I have a home based business making doll clothes. But not just any and all doll clothes. These clothes are made almost exclusively for 16" Robert Tonner fashion dolls. On occasion, I make clothes for other similarly sized fashion dolls or larger Asian ball jointed dolls. I do not make clothes for Barbie or Barbie size dolls! Barbie dolls are 4½ inches shorter and 1:6 scale. Tonner's fashion dolls are about 1:4.25 scale. The difference in scale makes fitting clothes much easier and a huge difference in the ability to do fine details on the clothing.
A bit of background on Robert Tonner: before starting his doll company in 1992, he was the head sportswear designer at Bill Blass. He has impeccable fashion sense as well as being a wonderful designer and sculptor. The many awards his dolls have won are proof of that. (And he's a very nice man in person as well.) There is a permanent display of his dolls at the Louvre in Paris. To learn more about his dolls, visit his website, www.tonnerdoll.com.
I became interested in these fashion dolls in 1999 and started making clothes for them in 2001. It wasn't a big leap for me. I have 40 years of sewing experience. I usually draft my own patterns and I enjoy finding fine quality fabric and detail items that make my clothes into real clothes sized for dolls instead of "doll clothes".
So, why am I bringing this up now? Because some of my designs are featured in the current issue of a well known doll magazine. I have had my designs featured several times in several doll magazines (DOLLS, Fashion Doll Quarterly, and Haute Doll to name a few). But this is new and this is now and it's the first time I've been featured since starting my blog.
My designs are the only ones on four pages (pgs. 110-113) of the June issue of Haute Doll magazine. I know the magazine is available at several regional book store chains, but the only national chain where I'm sure it's available is Barnes & Noble. Here's what the cover looks like:
I scanned the pages that feature my designs and will post them below. Please click on the pictures for a larger view of them.
I'm very pleased with the layout. Style Aisle is a regular feature in the magazine done by a woman in Vancouver, BC who has excellent photography skills and uses Tonner dolls that she has repainted as the models. (Thank you, Jenise, for making everything look so professional.)
If you would like to see more of my work, please visit my website, www.mtsdesigns.com. It is in dire need of an update with new designs I have available, but it will give you an idea of the kind of clothes I make.
