I have a pretty big container of vintage baby rick rack in all kinds of colors. It’s not very organized, but I know what container it’s in so it doesn’t matter too much. I like the vintage ones because they are 100% cotton. I’m not too fond of the polyester rick rack sold today.
Here are some of my girls in there outfits “embellished” with rick rack. I hope you enjoy looking at all the different ways you can use it.
First up is Riley; a little 7 1/2″ doll by Helen Kish…
Next up is Addy…
How about a few from Molly?
…and a few from Kit…
Hope I inspired you to use some rick rack on your next dress!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I love rick-rack too! It gives the dresses such a pretty touch without being overly fancy. My grandmother always made dresses for me and it was so much fun when she let me pick out the rick-rack! It was a big deal in the 40’s!!
Oh, those are darling dresses you made for Molly! And that coat is precious! I’m wondering if that is the one I saw a few years back that I really wanted for Molly!
HI Linda,
I feel the same way…rick rack is a nice touch without being too fussy. I have probably used rick rack for Molly more than any other doll.
I think the coat set must be the one you were thinking of…because I didn’t find any other ones. I did make a flannel one out of green but it had “Let it Snow” written on it. It was a cute novelty print.
Thanks so much, Blessings, Jeanne
I was wondering where you find such a good variety of rick rack colors until I saw you are finding the vintage ones. There were so many more colors available! I love the Addy dresses–so pretty!
Thanks Carolyn,
Yes, the vintage rick rack had an endless variety of colors. Thanks so much for your sweet comments.
Blessings, Jeanne
Two days ago I was looking for white rick rack and only had a short piece; I should have called you, Jeanne! I worked around it though. I agree with the vintage being the best. Why or why did they start making rick rack polyester? Years ago, I found a bag of vintage sewing trims at a sale. (Those are the best goodie bags.) The bag had lots of cotton rick rack in it, but you have TONS more than me. Lucky you!!!
Sweet dresses you’ve made with rick rack. My favorite, I think, is Molly’s polka dot dress.
Have a great day, Jeanne!
HI Cindy,
Well, now that you know I have this big stash, don’t be shy about asking if you need another piece. I don’t know why they started making it polyester… I sold all the poly packs I had.
The estate sales are the best to find things at…
I liked Molly’s polka dot dress too. That thing she’s holding in her hand is a sheet of paper with her “Spelling words” on it. I did my little story about her having trouble with them.
Thanks Cindy, Have a great weekend yourself. Blessings, Jeanne
On Kit’s dress the rick rack is placed so that it looks like it is part of the fabric. A nice design element. I usually read your blog at lunch, but wanted to check all was well after the deadly storms last night. I see Cindy commented so all must be well at her home too.
HI Jan,
Yes, we dodged the storms last night. We got lots of lightning and rain and wind, but nothing was damaged. Today it’s beautiful outside…no sign of any storms today.
Thanks for your kind words about Kit’s dress. I used a little bit larger rick rack for her dress.
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
What lovely dresses and perfect trim with the rick rack. I wish I had the knack for sewing – creating such lovely things must be so rewarding when seeing the finished item.
Wonder where the word rick rack came from?
Love the dresses on Addy. Especially the first picture of her in the green one.
We had a bad storm come through our area. I haven’t seen hail like that for a long time. Prior to the storm, there was the most beautiful huge rainbow cutting across the eastern sky. What a treat!! They always give me goose bumps.
Have a great day!!
Thanks Paula,
I liked that dress on Addy too. It was a small enough print and the green rick rack just showed off the sections of the dress so well.
We got the wind and the lightening and thunder and the rain, but we missed out on the hail, which was fine with me!
Thanks Paula,
blessings, Jeanne
Forgot to mention…on one of the long days of driving home, we were driving through Illinois. I was looking at the map trying to figure out a route to Springfield, my home town, but it would have meant going out of our way. We were getting tired of the daily driving and decided to keep on the diagonal road we were on to continue heading home. I looked up from the map to see what the upcoming road sign said and to my great surprise it said “Carbondale and Hwy. 51” exits!
How wild was that.
HI Paula,
Yep, you should have taken that exit and I’d of met you somewhere on 51! That would have been fun!
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, Jeanne you got me on the rick rack. It’s another thing that I love. Add it to dotted swiss, gingham check, eyelet fabric and eyelet lace. I do have a few cards of vintage rick rack I have picked up down at the town square antique shops near me. Also, Ms. Kathie Welsh has sent me some. She is quite the hunter at estate sales and auctions. I think she has a built in “stealthing” device that leads her to the wonderful piece goods of old.
Looking through the dresses you have completed I can see why my first AG was Molly. I am in love with her and all the clothing of that era. The red dress with rick rack and bias tape binding at the bottom is my favorite. So now you will have to give us a lesson in how to properly apply bias trims…. please!!
Oh, to Carbondale…. I worked with a young man from your town back in the 1990’s. He also graduated from the college there. First name was Tim but I do not remember his last name. Very nice young man with excellent manners.
HI Jeannie,
I knew you’d like the rick rack post, Jeannie! I love to search for it too at estate sales, yard sales, thrift shops, antique shops, etc. You can never have too much of it! (Well I guess really you can…)
I’ll write that down about the bias hem for a future post…
Well I only know one Tim and it’s probably a long shot… Tim Irons.
Thanks Jeannie,
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you on the name of the Tim I knew. That was not his last name. Different Tim. Maybe I will get a flashback and remember his last name.
I am going to have to hunt down more vintage rick rack !!
Wow, I thought I had ric rac, but Jeanne you are the queen.
I love all the dresses and you give us so many ideas, I have to save your
blogs, so I can go back and look at them. (over and over)
Judi
HI Judi,
Wonderful… I’m the Queen of Rick Rack! What a lovely name for me. At church, they always call me the “Game Queen” because I have so many games up my sleeve for Baby Showers, Wedding showers, parties, etc.
I’m glad I gave you lots to look at today with the rick rack ideas.
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh dear….I don’t see any comments today…so are you OK? That was a horrible storm!
I’m pretty sure I may have you beat in the Rick Rack collection…so if you ever run out of a certain color let me know!
HI Kathie,
Yes, it was a bad storm, but it sort of split right in the middle and we dodged it for the most part. We got tons of lightning and rain and wind, but nothing damaging.
I was out and about this morning and just now got back to my comments. Boy, lots of them about the Rick Rack post!
Oh dear…and Judi, just about you said I was the “Rick Rack Queen.” I guess I’ve been ousted now by your rick rack collection. Jeannie B said you hit estate sales and pick them up. I do too. I can’t imagine that I’d need a color I don’t have, but I’ll keep you in mind if I ever do need something. Thanks so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
I think, Jeanne, that you win the “Who has the most vintage rick rack” contest! Do you buy it off ebay or was it in your mom’s collection. My mom made most of our clothes so I have a few things like that and some thread on wooden spools. I agree with your comment about the polyester rick rack, everything today is made of polyester, even the ribbon. Polyester is so stiff compared to cotton. Have a good day!
Hi Jevne,
A lot of mine came from little shops and estate sales, but some came from Ebay. I did win one large lot one time and it had the most glorious colors in it.
Well, according to Kathie, above your comment, she has more…so I guess I’ll have to concede as the Rick Rack Queen!
Thanks Jevne,
Blessings, Jeanne
I think, Jeanne, that you win the “Who has the most vintage rick rack” contest! Do you buy it off ebay or was it in your mom’s collection. My mom made most of our clothes so I have a few things like that and some thread on wooden spools. I agree with your comment about the polyester rick rack, everything today is made of polyester, even the ribbon. Polyester is so stiff compared to cotton. Have a good day!
How do I get from here to yesterday’s post?
Hi Jevne,
If you want to see all the posts, and you are reading from the actual page that my website is on, just click on the BLOG tab, just under my header. There is a row of words like BLOG, ABOUT ME, GALLERY, DOLLS, etc.
When you click on the BLOG tab, it will bring up the latest post, and the previous ones are all at the bottom. When you scroll down, yesterday’s post will be below today’s, and day before yesterday’s will be below that. You can read them all backwards that way. It has 4 posts per page and then you’ll have to click to the “next page.”
Let me know if you have any trouble.
Blessings, Jeanne
Thanks, Jeanne.
Jevne
I am concerned. We haven’t heard from Jeanne since she posted. If her family is O.K. but others had damage, she would be helping those in need. We had warnings for today in the mid Atlantic but radar shows the expected threat diminishing. I had a grandmother say in April, spring and winter are fighting.
Hi Jan,
I am okay…but thanks for thinking of me. I got my blog post finished last night right before the storms hit, and it’s a good thing, because the lightning was so bad, my satellite quit working. I unplugged my computer so my modem wouldn’t get destroyed by a lightning strike.
This morning I had a million errands to run so I’m just now getting to the comments. I think you may be right about the Spring fighting the Winter…it sure seems like a war is going on.
I hope you have a safe and dry weekend, Jan!
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne,
I don’t know if you will see this or not–I am writing on a day old blog. When I see the beautiful dresses for Addy, I think that she is such a lucky girl to be able to have such lovely dresses. I haven’t read her story–is her mother a seamstress? I know they were able to move away from the south, so maybe she got a job.
Speaking of rick-rack, I love the blue jumper for Molly. My mother made a jumper for me and my sister–and trimmed it in white rick-rack!
HI Diana,
Yes, Addy’s mom works for a seamstress in a little shop. The Addy books are wonderful to read.
It’s funny how everyone seems to have a memory of rick rack on some favorite dress…
Blessings, Jeanne