I think it was Joy and Marilyn who commented about how pretty Molly looked in her gray-with-a-touch-of-red Valentine dress yesterday and how much they’d like to see more dresses in gray. It got me to thinking about any other gray dresses I had made and I could only think of one…and wasn’t sure if it was a Valentine’s Day dress or not. I knew it was a dress for Addy. I found it in the archives and decided to show it to you again. It “could” have been Addy’s Valentine dress if she had “needed” one back in 1864. I made this one in July of 2016 so maybe it will be new to some of you.
It was called “Charming Addy!”
I think I’ll just let this be a slide show… there’s lots to see and several are close up detail shots!
This was my story line for the dress back in 2016.
Mrs. Gilbert had asked Addy to water her flowers while she was gone for a few days. Addy was thrilled, because Mrs. Gilbert told her she could pick flowers every day if she liked! If she liked? Of course she’d be picking flowers every day… Mama would love the smell of fresh flowers in the house.
Thanks everyone,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, I remember that dress! I remember kind of wondering about the fabric, but when you showed the close view of the print, I thought it was really pretty–and still do!!
I love the cameo with the fringed fabric behind it. Something a little different, and really added a lot to the outfit.
HI Charlotte,
I bought this fabric down at Paducah, KY and when I saw it, I knew it was destined to be a Civil War dress. I loved it the moment I saw it.
Thanks for your sweet comments Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
I remember that dress too, Jeanne! It looks so pretty and grown up looking for Addy, and I’m sure it made her feel that way too! After all, she was helping out and taking on a big responsibility!
With everything you make for Addy, I think of how it would look on Cecile, and I think this would look just perfect for her too. The pretty cameo button in front, with the fringed scarf , the sweet bow in the back, those beautiful pantelettes, and the cheery rick rack, all make a simple pattern a big winner in my book! Of course that material is just the perfect one for Addy too!
I love the way you added a little picket fence with climbing roses to the background. What a difference it made to highlight the dress! You do such a wonderful job photographing Addy. I find the darker skinned dolls need” something more” in the lighting to show up well in pictures, and it is difficult to do.
I hope you and everyone else affected by this freezing weather is ready for some warming up! I am! It is supposed to go up to 60 by Sunday! Imagine that!
HI Linda,
I used to have a Cecile and loved her look but the one I had had wonky or weird eyes and she always reminded me of a chipmunk… I don’t know why… but I never bonded with her. I have found myself looking at her on Ebay from time to time. Silly me!
Sometimes I get it right with Addy and sometimes I don’t. This time it was good and I was happy with the little extras I added to the gray background too. I found myself looking at a light gray fabric at Walmart… I might give it a try… I’d like it to be super light in the back, letting it just frame the dress on the doll.
We are looking forward to Sunday, just like probably everyone else in the freezer. :o)
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
I had forgotten this dress, but I shouldn’t have. Quick, reproduce it and it would sell again for Valentine’s, or any other day. It is perfectly lovely. Beautiful sleeves, flattering bodice and waist, darling headpiece. I like how the background fabric drapes, and the picket fence and flowers add romance. A totally great set of photo, Jeanne.
On Feb. 2, we are halfway through winter, but it’s definitely cold in a lot of places. This combination of flowers for the hope of spring and warm colors for winter is a winning combination for this season. I’d love to see something similar before the end of winter. Do you still have that fence? And what lovely fabric do you have in your stash? It’s the wrong weather for shopping.
Joy and I were right, weren’t we?
HI Marilyn,
I wish I could reproduce it quickly enough for another Valentine’s Day dress. I don’t know if I have any more scraps of this fabric… I don’t remember seeing it in my fabric stash. I wouldn’t make it exactly the same but it would be fun to make something similar again from it. It truly was lovely fabric.
Halfway through winter…that sounds fabulous to me… I’m so ready for Spring. I’ll see what else I can come up with before winter ends.
You and Joy WERE right… it was fun for me to see this again and dream about July dresses! :o)
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, I do love that dress. And Addy is radiant. The photos reflect that beautiful gray/red fabric perfectly too. Thank you for sharing it.
Daughter and son in law are taking the grands to the cabin and snow this weekend. Imagine driving three hours to get to the cold/snow. Such is California. They are so excited because they received a new large plastic sled thingy for Christmas. Not that we don’t have a bunch up there already. 🙂 We’d love to go too, but the annual Forestry Crab Feed is this weekend and no way would we miss that. Fresh crab! Yum.
Thanks Joy,
Ask and you shall receive! You and Marilyn asked about gray fabrics and I tried to deliver.
Oh, how fun for your grandkids. I bet they’ll have so much fun. Me? I’d drive THREE hours to get AWAY from all this cold!
Have fun at your Crab Feed…that sounds like fun for you…wish I could go! :o)
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a beautiful ensemble! I love the fabric in the pantalettes. And a hoop petticoat? Her hairpiece is lovely and the cameo and fringed scarf at the neckline really adds a finishing touch. And I do love the fabric. A few years ago I belonged to a fat quarter of the month club where you could pick the theme. I have several “Civil War Era” fat quarters and this is similar to many of those.
I keep searching for items to use as props for my dolls but can’t seem to find the wonderful things you and several of the ladies here do, but I keep trying. I love the tiny watering can. Not much need for one of those here right now. It’s been raining so much and we’ve had enough warm days that my Knock-Out roses are blooming profusely. We have yet to have a hard freeze here and so nothing has died back. My allergies can attest to that fact. I will need to mow my lawn when I get a few days without rain. The grass is dormant, but the clover has taken over my yard in clumps. Very raggedy looking but my yard has serious wet spots and my riding mower gets stuck, so I have to wait. We will be having spring-like temperatures here most of next week – and rain. Then more cold to follow. I have to watch the weather report to decide what to wear each day. At least in summer it’s a no-brainer.
Thanks Barbara,
I’m a pretty big sucker for Civil War fabrics… and if I had to pick just ONE era to sew for, it would probably be the Civil War period. I think some of the prettiest fabrics ever made were Civil War ones. Glad you liked it!
I can’t believe you have roses blooming…and are going to have to mow your grass. I’m ready to move to Texas!! :o)
Thanks Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
Barbara, where do you live? It’s hard to believe you have not had a hard freeze yet, and roses are blooming!
On I-10 exactly 50 miles west of downtown Houston. Or thirty-five miles west of West Houston, since I go there more than downtown. In North Houston they have had lower temperatures and some snow flurries but the way the jet stream is the strong fronts are not coming through here. But then winter is not over yet. We’re more likely to get ice storms in February.
Humm…can we all go visit Barbara? Anything green sounds lovely right now. This week I have worn a light jacket in the house!
That dress for Addy is one of my all time favorites…the style, the fabric, the trim, the pantaloons, slip and the bow and lace hair accessory. It’s all wonderful. Maybe an Easter version would be fun?
Thanks Kathie,
I’m right there with you on heading to Texas… I know you have it way worse in Nebraska than we do, but I’m not a big fan of cold weather. My hubby loves it most of the time, but even he’s tired of THIS cold stuff.
I think I might just have to make an Easter version of this dress. It’s such a pretty style and I think Addy would love it! Thanks for the hint!
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, what a beautiful dress. Addy is wearing it elegantly.
I love the white picket fence!
Thank you Dorothy,
Addy does look pretty elegant in it, doesn’t she?
Thanks so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
I remember that sweet dress for Addy. Gray is a lovely color on many dolls. Besides Samantha’s Buster Brown dress I can’t recall another PC/AG dress in gray. I love those lace and bow hairpieces. I’m hoping to make my Caroline a gray dress Civil War at some point from Addy’s school outfit pattern.
The white picket fence is such a great prop, I need to find one of those.! I have a heavy metal watering can and little trowel that were Pier 1 Christmas ornaments for a gardener that I was gifted many years ago. Needless to say, they are now doll props instead.
Texas sounds great right now. My grandmother grew up on a farm there ( she was born in Welcome ) and we visited my great aunts and great uncle who lived in Pasadena, Galveston, Rosenburg and Kerrville often. I consider Texas a second home.
HI Laura,
Thanks for your comments on Addy’s dress. I should look at my gray stash and see what else I have. I may have something that calls my name again!
I got the white picket fence at Hobby Lobby back in the wood section. I have some little gardening tools too that I used for Riley, but haven’t used them since … maybe they would work for Navi or Ten Ping.
We used to live in Wichita Falls, and Burkburnett TX. I was probably 7 or 8…
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne