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Rissana

This outfit is for cold weather. Several heavy underskirts provide warmth. A basic long sleeved dress is covered by a wool tunic. A long scarf is draped around the shoulders and neck. Sturdy, fur-lined boots are wrapped with frabric strips.

Leslie

Ella

Before leaving for finishing school Ella escapes to visit the royal menagerie. There she meets her new friend, Prince Charmont. They walk together to visit all of Ella's favorite exhibits.

Rissana

This outfit starts with loose trousers and a long sleeved shirt. An overskirt, with a slit on one side comes next with a rectangular embroidered apron. A lightweight tunic is held in place with a beribboned corset. The knee high boots are decorated with ribbon and lace to match the bodice.

Leslie

Looking casual in jeans, tennis shoes, and t-shirt.

Ella

After a disastrous experience at dinner with a formal gown, Ella returns in this simple gown to finish the meal.

Rissana

This beautiful riding habit features a skirt split in the front. Underneath is a shorter skirt to allow riding astride. High boots with a leather knee guard are elegantly tooled.

Leslie

A striped blue shirt, yellow cardigan, green skirt, and awesome knee length leather boots for Leslie today!

Ella

Ella wears this voluminous dress at an unfortunate dinner with her Father. Unused to such fancy dresses, with longs skirts and sleeves (and being natually clumsy), she trips on her skirt, trails the sleeves in food, and ends up breaking her father's crystal wine glass! Afterwards he decides she needs to attend finishing school.

Is it summer yet?

Not quite sunny weather but I couldn't resist putting Leslie into a sundress.

Ella

Ella wears this gown (of a spicy green color) at her mother's funeral reception. She rebelliously chose the untraditional color because it was her mother's favorite dress of hers.

Rissana

Here's a basic gown for Rissana. Typical of the fashions in her world there is an embroidered undergown with a short, close-fitting, jacket. Ribbons are used throughout as decoration. Boots are typically worn, this outfit features embroidered leggints which come all the way down on the foot and are fastened underneath the arch.

Spring is in the Air!

Leslie's getting ready for spring with this cute collared dress.

It actually got up to 50 degrees this weekend! It felt so nice to be outside and soak up the sun (still had to bundle up though, because the wind was cold). I'm looking forward to warmer weather!

Ella Enchanted

I've wanted to do a paper doll series based on Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine for a long time (since the book came out...). And so far every version I've done has been flawed in some way. This is perhaps the fifth or sixth attempt I've made, and yes, she is very flawed. But I'll post her for your entertainment:

Ella wears this heavy black mourning gown during the first chapter of the book, at her mother's funeral.

Cora in Plaid

Silvia goes Scottish

Rissana

Here is Rissana again1 Here she is garbed in a very simple gown and tunic combo. Leggings and socks are worn underneath for added warmth. Rissana wears this outfit as she recovers in a small village from an swordfighting injury; she wears only socks because the doctor insists she's not well enough to be out of bed yet, much less out of doors!

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Apologies for all the missed posts on Mondays/Fridays. I need to ink and scan in all the new outfits!

Rissana

Here is Rissana. She wears a simple tunic with trousers. A linen sash is the only accessory.

Korean Influenced Ballgown

A new formal dress for Cora! This one is a little different than some of the others because I was researching historical Korean costume before I drew it. Hence, it has some slightly korean ideas going on, but I like how it turned out.

Dress for Amelia

Here's a cowl-necked, sweater dress for Amelia.

Afternoon Dress, Margaret Hale

I'm sorry for the un-anticipated neglect of the blog this week! A couple things happened that kept me too busy or emotionally occupied to think about adding a new dress.

Here is a afternoon gown for Margaret Hale. I think this is one of my favorites of her's. I know I already said she was finished, but you won't mind if every now and then she has a cameo appearance, will you?

Research

I did a bunch of research yesterday, looking for dresses for Jane. I found a new site that I hadn't seen before that has an awesome gallery of vintage clothes from 1750-1930. It's an Italian site (google translator works well! lol) and the photos and dresses are gorgeous! It's Abiti Antichi.

I also found a few fashion plates I really liked. Jane will have a few dresses based off of these:

Here is Jane again, this time wearing a simple (which we've all come to expect from Jane) day gown. Perhaps this is like the one she hurridly puts on in the middle of the night after being awoken by strange laughter... and then saving her employer's life froma bed of flames.

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I am in the process of creating a site where all the dresses and finished PDF's will be listed. This will make it easier for all of you to look at the different gowns, and instigate a transition from a multi-weekly updated blog to a sporadically updated gallery/portfolio of my paper dolls. I'll keep you updated on progress, my current plan is to make the switch in Spring. Updates will continue as normal for the time being until then!

Here is Cora sporting a half-cape which should go nicely over any dress. It is not a formal capelet, but one for casual visits or walks through the hills.

Shoes for Leslie!

Yes, those are shoes. A nice pair of blue flats. Leslie can finally shod those bare feet of hers! And to match them is a sundress of various shades of blue.

Coming Soon: Rissana

Here's a teaser for Rissana, who will be featured on Wednesdays. She is one of my favorite paper dolls. I just love how her costumes have turned out! Look for her debut in the next couple of weeks.

Jane Eyre

Here is Jane in another of her simple gowns. This one is a little fancer, having ruffled edges.

Nighty-Night

Here is a nightgown and half-robe for Cora. It's a fairly simple gown with lace edging and two buttons centered on the neckline. The half-robe has full length sleeves and a ribbon tie.

Below is a spread of all the previous dresses for Cora. I was curious of how they'd all look side by side, and voila! They look like this:

Bethel's Wardrobe

 Last week you got a sample of my experimental coloring, this week you get the full show. Here is Bethel with all of her full-color closet! Click on the PDF link below to see all of her clothes (above is just a few of them).

Click for PDF to print

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre meets you again with another simple gown. This gown she wears upon her official meeting with her new employer. It is made of black silk.

"Mr. Rochester would be glad if you and your pupil would take tea with him in the drawing-room this evening." Said she; "He has been so much engaged all day that he could not ask to see you before."

"What is his tea time?" I inquired.

"Oh, at six-o'clock; he keeps early hours in the country. You had better change your frock now; I will go with you and fasten it. Here is a candle."

"Is it nescessary to change my frock?"

"Yes, you had better. I always dress for the evening when Mr. Rochester is here."

This additional ceremony seemed somewhat stately; however I repaired to my room, and, with Mrs. Fairfax's aid, replaced my black stuff gown by one of black silk, the best and only additional one I had, exccept one of light gray, which in my Lowood notions of the toilet, I thought too fine to be worn except on first-rate occasions.

Cora: Afternoon Gown

Here is a little fancier afternoon gown for Cora. It features an upright, rounded colar, a fancy ringed bust-line, a pseudo-wraparound overskirt, and lace at the neckline and hem. A choker and brooch at the neck match the clasps on the sleeves, just below the shoulder.

Playing with Color

About a year ago I had the guts to purchase a few colored inks. In my initial excitement I sketched this doll (very quickly, which is why the proportions are so bad), and a collection of outfits. I played around with the colors and created a limited pallette (blue, yellow, green, and mixes thereof). Here is one of those experiments.

 Wow, this week went by fast and late last night I realized that it was nearly Friday and I hadn't posted at all for the whole week! I'm terribly sorry, I'm trying to keep up on the updates, but I seem to keep failing!

Today Jane is showing off her simple black frock. This is possibly the quaker-ish gown she wore upon her arrival at Thornfield. A hand-me-down dress from working at Lowood School as a teacher, it is not the latest fashion but, as Jane puts it, "at least had the merit of fitting to a nicety".

It's been a couple weeks that we've had Kaya now. She is looking absolutely wonderful! Here's a photo of her enjoying the snow.

Jane Eyre

Meet Jane Eyre. Here is the long awaited doll, finally inked and scaned for your benefit!

Click for full-size image
Click for PDF to print

Cora: Visiting Gown

Here's a nice visiting gown for Cora. It has a striped underskirt with a heavy overskirt/coat like bodice cover. To add some femeninity ruffled lace trims the collar, bustline, and cuffs. Buttons and criss-cross ribbon secure the bodice down the front.

Green Flapper Dress

Here is another dress from Singin' in the Rain. This is the lovely green flapper dress worn by Cyd Charise in the dream sequence.

made for Leslie

Happy New Year!!

I know I've been remiss in posting this last week, but check out what I've been busy with:

Please meet Kaya. She's a one year old shepherd mix that we acquired on Sunday night (she's almost been with us for a week!). She has a pretty bad case of demodectic mange which has been untreated and caused several patches of hair to fall out and skin infections to persist. We have her on medications now and she's starting to look a lot better!

Isn't she just adorable?