Dressmaking for Dolls Junk Journal

Hey, everyone! Abby Monroe, one of our amazing Junk Journal Design Team Members, created a fabulous Dressmaking for Dolls Junk Journal for us this week. As you know, we feature one new Junk Journal project each week created by one of our creative team of artists. Our Design Team Members select from the 100’s of Vintage Image Bundles on our Premium Membership Site, for their creations, in order to show you beautiful ways to use those images. We hope you will be totally inspired by this series!

Therefore, please make sure you check out the video tour at the bottom of the page…please scroll all the way down to see it. Are you ready to be inspired? I will step out of the way and let Abby tell you all about her incredible project…

Today I’m sharing my latest project as part of The Graphics Fairy Team. This journal became a way to celebrate the beauty of small, well-loved fragments. Using The Graphics Fairy’s sewing and needlework bundles, along with the seamstress bundle, I pieced together a tiny world of stitchery and storytelling. To make it even more special, I transformed it into a miniature dressmaking guide for my vintage dolls, giving it a function beyond being just a decorative keepsake.

For the past 30 years, I’ve been collecting vintage haberdashery—old sewing notions, dressmaking tools, delicate lace trims, and beautifully aged packaging. This collection has always been a source of inspiration, and for my latest junk journal project, I decided to bring some of these treasured fragments together. What started as a simple haberdashery-themed pocket journal quickly evolved into something even more magical—a miniature dressmaking book for my vintage dolls.

Creating the Journal

While making this journal, I was flipping through one of my favorite dressmaking books from Merchant & Mills. Looking up at my collection of vintage dolls sitting on a shelf in my studio, an idea took shape: what if I transformed this pocket-sized journal into a dressmaking book for dolls? I made a hardback cover, bound it with linen bias binding, and stitched the pages inside. The journal measures 4″ x 3″ and folds out to reveal a treasure trove of haberdashery-inspired pages, making it perfectly pocket-sized. I wanted it to feel like a well-worn seamstress’s companion, something that could have been found in a Victorian sewing box.

To construct the pages, I used a zine-folding technique from an A4 sheet of paper, creating two folded sets and gluing them together to form a full fold-out structure. This allowed for a continuous flow of imagery and text, much like an old-fashioned tailor’s sample book. To complete the book, I made a delicate dust jacket by printing one of The Graphics Fairy printables on vellum. The translucent quality gives it a beautiful, layered effect and adds a soft, archival feel.

I photographed the journal alongside my vintage Sekigu Gughi Printemps doll, Emily, whose presence adds an extra layer of charm and nostalgia to this project.

Materials & Embellishments
To bring the journal to life, I incorporated:
• Graphics Fairy printables: Sewing, needlework, and seamstress bundles.
• Vintage haberdashery packaging – authentic labels and advertising snippets.
• Tiny thread samples on mini gift tags, carefully wrapped with different colours
of thread.
• Lace fragments, old safety pins, and sewing needles for a touch of authenticity.
• Ink-stamped imagery of tailor’s dummies, scissors, needles, and tape
measures.
• A ‘Make Do and Mend’ label – a nod to the wartime philosophy of
resourcefulness.

Bringing My Collection to Life
This journal has been such a lovely way to weave together the small haberdashery treasures I’ve gathered over the years. Each page feels like a miniature time capsule, and my collection worked so beautifully alongside The Graphics Fairy bundles.

One of my favourite details is the tiny thread sample cards, wrapped with delicate strands of vintage thread and accompanied by fabric scraps pinned in place with old sewing pins. These were inspired by sample books of the past, where dressmakers would store their finest thread selections. I was lucky enough to see a wonderful historic collection of these during my Textiles MA, and they’ve stayed etched in my memory.

I also incorporated old sewing labels and ephemera, layering them into the pages like well-thumbed notes from a seamstress’s sketchbook. The combination of fabric swatches, aged paper, and intricate embellishments makes flipping through this journal a richly textural experience.

A Miniature Dressmaking Guide
To make the hardback cover, I used Photoshop to alter one of The Graphics Fairy printables to create a book cover that reads: Dressmaking for Dolls. This added a whole new dimension to the project—it was no longer just a collection of sewing ephemera, but a working artefact, something that could sit on the shelf alongside my vintage dolls as if it truly belonged there.

I strengthened the pages of the zine with bookbinding tape and stitched the pages into the hardback cover with a simple stitch using some old tatting thread, I wanted to give it it the durability of a well-loved sewing book. The pages fold out like a tiny seamstress’s guide, with thread samples, fabric swatches, and vintage ephemera

The Charm of Miniatures & Hand-Stitched Histories
This project reaffirmed my love for small-scale storytelling. There’s something magical about working in miniature—the ability to condense an entire narrative, history, and craft into a tiny, handheld form. By layering textures, found objects, and ephemera, I was able to create a journal that feels lived-in, rich with story, and full of nostalgia.
I also love how this journal ties back to my larger creative practice. Much of my art revolves around memory, preservation, and storytelling through materials. This tiny book feels like an extension of that—a miniature archive of the tools and traditions that have shaped generations of makers.

This journal has been a joy to create, combining my love of vintage sewing with the charm of miniatures. It has also sparked ideas for future journals in a series, such as:
• A pocket-sized pattern book with tiny paper patterns.
• A visible mending and repair journal with embroidered patches and handstitching.
• A journal on traditional textile techniques like smocking, embroidery, and tailor’s tacks.

This project was a reminder that creativity flows best when you let the process guide you. What started as a simple junk journal became something truly special. I hope it inspires you to explore your own collections and transform them into meaningful, tangible pieces of art. And if like me, you love vintage sewing ephemera, I highly recommend exploring The Graphics Fairy’s Sewing and Needlework Bundles—they offer a such a treasure trove of inspiration for projects like this! Whether you’re creating a junk journal, a mixed media piece, or even a miniature world for dolls, the beauty of these printables is how they bring history to life.

Have you ever made a junk journal based on your favorite collection? I’d love to hear in the comments!

DRESSMAKING FOR DOLLS JUNK JOURNAL SHOW  & TELL VIDEO TOUR

Premium Membership Bundles used in this project:

• Sewing & Needlework
• Sewing Ephemera
• Tattered Paper Treasures
• Fall Wallpapers
• Spring Endpapers

I hope you will visit me here:

Abby’s Instagram

Abby’s Website

Abby’s Etsy

Abby

Check out the Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site HERE!