A New Life For Barbie

“They were using the dolls to project their dreams of their own futures as adult women.”~Ruth Handler, creator of Barbie

Christmas was upon me and I always prefer to give homemade gifts. You have to start early and work hard, but it’s always worth the effort. This year I decided that for my niece Lauren, I would make her a custom Barbie wardrobe. I chose this pattern, that I got from Hila, Grandpa Bert’s cousin. I decided to make every outfit that was featured on this pattern.

But there was a problem. Barbie has gone through lots of changes over the years. This particular pattern was from 1963. The pattern would fit the original Barbie body, not the new Barbie body. I didn’t think that Lauren had any “old” Barbie dolls that the clothes would fit. Vintage Barbie dolls can be pricey, so off to the flea market I went!

I bought several Barbie dolls with the original Barbie body. They were in rough shape. They were dirty, their hair was matted and tangled. I got to work restoring them!

I washed them and managed to get their hair back into shape! I chose the Barbie that I would give to Lauren. I wanted the clothing I made to match the make up colors that the Barbie had. After some research, I discovered that the Barbie I was going to sew for was originally a “Hawaiian Fun Barbie” from 1990.

When I opened up the pattern I was surprised to find a hand drawn pattern for another dress! There was also scraps of felt from a Barbie cape that someone in the past had made. The pattern belonged to Hila’s mother, so maybe it was her scraps. Finding this was like a tip from the past. I had not thought about making the cape out of felt, what a great idea! I decided to put the hand drawn pattern aside to make last.

There was also this clue. A drawing of what the finished product would look like, and a hint. They copied the pattern from one that belonged to Clety.

I made the evening gown first. I chose this purple fabric that had some sparkle to it. It would match Barbie’s make up!

Lots of little pieces.

Pinning the darts for the bodice.

More darts for the skirt.

The evening dress had a gathered ruffle around the bottom.

Sewing it all together.

Now to attach the bodice.

I moved onto the cape. I cut the pieces out of some white felt that I had.

Once the cape was complete I moved onto one of the dresses. I had to make sure that I was choosing fabric that had a small design printed on it to make it more realistic for Barbie.

Stitching the dress bodice together at the shoulders.

Sewing the bodice to the skirt.

I then added a ribbon as the tie belt.

I then moved onto the bathing suit. I quickly assembled it.

Time to cut out another dress. There are so many steps for all of these that I didn’t take pictures through it all.

I then moved onto the ballerina outfit. It called for tulle, and I only had it in yellow. So a yellow outfit it would be! I had purple ballerina slippers for the doll so decided to add tiny purple rick rack to tie the outfit together.

Sewing the bodice together.

Hemming the legs. With Barbie clothes, you hem all of the clothes before you put them together.

Then it was time for the hand drawn pattern. Don’t forget there was a clue. “From Clety’s pattern”, it said. Did I have “Clety’s” pattern? Yes I did!!

I had previously used the pattern to make “Canal Ken” a custom outfit!

In case you want to revisit “Canal Ken” and his outfit, the link is below.

I’m Just Ken

Here’s the drawing and the dress on the pattern front!

I pinned the hand drawn pattern in place.

For the sash and cummerbund I decided to use this silver sequined fabric.

Pinning the bodice darts.

Sewing it all together.

The sash and cummerbund ready to be sewn.

When all the outfits were finished it was time for an elaborate photo shoot! Mia got her Barbie things out and helped to accessorize and set up the photo shoot. For Christmas, David got some movie lighting, so he was in charge of the lights for the photo shoot. Then Elizabeth arrived to celebrate Christmas and got in on the action!

First, Barbie in her new bathing suit! Enjoying a boating day with Canal Ken. He’ll never be left in the canal again, this time he has a boat! HA!

Roasting marshmallows by the campfire and enjoying her evening.

The next day Barbie had to do some shopping, and wore her casual dress out.

The ribbon made the perfect accessory for this dress.

With her shopping done Barbie was ready for her next day visit with her sister Skipper. She chose this casual dress for a nice lunch at home.

There’s always room for fresh baked cookies!

That evening Barbie had to put on her evening dress. She was receiving a major award!

Giving her acceptance speech.

The after party called for a wardrobe change! There were drinks, dancing, and merriment all around! Barbie’s grandparents were there to celebrate her award.

Grandpa making her pose for a picture.

Great shot Grandpa! He’s so proud of you!

To unwind the next day, Barbie and her award went into her sewing room to work on a cape.

Trust me Barbie, you’d better get those measurements right!

It’s a perfect fit!

Mia and Elizabeth had so much fun setting up Barbie’s photo shoot, but the real test was yet to come.

Would Lauren like her “new to her” Barbie, and wardrobe?

Of course she loved it!

She was mesmerized by Barbie’s custom clothes and accessories! She noticed all the differences between a “vintage” Barbie, and the modern day ones she has. She looked at her face and said, “look at her eyes, she’s a ‘real’ Barbie”.

Lauren immediately moved Barbie into the Barbie dream house. She said since she’s a real Barbie she get’s Barbie’s real name, Barbara.

Lauren said “Barbara was going to go on a date with Ken, but he’s away in “Kensas” visiting family. Ken is excited to come date Barbara in her beautiful gowns.” The truth was that Lauren’s Ken was at the bottom of the toy box, naked, and Lauren needed to find his clothes!

Lauren said it was her favorite gift that she got this year. I was happy to make her something special.

Homemade gifts really are the best. With a $2 Barbie and some sewing skills, Lauren has a new favorite toy. “Barbara” has a new home and many more years of play ahead of her, and my Canal Ken got to go on a fun date and show off his boat! HA!

I bought several Barbies at the flea market and plan on making personalized wardrobes for them all. So keep an eye out for that!

As for me, onto the next!