I love dressmaking in miniature. But I have a confession to make. Forgive me sewing goddess, but alas, I can’t make clothes for people. Dolls and bears yes, but clothes for real people, no.

I have tried, but the garments I have made in the past usually do not fit (because I am not a standard size) and are not well finished (because I get over-excited to see the end result) and therefore my efforts never make it as far as being actually wearable. Or I get stuck and end up abandoning projects, later cutting them up to use the fabric for something else, because I hate waste.

I find this lack of ability frustrating, disheartening and a bit embarrassing. People tend to assume that if you can make tiny things, you can more easily make bigger things. But it’s just not true in my case.

Consequently, I have endless admiration for those who can sew beautiful, well fitting, pristine, wearable garments, which is why I love watching The Great British Sewing Bee. A lot of people get inspired by the programme to make their own clothes. But not me. I know from bitter experience that attempting to make my own clothes is just asking for trouble.

I must also admit, dressing the most recent set of Liberty-clad dolls has also been something of a trial. Deep into my post-Christmas slump, I laboured through the first three dolls. But then inspiration seemed to dry up completely (a not unusual state of affairs, post-Christmas) and when it came to making the fourth doll’s costume, my ideas were exhausted.

But then I remembered how, on the Sewing Bee, contestants get inspired by draping fabric around a mannequin. So, I gave the draping thing a try with my final doll. It felt a bit voodoo, stabbing endless pins into the blank doll’s body to hold the fabric in place (the faces come last, thankfully) but it was actually quite fun.

And the result? A gathered sort-of kimono robe, in the prettiest, drapiest Liberty silk, which I’m really happy with and which I think compliments the other outfits very well. It’s the doll second from left in the photo below, but not having taken any decent photos of it before sending the dolls off to Sarah Campbell, I can only apologise that you can’t actually see it very well.

Now, if only I could make one for me… ♥