S T R E T C H Your Imagination….for this Win

I’m afraid I’ve procrastinated horribly trying to get this latest blog out. You see, when I think of stretch fabrics it’s either super hero, ballroom dancer, or athletic types I envision, and not the bold and beautiful stretch fabrics this challenge alludes to. So I really, really had to do some research on this one – and I’m happy to say this challenge is dead on – and I was not!

I never sewed on stretch fabric, and was feeing I’d be just as lost as the Project Runway contestant whose dress kept stretching and stretching long after the judges had reviewed it. So I was pleasantly surprised at some of the facts I found out about this mystery material.

First of all, stretch fabrics are some of the best for working with the body, making body issues into body assets. They also allow for comfort and freedom of movement without sacrificing style. It's travel friendly, wrinkle resistant, and washable in most cases. It's the perfect fabric to work into any wardrobe, actually.

It also comes in a variety of fabric and finishes that range from matte to shiny, gabardine to cotton stretch. No longer is shopping at a house of spandex your only choice for selection. Many stores carry everything from cotton lycra in stripes or solids to jerseys in a wide variety of colors and prints. Bottom line: Don't rule stretch fabrics out if you’re not into sewing costumes, active wear, or Batman’s latest cape. There’s plenty of top quality fabrics to make your diva doll her next fave fashion.

Milan’s newest major trends include texture, mesh, and inserts – all in one color but in three to five different fabrications - these add so much interest and detail. Leather, everything fitted and thin, close to the body, tough, urban, ready for action are all apropos’. These new fashions made heads turn as they came down the runway, but it was abundantly clear there was no room for anything extraneous, fluffy or unnecessary. Black, grey, tan, and army green were the colors that dominated.


Paris boasted short suits in cozy tweed and other looser fabrics. Their fashions also had inserts – this time in fur – and some boasted wool fringes. These were garments designed with perfect fit that guaranteed another successful Parisian Fashion Week. This year designers rediscovered construction, line, and cuts to reinvent new, transforming pieces. These new collections were built to be deconstructed at pleasure by simply pulling a drawstring or fastening a zip. Short dresses, with enveloping gores made of panels of stretch fabric for easy pleating, draping and nipping added movement to body skimming cuts. A palette of camel, glacé, cream and light blue shades pulled everything together, and made the front row viewers want to reach out and touch these soft, sophisticated stylings.


I hope this has been worth the wait. These new stretch fabrics really do seem quite devine! I’ll be sitting on the edge of my seat, anticipating what this talented group of designers will come up with. Having seen their latest rococo offerings, I am a bit overwhelmed.

This week our guest judge is Tamara Casey of Designs by Jude. She’s also one of our sponsors and I have recently featured her, so I’m only going to say CDDC is lucky to have her expertise in judging this latest challenge. She’s the consummate jill of all trades, master of many, and just a specially nice person that we’ve all come to know and love throughout the years. Thanks for all you do for CDDC.

Fashion Doll Quarterly (FDQ) Magazine and Couture Doll Design Challenge continue their efforts to support great new doll designers. And this year FDQ stepped up to the plate once more to offer a wonderful spread on the CDDC winners. We all need to give Larraine a round of applause for writing the upcoming article, and FDQ for finding CDDC newsworthy.

I cannot think of a greater thrill for a new designer than to be in FDQ. Each issue is specifically dedicated to the dolls we love best - fashion dolls - and is packed with wonderful pictures and stories of doll diva doings. And now, once more, some from CDDC will be featured - what a thrill!

A big nod to Pat Henry and her continued effort to put out a quality doll magazine about fashion dolls. She hits the mark every time an issue rolls out. The magazine is beautiful, well-written, and topic driven. All and all, a testament to an editor who knows how to do this job so well.

Be sure to stop by the FDQ website to view an exclusive interview between Pat and Robert Tonner. He really gives a lot of insight into his journey to where he is today - on top! While on the website you'll be able to see what's in the latest issue, subscribe or buy back issues, or even send in a question to Pat. Just a few moments on this website and I'm sure you'll appreciate this fashion saavy magazine - don't let this valuable doll fashion resource pass you by.

It's a thrill for Couture Doll Shops to be returning as a sponsor for our sister site, also. We're so happy that last year's winner, Yana Emelyanova, has completed her website with us, and now has her lovely shop on Couture Court. We’re a retail venue, it’s true.  But in a lot of ways we’re like a big family – a family with a special interest in helping one another.  We’re glad to have Yana as a new family member, and we look forward to welcoming the new winner of CDDC, too.