Well, the voting was very close, but Molly edged out Addy by just a few votes… Cookies from Addy received 9 votes and Molly, in her red and turquoise dress took top honors with 11 votes. (Ali got in the last vote which I saw this morning…it was for Addy’s dress.)
Here is your TOP DOLL DRESS of 2019!
Thanks so much for voting… Now, I’m going to just show all the dresses in one post… so you can look at them without all the wording for the voting… I thought maybe you’d like to see them all together… I know Joy mentioned something about them all being shown on one day… Well, today’s that day…
You can all comment to your hearts content about them, as I will be taking a few days off to be with my mom and my brother and sisters. I need to be ALL IN this visit and my blog is having to take a back seat, but you can all talk up a storm about the dresses, ask questions of each other and just comment on whatever you want until I return.
Blessings, Jeanne
So here are ALL the dresses of 2019!
The first dress I made in 2019 was for Addy in “Cookies From Addy.”
The next dress I made was Valentine Surprise for the Little Darlings. Isabelle was my model.
Next dress is Molly in “Pink Blush.”
The next dress I made was for Nyssa. I called it “Blissful in Blue.”
Caroline looked pretty sweet in her Romantic Regency dress…
Samantha and Nellie shared modeling time in this “Coral Cascade” dress.
Patsy and Elin shared this set called “Sweeter for Easter.”
Kirstin looked wonderful in this pretty blue dress with a creamy lace apron.
Ten Ping wore “Pink Princess” next…
This was Bailey’s debut dress…
Bailey was still new to me so she got the next dress as well… “Funshine and Roses.”
Then Navi got her “Funshine and Roses” set…
Noel was next with a dress called “Spring into Summer.”
Emmie wore “Under Blue Skies.”
“Colonial Charm” was shown on Felicity, Caroline and Elizabeth.
Navi got to wear “The Littlest Patriot.”
Here is Molly in a set called “Patriotic Pride.”
Next up is Samantha in “Star Spangled Samantha.”
Nellie is wearing her version of Patriotic wear…I don’t remember the name of this set…
“Angelic in Aqua” was modeled by Caroline and Rebecca.
“Play Time” was a 12 piece set worn by my Effner Little Darlings AND Betsy!
Navi graced us with a “Christmas in July” dress set.
Kirsten got another dress, in blue of course… called “Swedish Sweetheart.”
My Effner girls had a fun time in this “Minnie and Me” 12 piece play set…
Eden showed off her grown up side as the School Marm in this blue and white Back to School set.
Lian was next in a dress set called “Preview in Blue.”
Addy and Caroline showed us a pretty orange and black Civil War dress called “Autumn Elegance.”
Bailey was next with “Fall is in the Air.”
Kirsten shows us “Charming in Blue.”
Navi showed off her Fall coloring very well with “Festive for Fall.”
Noel received the first Christmas dress of the year…This was “Christmas Sparkles.”
Here’s Molly in “Waiting for Christmas.”
We’re almost out of dresses…2 more…
This is Patsy in “Golden Touch.” Bailey also modeled it.
And the last dress of 2019 was “Vintage Velvet.”
Even though I voted for Addy’s dress, I really think they were both winners, and each was totally appropriate for the doll modeling it.
Update on Ron: he came home from the hospital on Friday; today he went to church with me. Then we took flowers to the cemetery (I hadn’t had a chance to do it on Christmas as I’d planned), and had lunch at IHOP. We were both beat when we got home, though, and took naps. I went to evening service, while he stayed home and rested.
It’s good to start getting back to “normal”!!
Dear Charlotte, I am so glad that things are going well. I am glad you were able to squeeze in a nap. Naps are refreshing. I love IHOPs! I remember going to them when I was in college. Prayers continue.
So glad things are back to normal. Normal is always comforting whatever it is. I found that changed with my age. I love IHOP!
Oh, so happy that Molly won, but every other dress was perfect in my opinion! I think Molly reminds a lot of us of their childhood and what we wore back then, and even a little girl of today would be able to wear it. For sure none of us would be wearing Addy’s! LOL
Another day with our company, running around and visiting! I am very worn out, but happy we get to see our grandsons. They leave tomorrow, so another day of visiting. Then down come all the decorations! I have never been one to take down Christmas decorations before the 12 days of Christmas! Why, even the Wise Men haven’t gotten there, as the Epiphany hasn’t happened yet!
It always saddens me to see how many take down their decorations before Epiphany. It makes everything seem dark at a time when there should be much light. We never take ours down until the day after Epiphany. Aside from the religious significance I love having them up longer because until Christmas is over, I have little time to enjoy them. I walk by my tree and village on the way to doing a million other things. I turn the lights on but not much time for observation and contemplation. And then there’s the fact that my birthday being the day after Christmas is the first of the twelve days (most think they start Christmas Day) and David’s birthday is on Epiphany, so things stay festive for both our birthdays.
Happy belated birthday, Barbara! The 26th was our 53rd wedding anniversary! It was wonderful and Solomonic being a Christmas bride, but, when you start having children, that day after Christmas-is definitely NOT wonderful and romantic!🤪
Picking my favorite was HARD! Today I might pick vintage velvet. On another day, a different dress. They are all my favorite!
We got rain instead of snow over the weekend. Blech. I need to go into town this morning and my husband let me know the roads are icy. Start early, take it slow etc. I really don’t mind winter, maybe because I rarely go anywhere. Ice is on my “Nope” list. Guess I will white knuckle it to town.
Have a good day, fellow couch sitters!
Dear Jeanne, what a fun contest. All of the dolls looked proud to be “competing” (chuckle).
We will be praying for you and your family while you are away.
Dear Blog Family, here is a question: What is the first thing you will do in the new year (on Wednesday)?
Blessings to all for a wonderful 2020.
Hi Dorothy,
I should be sewing like Joy said I have lots of projects that need finishing.
I’m not certain it’s the first thing but I promised hubby I would help tiddy his basement, it’s on the agenda for this week.
What is Dorothy in PA and the world planning on doing?
Dear Ingrid, that is a nice thing to do. My husband is imaginary so I don’t have to help him with things and he always says “Yes, Dear” to whatever I want to do (chuckle).
First thing in the new year, I will turn on the TV (I admit I am addicted) and see what is on the Hallmark Channel.
I will be hosting our annual fondue. We started this years ago after getting a fondue pot for Christmas. We’ve actually grown to two pots. But we may only need one this year. The attendees ebb and flow depending on who is available. This year it looks like it will be me, hubby and our son and daughter-in-law. Possibly our older son but he will be dancing the night away on New Year’s Eve and will be staying with a friend so he might decide he needs sleep more. Our two grandkids will be hanging out with their nearly-the-same-age cousins so they won’t be here. But there is little downtime for us even after the holidays. Jaiden’s birthday is 12/31 but her party will be Saturday. Then David’s birthday is Monday. I keep hoping to spend some time in my sewing room in the near future, but probably not much till after next Monday. Thanks for asking.
Hi Barbara,
You will certainly be busy with birthdays. My daughter’s birthday is the 3rd. Even though we always have the tree up, I made sure that there were real birthday decorations by decorating the dining room with streamers and balloons and birthday wrapping paper. She had many planned birthday party snowed or iced out.
I am hoping to finally get back in my sewing room! It has been over 2 weeks since I last had a chance to sew!! That first week was because of pre-Christmas busy-ness, and of course the second week was because of Ron being in the hospital and then, at home, additional things needing to be done for him plus his doctor’s appts. etc.
And, I really really need to open my swap and take pictures–the deadline for posting them is fast approaching, and I haven’t had a big enough chunk of time to do that yet!! (This is for the ning group that some of us are on)
What a lot of lovely sewing for the year for Jeanne. Wow. So many styles and eras. For my dolls, I like things from the 40’s/50’s that will work for more than one occasion and lots of outdoor activity things like shorts/swimsuits/overalls. I don’t think I have ever seen Jeanne make a swimsuit or maybe I missed it.
To answer Dorothy’s question for the New Year, I have fabric for things that never materialized from last summer let alone fall and winter. Guess my New Years resolution should be, To remember to finish what I begin. From the old Blue Bird pledge of my youth. 🙂
Good morning everyone,
Jeanne every outfit you made last year is deserving of top honors. I pray your Mama is healing from her fall. Enjoy your visit with your brother and sisters.
I saw all the votes for Molly’s dress and had a feeling it would win. It’s very pretty but I voted for Addy’s dress… I love the long dresses of old. Although I can’t imagine wearing one, having dirt or mud on my hem would drive me nuts! I a bit of a clean freak LOL
Question, I have an older AG doll (Felicity) can anyone tell me if the value of my doll will be effected if I have the eyes changed? (the eyelashes disappear into the eyeball when she is laid down)
Just wondered what everyone’s thoughts may be on the subject.
Hugs
Ingrid
Hi Ingrid,
The glue that holds the eyelashes in place has just weakened over time. By an older Felicity, I’m going to assume you have one with the soft, matching copper eyelashes. I can’t imagine that you’d want to lose those As far as value being affected, well she wouldn’t be the same doll, especially if you have a German made one. The eye color also varies between PC, Mattel, and the BeForever versions. It even varies in the PC dolls
I have a PC 1991 West German made Felicity that I was fortunate to buy NIB from a collector off of eBay. She was in pristine condition. My daughter received her Felicity as a child and has a German made one from 1993. Our two dolls are markedly different. They both have the glass eyes characteristic of early PC dolls, but my Felicity has a more rich peridot green and a slightly more convex iris. Her eyelashes are longer and her hair is more coppery. Truth be told, I definitely favor mine and I’m glad I took time to search and be patient to find just the right one. IMO the soft, matching eyelashes are critical for the PC issued dolls (Kirsten, Samantha, Molly, Felicity, and Addy) because it makes them unique. My Samantha and my daughter’s Kirsten are also PC German made dolls. Kirsten has the beginnings of silver eye in one eye, but my daughter wouldn’t send her in because of losing the PC eye color and matching eyelashes. Luckily, silver eye can’t happen to my Felicity or Samantha, as silver eye doesn’t affect decal eyes. 🙂
If the eyelashes are out completely when the doll is standing, you can fix it by putting a miniscule drop of superglue on a toothpick and touching it to the rim of her eyes where the eyelashes are inserted. Keep her upright until complete dry. I would do this for 24 hours.
Hi Laura,
Thank you so much for all the dolly knowledge! You sound like quite the expert. I think I will try the glue tip. Thank you so much for the suggestion, I would never have thought of that myself.
You’re welcome, Ingrid. Please let me know how Felicity turns out. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Sad I missed the voting due to company and being sick. All of them should be winners and you did a ton of sewing this year. That was my plan but my body and health had different ideas and hoping the new year will start off different. I think I would have voted for “Cookies for Addy” as I kept going back and forth to that dress. The colors and print are beautiful and she looks amazing in it.
Not sure of my plan for the new year as right now I’m trying to get over being sick. Fingers crossed a move will be in the works as it’s time to down size and move to a smaller place. I am hoping if all goes well I will sew and get my doll store up and running as that got side tracked this year.
Jeanne I hope your visit and time with family goes well and will keep your mother and you in my thoughts. We’ll all be here when you can come back even those of us who just lurk sometimes.
Blessings
Sandra
Me again, as I missed writing what I will be doing January 1st! Now, don’t laugh, but I clean out my closet and drawers on January 1st! Exciting, huh? And I go through all the medical and doctor notifications, and sun h, and get rid of the older ones. I hang onto Medicare statements for one year, then put they go!
Come this weekend, I will start taking down Christmas decorations. Trust me, it will be going on all next week too! I have to stop putting so much stuff out, but I keep going overboard! At least I keep my Dept. 56 villages out all year, so no trouble with that.
I don’t have enough room to keep up my Christmas village or I definitely would. But I do have a table where I can leave up my Kinkade village all year so I get to enjoy the coziness of that.
I think that misspelled word is “such”! No, not celebrating with champagne yet!😀
I have to admit it was hard to pick just one of the outfits, but I’m totally satisfied that Molly’s “Waiting for Christmas” won Dress of the Year for 2019. Anxiously awaiting what’s to come in 2020.
Happy belated birthday, Barbara. I had a great aunt whose birthday was the 26th as well. I also have a friend who was born Christmas Eve.
We always leave the decoration up until Epiphany as well (such as they are this year). It’s sad that many of the neighbors have taken down the outdoor decorations already. Once we starte using an artificial tree, we would start decorating right after Thanksgiving dinner, my daughter couldn’t wait to get things up when she was young.
All the dresses are beautiful. Such a wonderful variety of colors and styles. Can’t wait to see all the wonderful things you make this coming year, Jeanne. Enjoy your family time with your mom and siblings.
Happy New Year, everyone. May God bless us all with good health and happiness in 2020!!
I’m checking in from Texas. I’ve gotten that awful bug with sore throat and sinus problems but my daughter-in-law is an anesthesiologist and pays no attention to people having germs as she deals with it all the time. Having a wonderful time in spite of it all. Weather has been beautiful, unlike in Southern California this Christmas. Grandchildren are so much fun and growing too fast.
I missed out on voting but probably would have chosen Molly. I also liked the many coordinates in Play Time. What a wonderful collection. Still waiting for the 📖 to be published. Happy New Year 🎊🎆🎈 to all.
Susette I don’t know if you’ll check back to read this but living in the Houston area I can relate to your situation. They said on the news the other night that Cedar pollen from west of us is coming in early because of the fronts coming in from that direction. Mostly I have a scratchy throat and stuffy head but I use sinus rinse and throat spray and it becomes at least manageable. I sing a lot so this can really be a problem for me if I don’t stay on top of it. I’m with you daughter-in-law on the germ thing. They are everywhere and we just have to learn to live with them. My mother was a nurse in a hospital and she was never sick. We ate right, got plenty of sleep and exercise and we kids were rarely sick.
Enjoyed looking back over all the beautiful dresses/outfits that you’ve created Jeanne. Should be an annual event. Excited to share that my first project for the New Year is to sew an orphan costume for my granddaughter’s role in Annie Jr. She picked out fabrics today. Have to make sure she has enough room to MOVE! Not like sewing for dollies that stand still. 😉
Dear Jeanne and blog family, Happy New Year!
To confess, the first thing I did in the new year was not watch TV as I thought, it was to check email.
Here is a new question: Is there a doll that “got away?” Is there a doll you really wanted but didn’t get?
For me, it was a little Madame Alexander “April in Paris” doll. I wanted her forever but I couldn’t find her. I finally saw her at an Alexander Doll Club convention. I was so excited. The vendor, in the salesroom, who had her on display wouldn’t sell her. What? I said. Yep, she was only for display, not for sale. So little Miss April got away.
The next year at the convention, I ran into the vendor. She said, “oh, you are the lady who wanted the “April in Paris” doll. I said that I was and asked if she was for sale. “No,” she said. “Then why did you remind me?” I cried in pain, well not pain, maybe angst. So little Miss April got away again.
But, there is a silver lining to this tale. I kept watching for this doll on ebay and a few months after the convention, there she was! The seller (not the same one) wanted more than I thought the doll was worth but I didn’t care. I wanted that doll! I got her. I named her Avril, which is April in Paris.
Hi Dorothy,
So happy for you that you got your little Avril. I immediately thought of “Avril’s Atonement” that Anne Shirley writes in the second Anne of green Gables movie.
As far as the doll that got away, well, a PC first release Felicity is the doll I wanted for myself when I first saw her in the catalog. My daughter got Felicity in 1993, but I would get my own until 2014, after joining the doll boards. The dolls I wanted then were Caroline, Marie-Grace and Ruthie. I chose Caroline to be my fourth doll, after Samantha, Felicity and Nellie whom I’ve re-wigged. The next year I knew I could buy one more doll which may or may not be the last since I needed to buy PC clothing and accessories and only could spend so much. The choice was between Marie-Grace and Ruthie and I chose Marie-Grace. I don’t regret that as I love her unique face mold and eye color and those little hair tendrils. So actually I’m perfectly content since when I inherited my daughter’s Samantha I never thought I would actually get my own Felicity, let alone three additional dolls.
Dear Laura, it sounds like your story has a happy ending also.
I only have one PC doll, Addy. I got her last year at a local doll show for a great price. I do have a “family” of 18 inch dolls though: Journey Girl, Madame Alexander, Our Generation, Gotz, Kidz and Cats, and Tonner’s My Imagination. I am leaving someone out but I cannot remember who. I don’t know how I acquired all of these dolls. They just kind of made their way to my house (stray dolls?) and I couldn’t turn them away (chuckle).