WIP: Cut & Color Couture Designs

So, my flight home from the Paper Doll Convention in Indianapolis got seriously delayed and I had a lot of time to spend sitting in an airport. I spent much of it drawing paper dolls and listening to podcasts. So, I’ve been working on Cut & Color Couture paper dolls.

Two things I love about this series-

  1. My niece has gotten into coloring and I am all about making things that she might like. So, black and white paper dolls for the win.
  2. The dolls are symmetrical which means I can use Procreate to mirror my lines as I draw them. That makes for much faster drawing. (This feels a little like cheating sometimes, but I keep telling myself it’s more like using spellcheck. I still have to do the writing, I just don’t have to remember that there’s a second U in couture.)

So, I’ve been working on three different sets. One is formal gowns. One is historical themed. One is princesses with big skirts.

Formal Gowns

Three of these designs all use the same basic bodice, but modified in various ways to get different looks.

I was playing around with how to use some of Procreates features to play around with similar pieces looking different through variations in form. There’s an old paper doll series that Julie Matthews did of toddler paper dolls. If you look carefully at the dolls, there’s a lot of duplication of basic shapes. The details create the unique dresses.

This is something I’ve wanted to explore and drawing fancy dresses seemed like a fun way to explore it.

The 1920s, 1940s & 1950s

1926 Day Dress
1926 Underwear
1942 Dress
1955 suit
1955 cocktail dress
I’ve been exploring the 1920s, 1940s and 1950s, eventually, I want to do all decades of the 20th century.

The Paper Doll Convention inspired the 1920s set. I used Good House Keeping from 1926 as my source and had a lot of fun. The 1940s foray was based on the 1942 Sears catalog- Spring Summer. I don’t love the 1940s styles, but this was largely an experiment in hair drawing. Also the fun thing about working from Sears catalogs is that they have everything- shoes, purses, dresses, hats, swimsuits and underwear.

One of my all time favorite looks I’ve ever seen is in the 1955 Spring Supper Issue of the Sears catalog. I debated between the one with the teal belt on the left and the one with the black bodice, before deciding on the black bodice one. My interpretation is not exact, but I love love how it came out and I am very proud of it. I can’t wait to see the set finished.

I haven’t started work on it- yet- but I want to do all the decades of the 20th century, but also I sort of have been thinking about also doing all the decades of the 19th century, too. Not there yet.

The Princesses!

Some fantasy designs, because I do love those too!

So, I was going through my own paper doll archives (which I do occasionally) and I was inspired to draw some gowns based on older designs. I wanted to use them as a place to do some more princess gowns. I don’t mind at all borrowing from my own older work.

Plus, I wanted to be able to layer the gowns. So, the over gown could be a separate piece. I’m actually kind of obsessed with this over gown and I might have made more than one version…

You know, I just realized that there’s a lot of dresses here. I didn’t mean for that to happen, but it 100% did. So, might be time to draw these nice paper dolls some trousers.

The 2024 Paper Doll Convention Recap

I attended the 2024 paper doll convention in Indianapolis. I confess that it was all a little bit of a blur, but I am going to try to recap it as best as I can in brief here. Julie has a nice write up, too.

It was such a great event! Sharry & Micheal O’Hara and Beth & Kevin Wilkins really knocked it out of the park. Truly, their hard work make it all possible. I’ve helped organize conventions before and I know how complicated the logistics are, so it really was a feat that they did it all and it ran so smoothly.

Preparing for the Convention & Flying out on Thursday

My cat approving of my packing plans.
Brunhilda the printer, hard at work.
The hotel had these birds with little sweaters on the wall and it was the coolest thing.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Brunhilde, the fancy printer I have, was hard at work printing off my paper doll prints on beautiful paper from Red River Paper. I used the Matte Polar paper and printed a mix of one page and two page sets. I didn’t print many copies, focusing instead on variety. I packed as light as possible, so just a carry on bag. It did mean that everyone saw me in the same outfits the entire time- I didn’t dress up for anything, but maybe I will next time.

All packed up, I headed to the airport to fly out at 2:30 am on Thursday morning. Because it’s a nearly a four hour flight to Seattle, I had to take a red-eye if I was going to make it to Indianapolis in one day. (Time zones are really annoying when flying to and from Alaska.)

My flights went smoothly, but my second flight got a bit delayed and so I didn’t get to the hotel until after 7:30pm. I slipped into the back of the opening reception to eat some tasty food (the food was good at the whole event) and listen to the end of Beth Wilken’s talk on 1920s history.

Friday

The menu I designed for the dinner.
Brenda in a 1920s dress and hat.
Kwei-lin Lum presenting on her wonderfully unique art.

Julie’s workshop was Friday morning, I had a fun time gluing little pieces of paper together. (I do like playing with paper.) Then I slipped out of the event to run a quick errand (I’d forgotten contact lens solution and needed that to get through the next few days) and returned in time to see Brenda Mattox’s amazing talk on historical 1920s clothing using examples from her own collection. So very cool!

This was followed by a great talk from Kwei-lin Lum whose site- Flat Doll– was a big influence on me as I’ve moved through the paper doll world. One of the things she talked about was the idea of paper dolls as “an arrangement of parts” with the connections between those parts (the doll and her clothing) largely being suggested, rather than stated. This has always resonated with me. The idea that each piece of a paper doll is part of a story being told through suggestion rather than overt means. Her artist’s statement on Flat Doll is wonderful reading about paper dolls and art.

Saturday

Me at my sales table.
Eileen Rudisill Miller getting the Fanny Gray Award.
The menu I designed for the final reception.

Saturday was sales day, but I overslept and ended up panicked running downstairs to set up my table in just a few minutes. I got everything set up and tidy though. My one page sets sold the best (which surprised me). I also sold out of all the copies of my book that I brought.

On Saturday evening, I had dinner with several very folks from all around the country. I won the centerpiece, but I had no way to get it home without mangling it, so I passed it on to another lady who was there. Eileen Rudisill Miller was honored with a Fanny Gray Award for her contributions to the paper doll world. It was really a wonderful moment.

Highlights from the trip for me all about getting to meet and see people. I didn’t purchase much and I was sort of exhausted by the end of it, but it was also super fun and I am so happy I went.

Next time, I need to pace myself a little better. But I always say that after events like this, and I never seem to do it. Big thank you to everyone, especially the organizers- Sharry & Micheal O’Hara and Beth & Kevin Wilkins- who made it all possible.

Ensemble Eclectica: Vacationing in 1936

A 1930s fashion paper doll with clothing from a 1936 issue of McCall's style news including a six piece mix and match wardrobe to color.
A 1930s fashion paper doll with clothing from a 1936 issue of McCall's style news including a six piece mix and match wardrobe to cut out and play with. She has blond hair and a summer inspired color palette.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

Happy Labor day! I can’t quite believe August is over. Wow. That was an unexpected month off! But life has quieted down a tiny bit (okay, not very much). The least I think I can do is share the last of my 1930s sets, before I potentially disappear again.

(Nothing bad, but I’m teaching this semester for the first time and it’s a lot!)

Out of every 1930s fashion paper doll I’ve created, this one stands out with the most cohesive theme. This paper doll design hopefully captures the essence of a vacation wardrobe in around 1936. She showcases clothing for sports and summer activities. I keep thinking beach vacation, probably because of the swimsuit. (I could have labeled things here, but I’ve delayed in so long in sharing this that I decided to share and move on.)

For my 1930s fashion paper doll, I picked out pieces from the McCall’s Style News magazines of 1936. I really wanted to try to make a cohesive set. So, the mini-wardrobe has a stylish sports dress, ideal for casual daytime activities, with matching jacket. There is also a playful split skirt romper, which I assume you wear while playing tennis or other athletic activities. The trousers with top are there for golf or whatever a girl might do in trousers at the time. I’d say horseback riding, but an actual riding habit would be more for that.

To complement these outfits, I added a straw hat. It can be mix and matched with any of the clothing pieces. I decided on just one hat, though of course, hats were crucial for the era of the 1930s. Feel free to draw more or steal them from other paper doll sets.

This 1936 photo of Carol Lombard inspired this paper doll’s hair. Just in case you were curious about where that came from.

I have an amazing time at the 2024 Paper Doll Convention in Indianapolis. I didn’t take nearly as many photos as I should have, but I will try to put together the small number I have into something. Overwhelmed for a million non-paper doll reasons at the event by other “real life” things that were happening at the same time, I just haven’t managed to quite get my feet back under me.

(Real life should not intrude on paper dolls, darn it! Though I am trying hard to be kind to myself about it, because as one very nice and friendly blog reader reassured me at the convention with something like, “I’ve been following along since the beginning and I know your life has gotten more complicated. Please don’t feel bad about missing posts.” )

As with all my 1930s paper dolls so far, I have a second page I’ll be sharing for my patrons at some point this month.

Cut & Color Couture Series: A Steampunk Lady

A steampunk dress-up doll to print with a six piece mix and match wardrobe.

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

This steampunk dress-up doll can share clothing with all my other cut and color couture paper dolls, but she especially matches the other steampunk paper doll I made. I have one more 1930s paper doll to share, but I thought we’d take a little breather from the 1930s for the week.

My big goal was try out drawing gears. Any self respecting steampunk dress-up doll needs some gears on her clothing, doesn’t she? But gears are not easy to draw and drawing them digitally is a little easier than drawing them by hand for me. Mechanical things tend to be precise in their angles and I tend not to be precise in my drawing, so… Yes, there’s a conflict there. 

Professional draftsman, I am not. 

Today’s steampunk dress-up doll’s hair was inspired by the 1840s and styles that would sort of talk over and around women’s ears. There’s something very ballerinaish about the pose, the hair, and the skirts. She also sort of reminds me of a an old fashioned doll.

Patron Exclusive: Expanding the 1932 Autumn Wardrobe

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Ensemble Eclectica: A Fall 1932 Fashion Paper Doll

A printable 1932 fashion paper doll coloring page with a coat and two dresses.
A printable paper doll with clothing from 1932 with a coat and two dresses.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

In my continuing series of 1930s creations, I made this 1932 fashion paper doll celebrating autumn styles. I love the color blocking that is trendy in the early 1930s. I also love the big soft sleeves. They don’t yet have the stiff shoulders of the later part of the decade. There’s also a lot of asymmetry in 1930s clothing. The complicated caped coat on the bottom shows some of that off (and I had both fun and cursing while drawing it.)

All of these dresses are from McCall’s Style News from September 1932. I linked a few free scans from the publication. I paid for a full scan from this Etsy seller. Like most fashion magazines of the period, it was printed in only one or two colors. So, the details are a little hard to be certain of.

For colors, I looked at fabric reproductions. I ended up with an acid green, a coral pink, and a soft navy shade with warm brown and cream as the neutrals. Her shoes and hats are based on references from my own fashion book resources. I wasn’t always sure what was happening in the hats in some of the drawings in the source magazine.

As with my last 1938 paper doll, I ended up with more clothing than I had space, so I have a second page of clothing for my paying patrons that I’ll be posting later this week for them to enjoy.

Are you enjoying this little trip to the 1930s? I sure am!

Patron Exclusive: Extra Clothing From 1938!

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Ensemble Electica: A 1938 Paper Doll

A fashionable lady 1938 paper doll with a four piece wardrobe to color and play with.
A fashionable black lady 1938 paper doll with a four piece wardrobe to print.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

Today’s creation is a 1938 paper doll with dresses from that year. I did a preview of these 1930s paper dolls a while ago. So, here we are, debuting the first member of that collection. I am super happy with how she came out.

In the late 1930s is the time, you begin to see some hints of what will come in the 1940s. Particularly, the strong shoulders that will be the big trend in the next decade. Skirts are also a bit shorter. It’s a fun time period, though the sleeves aren’t quite as wacky as they were earlier in the decade.

One new to me thing I tried out with these paper dolls was this jacket technique I’ve seen other do. Where the jacket can be a layering piece with the top of the dress as one piece. I’ve not really done that before. One thing I noticed when going through 1930s fashion magazines, was a lot of shrugs and jackets designed to match dresses. Bare arms were either a super casual or super formal- it’s like ballgown or tennis dress, but not afternoon shopping. Social rules are weird.

Most of the fashions in this paper doll were copied from Fashion Service Magazine‘s Summer 1938 Issue. This was the magazine of the Woman’s Institute. I picked up a digital version from Mrs. Depew. This magazines helped a home sewists create the latest fashions for herself or as a home business. I don’t know how popular it was, but it seems less trendy than some of others I have seen. I did use a few books from my own collection for hats and shoes, because the magazine was mostly about things people sew. Shoes not being known for being homemade, even in the 1930s.

Because planning projects fully isn’t really my jam (to the surprise of none of my long time readers), I had a few extra pieces that wouldn’t fit on this page for all my 1930s sets. So, those’ll be a paid patron exclusive while I post this series. My thank you for those folks who help support this little corner of the internet. I’ll probably post it on Friday, if I can (this is never a certainty.)

Today, a Hiking Paper Doll for Cut & Color Cotoure

A hiking paper doll printable coloring page with three shirts, a pair of hiking pants, a map and a water bottle. She can share clothing with the other paper dolls in the Cut and Color Couture collection.

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

Creating a hiking paper doll isn’t typically my go-to theme. I’ve got some other hiking themed paper doll things though like this steampunk one for my Patrons, this kids set with a super cute stuffed owl, and a marisole version called Walk in the Woods, but it’s not a theme I do back to that often.

Lately, I’ve been immersed in the world of hiking gear, particularly on the quest for the perfect pair of hiking pants. That search has led me through countless hiking clothing websites and caused no small amount of annoyance. While I’m much more of a- go for a walk for an hour or two- than a -hike up a mountain with switch backs all the way up for five hours- sort of person. I do like being outdoors and I like walking.

One thing I have learned about being out doors is how important is to wear the right clothing. Comfortable hiking clothes make a huge difference in the experience. No one wants to be cold or sweaty while also trundling through the woods.

So, in honor of the importance of hiking clothing and despite my somewhat frustrating shopping experience (I haven’t found those ideal hiking pants yet!), I’ve decided to channel my inspiration into creating a collection of paper doll outfits suitable for hiking.

Plus, our hiking paper doll is practicing good outdoor safety with her map and water-bottle. When I was in high school, Nalgene water bottles were super popular and very “cool” even though if you try to drink from them, you run a real risk of spilling water all over yourself. (When people complain about the current trend for whatever expensive water bottle, I think of the Nalgene I begged my parents for in high school.)

By the way, I am going to be at the 2024 Paper Doll Convention from August 15-18, 2024 in Indianapolis. I did some designs for the menus and I can’t wait to see how they turned out. If you’re planning to attend, please come way Hi! I love meeting PTP readers.

Ensemble Eclectica: Specs & Posies

Cute printable paper doll with glasses and several different mix and match pieces. This fun coloring page for kids. She has thirteen mix and match pieces.
Cute printable paper doll with glasses and several different mix and match pieces. She has thirteen mix and match pieces with a modern colorful theme.

Download Black and White PDF | Download Color PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Ensemble Eclectica Series

I don’t often create printable paper doll with glasses, but I wear glasses (blind as a bat without them) and therefore I thought, I should make more paper dolls with glasses. Glasses are cute and fun.

So, I’ll be honest- I am still learning to use Procreate a year after starting. Because I’m still getting used to the tools, I’ve been a little conservative about what I’ve attempted. I did a lot of playing around last year, but this year I’m trying to give myself space to get comfortable.

As part of that process, I’ve been revisiting older paper dolls that I liked. Sometimes, I stick close to the original like I did with Rose, Coffee, And Mint Redux and Coffee Strawberry and Cream, but other times I end up heading off on my own little side trek as I did with Bright Boho from Wings and Petals. This time, I think it is somewhere in the middle.

Marisole Monday & Friends: Late Summer Flowers inspired this new printable paper doll with glasses. I kept the glasses, changed up the hair, and kept the color scheme, though used it in a different way. My two favorite pieces from the original (the shoes with flowers on them and the shorts) I redrew. The pattern on the shorts was a great learning experience about how to manipulate lines in Procreate.

Cut & Color Couture: A Touch of Steampunk

A steampunk printable paper doll with outfits to color. There are five different clothing pieces.

Download Black and White PDF | More Paper Dolls from the Cut & Color Couture Series

Today’s paper doll with outfits to color is the first of two steampunk designs I did for the Cut and Color Couture Series, which are totally interchangeable, should you wake up one morning and want to do that. That other paper doll isn’t quite ready for primetime yet though, so it maybe a few weeks before the steampunk wardrobe gets to expand. I drew these outfits from my Pinterest Board devoted to Steampunk Fashion. As happens often, I did not keep good notes on my sources here.

I have been trying to be more careful when I am designing paper doll with outfits to color. I spent some time coloring with my niece and it was harder than I’d thought to get into some of those tiny spaces. I still had fun, of course, but I was never a big “coloring” kid. I don’t have as much experience with coloring paper dolls as I do drawing them.

For today’s paper doll, I attempted to draw bandu knots (a protective style for natural hair, as I understand it). I think I needed to place the knots more forward on the head to get the right angle… Next time! That’s one of the fun things about paper dolls- I can always try again. Drawing hair is challenging for me (not as hard as hands, but it’s up there) and so I just think you have to keep practicing.

When people ask me how to learn to draw paper dolls, the only advice I have to just draw and then draw more. It’s not very helpful advice, so I usually just keep my mouth shut.