Oh My Heck! I Got a "Grey Lady"

Well, really her name is "Black Lipstick".

 Image Property of JAMIEshow

 

 

She is the 20th Anniversary Gene doll, and I have one!

 Image Property of JAMIEshow

When JAMIEshow announced the "Le Jazz Hot" convention earlier in the year, I didn't plan on attending.  I usually go to Sandra Stillwell's conventions later in the summer.  But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go, so I decided to live on the wild side and attend two conventions in one year.

It was a great convention in Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend.  We had a lot of time to sightsee in downtown Chicago.  My favorite place was the American Girl Store.

Saturday night, at dinner, we were introduced to "Black Lipstick" with this video.  Our table didn't have a great view of the screen, so I didn't see all the details.  When I first saw that the dolls name was "Black Lipstick", I was a little worried.  I'm not into the Goth look.  When we finally realized that the pictures were colored pictures the crowd went wild!!!!

 

There is a story behind why almost everyone was excited about getting a grey doll.  It happened before my Gene convention going time, way back in 2007.  At that time, Gene was being manufactured by Integrity Toys.  Before Integrity made Gene, Ashton Drake made her, but that is another story.

The theme of the 2007 "Rare Deal" convention was Film Noir.  The story that I have heard from several different people was that doll clothes designers were asked to make outfits to donate for a charity auction.  They were asked to make the clothes only in black, white, and greys.  The designers did not know what the doll looked like in advance.

Here are some photos of the "Grey Ladies"  I found these photos on this website.  The "Grey Lady" Gene doll was designed to look like she had stepped out of a black and white movie.  I heard that the attendees at the convention when crazy for her.

 This one is my favorite by Wayne Nilson.  She sold for the highest price.

She is almost impossible to get on the secondary market, and sells for very high prices.  She is very special.  I wish I could have attended this convention so I could have seen all these lovely ladies.

 

 

 

Now back to "Black Lipstick"

 Image Property of JAMIEshow

Her skin is a light grey and she came with a platinum rooted wigcap.  Her gown was inspired by a Charles James creation.

 

 

 

I took my first photos of my "Black Lipstick" today.  I wish I had had better lighting, but Junuary just started up here on Whidbey Island.

 This outfit was inspired by a Jean Desses' Theatre de la Mode design.

 

 

 

 

Here is the pile of clothes I want to photograph on "Black Lipstick".  We shall see how far I get.  I would rather sew than take pictures, but there are some great outfits in this stash.  My dolls have better and more expensive clothes than me!

Dior Animal Print Wrap Dress

 I love this outfit!
 

 

When I first started sewing for Gene in 2003, I looked everywhere for pictures of vintage fashions.  I found this outfit in a library book.  This outfit is from Christian Dior's 1952-1953 Profile Line.  I knew I had to make it.

 

 

My attempt to recreate the original photo.  If only I had a set of stairs for my dolls.

 In 2005 I made this ensemble.

 

It turned out OK.

 

 

 

Years later, I came across this photo in a L' OFFICIEL magazine.  I took a better look at the other photo of this outfit and noticed that the dress looked like a wrap dress.

 

 

In my version, the skirt edge has more of a diagonal to it than Dior's does.  I straightened that line a little for the pattern.

 I had enough of the original fabric to make a couple of dresses with my new pattern.

 I succeeded in washing out Gene's face again.

 I tried this dress on all my different 16" dolls.

The dress doesn't overlap as much in the front on Brenda Starr as it does for Gene, but it works.  I have added alterations to the pattern so the dress will fit the Tonner/Tyler dolls better.

 The alterations should also work for the Franklin Mint Grace Kelly dolls.

 The 16" Fashion Teen Poppy Parker doll looks great in this outfit too.

Of course while I was finishing up the animal print dresses, I started wondering how this pattern would look in a cotton print.  I added a different collar and omitted the sleeves.  I reduced the diagonal line on the skirt for this version too.

 It turned out great!  I love showing how versatile my patterns can be.

Even though the dress looks awesome on all the other dolls, including Gene, Madra owns this look.

To purchase this pattern click here.

A Suit for Trent

I didn't own a Trent until Gene's 2010 convention in Philadelphia, I went home with three Trents.

Dreamy Trent

Image Property of Integrity Toys 

 

 

Men's Club Trent

Image Property of Integrity Toys

 

 

I also attended a class on flocking hair on dolls.  I bought the flocked Trent, but my flocked Trent only came wearing boxers.  I had received a shirt and some other men's accessories as a table gift at the Trent luncheon so my poor flocked Trent has stood around in my sewing room wearing only a shirt and boxers for the last 5 years.  I thought about making him some pants and finding him some shoes to wear, but I never got around to it.

 

 

 

 

Then along came the JAMIEshow Trent.

 

Image Property of JAMIEshow

 

 

Image Property of JAMIEshow

 

I told myself I wasn't going to buy him.  I wasn't going to buy him!!!!  Then people started posting picture of him on the doll boards and Facebook, and I caved and bought him.  I fell in love with him, and then next thing I know I was thinking about sewing for him.

 

 Here is my first suit for Trent.

Let me just start by saying that Trent's suits should sell for at least double the price of Gene's clothes.  There are so many details in menswear even for a doll.  It took me 6 attempts to make this suit.  I am happy with the results, but I plan to tweak the fit a little more before I make more suits and sell the pattern.

 

 

This is the same taupe wool fabric that I have been working on for a month or so.  The color is darker than it photographs.  The buttons were really hard to find to match this fabric and look much better in person than they do in the pictures.

I am not crazy about the fit in the back, or the fact that it is impossible to get the back vent not to gap open.  I was stressing about the fit, then I compared my jacket to the two jackets that I own and decided that my fit is better than the "Dreamy Trent" and "Men's Club Trent" jackets.

My JS Trent is also standing without a stand, which is awesome, but to keep him from falling over he is standing with a swayback.  I think that is part of the reason the back doesn't look as good as I would like it to.

His pants are a little long, I may change that.  His JAMIEshow shoes are a work of art.  The shirt and tie are borrowed from Tonner's James Collins.

 

Squee!!! Check out his bum!!!  I made faux welt pockets!!!  And belt loops!!!

 

 

I have plans to make more clothes and patterns for Trent in the future.  I hope to take a few things to Sandra Stillwell's convention in August. 

"Marnie" Honeymoon Ensemble

This is my latest commission that I turned into a larger project.  One of my dolly friends send me the DVD for the 1964 Alfred Hitchcock film "Marnie" a year or so ago.  I made him the white dress a while ago and this is my version of the taupe honeymoon ensemble that Marnie wears in the film.

 

This outfit is made out of the same taupe wool that I used for one of the taupe "Something's Got to Give" prototypes.  I guess I bought a lot of it because I am making my first suit for Trent out of it too.  The fur is the same, but I didn't use the hair clippers on it.  I actually think I ruined my hair clippers trying to clip this faux fur for a different outfit.

 

 

 

Of course I had to fancy things up, and made another outfit using the same pattern.

 

 

I like to show the versatility of a pattern.

I added 3" to the bottom of the coat, and didn't use the facing pattern so the pink satin lining would show.

A bias-cut satin trim and a bow were added to the sheath.

To purchase the pattern click here.