, you can see that there's going to be more furniture making (and many pieces are on their way from Russia)!

Express post: World Doll Day Tag

I've been tagget by Farrah to this nice initiative of the World Doll Day Tag, I'm a little bit late perhaps, but I willingly oblige!
Here are the rules:
1. List 3 favorite dolls from the ones you got last year.
2. List 3 dolls currently on your wishlist.
3. Tag 5 people to do the same thing! (Anyone with a home on the web, not just bloggers, can be tagged!)

And here are my lists:

Favorite dolls from last year:

1. Goffredo - Declan Wade Gloss Convention 2014

2. Sebastiano - Callum Windsor Gloss Convention 2014

3. Ofelia - Full Spectrum Veronique

I actually don't have a wishlist right now, but I can name three grails I don't expect to get anytime soon:

1. Lady in Red Erin from the Tropicalia Convention

2. Rock Ringmaster Lukas

and above all 3. Leading Man Lukas

Now, I really believe it's quite late for the World Doll Day, but, as this is real fun I want to invite some fellow bloggers, if they want to join the (late) celebration!

1. April

2. Vanessa 

3. D7ana

4. Dani

5. Lisa

Kisses Billa

Hommes fashion tutorial: trousers

Sebastiano is going to be this month's star. So he's  helping me modeling the trousers for this tutorial. These are part of the Tartan craze collection.

Let's strart with what we need for the trousers:
Fabric, pins, needle, tone sur tone thread and snap fasteners.
First I'm going to show you the pictures of the slopers I've made, along with a meter.

These measurements fit FR Homme dolls.
When I started sewing garment for guys, the first question was: how to draw a pattern for trousers? Here's the answer:

And here's the pattern adapted to a doll's needs, of course one front and one rear for each leg!

Then hem the whole thing, fold the pocket and cut a piece of fabric for the inside pocket:

Here you can see the pocket attached to the front of the leg. Then we put the front and rear together, I usually draw the desired sewing line with chalk

of course we try it on Sebastiano to check the fitting.

Now we can take the measurement for the bottom hem of the trousers, we fold it and sew

And here comes the thing that drew me crazy until I found this tutorial: how the heck do you sew the two legs together?!?!!?
1) turn one of the legs outside out

2) insert the turned leg inside the other

3) fix the crotch with needles and draw the sewing line with chalk

4) These trousers will open on the back, so sew the whole lenght of the front and halfway in the back:

5) Let's turn the whole thing outside out and "et voità":

a perfect fit

But of course, we're not finished yet, we have to add the waistband. Let's take the right measurement on the fitted trousers

Fold and hem on the sides (inside out)

Turn outside out and hem the bottom

Sew the waistband to the trousers

of course we have to sew a snap-fastener on the waistband

Now our trousers are complete!

Sebastiano is ready for a walk in the highlands

Kisses Billa