Please note;
The auction for Julie’s dress listed on Ebay, ends this evening… you can see it by clicking on the picture at the right side bar or you can click HERE.
As I think back on my doll “browsing” habits, I think maybe I was sort of looking at this doll from time to time… recently she popped up on my screen and I took a second look at her…I saw some poor messy haired doll and wondered if her hair was just tangled up from playing with her or was it dry and straw-like.
This was the picture of her on Ebay…makes you wonder, doesn’t it? I’m pretty good at zooming in on a picture and telling if the hair is damaged and dry or just tangled… and it looked to me like it was just a mess, but not damaged.
The seller offered returns, so I decided to take a chance…
If you couldn’t tell from the picture, it’s Maryellen, the 1950’s American Girl doll.
When I took her out of her box, she looked pretty much like what she did in her picture…like a hot mess!!!
When I first took her out of the box, she looked very pretty, BUT…she had a shiny spot on her cheek and on the end of her nose…Grrrr! It made me sick…such a pretty doll. But that flaw…what to do.
I read up on what to do about shiny marks and ordered some micro-mesh…(a very very fine grade sandpaper) that is supposed to work well. I also read on the American Girl Playthings doll forum that some shine marks can be removed with lightly sanding with a damp Magic Eraser. I decided I’d give the Magic Eraser a try and see if it worked before my Micro-mesh arrived…
I was a little bit nervous because of where the shine mark was…right in the blush area on her cheek. But I went ahead and carefully did it. It took a few times but miraculously it reduced the shine mark to almost nothing.
I think I’ll still use the Micro-Mesh when it arrives to see if it removes it all the way…
I thought maybe if I just wet her hair and used my wig brush, it might look okay. So I carefully wet it and got it smoothed out pretty well…and thought it was okay.
When I brushed my hand over it, it felt kind of dry so I decided to shampoo and condition it.
After it was washed and dried, it really did look and feel better. I also was able to move her bangs over just a bit where they looked more like a full set of bangs instead of the way you see them in most of her pictures. I like them much better this way…and I like that her bangs are a little bit longer than some I see in the pictures…
Here’s another sneak preview of her dress and her bea-uti-ful hair…
Well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to see her dress… I got a lot done, but there was too much to show in this post and show her dress too…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I know several of your readers guessed Felicity, but I didn’t think her hair looked quite the right “red” for her. Never even thought about Mary Ellen!
And, yes, she was a “hot mess” when you got her, but you have once again worked your magic! So glad the Magic Eraser worked on her shiny spots. She really has turned out quite pretty!
Looks like you’ve already had four bids on Julie’s dress–congratulations!! I’m looking forward to seeing Mary Ellen’s dress!
HI Charlotte,
Well, I already have a Felicity, so I don’t think I’d be in the market for another one of her… Mine is just fine and suits me to a tee!
I’m pretty pleased at how she came “around” too! She is very pretty.
Julie’s dress sold for the same amount as Kirsten’s blue dress with the apron, bonnet and shawl…
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, this was a surprise, Jeanne! I was starting to think it was Maryellen, toweards the end of the day, but now we know! That side part really did throw off the Felicity image I had of her. She really looks nice all cleaned up and maybe she reminds you of your Rebecca?
I cannot for the life of me understand why people selling dolls, don’t at least clean them up a bit or comb their hair to look more presentable, and therefore more sellable!
I wondering what era you will make your new doll? The dress looks like something from long ago!
HI Linda,
I was happy that Maryellen cleaned up as well as she did. Her hair is very nice now and that mark on her face isn’t noticeable at all now! Yay!
I can’t imagine selling a doll and not at least trying to brush their hair… But it was good for me! :o)
She’s going to be my 50’s doll at least for now…
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
I never would have guessed Maryellen. Doesn’t she have pretty brown eyes? She will be a good model for you, and that is interesting to know the shine marks can be removed. I will look for the dress tomorrow, but from what I can see now, it doesn’t look like a 50’s style.
HI Carolyn,
Actually her eyes are hazel… my lighting wasn’t very good when I took those pictures.
It is a 50’s style…at least I hope it is!
Thanks so much,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m not so well versed on the newer AG’s. All I can remember is she had a diner and was supposed from the 50’s. For some reason, the bangs didn’t fit in with my remembrance of those years. Glad you were able to fix them. I’ve had that micromesh on my list for some time. Where did you end up finding it? The place I once looked is out of business, and I have one AG who could use a facial. 🙂
The new dress is perfect for Maryellen. Love the first peek. Maybe a simple ribbon band in her hair across the top of the bangs might help to hold them in place and would be nice with the dress. Just a thought.
I almost have all of my Meadow kids ready for fall camp. Yay. And now, I’m trying to find shoes for my Kaye Wiggs girl. Another size we don’t seem to have around here. Where do you find shoes for your big KW girl? They seem to be very expensive.
HI Joy,
Bangs were pretty popular in the 50’s but most of them were cut way too high to suit me… When I wet her bangs, I just kept combing them over toward her part and eventually they decided to comply… I like them much better without that gap.
The micro-mesh came from a seller on Ebay… I bought the 1800 and 2400 grit… that’s what was recommended on AGPT.
Micro-mesh seller on Ebay
Most of my shoes for Nyssa came from Juju’s on Ebay… I found some boots another time but can’t remember where I got them…
I hope you’re having fun with your new girls…
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, yes, Joy, we wore bangs in the 1950s! Some kids’ moms cut theirs, and way too short! I have a very high forehead, so mom let my bangs be a little longer, especially as I got older. I’ve had my hair in bangs since about 1957 (I was 11), and had them when I was pretty young, too. It just depended on whether mom gave me a perm that year!
You did a great job cleaning MaryEllen up. It’s fun to take a messy doll and clean her up. Marks can be difficult to deal with. I don’t mind them so much on the body but on the face is a no no.
I once bought a doll who looked very good and it was listed as in excellent condition. When I got her, one eyebrow was partially missing. Fortunately, I was able to return her.
I don’t understand people not cleaning up items for sale either. Presentation can be everything.
Your Mary Ellen is very pretty. When you said you washed her hair, how were you able to move her bangs a little? I have a Mary Ellen too but I never cared for her bangs. They’re too stiff to me. She’s a NRFB doll so her bangs are what they are.
Her dress looks interesting??!!
Hi Paula,
It is kind of fun to take a doll who seems like she couldn’t be fixed up much at all and do something special for her and be pleased! I am!
When her bangs were wet, I just kept combing them and fingering them over to the side to fill in that gap. They had a prototype of what the 1950’s doll was going to be like and I LOVED the way her bangs were, but then they came out with Maryellen and I really didn’t like the bangs on her… but maybe she’ll be okay for me… who knows… Like I said, I really wasn’t looking of needing another doll… yikes!
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Mary Ellen looks wonderful after her day in your capable hands. She is one of the AG dolls I’m familiar with, but I never could identify her from the back. Can’t wait to see the dress. The fabric looks really pretty.
I haven’t been able to sew for a few days and am getting itchy fingers to do so. A few years ago when I redid my sewing room I bought a corner fireplace/TV stand. I was looking forward to the cozy ambiance of the fireplace on cold days. But when I started the fireplace, the fire rotated backwards and then forwards and it went click-click, click-click. I kept asking hubby to take a look at it and see if it could be fixed, but it never made it to the top of the to-do list and so I just went without. Last week when my son was here I suggested we pull the thing out and remove the firebox so they could take it to the shop for evaluation. It took him all of five minutes to move the cabinet and remove the firebox – that was after the time it took me to remove all the dolls I had sitting on it and the stuff I had in front of it. It was decided the problem was with the motor and a new one would have to be ordered. Since the company where I bought it doesn’t sell that item anymore, I did an internet search to find the motor. Thankfully it is a common item. Now I am waiting for its arrival to get things put back together so I can get back to sewing. The girls are getting really impatient for some fall/winter clothes.
Thank you Barbara,
I’m happy with Maryellen, but feeling a little guilty for buying her when I really didn’t need another doll…
I hope you get your new fireplace going real soon… your girls will love being in a nice warm room! You will too! :o)
Blessings, Jeanne
This one really was a surprise. I knew the hair looked a little like Maryellen’s, but I guess I wouldn’t have thought you would choose her. She does have hazel eyes like Blaire, so I was on the right track at least. I think she’s really cute, but her bangs really limit her versatility, at least in my collection. You can have way more, so a doll for a single era works out just fine. She will be a fun addition, being another redhead. I guess, since I can only have a few dolls, I have to have most that can cover a few eras logically. You did a fantastic job of fixing her up and she looks very pretty now.
I do love the dress. The color and the sleeve ruffles are adorable. Can’t wait to see it from the front.
HI Laura,
When you read my post for tomorrow, you’ll wonder as I have been, did I make a good choice in getting Maryellen? Sometimes I think I should just do Civil War and 40’s dresses…those come easy to me, without much thinking… I guess we’ll see what happens.
Blessings, Jeanne
The seller would never recognize your doll. You’ve done a beautiful job, and the warm colors of her dress should suit her beautifully. I had a dress with sleeves a lot like that in 1960.
I like the way you changed her bangs. Bangs were popular in the 50s. Some people gave credit to Mamie Eisenhower for that, though I didn’t much like her bangs, but I think she was a popular First Lady.
Hi Marilyn,
The colors in her dress are just perfect for her complexion… she is a peaches and cream kind of girl.
I was glad too, that I got her bangs to cooperate and move over that gap where the part ends… I always thought it looked like that 1/4 section of them were missing…
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
I’ve been thinking about this all day. Why not remove the wig and start over? Pick a lovely wig for her and those strange bangs will be gone forever. I guess that depends on how much you had to pay for her. Maybe with the wig off, the bangs could be repositioned. Just a thought. 🙂
And didn’t know if you had heard, but Monique the wig/shoe place is calling it quits at the end of the month, so if you need a wig, now is the time to pick it up. Have no idea where we will get wigs or special sized shoes anymore. Sad
HI Joy,
Well, since I got her bangs moved over to suit me, she’ll be okay for now…
No, I hadn’t heard that Monique was going out of business… boo hoo… this is terrible news… I loved their wigs… it’s really sad to hear this…
Blessings, Jeanne