I’m a little behind at getting my Back to School dresses shown, but hopefully some of your areas haven’t started school yet and you can still enjoy them. It was funny, but yesterday, when Paula was describing how she remembered school, and the feelings it brought back to her, I was taken back to when we did school shopping. I can remember going over to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and going to Sears. I remember finding some gray shoes and they were called Brogues…I think…anyone remember? They had a buckle over the foot part and were kind of clunky. I thought they were the greatest! I remember going the opposite direction and heading to Mt. Vernon, about an hour away, and shopping at a store called The Mammoth… I found a long, mid calf, tapestry coat with fake fur down the front, held together by straps and buckles. I thought I had died and gone to heaven when my mom let me get that coat. I don’t have a single picture of me in it though.
I can remember spending a long time trying to find the right notebook and folders. You always wanted something nobody else had, but it never worked out that way. I remember putting the stuff in our desks and trying to keep it as neat as possible, which didn’t last as long as I hoped it would. That bus ride was long… we were the first ones on in the mornings and the last ones off in the afternoon. In grade school our bus driver was the janitor of the school too…
Well, I could go on and on about school memories, but I think I’ll show some of my favorite school dresses. There’s no mistaking that these are for school, because I think they all have a satchel (as we used to call them), or a book bag… Now it’s only called “backpacks!” I’m sure kids spend a lot of time picking out the perfect backpack today!
Anyway, here is a slide show of some sweet Back to School dresses… I only picked 12 pictures, and they are all of my Little Darlings or Molly. I did have more school dresses…
This first dress is a real “Oldie but Goodie” dress… one of my first back in 2009. I still remember I copied it from a Sears catalog and it was called “Cheerful Checkmate.”
Here is Molly in a fun and colorful School dress…
This next red and navy plaid dress was supposed to be just for Isabelle, but when Janie and Lian saw it, they begged me to let them try it on too…
Oops… I forgot Ten Ping was in this lineup!
Lian is wearing “one of my very, very favorite dresses… it’s not plaid but it definitely is a school dress…
Here’s one of my first school dresses for any of my dolls… Isabelle was such a cutie pie in this…
Janie is back to plaids again and she looks so sweet in this kelly green and royal blue color…
Molly is in a circle skirt school dress with her matching book bag and she has on maroon thigh highs…
Isabelle just might be the doll who has graced more school dresses than anyone else…
Molly shows you the last school dress. It was the neatest fabric… almost a corduroy but not quite… It’s quite the archive, being made in 2008.
Well, if your school’s haven’t started yet, I bet you’ll be buying school supplies this weekend. Happy shopping!
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love Molly’s last dress — you could remake that any day. Of course the green jumper is my favorite. In fact, your back to school dresses are always favorites of mine. No wonder we love dolls in their pretty dresses, now everyone gets a new pair of jeans and a couple of tee shirts. Boring.
I’ve heard so much about the total eclipse that I finally looked up what the eclipse would be like here — 94%. I’m glad I didn’t decide to dash off to someplace else when here is going to be nearly as good. It will be like having a very short night in the late morning. It’s nice to have this level of excitement over something natural. The next time we hear from you, it will be Monday morning and you can tell us about the excitement where the total eclipse is.
People on AGPT are starting to get their CYO dolls. There were some photos of CYO’s as they are appearing in AG stores, and they were discouraging, but the CYO’s in the photos by people with their actual dolls are much more encouraging. I wonder how many of us are expecting CYO’s.
Hi Marilyn,
I always liked that dress too. It was a fun one to make as I was just getting started with Molly!
Well, the traffic is horrible in town, but the “drivers” are the worst, We were all comparing stories last night and we’ve all had a few close calls. I even saw a baby deer run into the side of a car. It flipped up in the air and landed in my lane. It skidded around on its side for a few whirls and then it jumped up and ran off in the weeds!
I haven’t had a chance to check out the custom dolls yet, but I will.
We have a “welcome new students” picnic tonight, so I’ve been in the kitchen cooking…
Thanks, Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, how cute, Jeanne, seeing your back to school creations! Molly is a lucky girl to be able to pose in so many for you! While most little girls don’t wear dresses any more for school, all of the dresses you show could possibly be still used today! I especially love Janie’s blue and green plaid dress, is that a Black Watch plaid? I had one as a girl, and loved that skirt! I like green anyway, and so the green outfits stand out for me.
I guess things in Carbondale are as exciting as you have been telling us. I went to the grocery store yesterday, and saw Moon pies and cakes, Eclipse cookies, Eclipse flower bouquets, and on and on. We are all set for staying home, except for going to church Sunday. So many things going on here, but we aren’t going anywhere and have invited our neighbor to come over and sit out on the patio and watch with us. We will get about 2 minutes and 20 seconds of darkness, not as much as you, but it will do for us. I still can’t figure out all these people travelling from all over and paying exorbitant prices to stay in a particular house or even patch of land—-for a two minute event?? Maybe I’m just too old!
Hi Linda,
Kids may go back to school in jeans and tee shirts but my girls will always be dressed in dresses…I guess there are a fair amount of sellers who do the modern clothes for back to school…but my heart will always be for the dresses.
Yes, Linda, I believe that is a black watch plaid..one of my favorites too. George used to have a shirt in that pLaid that was a favorite of mine…
I must be “old” like you, Linda, because I can’t figure out all the people paying such high prices either… Things really are booming in town…I hope it doesn’t venture out our way…
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
I can’t believe there are dresses I’ve never seen before, but there they are. Love Molly in the green jumper, Ten Ping in the red-and-blue plaid and, frankly, all of them! Is that machine embroidery at the hem of the blue dress on Lian that matches the strap on the school bag? How about the different-sized polka dots on Ten Ping’s dress and purse? The details are amazing, a word I use entirely too often when trying to describe your creations.
About the eclipse, a friend who is now in Madras, Oregon, in speaking with the owner of the RV parking area where he’s had a reservation for well over a year said that NASA had rented an entire motel for their people over four years ago! Now that’s looking ahead. I wonder what rate they got! My son in WV was going to take the children to a place where they could see the eclipse, but Mom put the kibosh on that one because it’s the first day of school, and you don’t miss that! I’ll watch on the Science Channel and go outside if it starts to get dark here in Southern California. Have fun, everyone. Thanks for all the pictures of school dresses, Jeanne, there in one of the Capitals of Eclipse!
Hi Susette,
Yes, that is machine embroidery around the hem of Lian’s dress, with tiny red buttons sewn on in certain spots. It’s different than her straps on the bag…that is a different trim I have. Actually, Ten Ping’s dress is red and black…not blue…not that it matters.
The signals for the cell phones and my satellite has slowed down…they’re saying it’s from all the users out there. I don’t know if it’s true or not… It’s booming in town….so I’ll stay away…
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
I have to say how I love your school dresses, Jeanne ! Detail, plaids, crisp colors. Love the green outfit. I would have loved to wear any of those designs. I’m grateful my mom loved plaids as we wore several over the years, even if they were hand me downs… plaids never went out of style.
I remember those baroque shoes! I was more in high school by then. Lots of MOD styles by then. You must have been a happening gal !!
When you mentioned the bus driver also being the school janitor, that reminds me of our two school janitors – a husband and wife, and how we children LOVED them and they us. They were kind of like young grandparents to all of us.
Enjoyed seeing your girls in their school outfits. I always love your fashion shows!
Hi Paula,
My hubby should be the poster child if “plaids make you ready for school” because I counted his plaid shirts one time and he had 104! Now that included work shirts and all, but the man loves plaid more than anyone I know!
School memories….they just keep coming, don’t they? I love to think back on those simpler times!
Thank you, Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Isabelle’s cherry/denim outfit is my favorite for sure. And is nothing like your long ago choice of long tapestry coat with fake fur. You really painted a picture in my mind that won’t stop of that one. I’m sure you were quite a fashion statement. 🙂 My childhood shopping experience was driving to the City (San Francisco) with my mother and picking out a new wool pleated skirt and matching sweater. Back then, you dressed up when visiting the City. Including gloves. Whoa does that date me or what?
That little chalk board pictured with Lian is so cute. Any particular brand or just a random prop? I’d love to find one. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any time lately to play with my dollies so no school scene or any scene. Still trying to clean out the almost 70 year accumulation of things from my husband’s parents home. Taking forever.
By the time I read your post on Monday, the eclipse should be taking place in Carbondale. Ours around 10:15 Pacific time.
Hi Joy,
It truly is fun to hear about all the different things everyone remembers about starting school. I hope the kids now days will have good memories when they are older like us….not that “you” are old Joy, but I’m getting there.
The sweet chalkboard was sent to me by one of my readers, and it pains me to think that I never got one school dress made for the new school year…:o(
I hope you make progress soon on all the cleaning out. I can’t imagine how much time that has to take…
Thank you, Joy,
Blessings,Jeanne
Love your school dresses! I just received my shipment of 5 plaids a few days ago for for dolly school dresses .. plaids & school are made for each other:)
Hi Shara,
Well, if you are still making school dresses, maybe it’s not too late for me to make one or two…
Thanks, Jeanne
What a darling collection. They certainly do bring back the memories. Your timing was great for schools here in Michigan. Most of the K-12 schools begin after Labor day.
I think all the dresses were wonderful but I am quite taken with Isabelle’s plaid jumper. Those tiny pleats are too cute.
Have a great day.
Take care.
Thank you Charlotte,
I’m glad you enjoyed the school dresses today. …especially Isabelle’s dress. It just might be one of my top three…
I appreciate your kind comments on them…
Blessings, Jeanne
It’s not your fault that school starts so early now, and plaids are a fall thing — there’s plenty of time for you to make at least two school dresses, maybe even three — well, two anyway. You have a floor to finish too.
With all the new AG dolls coming home as custom orders, there are a lot of dolls that will need new outfits for school, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It’s a great audience for you.
I’ve seen the Black Watch perform, and then the members came out and talked to the audience so I got a good look at the wool they wear. Very impressive and undoubtedly very expensive, with yards of beautiful fabric in every outfit.
I was looking through these pictures again and noticed Ten Ping’s shoes — one of your first attempts, so she must have been quite new. Maybe someday you can do a set of Ten Ping outfits through the (not very many) years.
Have a peaceful Sunday and tell us more about solar madness on Monday.
Hi Marilyn,
I guess just because schools have started, there’s no reason I can’t still make dresses…thanks for the nudge…
I think an AG doll will be next after Ten Ping. Gotta make something new for all those custom dolls. I still haven’t had enough time to see those custom dolls…
I looked at those shoes on Ten Ping again too…and they were pretty crude. I think I have them mastered but that poor person who got those first pairs.
I had never heard of the Black Watch…you know about everything, Marilyn. ..
Thanks do much,
Blessings, Jeanne