Several of you guessed what I was making to go along with Julie’s 1970’s maxi dress. It was a fringed purse! I had a scrap of pretty brown Ultrasuede and decided it would be the best thing I could make as her accessory. I don’t know how to knit, so a shawl was out of the question, although that would have been very sweet! A hat was also guessed, but I didn’t have a big enough scrap of my suede to make one of those either.
So the purse will have to do… The suede looks a bit coarse in my pictures, but it’s not…it’s very soft and supple and was a dream to sew up. Since the focus was on the purse today, my pictures might be a bit on the repetitious side. I “embellished” it with some buttons and felt flowers…
But I do have a special feature with the purse… you know how on a crossover body bag you have to raise one of your dolls arms straight up and slip the strap of the purse over her head and over her arm? Well, I made the strap on the purse detachable on one end… you just have to put the strap around her shoulder, behind her neck and fasten the snap on the end of the strap to the snap sewn on the inside of the purse… Viola! Genius, I think!
I also added 2 quarters wrapped in the same fabric as her dress, and glued them to the inside flap of her purse to give it some weight. … it was a bit springy and wanted to stay open. Now it lays down perfectly and makes the purse hang better on her side.
I wanted to get some outside pictures taken but it was SO rainy today… in fact the rain was so persistent, at 2:00 this morning I was awakened by a drip, drip, drip in the bathroom.. .Yep, our roof was leaking… It’s no fun cleaning that up at that time of the morning. But it’s stopped now and we hope that’s all for now…
Anyway, I’ll see if there are any breaks in the weather Friday and take Julie outside for just a few quick pictures to show you the color of her dress a little better. Then I’ll see about getting it listed on Ebay…
I also was given a few more pictures and notes to Beth, for her Farewell album and here are a few of the pages I “embellished.” Nothing really fancy, but just a little nicer than only pictures and words. It’s about 26 pages long now…
Well, that’s it for today…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
That bag is just Perfect for Julie! I love the embellishment (we did a lot of embellishing back then, it seems!!), and this just looks like the right era. All the pieces have come together nicely. (However, I’m with your husband on the beige fabric thing. It is just…so…I don’t know….so…so…Beige!! LOL)
The scrapbook is beautiful, and what a wonderful keepsake for your friend! Thanks for sharing.
HI Charlotte,
Sorry, you’re in the beige camp… I’ll let my hubby know he has someone on his side! :o)
Thanks for the compliment on the scrapbook…
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I certainly would pick this dress for Julie compared to what AG has made for her by a lot! I love the sweet flowers on the gauzy material and feel it it what the 70’s were all about! Of course, that’s just me, but I don’t get all the crazy colors AG has used most of the time for her. I wouldn’t put them on my own daughter! I love the beige!
Te purse is just the thing! I remember those perfectly, but of course, my purses in the 70’s had to be bigger because I was a mother!! I haad to have whatever was needed! I love the colors you picked for the flowers, and was just going to say those brown clogs that Marilyn sent an attachment of would be just the thing for this dress! I actually have them!
We are so glad to be home again! Our little trek to Branson was a hugely wet one, and cold to boot! Yes, Silver Dollar City is still fun, but it was hard to stay more than two hours. The rain did us in, and we had to leave earlier than expected. The drive home was terrible with all the rain and trucks! I found it funny when I got home and read the weather report in the paper. It said we were in for a “tropical rainstorm” and that explains it!! However, we also had arctic cold!! So we are glad to be home!!
Hi Linda,I commented before reading others today, but you and I agree. I would definitely pick this over anything AG made for Julie. Her first white birthday dress is the only outfit I even vaguely like., but wouldn’t buy. The prairie look was definitely more to my liking.
Hope you had some fun in Branson, despite the rain
HI Linda,
I think Julie looks pretty sweet in this too… I could be prejudiced..
If I had seen those clogs in the beginning when I was first deciding on this fabric, I may have bought them, but I think I’ll let the winner decide it they want them…
I’m sorry you has such a soggy visit when you went to Branson…it has been pretty rainy lately around here too. I bet you ARE glad to be back home…
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, You do such a thorough job of making sure your ensembles match the time period. Julie’s ensemble is another example of your fine work. Don’t those flowers on her purse just jump out and say 1970s?
Blessings.
HI Becky,
I would have thought the 70’s would have come easily to me, but I had to do quite a bit of looking at things to refresh my memory of what was and was not in style… Maybe as I make her more things, it will get easier and I won’t have to think so hard.
Julie’s dress is going to be on Ebay this evening…
Blessings, Jeanne
Brilliant! I thought it would be the bag. How about one more cut between each fringe? Wonderful outfit! I’m totally good with the beige fabric. Perfect for this doll. I wonder if Marilyn will be able to resist.
Very nice scrapbook! More of your talents.
There’s a lovely freebie pattern download on Pixie Faire for a Susan B. Anthony dress available today only. It’s beautiful!
I got the Susan B. Anthony e-mail too and forwarded it to Jeanne. I’m not much for period attire but this is a beautiful outfit and I’m going to get it myself.
Thank you so much for the link, Susette. I loved when Pixie Faire had those freebies and collected quite a number. the best thing was when one of the period patterns I had really wanted became the freebie the following week. Free is wonderful!!
HI Susette
I actually thought about cutting my fringe a little smaller but if I mess it up and get off the middle, and cut a fringe off, the whole purse is ruined… so I think I’ll pass.
I downloaded that pattern from Pixiefaire… maybe I’ll use it someday… thanks for the remind…
Blessings, Jeanne
Very pretty bag. I like it, although, as far as I can remember, there were no cross body bags during that time at all. Just shoulder bags. 🙂 I had a leather purse with tooled flowers on the front. Loved it. I do remember wearing woven flowers in a sort of crown with long dangly ribbons down the back. 🙂 In case you want to add a head thingy.
Can’t wait to see the listing, and such a nice farewell book you made too.
I am on the same wave length as Joy. We had shoulder bags. No cross body. I made many a shoulder bag then.
But I love the flowers and other embellishments. I made at least two shoulder bags that I embroidered on. I really wanted a suede one with looong fringe! Actually, anything in suede with long fringe. Vest, jacket, or shoulder bag. 😊
HI Julia,
I had a thing for LONG fringe too… vests, western jackets, purses, etc. I didn’t have a piece of suede long enough to make it any longer… sorry… :o(
Thanks Julia,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yes, I do remember those hair wreath thingys. That would be the crowning touch to Julie’s outfit.
For casual outfits we had these. https://www.backwardglances.com/product/hippy-headband/ I had an identical Goody one.
Seems there were a lot of specific hair accessories for some decades like the braided ribbon barrettes we had in the 1980’s.. Fun memories.
HI Joy,
After I read what you said about cross body bags, I realized you were right… so I HAD to get more pictures taken…. the day turned into a pretty one, so we went outside and I took pictures with her purse just on the one shoulder. I’m wondering if I should have shortened it, but it’s too late now, as I’ve got the dress set listed and ready to go on Ebay this evening. Thanks for pointing that out… I had forgotten… it’s funny, the Civil War stuff comes easier to me than the 70’s is…
I loved the picture you sent me of the little flower wreath, but alas…too late on that… I might make something and send it as a surprise though. :o)
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, one word comes to mind “Groovy” (laugh). Julie definitely has the look.
The memory book is lovely. I am sure that it will be cherished.
It makes me think about Sarah who must be quite grown up by now.
HI Dorothy,
I “almost” used the word Groovy in my title, but decided not to at the last minute… maybe another time… Julie’s dress is going on Ebay in about 30 minutes! :o)
I got a piece of mail for Alba today and my thoughts turned to them and wondered how they are faring down in Colombia… I’ll have to get a new picture of Sarah…I bet she’s as tall as me now…
Thanks Dorothy,
Blessings, Jeanne
I like that the dress looks brownish and has a floral pattern. It goes well with her eye color and hair, and I like brown. I wish the neckline was a little higher. Neat necklace and purse. That is fun that the purse has secret money hidden inside. 🙂
We had a lot of rain yesterday, too, but my daughters and I were able to check out a new thrift store for the first time. (The oldest two are on vacation from school for All Saints’ day.) The thrift store is nice. We brought in a box of stuff and they put $23 toward our store credit! So the oldest two had fun money to look for newborn clothes for their dolls. Marion doesn’t have a doll yet, but is hoping for one for her birthday in November. Hope you have a dryer day today!
HI Karen,
I initially was going to describe the color of Julie’s dress as light cocoa brown… it reminds me of the powder of Swiss Miss hot chocolate you dump out of the packages… but I thought I could just call it a light taupe color and people would know that color better.
Yes, secret money… someday the winner might have to swipe the money from Julie in an emergency! :o)
Oooooo… a new thrift shop…right up my alley! I hope you found lots and lots of fun treasures! I hope Marion gets that dolly for her birthday! :o)
Thanks Karen,
Blessings, Jeanne
Drier?
I got it! :o)
What a good idea to weigh your purse so it doesn’t open!
HI Oksana,
I’ve been putting pennies and nickles in purses for years to keep the flaps from popping open. I really does the trick! Thanks!
Blessings, Jeanne
I agree with Linda, your clothes for Julie are far better than what AMG makes for her. This outfit is just lovely. The pale brown print and the softness of the material and your design. The purse is right on. Cool! Groovy like Dorothy said!
Your scrapbook for your friends is so thoughtful. What a labor of love ! Peace!!
HI Paula,
Thank you for all the compliments on Julie’s dress. It was fun to put this one together… and go down a few memory lanes in the process. I just wish everyone could see this one in person…it looks a little flat in my pictures, but in person, it just jumps out at you. It’s a very pretty color on Julie too…
We are going to give Beth her scrapbook during Sunday service… then she’s heading off to Oklahoma after the service. She certainly had lots of friends write nice things about her and lots of memories… She’s going to cry buckets, I just know it!
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne, I forgot to say what a wonderful job you did on the scrapbook! It will be something for your friend to treasure always!
Are you really putting money in your outfits?😊
HI Linda,
Thank you for your kind words about the scrapbook. Yes, Beth will treasure this forever!
…and yes, I guess I’m putting money in my outfits… I suppose I could have gone to the garage and found a few washers in my hubby’s stash, but 2 quarters was easier to use.
Thanks again,
Blessings, Jeanne
Can I have one? The purse that is. I always wanted one like that but never did make the plunge. I love the dress and I like the brown flowered fabric. I made a lot of brown dresses, skirts and tops. I remember some of the fabrics I used. They all had flowers on them. The dress reminds me of some I made. They were called granny dresses as I remember. They were very sweet. I love Julie’s whole outfit and I love those clogs in the link Marilyn sent. The other shoes were wonderful too, but I liked the clogs the best. The flowers on the purse were perfect. Flower Power!! Groovy!! Did we really say all that? LOL
The scrapbook is a perfect memory. Great job of embellishment. Perfect weather here right now. It’s about 60 degrees and sunny – and no wind. Doesn’t get better than that. My stepson mowed for me the other day and I don’t have any other yard work ready to go so I’ll just take a walk this afternoon and enjoy weather we rarely have.
HI Barbara,
Well, you’re never too old to get a purse like you’ve always wanted… the next time you see a fringed purse, maybe you should get it… :o)
I like this dress very much on Julie… it seems to suit her personality very much and it makes her awfully pretty too!
I liked those flower clogs that Marilyn sent the link to too! They were adorable. I think we did used to say those things… groovy especially!
The scrapbook was nice to do for Beth. She has been a dear friend and I’ll miss her terribly. But Oklahoma isn’t that far away that we’ll never see her again…at least that’s what we are all telling ourselves.
I hope you enjoyed your walk.
Blessings, Jeanne
The fringed purse is the perfect accessory for Julie. I can’t believe AG doesn’t already have a Julie purse like that. I don’t think the dress is too beige—it looks like a color we wore in the 70’s that we called rose-beige.
The scrapbook pages are really sweet. They will be a nice remembrance for your friend.
HI Carolyn,
It IS kind of a rose-beige… it has a bit of a pinkish cast to it. That’s why, when I saw that LOVE charm and it was that pinkish rose gold color, I just had to have it! I actually didn’t realize AG didn’t have a fringed purse for Julie!
We took some pictures outside today and Julie’s auction will go on Ebay in about 15 minutes…
Thank you for your kind compliments on the scrapbook.
Blessings, Jeanne
If you find the Holly Hobbie doll I’d love to see her. I thought the stcikers I had wer adorable. BTW, did you know that Hollie Hobbie is the artist’s real name?
A poncho would look very 1970’s, but not for this lovely dress, it would hide too much. You don’t have to know how to knit. Do you know how to crochet? I don’t know how to knit either, but I do crochet both with thread and yarn.
Julie’s fringed purse is the perfect addition to her outfit and I see you picked up all the colors in the dress with the felt flowers and buttons. The adds a little hint of color at her side. That was a genius way of fixing the purse strap. I absolutely love this dress, far prettier than anything AG has made for her. Julie looks ready for a day on the town, maybe she’s off to buy a lava lamp or pet rock. LOL
Great job on the scrapbook. that will be a treasure.
HI Laura,
I might find the Hollie Hobbie pattern, but I know I don’t have the doll anymore. I didn’t know that was a real person’s name…
I should do a slide show of my Julie outfits… they were made LONG ago… I do have a poncho pattern, but don’t remember if I ever made it before.
I can crochet… maybe I could figure out how to do a poncho or a shawl…. thanks for the idea.
Lava lamps and pet rocks… how could I have forgotten those? Crazy, huh?
Thanks for your sweet compliments Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne
The scrapbook is nearly as groovy as the outfit. You’ve done a beautiful job on both.
I’d love to see a picture of Sara now. Is it possible?
Years before cross body bags were common here, i noticed shoulder bags being worn that way in NYC and was told they were harder to steal worn like that. It may have been a big city only custom in the 70’s, which is when I worked in NJ. The brown shoes Julie is wearing work well with the purse and so would the clogs I linked to a few days ago. The 70’s were about loving things and wearing them, whether they went together or not. The purse is perfect that way — it doesn’t match like Lian’s outfit does, but it does work. It’s perfect.
Far Out, Marilyn! 🙂 I’m sure you are right about the Xbody.
HI Marilyn,
I got a statement in the mail for Alba today, so I’ll ask her to send me a picture of Sara when I email her.
Julie’s dress is going on Ebay in about 3 minutes, and I fully intend to tell the winner about those cute little brown clogs you showed me… They really are perfect for this dress set… Thanks for finding them.
Blessings, Jeanne
Very pretty dress. For this, flowers in the hair or a headband would be useful. Best regards.
HI Alina,
I did make Julie a headband but not with flowers… just the fabric. But if I found some flowers I might make a garland of flowers to send with this set… Thanks for your compliments…
The dress is listed on Ebay now…
Blessings, Jeanne