When I set out to write My Doll, My Style I wanted the book and outfits to be visually inspiring and beautiful. To help me create a cohesive look I wanted a sewing mood board to represent the mood and colors of the outfits I wanted to create for the book. I decided to create one I could take with me everywhere. I put it together on a page in my notebook with swatches of fabric and pictures. Every time I made a fabric choice or style choice I opened my notebook and used it as a reference.
After using a mood board for my sewing projects for over two years I discovered what a fun tool it is to help pull together doll clothes outfits in the look you want. Without trying I find myself to this day spotting things that “would look great in the book” because it became a way of looking at things. Here are a few benefits from using a mood board.
- It helps you try new color combinations. Choose two colors from a photo on the mood board for your next outfit.
- It keeps you focused. I am like a kid in a candy shop at the fabric store or in my fabric stash. My mood board keeps me focused on looking for fabric in my color palette.
- It helps you try out new looks. You can create a mood board in a different style than you would usually pick. Use it as inspiration to experiment with that style trend.
- It helps you match colors. Use the mood board as a reference to get an idea if colors will match in your next project.
Would you like to try using a mood board for sewing doll clothes? Let’s get started!
Create your mood board in a notebook so it is portable, to go with you when you are shopping for fabric! Cut out and glue pictures you love from magazines or print some off the internet. These don’t have to be clothing fashion photos. You can also draw inspiration from a variety of sources like nature, color combinations, interior decor, and objects. Add fabric swatches you already have that go with the look. Add any other objects that inspire you.
Let me tell you a little about my mood board for My Doll, My Style. It is bright, colorful and cheerful. It is full of texture with sequins, sparkle, fur, pom pom trim and lace. All this texture inspired designing patterns with the option of using fashion fabrics and details. It also inspired sprinkling textured fabric throughout the outfits in the book. I’m amazed to see little things like the black and white stripe fabric swatch. That theme shows up in a couple different outfits in the book. I hot glued on the pink jewelry piece last minute. I loved the pink color next to the blue green fabric. I ended up using a similar color combination on the cover of the book!
I want to challenge you to use a mood board when sewing doll clothes. It is really a lot of fun and I think it helped bring my projects up a notch! I definitely will be creating different mood boards to try out more looks!
-Anna