I read all your comments yesterday but just added ONE from me at the bottom.. Thank you all very much for your very kind comments on Lian’s Minnie Mouse dresses! She was cute in every single dress, wasn’t she? I’m not ashamed to say it! She is very photogenic and I’m so glad she belongs to me! I wish you ALL could have one of the Little Darlings dolls, by Dianna Effner. I think I may have 2 Minnie Mouse’s left, but I’m not wanting them to come to an end, so I haven’t made a Minnie Mouse dress since last July when I make the patriotic set…maybe someday…
Just because my family is here doesn’t mean I forget completely about dolls… quite the contrary… (I think about them all the time) and it just so happens that Hannah (you remember my nieces little girl that I made the flower girl dress for?) came with my sister and so we had a little session with her doll, “Butterfly” yesterday and today. Butterfly is a Battat doll.
First of all, Butterfly’s hair was in need of some help. I actually should have taken some “before” pictures, but the after pictures aren’t too different so it doesn’t matter too much. Her hair was all frizzy and I’m pretty sure someone fried it with a ceramic straightening iron. Then I’m not sure if she came this way or if someone tried to correct the “frying” of her hair and decided to do a little trimming…YIKES!
If you can imagine straw on a dolls head, you’d have guessed just about right for this. It was tangled and you could hardly get a comb through it.
Well, Hannah and I washed it and then conditioned it. It really didn’t change much so we sprayed some detangler on it. It smelled good, but that was really about all we could fix. I had read if you poured boiling water over frizzy hair it will help straighten it. I hadn’t tried on any of my dolls, but we gave it a try on Butterfly. Unfortunately her hair I think was too far gone. So we let it dry overnight and today when went back to my mom’s, I took my hair cutting scissors and asked Hannah if she was up to giving Butterfly a haircut? She really needed at least a trim!
She was game, so we got Butterfly and I trimmed off about an inch or maybe a bit more. Unfortunately, I just discovered when I’ve gotten back home, I didn’t take a picture of that. I trimmed it straight across and it did look better. Then I decided maybe if I made it in a style that “hid” the frizzed part, it might look better. Instead of french braiding it, I just twisted it using 2 strands but picking up pieces close to her head. It snugged up and laid on her head pretty nicely and then I joined them in the back into a ponytail. It looks much better than it did, and I think Hannah was very pleased. May I present the new and improved Butterfly!
Hannah has beautiful hair so we played a little “beauty shop” with her too!
Hannah showed me a red glittery doll shoe and said in a very sad voice, “Look what happened…”
“Oh, I can fix THAT…let’s go find some red thread and a needle from grandma’s sewing box and I’ll show you how to do it. I just stitched the two sides back together… it was a very simple fix this time…Viola!
Now for the hutch. My dad bought this hutch for my mom back in the early 70’s, a few years before he died. She’s always loved it but recently hinted to my sister that she thought she’d like to paint it. My sister knew it would give it a much updated look so she brought a box full of paints and brushes and wax and anything else she thought might be needed. I know I have some ladies who aren’t all that keen on painting wood, but this was just an ordinary hutch that could use some new life!
Here’s a before picture… I’ve thought all these years it was solid wood, but we found out it wasn’t. It didn’t really matter, but I was just surprised.
My pictures aren’t great, but you can see the process… she picked a color of chalk paint called French Linen by Annie Sloan… it’s so nice, chalk paint pretty much adheres to anything so there is no priming or sanding needed in most cases. Cindy decided since the top of the bottom section had a formica top, she did go ahead and lightly sand it and then primed it lightly with a coat of Kilz. Here’s another picture of it in the works.
It’s kind of a funny color…it’s actually a very pretty gray, but depending on the light and the sun shining in the room, it can look greenish, or bluish or even brownish. It’s very pretty in my mom’s room. It has been waxed and is very smooth and has no distressing. It looks very elegant and changes the look of the room…in a nice way!
It’s not all the way done, but Cindy painted the top inside with a creamy white color and the grids still have to be finished. It’s not a great picture, but maybe when it’s all done and the light is just right, I’ll have someone take a nice picture of it with their iphone and show you.
It’s really pretty and my mom is just thrilled! That’s what matters most!
Well, that’s it for my day today… I better get to bed or I’ll be too tired to do whatever is on the agenda for tomorrow. :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow! Isn’t it nice to make things better? The doll shoe might have been easy, but the doll hair was not, and now it looks new and stylish. Hannah does indeed have beautiful hair.
The hutch is really splendid already. I’m looking forward to seeing how it looks finished. I’ll bet it does make the room look new.
The white sandals came today — I had sent the seller a link to the sisters outfit so she could see how nice they looked, and how nice the sandals would look with them. She replied, “You are so correct — shoes are essential accessories and can make an outfit. The dresses are adorable.” So, Jeanne, you have another fan.
Hi Marilyn,
It IS fun to make old things new…and the hutch just got all put back together…it looks really nice and my mom is itching for Cindy to do her magic and decorate the inside with all her pretties… I will most definitely send a picture for all to see…
You are so sweet to have sent a picture of my doll dresses to the seller of the sandals. Thank you…
Blessings, Jeanne
You hair doll/people A+.
The hutch looks so much better. The white inside will make collectibles pop. Not too keen on the hardware, but it does go with the colonial style. Wonder what they would look like painted white and dabbed with the blue/gray? Can see how pretty it looks in the room. The peek of the couch picks up the color. Nice.
Hi Joy,
Thank you so much….we tried to talk her into painting the hardware a dark bronze, but I think she was so anxious to see it all put back together, she didn’t want to. It would have looked really nice with a darker set of hardware.
My sister is doing her special touches on getting things put back in the hutch. It is really looking pretty!
Thank you Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
I just LOVE reviving things…especially sewing machines and dolls! Love what you did to Butterfly’s hair, the shoe and what your sister did with the hutch…New life is VERY invigorating…thank you for the boost today!
Take care.
Hi Becky,
The decorating part doesn’t come easy to me so it’s fun watching my sisters process of putting things together.
I’m glad you are enjoying the posts Becky…
Blessings, Jeanne
What a cute doll story Jeanne! My goodness, Butterfly’s hair looked like one of my old straw brooms before I got rid of it! You did an amazing job! It’s so cute to see little girls with their dolls, but oh my, their hair!! What an interesting name for a doll—-Butterfly! I’m sure it makes perfect sense to Hannah, who, by the way, is just adorable no matter how she is photographed!
Oh, that doll shoe! Would you believe I have one that needs to be repaired, and has been sitting around on my sewing cabinet for 2 whole weeks? And it isn’t even anything hard to do, just sew two pieces of elastic together! I just can’t get excited about doing it, so maybe one of these days I’ll get to it.
Your mother’s hutch is going to be lovely when it is all set up and finished! I love the painted look! It actually looks almost exactly like the one in my kitchen in the dining part. It is just the same size, but doesn’t have doors on the top. It is a dark pine Ethan Allen hutch that I just love, but no, I will not be painting it. It works just fine in my kitchen/dining area in the color it is. I love to decorate it for different times of the year, and could send a picture or two of it. My hubby finally got the pictures back on the computer!
Hi Linda,
Yes, Butterfly’s hair truly did resemble a straw broom….and it felt about like one.
I hope I inspired you to fix your doll shoe…it probably won’t take you 3 minutes to do it.
Momma’s cabinet is looking so pretty….she can hardly stand it! I’d love to see yours. I can’t wait to share it…
Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Blessings, Jeanne
You did a great job on the doll. Her hair looks so much better. I was always very protective over my little dollies hair. My mother was a hair stylist and I had big expectations when it came to mine and my children as I called them being styled.
I can’t believe your mother’s hutch. I had the same one about 25 years ago and always wanted to do something different with it. We wound up moving and having a smaller place decided to give it to my husbands cousin. We found out years later that they wound up giving it to a family who moved to America and had no furniture. It made me happy to think of my dining set making the rounds.
Have a great day and enjoy your family time. It sounds like you are having fun.
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the nice compliments on Butterfly’s new look.
My moms hutch is all finished and she just said, “I can’t believe how pretty it is!”
It has been a fun project!
Thanks,
Blessings, Jeanne
Great job on the doll hair fix. I’ve not tried it yet , but I’ve heard that Braid Spray like you find at Sally’s works well to repair damaged doll hair. Does Hannah love AG dolls as well? If so, I bet she enjoys looking at your collection, especially if someone is wearing a new outfit.
Hannah’s hair looks lovely in that “Queen Anne” style. I used to do my daughter’s hair in all kinds of twists, french braids and buns when she had it lower back length.
The hutch looks very pretty. I don’t mind retro furniture painted, just not true antiques. Sounds like everyone is having a lot of fun.
The color looks so and pretty and the contrasting interior will make a striking contrast to whatever is displayed.
Thank you Laura,
Hannah does like AG dolls very much and we have fun chatting about dolls.
Wait till you see the hutcb…it’s great!
Blessings, Jeanne
Have you seen the new Wellie Wishers by American Girl? They showed up in my mailbox. They do have a style of their own, but not anything too far out. You may have to buy one and sew for them. They are aimed at the 4-7 age group, but I’m sure they’ll have adult admirers. They look a lot like AGs, but the heads are a bit larger in proportion, the eyes don’t close, the waists are a bit small, and they are all wearing Wellingtons (rain boots, for us Americans). There are 5: African American, Asian, Latina, Anglo with red hair, and Anglo with blonde hair. Google Wellie Wishers or go to AmericanGirl.com.
Hi Marilyn,
I have not seen the new AG Wellie Wisher dolls. I’m going to look them up right now!
I’m very curious….
Thanks,
Blessings, jeanne