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The Poppet’s Springtime 1920s Dress

April 25, 2017April 6, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: 1920s Children’s Clothing

This is the second dress of a bunch of 1920s stuff I have drawn for the Poppets paper dolls, so much so that I actually think I should really start a special series for it.

I mean, I already have two 1920s paper doll outfits and a doll finished to go up and I have another batch of it penciled. Basically, I think it is time to accept one simple fact, “I am completely obsessed with 1920s children’s clothing.”

So, I have created a new on-going Poppet’s series called the 1920s Children’s Wardrobe Collection.

I know, it’s not a very creative name.

And I failed to carefully note where I got the images for the batch of 1920s children’s clothing I have finished, but I am going to get better at citation in the future.

Also, because I am me.

Anyway, I’d love to hear what people think of a flood of 1920s children’s clothing, so let me know in a comment.

Today’s 1920s paper doll dress was based on one from I think a Sears catalog. I really loved the floral detail on the bodice and I chose bright fun spring colors. I probably should have made the shoes brown or black, but once I start coloring sometimes it gets away from me.

If you’d like to support the blog, then donate a little each month and become a Patron. It really helps.

Plus, if you haven’t checked it out yet there is also a new blog facebook page where I am sharing stuff from the Archives, as well as announcing new posts when they are posted.

I think that’s all my general announcements for the moment. 🙂

Need a paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick a Poppet Paper Doll Here.

Bodacious & Buxom Paper Dolls Get to be a Northern Warrior Maiden

April 5, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Vikings… Kinda, But Not Really That Much

I am not a big Viking fan-girl. There are people out there who are just obsessed with Vikings and, mostly, I respect that. I’ve done my fair share of Viking research and drawn Viking women’s garments based on that research (read that here). You can check out those historical Viking paper doll outfits over here.

And I am here to say that this paper doll ain’t that. Vikings inspired today’s warrior paper doll outfit to have the same accuracy as a Wagner opera about vikings. In other words, not a whole lot of that.

Rather than accuracy, I wanted to draw fur and fantasy armor. Not practical fantasy armor, but absurd fantasy armor. Made more absurd, because this armor wouldn’t keep you warm in the cold northern climate anyway.

There is fur there, but it is pretty decorative rather than actually practical. Still, I had a bunch of fun drawing it. It was a hoot to create.

I am happy to create things that are just fun and not really realistic or practical.

Want to see more Viking paper doll stuff? There’s a whole category called, “Viking inspired.”

Want to donate and support the blog? Join Patreon! It’s a fun place and the support really helps keep things running around here.

Need to get a Bodacious & Buxom paper doll to wear these fabulous clothes? Pick one out here.

Steampunk Fashions for the Sprites Paper Dolls

March 30, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Corset and These Shoes

This is a week of first, it seems. Yesterday was my first 1930s dress for the Mini-Maiden series and today is my first attempt at steampunk clothing design for the Sprites printable paper dolls.

Whenever I try my hand at steampunk designs, I worry some secret cabal of steampunk clothing design purists are going to come along and say, “That’s not steampunk enough!”

I never said it was a rational worry. Let’s be clear.

Mostly, because I’m pretty sure there isn’t such a thing as a secret cabal of steampunk clothing design purists.

(But if I’m wrong and anyone is a member, wanna put in a good word for me?)

Anyway, I know this isn’t doing to be the last time I try to my hand at steampunk clothing design for the Sprites, so I did try to establish some neutral shades that I liked. That way, in the future, I can use the same browns and things to improve the mix and match options.

And now it is sources time! So here we go… The corset is based on this one, the shoes are based on these. The gent’s clothing is much more from my imagination. His trousers are vaguely inspired by 18th century men’s pants, but that’s about it.

One quick thing- tomorrow is the last say for the Reader 2017 coupon in the Etsy store. It’s 25% off of an order of 4 dollars or more. There’s steampunk designs in the Etsy store, too, if that’s your thing.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Trendy Summer Paper Doll Clothing with Crop Tops and Paper Bag Pants

March 28, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Spring Fashion Trends 2017

Back when Ms. Mannequin started, they were all about contemporary fashion. Not really runway fashion (though if you want that Boots of Pop Culture and Paper Dolls is doing a great catwalk series right now, just sayin…), but the latest thing from the boutiques.

In essence, I wanted to draw trendy stuff right from the fashion magazines.

So, one of the things I drew a few weeks ago were some pages of trendy clothing for the Ms. Mannequin girls.

Today, they have a pair of cropped “paper bag pants” and I have to say, that is a really dumb name. However, these pants are very much in vogue at the moment. To go with them, I drew a wrapped crop top and then I added an scalloped edged pencil skirt, because I like to draw at least three pieces when I do contemporary paper doll clothing.

These pieces can mix and match with any of the Ms. Mannequin clothing you already have printed out.

So, when you are about to get the paper dolls ready for summer, they now have some on tread cropped “paper bag” pants.

Want to see things from the archives without having to go through the archives yourself? Follow the facebook page where I post paper dolls from PTP’s archives regularly.

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Need a paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick out a Ms. Mannequin Paper Doll Here

Marisole Monday Medieval Maiden

March 27, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Medieval Dresses, Sort of…

So, today’s paper doll doll is Monica of the Marisole Monday & Friends crew with a fantasy dress up thing going. Her gown is vaguely medieval, vaguely not. Sometimes, I just want to draw a pretty dress. Nothing more, nothing less.

And this was one of those times.

I went with a pastel color scheme, because I thought that would look best against Monica’s rich skin tone.

Not sure which Marisole Monday & Friend’s doll is which? Here’s a guide I created last year when people had questions. I need to update it. I probably should write similar guides for all the paper dolls. Would folks find that helpful?

I confess that now that I have been looking at the colors in today’s paper doll dress for a while, they have begun to remind me of a sunrise. The blue dress being the pale sky and the pink and peach the colors of the clouds as the sun rises.

Along with her gown, Monica has white boots and stockings to fill out her paper doll fantasy dress up experience.

Love the blog? Want to help keep it on the internet? Join Patreon. Just a dollar a month makes a huge difference in off-setting server & other backend costs.

The 25% off Etsy coupon, READER2017, ends on Saturday. Check out the Etsy Store here!

Need a more outfits for today’s Marisole Monday & Friends Paper Doll? Find More Ladies Clothing Here.

A Nurse or Doctor Paper Doll Outfit for the B&B Series

March 23, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:A Request from The Steger Family for Community Helper

So, I was asked by one of my Patrons, The Steger Family to create some paper dolls of community helpers like policemen, librarians, firefighters, that sort of thing, I struggled.

Let’s just say my attempt at a police women ended up looking like a stripper, rather than an actual member of the police force.

So, I tabled it for a while.

When I came back, I thought I would try something like scrubs to create a nurse or doctor paper doll. One of my friends here in Birmingham is a nurse and I’ve always really respected women in the medical field. I don’t know if this is really a doctor paper doll outfit or a nurse paper doll outfit, but I tend to think it could go either way.

The hardest part was drawing the stethoscope. Not a tool I draw that often, I must say.

I made the scrubs the same color as one’s I’ve seen the local hospital, but I have no idea how scrubs work. Are they like a uniform? Do people have to wear certain colors? Do certain colors mean different things?

Someone in the medical field should let me know in a comment. I have no clue.

Either way, here’s either a Doctor or a Nurse paper doll outfit for the B&B series to help out their community.

While it might be a while before I tackle a police woman printable paper doll outfit again, I might try a firefighter. I have no idea what firefighters wear, but that’ll be some research.

And I know some of my readers have been wanting a librarian paper doll for a while.

Want to support the blog? Join Patreon! It’s a fun place and I really do listen to my Patrons requests.

Alternatively, follow the blog through Facebook and/or spread the word on social media.

Need to get a Bodacious & Buxom paper doll to wear these fabulous clothes? Pick one out here.

A Printable Paper Doll Dress from 1870 for Marisole Monday & Friends

March 22, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Fashion Plate from January 1870

If I had to pick a favorite period of fashion history, I’m not sure I could. I love the 18th century, the 1920s, 1960s, the Regency, the 1300s… I could go on and on, clearly. However, if I had to pick a favorite era of the Victorian period, then the bustles absolutely win.

I love them all. I love the soft draped bustle of the early 1870s, the narrow skirted bustle of the early 1880s and the tea-tray supporting bustle of the late 1880s. I don’t care how absurd they look.

I just think they are so much darn fun.

Despite that, I have drawn very few paper dolls with dresses from 1870. I think the reason is that I’ve also been intimidated by the bustle. So many loops of fabric. So much drapery. The angle has to be just right to show off the fit. But I decided to try it this time, so here she is- a dress from 1870 for Marisole Monday & Her Friends.

Just the ladies. This won’t fit the gents.

It is based off this dress from 1870 published in The Queen, the Ladies’ Newspaper in January. Queen was an English fashion magazine that published French fashion plates and started in 1861. In 1968, it was purchased by Harpers Bazaar. Until 2006, in England anyway, Harper’s Bazaar was published as Harpers & Queen. I’ve yet to find a good online archive of The Queen, the Ladies’ Newspaper full-text, but if anyone locates one let me know. Their fashion plates are lovely.

Without the accompanying information, it is hard to know what exactly this dress was intended for. Based on the style, I am thinking a seaside nautical thing. January magazines often published the first Spring plates, so I suspect this is a Springtime outfit.

Oh, and there’s a patron only blue version, too. Join to check it out! And, you know, help keep the blog on the interwebs.

Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here.

Poppet Paper Dolls Play At Snow White

May 19, 2020March 20, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:Snow White

One of my long term projects this year has been drawing fairy tale and nursery rhyme inspired Poppet paper dolls. You can find them all under the creatively named Fairy Tales and Nursery Rhyme Poppet Series. Today, there is a Snow White paper doll. Other fairy tales I have been working on are Hansel & Gretel and Little Red Ridinghood. I’ve already posted Little Bo Peep and the Princess and the Frog (though I did that one long before I started the series.)

In some fairy tales the look of the main character hardly matters, but Snow White is not one of those fairy tales. The 1857 edition of Brother’s Grimm contains the tale of Snow White and it opens like this:

“Once upon a time in midwinter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven, a queen sat sewing at her window, which had a frame of black ebony wood. As she sewed she looked up at the snow and pricked her finger with her needle. Three drops of blood fell into the snow. The red on the white looked so beautiful that she thought to herself, “If only I had a child as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood in this frame.”

It seems somehow wrong to create a Snow White paper doll without giving her super pale skin, black hair and red lips. Her skin isn’t actually white, but it is fairer than any of the other skin tones I have ever done for the Poppets. So, she won’t be sharing shoes that show flesh with anyone.

For her dress, I wanted to show some of forest elements that are so integral to the story, hence the trees and butterflies. In the 1857 version of the tale there are three attempts on Snow White’s life.

The first is with a bodice lace (like a shoe lace but for a corset) that is laced so tight it strangles her. The second is with a poisoned comb and the third is the apple attempt. I did not draw a comb, but I did was to give my Snow White paper doll a lace up bodice to reference that first attempt.

Of course, the 1857 version also ends with Snow White and the Prince torturing the Evil Queen to death with red hot shoes. As usual, older Fairy Tales are a trifle violent and rather dark.

Meanwhile, if you want to support the blog, then think about donating through Patreon. If you’re not sure wha the behind the scenes blog posts are like here’s two I’ve opened to the public- sketchbook photos and Some Stuff about my Process.

Need a paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick a Poppet Paper Doll Here.

Sprites Get to be a Space Prince & Space Princess

March 19, 2017March 16, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Space Prince & Space Princess, Also This Coat

I go through periods of super productivity and then I go through periods when I really struggle to come up with ideas. During one of these periods, I asked my Patrons for ideas.

Boots, of the blog Popculture and Paper Dolls, suggested searching “Outrageous Dresses” and seeing what came up.

So, bereft of ideas, I did.

And then in my second “Rachel Fails to Keep Her Sources” event of the week, I failed to Pinterest save the dress I found. But I found this super cool dress that had like gold armor on it and I thought, “OMG, Space Princess!”

And so, this set of Sprite Clothing was born.

This coat from my Sci-fi/Cyberpunk Fashion Pinterest board inspired the Gent’s outfit. I added the closures and made them gold to match the Lady’s outfit.

When I’m designing fantasy stuff based on history, I often think in terms of eras. I want to combine the 1820s and them maybe something renaissance and then… Well, you get tomorrow’s post.

But with sci-fi stuff, I think a bit about the world the clothing would belong in. Clothing is, after all, always a reflection of the society that birthed it. So for these outfits, I imagine a very technologically advanced society, maybe a utopia (or perhaps distopia?) sort of place.

What sort of world do you imagine these outfits belong in? I’d love to know.

Meanwhile, if you love the blog, and want to see more about how my process works, then become a patron. As little as 1 dollar a month gets you behind the scenes of PTP and is super appreciated.

Plus, my Reader2017 is only good until the end of the month which is approaching, so pop over to the the Etsy store if you haven’t yet. Also, the blog has a facebook page now, though I suspect most folks probably already know that.

Looking for some Sprite paper dolls to wear these outfits? Pick out Sprite paper dolls here.

Ms Mannequin and a 1960s Fashion Experience

March 15, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This 1960s Fashion Design

Given how much I like 1960s fashion, it is a trifle weird how little of it has made its way onto the blog. I think part of that is the lack of online sources. Sadly, stuff created in the 1960s is still under copyright, because the open access date hasn’t moved forward as was originally intended. (Thank you, Disney for messing up that.)

I only have one book on 1960s fashion. To give a comparison, I have three on 1920s fashion. So, if anyone has a rec, leave it in the comments. I really should track down more, since I do enjoy the era. Today’s Ms. Mannequin outfit comes from this fashion design by Creators Studio.

The original dress was a blue and blue windowpane plaid, but plaid is my nemesis, so I omitted it.

Want to help keep the blog running and see super fun behind the scenes content? Then join the Patreon group. Plus, there also the Facebook page where I am sharing stuff from the archives and the erratic sketchbook page.

Meanwhile, there’s a 25% off coupon for my readers (Reader2017) good in my Etsy store until the end of the month. Nothing terribly 1960s in there, yet, but I have done some smashing evening gowns.

Need a paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick out a Ms. Mannequin Paper Doll Here

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