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A Fantasy Dress Design for the B Pose Paper Dolls

April 6, 2018

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Some people develop elaborate backstories for their paper doll designs. I’ve always wished my brain worked that way, but generally I end up tapping into my history background. So, I find my inspiration for each fantasy dress design there. For today’s paper doll design, I was thinking of 14th century medieval dresses of Europe. Dresses back then usually had a kirtle (under-dress) which as worn with a surcoat (over-dress) on top.

When I was working on this fantasy dress design, I wanted an over-dress that would feel more decorated than the under-dress. Basically, the opposite of putting children wore pinafores in the 19th century to keep their dresses clean.

Her chain belt owes something to the 12th century and the leather pouch I copied from this one I saw on Pinterest. I have no idea if that chain belt set up would work in the real world (I suspect not), but I did think it looked neat. And looking neat is really a more important priority in my paper doll drawing universe.

So, I’ve decided to take on The 100 Day Project on Instagram. Basically, I am drawing one dress a day (or more realistically several dresses and spacing them out over several days- I know me) for the next 100 days. If you don’t already follow me on Instagram, you can here. You can also follow the hashtag #100dressesproject if you want to just see what I’ve drawn so far.

Will some of these become paper doll dresses later? I deeply suspect so. But I’m intentionally only spending a few minutes per dress. My goal is under 10 minutes, because this is a thing I’m doing on the side. It is not my life.

Also, I have an alternative color scheme for today’s gown on Patreon for anyone who’d like to view it. It’s not just for Patrons this time. 🙂

Need a paper doll for today’s clothing? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a Paper Doll Dress to Print

February 14, 2018

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & ClothesHappy Valentine’s Day!

Since the Dames & Dandies are a new series, one of my goals is to try to get a paper doll outfit done for the holidays. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but when I was a child, my grandmother would send us holiday cards with paper dolls in them all the time. Here is a scan of one, I remember getting. I’m sure it says something about me that I can remember that card after 20 something years.

Anyhow, I love drawing over the top heart covered gowns for Valentine’s Day paper dolls. So, it wasn’t hard to decide to draw this one. I’ve been working on an 18th century paper doll with period underwear, so I thought I would design a dress that could go over the set of hoops. That’s how we ended up with this over the top rococo influenced Valentine’s Day paper doll dress.

By the way, I have no idea when that 18th century doll will be done. So, don’t hold your breath.

Meanwhile, I hope everyone has an amazing Valentine’s Day!

Need a Doll to wear today’s outfit? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

The Winter Princess Fantasy Dress For Pose B

March 16, 2018February 12, 2018

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & ClothesWhen I was first drawing and prepping content for the new Dames and Dandies series, I made a list of what I thought might be the first nine clothing sets to draw for the new paper dolls. Both my Patrons and folks who follow me on Facebook got to see this list at the top of which was “Winter Big Princess Gown.”

For those of you who don’t know, “big gown” is my short hand for these sorts of full skirted over the top dresses I am fond of drawing. Wenesday’s Valentine’s Day dress is another “big gown”. I just like to draw things with huge skirts, because the size of the skirt allows for layering and over skirts and all sorts of other decorative elements.

It’s hard to draw a super over the top mini-dress. You just don’t have as much room.

So, anyway, I wanted to create a winter princess dress. You know, a sort of over the top, full skirted dress that would feel like the sort of thing a fairy tale princess might wear while wandering through a snow covered landscape. Possibly to meet a prince or possibly just because, she felt like it. Princes need not always be involved.

Today’s winter princess dress is trimmed in fur. The bodice feels a little military influenced, with the trimming, buttons and cuffs. The skirt is three layers. There’s an over skirt, an under skirt and a wide pleated bottom skirt.

The motif on the over skirt is supposed to be a snowflake, but I’m not sure that’s obvious. In fact, the first color scheme had a gold snowflake and it looked more like a star to me. So, I ended up recoloring the whole dress. I was thinking of snowy winter days when I colored this- blue-grey is a color I associate with the winter time.

You can see the first color scheme over on the Patreon page. Let me know which color scheme you liked better. I’m super curious.

Need a clothing for today’s Doll? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing

The Bellflower Princess Paper Doll & Her Ball Gown

February 9, 2018

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & ClothesThe first dress I designed was the lily ball gown, but this dress is what turned that dress from just as “this would be fun to draw” into a “oh, I could make this a series”. So, I really think of today’s Beatrix princess paper doll as the inspiration behind the whole week.

When I was planning the Dames and Dandies series, I new I was going to have a stable set of “faces”, but I wanted those faces to have many versions. So, this is Version 2 of Beatrix– The Bellflower Princess Paper Doll version.

Also, huge shout out to my Mom, who when I was describing the flower I was remembering from the garden as a child, recalled the name of it and spelled it correctly enough for me to goggle it. The formal name for bellflowers is Campanula, by the way, which is what she told me.

I just thought Campanula Princess didn’t roll off the tongue as well as Bellflower Princess, hence the name change.

The original doodles for today's printable paper doll with the dress on the left and the doll's head on the upper right. — The original doodles for today’s printable paper doll from my notebook. The doll’s head is on the right and the dress is on the left.

In the order of this princess paper doll design, the dress came first. Once I had it drawn, I wanted a crown and I came up with the idea of the flowers coming out from a pair of buns.

Once I had that idea in my head, I had to figure out how to actually create in a way that would work for someone cutting out the paper doll. So, I drew the hair style and the crown pieces separately.

Than, I used Photoshop to create one version of Beatrix with out the crown and second version with the crown. So, the hair with the crown can be cut out and placed over the hair without the crown.

This also assures that this version of Beatrix can wear a hat without floral crown pieces getting in the way.

I don’t often share my process photos here, because I try to save them for my Patrons. So, if you want to see more images of the raw beginnings of paper doll sets, than donate and join Patreon. I try to post a few “behind the scenes” images every month. I also put them up on Instagram erratically.

In case you missed any of this week’s floral ball. The first dress was Monday’s lily ball gown, the second was Wednesday’s fiddlehead fern suit and then today, we have the bellflower princess.

Let me know what you think of today’s paper doll in a comment or which paper doll from the floral ball was your favorite? I confess I don’t have one this time and usually I do.

Need a clothing for today’s Doll? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing

The Lily Ball Gown For Paper Doll Princesses

February 11, 2018February 5, 2018

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It feels at this time of the year as though Spring will never come. The weather in Alabama has been unusually cold and while I try to look at the bright side (fewer bugs), it has been a long grey winter. So, let’s look at paper doll clothing inspired by flowers.

This whole week will be devoted to the floral fantasy ball. Today, we have a Lily ballgown for the A pose paper dolls. Wednesday will be a Fiddlehead Fern inspired suit for the C pose gents. Friday Beatrix will debut as the bellflower princess with her own paper doll princess dress.

I love lilies. There were a bunch of yellow and orange lilies that grew by the door of our house when I was child. My mother is a wonderful gardener, but nothing else would grow in that corner. Those lilies grew there when we bought the house. As far as I know they are still there.

I wanted this paper doll princess dress to be elegant. It was also a chance to practice drawing lillies. I didn’t want the paper doll dress to feel to bridal, so I chose a rich color. It started out as purple, but I changed it to teal once I realized I was going to end up with two purple dresses if I kept it purple.

Anyway, to talk about the paper doll gown, I wanted to design this gown for weeks. I originally doodled it out in my notebook and I knew I wanted to make it a huge skirted sort of ballgown. The crown was partly inspired by something sort of Art Nouveau. Hop over to the Patreon page to see the original thumbnail doodle I did of this gown and the subsquent sketchbook pages.

Also, just for Patrons, there is a super fun purple version.

I’m curious. What are some of your favorite flowers? I love lilies, pansies and poppies. How about you? Share in a comment! And maybe you’ll inspire another paper doll princess dress.

Need a Doll to wear today’s outfit? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

And Then There Was a Fantasy Gown

July 6, 2018January 3, 2018

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It’s hard to know with what paper doll dress to start a new paper doll series. It’s full of both excitement and worry. I decided to make the first outfit in the series a classic fantasy gown design. It’s actually the first gown I drew for the new series after I had the dolls finished, so I suppose it is a fitting place to begin.

I picked a rich dark blue as the primary color scheme for the gown with red and ocher. It should come as no surprise that her accessory is a book. I do love drawing books for my paper dolls. It’s the librarian in me. The garters are very decorative and I don’t know how practical they would be, but they do look nice.

Inspiration wise, the fantasy gown design owes a little to the 12th century dresses like the bliaut, but there wasn’t a specific gown I based today’s dress off of. If you’re not sure what a bliaut is, than picture the stereotypical medieval dress and you’re pretty much there. Historical bliaut’s were more loose and less fitted.

Today’s design probably owes more to Victorian interpretations of the bliaut like the one in The Lady of Shallot by Waterhouse or The Accolade by Edmund Leighton than actual 12th century bliauts. It’s astonishing to me, sometimes, how much the visions of the medieval era are shaped by the romantic paintings of the Victorians (and, to be technical, the Edwardians as Waterhouse was later.)

Meanwhile, I’ve got an alternative color scheme for today’s gown over on the Patreon page for my patrons to check out. Join if you’d like to support the blog!

As always, I would love to hear what you think in a comment.

Need a Doll to wear today’s outfit? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

The Poppets’ Purple Princess Dress & Headdress

December 27, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Burgundian Gowns,
Sorta Kinda

I’m a sucker for an over the top princess dress. Always have. Always will be. One of my favorite sticker paper dolls when I was a kid was called Storybook Princess.

You can still get it from Dover, should you like.

I bought it more than once and played with it for hours before the stickers would wear out and I would have to buy a new one.

My other favorite was a cat sticker paper doll that had outfits for each season. I don’t think they make it anymore.

I digress.

So, the whole idea with today’s princess paper doll dress was to have fun and draw something that I imagined a little girl would love.

The basic silhouette of the dress and the headdress are both Burgundian, but really… there’s nothing historically accurate in either. Last year, I did a snowflake Burgundian inspired fantasy Poppet gown which could definitely go with this one.

For my Patrons, there’s an different color scheme of today’s dress. Join if you’d like to see it and/or support the blog.

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

Margot of Marisole Monday & Friend’s as an Medieval Princess

October 21, 2019October 9, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Traditional Epic Medieval Inspired Fantasy

It was a wet stormy Sunday this weekend. I usually write the week’s posts in a batch on Sunday. The remnants of tropical storm Nate took out the power for my apartment, so I spent a lot of Sunday sitting by the window with a cat on my lap reading a book. It would have been relaxing, but I kept worrying about the dishes and laundry I needed to do before Monday.

Fortunately, power was restored in the late afternoon. As I write there, there are clothes being washed and the dishwasher is hard at work. (I love dishwashers.)

I felt like drawing a gown. Something medieval and fantasy. My patrons voted at the beginning of the year and asked for more Lord of the Rings inspired fantasy sets. When I think of Lord of the Rings, I tend to think of traditional medieval influenced fantasy. (Also, hairy feet, but I don’t imagine I’ll be drawing those in the future.)

Today’s paper doll is Margot, because I hadn’t posted a paper doll of her in almost a year, I realized. So, I made this paper dolls. She’s got red hair (you all know I love red hair) and two pairs of shoes.

If you think she needs more dresses of a similar style than I would refer you to this post, this post, this post, and this post. I didn’t realize how long it has been since I drew a traditional fantasy gown for the Marisole Monday & Friends paper dolls.

I may need to fix that.

And everything in the medieval inspired section of the site.

On my Patreon page, there’s a different color scheme for you to download. And you don’t have to be a patron to see it or download it. Though if you want to donate to help support the blog, that’s always appreciated and helpful.

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

Mini-Maiden’s Romantic Princess Gown

September 20, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Dress from Pinterest

Today’s paper doll dress was very heavily influenced by this dress on Pinterest. It’s not an exact replica, but it is really very close.I really loved the romantic style of the dress. It just felt so fairy tale to me.

The ribbon detailing on the sleeves and the bodice was one of the things that drew me to the dress. I didn’t like how the bodice and the waist seam cut off the lines of the dress, so I changed that for my version.

I sometimes feel a little guilting drawing such close replicas to other’s designs, but I also know that clothing designs can’t be copyrighted, so I refuse to feel too guilty about it.

In my head, this is the sort of paper doll gown that a paper doll wears while lounging on a stone bench in the garden near a fountain playing her stringed instrument and looking super amazing. It is the opposite of these fantasy outfits.

There is no practicality here at all, except perhaps her shoes which I wanted to be simple given the complexity of the dress.

I do regret not doing some pattern on the trimming on the shoes, but I shall survive.

Meanwhile, I am three weeks into my graduate program. So far things are going pretty well. I have more work ahead of me, but I am feeling pretty confident about it.

I will admit that I’ve been struggling to find time to draw. I want to draw, but somehow I can’t seem to quite get into the right mental place to let things go and just relax into the process.

Friday there’s an amazing paper doll dress planned. A 15th century Burgundian gown for the Ms. Mannequin series. It’s glorious.

Also, Rosh Hashanah starts tonight at sunset, so Shana Tova everyone! May your new year be sweet.

A Floral Fantasy Princess Gown for the B&B Paper Doll Series

September 15, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:Renaissance Dresses & Princess Gowns

Confession time: I didn’t keep really good notes on this princess gown- I think of it as one even though there is no crown. I usually try to write down where an idea comes from or what images I look at as source material, but in this case, I really don’t have much of an answer. I know I wanted to do something renaissance inspired and fantasy gown, but with a very different aesthetic than the Sorceress Gowns Project.

I think of the Sorceress gowns as being all about layers and flow.

This gown, on the other hand, is very much a renaissance inspired gown, though it’s not historically accurate in anyway.

And I love, love, love the colors.

The colors were inspired by a sunset, but I really wanted to embrace the idea of rich yellows, oranges and greens. The cream blouse and socks are meant to counter the rich color scheme of the rest of the dress. The garters are orange, of course, to march the flowers. I trimmed everything in black to counter balance the bright yellow and orange.

Playing with color is such a fun part of creating paper doll fashions.

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

A Printable Paper Doll Princess Ball Gown for Marisole Monday & Friends

December 6, 2020August 7, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Fantasy Gowns

Today’s Marisole Monday post is princess paper doll ball gown with a full skirt and double puffed sleeves. It’s pretty over the top, though not the most over the top thing I have ever drawn.

I love drawing what I think of a traditional princess paper doll ball gown. You know the type with big skirts and puffy sleeves. The kind of gowns you imagine being worn only in cartoon movies with musical numbers and never by actual people in the real world who need to get through doorways.

All paper dolls are about fantasy to some degree. After all, much of the armor I draw wouldn’t protect you very well and plenty of the gowns I draw would be hard to walk it or move in, but I still draw them. I do care about some levels of realism. I like the for my paper doll clothing to ‘make sense’ in so much as, I want them to actual be able to exist.

It matters to me that layers layer properly and such. Fabric looks like fabric. You know, those sorts of things.

But practicality belongs somewhere other than in the realm of paper dolls.

This dress went through three color schemes or so, before I decided I like this yellow, blue and orange option.

One of the other color schemes, is up on the Patreon page for my patrons. So, if you’re a patron hop over to see it and if you’re not, consider joining. It’s a fun time.

As always, I love to here what you all think in the comments.

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

A Fantasy Gown for the Ms. Mannequin Printable Paper Doll Series

July 14, 2017July 14, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Baroque Maiden

Today’s printable paper doll gown for the Ms. Mannequin paper dolls was based on a Marisole Monday & Friends set called, “Baroque Maiden.”

Even years after I did them, there are a few specific paper doll sets that I don’t like that much. Usually not because of my drawing skill, I can let those problems go. I mean, I always do the best I can at that moment which isn’t the best I could do today, but skills improve with time. No, it’s usually color choices that I regret after the fact.

One of the nice things about the project I’ve taken on to drew new paper doll content inspired by old paper doll content is that I can rectify some of those sets that I have mixed feelings about.

One such set is Baroque Maiden. I did the color scheme that way I did it, because I wanted to experiment with darker color schemes. However, I really hate the color scheme now that I’ve had to live with it for 5 years.

And the darkness of the colors means that there is no way to extract the line-work easily to make a black and white version.

Plus it is one of the few pale skinned Marisole versions and those always look off to me. I much prefer Marisole with her original skin-tone.

Anyway, I hope you like today’s re-imagining of Baroque Maiden.

If you hop over to the Patreon page, I posted my sketchbook photo of this dress a few days ago. The post is open to the public, so check it out if you’re interested.

And, as always, consider donating if you’d like to support the blog!

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