Meet Penelope & Jacques from the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium!

When my family went on a recent vacation to Universal Studios Orlando we fell in love with the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium.  The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium has an amazing steampunk atmosphere and serves up over-the-top shakes and sundaes.  There is actually a storyline that goes along with this eatery; see below for those details.  The two characters in this storyline are Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and her trusty robot companion, Jacques.  My daughters and I wanted to recreate our experience into a doll sized scene.  These intriguing characters were so important to the scene that we wanted the costumes to be absolutely amazing.  I knew immediately knew which seamstress/designer who I wanted to work with on this project…the very talented KeLibu Designs!  Traci Akierman, the designer behind KeLibu Designs, did a phenomenal job on creating these doll costumes!

Traci’s love of costuming, cosplay,  and sci-fi/fantasy really come out in her pattern designs.  Traci has been a talented seamstress for years making super fun doll patterns.  She also takes on custom requests for both dolls and in real-life size.  I was thrilled when she agreed to come on board and create the Penelope and Jacques doll costumes.  Traci was so much fun to work with.  It’s great collaborating with someone who gets just as excited about the idea as you do.  The attention to detail that Traci puts into her work is absolute perfection! 

I sent Traci several inspiration pictures!  She went above and beyond and did even more research on her own to get to doll versions as close to the real thing as possible.  Below is an excerpt from the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium menu describing the storyline behind Penelope and Jacques.

“Jacques landed the dirigible in front of a small cottage home in London, England.  Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome was overjoyed to share her experiences and experiments with her family.  She quickly stepped from the cockpit of the airship and dashed up the cobble pathway.  She threw open the front door, soaking in her childhood home.  Except…It was empty.  All that remained was the old Victrola in the corner of the living room.  Penelope stepped into her mother’s kitchen recalling the first time she ever tasted chocolate.  There was a song in her head.  She couldn’t recall the name of it, but it was French and Jazzy.  There on the kitchen floor was a note from her parents.

Dearest Penelope,   We have set out to join you in your adventures.  Surely the world isn’t so big that we can’t find you.  We shall look for you wherever chocolate can be found.  Love, Thomas & Violette Toothsome

Penelope knew immediately what she had to do.  She would take everything she knew about chocolate and develop a fully industrialized, state-of-the-art chocolate emporium!  Until the day she was reunited with her family, she would share her love and knowledge of chocolate with the world!  With the old Victrola in her arms, Penelope made her way back to the dirigible.  Jacques quickly lifted them into the air.  They were off to chase their destiny and find the perfect location for the worlds foremost chocolate emporium.  There would still be discoveries to be made, but she was determined to make them all.”

Meet the doll version of Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome!  When we opened the package from KeLibu Designs we were so excited; it felt like Christmas morning!

This self drafted hat was made out of brown poly taffeta, leather, buckram and mini brads.  It is lined with the vest fabric.  The wiring in the brim makes it adjustable.  Sewn in clips attach it to the doll’s hair.  These self drafted goggles are made from plastic lids, clear plastic, craft foam and braided elastic.  Pieces are painted to have the appearance of metal.  The peacock feathers were made fro the same fabric as the apron and colored fabric for the “eye.”  The two layers were laminated together with Heat N Bond.  A wire stem allows you to adjust the position of the “feathers.”

The v-neckline shirt is made fro sky blue cotton silk, lined with broadcloth and has a back hook and loop closure.

The vest was made from brown/light brown striped poly crepe, lined with brown poly satin.  The brown leather straps are adorned with eyelets and brass buckles.  Brown leather with studs also embellishes this piece.  The self drafted vest includes a key for Jacques’ clockworks and a working miniature pocket watch. The vest has side hook and loop closure.

The fabric print for the fooler and cuffs was a KeLibu self design.  This fabric design was inspired by the real Penelope costume.  This was printed on Jacquard cotton inkjet sheets.  The Fooler was a modified version of the QTπ Doll Clothing Fooling Around Fooler pattern.  The fooler closes with sew-in snaps.  The cuffs are self-drafted and close via sew-in snaps

The self drafted skirt is made of blue polyester taffeta and brown poly satin.  It has an elastic waist.  The self drafted apron is made from green/gold poly taffeta with embellishments.

Here is a picture of the backside of the doll costume.

KeLibu designs did a wonderful job at recreating the bustle!

I love the faux lacing in the back of the vest!  The apron includes a mini-lobster bustle that is attached with sew-in snaps.

Meet the doll version of Jacques!

My daughters and I were completely WOWED with the Jacques costume!  Traci’s details are AWESOME!  That robot head is insanely fabulous!

The robot head was made of craft foam, metal washer, and clear plastic.  Parts were painted to give it a metallic look.  Traci’s painting skills even rock…the robot head looks so industrial!  The robot head pattern was created by modifying the Moto Cross Helmet from Koski Kreations.

Here is a side view of the robot head.  A sock is worn over the doll’s head under the “helmet” to prevent vinyl staining.

Jacques shirt is made from broadcloth and modified from the QTπ Doll Clothing Just Relax Shirt.  It has faux button closure, sewn in snaps.  The are garters are made from leather and rivets.  The rivets act as a button the secure the garters.

The self-drafted clockworks box is made from craft foam, net, metal gears, and mini brads.  Attached to apron with hook and loop tape.

The self-drafted apron is made from leather, vinyl, brass rings, mini brads, brass buckles, and a brass slider.  Apron closes as waist with a brass slider.  Shoulder straps are attached to the waistband and close at the shoulder with brass buckles.  Apron includes a mini hammer, pliers, and a pipe wrench.

On the lower level of the robot arms is a glove made from faux leather bronze knit fabric and aluminum tape.  The glove pattern is by Love U Bunches.  The self drafted wristlets and cuffs are made from craft foam and painted to look like metal; the attach with hook and loop closure. OMG!  look at all those finger details!

Here is a look of the backside of the Jacques costume!  The self-drafted pants are made from poly-cotton blend.  They have a front fall, sew-in snap closure with faux rivet/buttons.

The boots and spats are made of faux leather, vinyl, eyelets, hook and loop, and craft foam.  The boots were modified from KeLibu Steampunk Inventor Boots pattern.  The self-drafted spats lace up the front.  Both the boots and spats close via hook and loop in the back.

My family is thrilled that Professor Doctor Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome and Jacques decided to travel in the globe back in the early 19th century to learn ways to infuse chocolate into all sorts of dishes. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium is waiting your visit!

Contact KeLibu Designs for your next custom doll costume!

See here for more of our Toothsome Chocolate Emporium doll posts!