HI everyone,
It looks like we’ll have a few more dolls to share from my readers… Sally shared this picture of 3 of her Ruby Red Fashion Friends dolls… This is what she emailed me…
“Hi, Jeanne!
I thought I would dress up three of my kids in their new fall outfits and share it with you. You wondered who was going to get to wear Monkey Business first. Well, it’s little Perihelia. This outfit really is perfect for redheads, and putting it on was even more pleasurable thinking about how your process for this outfit evolved. It is a true gem and will always be treasured.
The other two girls are both wearing outfits from the delightful team of Maggie and Kate. Both very talented and dear women. The doll in the skirt is a customized Sara done by Shai Hoffer. Her compassionate expression is very endearing to me. And of course, Liberty Joy is wearing the pants set. Mine is called Libby after my cousin and matron of honor.
So, happy birthday, my friend, and hope seeing your little Monkey Business well loved brings even more pleasure. Have a Peanut Buster Parfait! Woohoo!
Fondly,
Sally and the girls”
Sally also shared this email with me…
“Hi again, Jeanne!
To help you out with some fodder for the blog this week, perhaps you might want to share this photo of a wool embroidery project I did (with my own hot little hands!) that I began in 1976 and meant to be a gift for my paternal grandmother. Well, the project went slowly and then she died. It was only half done and I put it away for years and years. When I rediscovered it, I felt it was too beautiful and had too much time invested in it to not complete it. It only took 33 years! 😉 however, I was pleased with it so I spent a bundle to get it framed. You see it here on our bedroom wall (which is not white OR agreeable Gray! 😎 It is actually “antique red”).
That little watercolor painting next to it that you only see partially is the dairy farm that my great aunt ran, along with a summer boarding house, and I was there all the time. She was my favorite person; I still wear her scarab ring and fondly remember crossing the road to spend time with her and helping with the farm work.
Anyhow, I just wanted to show that old Sal Gal CAN use a needle pretty darn well. Sewing machines?? No, thanks!
Have a splendid birthday and a super exciting week.
Fondly,
Sally”
Thank you Sally… I LOVED seeing your girls in their outfits and that picture you embroidered… it’s magnificent! I’m assuming wool embroidery is the same as crewel? You did a wonderful job on it and it only took you 33 years! I’ve got a few like that I need to finish… :o)
I also received an email from Melody… she wanted to show me a picture of a doll, like the tiny one from Charlotte, only bigger…The title of her email was Frozen Lottie… Is this her name, Melody? This is what she emailed me…
“Here’s a picture of my much larger version of that tiny adorable doll. I won her auction in May of 2019, for big Stella by Connie Lowe. I need to reattach her arms and make her something to wear. 🙂 – Melody”
I also received an important announcement from the Our Little Darlings Ning Group which is the Dianna Effner doll forum… Our very own Dorothy from PA and the world is one of the moderators…
To all of our members (une traduction française est ci-dessous) :
With the passing of our beloved Dianna Effner, almost a year ago, Dorothy and I have been working to determine what Dianna’s estate wanted to do with this site, which she created as a fan club years ago on Yahoo and then transitioned onto this forum here.
We asked Dianna’s family if they would allow us to continue the site ourselves in the spirit of what Dianna had created for us, as a group where we can continue to have community around our favorite dolls, enjoy artistic and creative activities and storytelling with our dolls, and chat with each other. They agreed, and transferred ownership a few days ago. Dorothy and I are now financially responsible for Our Little Darlings.
The site is rather expensive on a monthly basis. We can reduce our cost by trimming the membership to fewer than 1000 members (we currently have 1,138). Records show that we have over 1000 inactive members.
To that end, it will be necessary for us to implement a membership policy, which we have outlined below.
We would like to ask that if you wish to continue to be a group member, that you:
1. Log onto the site at http://ourlittledarlings.ning.com and hit the log in button in the upper right. If you don’t remember your password, request it to be reset. If you have technical issues and cannot get logged in and wish to, please email Elizabeth directly: elizabeth.r.wood@gmail.com. Be patient because it might take me few days to get back to you if a lot of people email.
2. Once you are logged in, go to the News/Announcements section where you will see a copy of this announcement.
3. Post a comment below that you would like to remain a member.
4. In order to remain a member, you need to have some kind of activity, as little as a quick comment or “like” on a post, at least once every three months. In this way, we hope to continue the site as a fun group for all of us to enjoy.
We have made a lot of good friends here and have a lot of good information and beautiful photos and we want that to go on! In the coming year, we look forward to organizing more swaps, a photo contest, and a celebration of Dianna’s birthday next summer. We hope you, and of course your Little Darlings, will join us in the fun!
From Elizabeth and Dorothy
En français, en utilisant Google Translate
A tous nos membres :
Avec le décès de notre bien-aimée Dianna Effner, il y a près d’un an, Dorothy et moi avons travaillé pour déterminer ce que la succession de Dianna voulait faire avec ce site, qu’elle a créé en tant que fan club il y a des années sur Yahoo, puis est passé sur ce forum ici.
Nous avons demandé à la famille de Dianna si elle nous autoriserait à continuer le site nous-mêmes dans l’esprit de ce que Dianna avait créé pour nous, en tant que groupe où nous pouvons continuer à avoir une communauté autour de nos poupées préférées, profiter d’activités artistiques et créatives et raconter des histoires avec nos poupées. , et discuter entre vous. Ils ont accepté et transféré la propriété il y a quelques jours. Dorothée et moi sommes maintenant financièrement responsables de Our Little Darlings.
Le site est assez cher sur une base mensuelle. Nous pouvons réduire nos coûts en réduisant le nombre de membres à moins de 1 000 membres (nous en avons actuellement 1 138). Les dossiers montrent que nous avons plus de 1000 membres inactifs.
À cette fin, il nous sera nécessaire de mettre en œuvre une politique d’adhésion, que nous avons décrite ci-dessous.
Si vous souhaitez continuer à être membre du groupe, nous vous demandons de :
1 Connectez-vous au site http://ourlittledarlings.ning.com et cliquez sur le bouton de connexion en haut à droite. Si vous ne vous souvenez plus de votre mot de passe, demandez sa réinitialisation.
2 Une fois connecté, accédez à la section Actualités/Annonces où vous verrez une copie de cette annonce.
3 Postez un commentaire ci-dessous indiquant que vous souhaitez rester membre.
4 Pour rester membre, vous devez avoir une sorte d’activité, aussi peu qu’un commentaire rapide ou “j’aime” sur un post, au moins une fois tous les trois mois De cette façon, nous espérons continuer le site en tant que groupe amusant pour le plaisir de tous.
Nous nous sommes fait beaucoup de bons amis ici et avons beaucoup de bonnes informations et de belles photos et nous voulons que cela continue ! Au cours de l’année à venir, nous sommes impatients d’organiser d’autres échanges, un concours de photos et une célébration de l’anniversaire de Dianna l’été prochain. Nous espérons que vous, et bien sûr vos Little Darlings, vous joindrez à nous pour vous amuser !
D’Elizabeth et Dorothée
Well, that’s it for today…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Sally, thanks for your pictures. Your girls are beautifully dressed, and ready for school–or at least some crisp, cool fall days! Your embroidery is lovely. My mom did kind of what you did–she started an embroidery of the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments, and finished it after I got married! I was 28 when I got married, and she finished it probably a year after that, had it framed, and gave it to us. It hangs on the wall as you come up the stairs into our house. Sadly, it’s gotten faded over the past 45+ years, at least the reds have. Didn’t think of that when we hung it there (west-facing, so lots of light).
Melody, your doll is really sweet. I love her sculpted hair! Oh, yes, do get her arms attached and make her a pretty dress! How big is she?
Jeanne, I got that letter, too, and have already responded!!
Let me add my vote for your taking Saturday off. You need to focus on the wedding. Rebecca is your one and only daughter, and hopefully this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and very important! We can all sit here on the sofa and chat amongst ourselves until you get back. Give Rebecca our best wishes for a long and happy marriage!
Hi, Charlotte,
Thank you for the kind words. I apologize for not responding to anyone yesterday, but it has been a pretty “heavy duty” week here, and with a huge sigh of leaf and prayers of gratitude, every little thing has sifted out very nicely.
That embroidery of your mother’s is a treasure. Because I am hoping my “magnus opus” will be desired by someone in the family, I decided to have museum glass used to protect it from fading. Perhaps you will want to consider doing this?
Again, thanks, so glad you liked the kids’ clothes. Have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Hugs,
Sally
Oh dear! My whole comment went away before I could post it! Well, here we go again!
Sally, your darling trio of dollies are darling and so well dressed! I love those darling sweaters, all three, and it is wonderful that today, for the first time in I don’t know how long, we actually have sweater weather this morning! Yay for that!
Your crewel stitchery picture is beautiful, Sally! And that watercolor picture is amazing! I took several courses of watercolor in college, and can attest to anyone that it is NOT easy! Did you paint that?
Melody, your little doll is so cute, even without arms but I think she would look and feel better with them! Can she go on a tree or is she too big? Have fun dressing her! She kind reminds me of Betty
Boop!
Hello, Linda,
Thank you! Those girls were feeling pretty lucky to have such dandy duds to don! How wonderful that you finally had a sweater morning there in St. Louis. I can imagine the near jubilation.
No, I did not paint that picture. That and a much larger one, hanging in our living room, was painted by one of my great aunt’s summer guests. Miss Bley came from NYC for summers for years and she did those paintings as part of payment for her stays. I remember her, a sweet, tiny woman.
Yes, watercolors are interesting. They aren’t very forgiving, are they? Unlike oils that you can easily paint over, you have to be very careful with the water to be master of it. Not easy at all. I have done several watercolors and framed some. I need to get back to it.
Well, dear lady, thank you again. I am sorry this is coming so late, but have a super holiday weekend, and here’s hoping for more sweater weather for you.
Hugs,
Sally
Love Sally’s girls in their so so sweet outfits. Aren’t they just the cutest? Love the crewel/wool embroidery piece too. It is so nicely worked and the round frame sets it off so well. Happy it was finished unlike the box of unfinished projects stuffed in a box here. 🙁 The red walls make a great background for both the piece and the painting. I’d love to see more of it. Great that you have it.
How fun to see Frozen Lottie. I’ve only seen Frozen Charlotte dolls. She is beautiful and definitely deserves to have her arms reattached. 🙂
Wonder what Jeanne is working on today? Let’s hope all the tasks are complete and she can enjoy visiting with relatives coming into town. I’ll bet Rebecca has the jitters. Maybe not. I certainly would have though.
About to check on the fire progression overnight at Tahoe. Hoping for better news.
Hello, Joy,
So glad you like the girls’ outfits; I do believe they are feeling very cute.
Also glad you like my needlework and sounds like you have some old projects that need to be hauled out for completion. However, I firmly believe that since all of us are on the downslope of life, it is best to pick and choose those projects that will bring us joy. That’s the way I feel about books now, too. It used to be that I felt obligated to finish every book. Holy jumping cow. A crazy notion for sure.
Have a wonderful weekend. I know you have lots to do and it will be fun.
Hugs,
Sally
Sally, I can’t stop looking at your dolls. Beautiful trio for fall. They all look so sweet in their sweaters. I’m yarn challenged so if my dolls ever get a sweater it will be made like the one Jeanne did which is so clever! The embroidered picture couldn’t be prettier. So glad you finished it and you can think of your sweet Aunt when you look at it☺️
Melody your frozen Lottie is a really cute one. She must have been made when the mold was fairly new because the detail around her mouth and eyes and the waves in her hair all look deep and sharp.
I’ve seen dresses for them made from a doily.. Of course you have to cut a hole big enough for her head and stitch it shut once it is on. Same for the arms in case they don’t come thru the openings in the crochet. This may help for the arms….you an use a rubber band. Cut it and thread it thru the hole in the upper arm…reach thru the doll with a crochet hook and pull the ends of the rubber band thru the body and the hole in the other arm and stretch it and tie it.
How could I forget to offer good wishes for the wedding! It will be just so nice and beautiful! Can’t wait to see pics!
Hello, Kathie,
I am so sorry to be a day late here; thank you so much for your kind words. I do knit, but I don’t use small needles. They are too challenging for my hands these days, so I am very glad that other women do it and so beautifully. I have noticed that there are many vendors on Etsy that knit for these RRFF dolls and prices are very reasonable. Since I have limited space, I am dedicating most of it to these dolls and not so much for fabulous wardrobes as I did for other doll lines. Jeans and sweaters and some dresses.
Kathie, enjoy your holiday weekend. I hope something fun is in store.
Hugs,
Sally
Pretty girls, Sally! I got lazy this last year and didn’t change my Little Darlings’ outfits for the seasons like I used to. And I never changed the outfits for all of them – that would be a lot to change! Very pretty needlework, too – I, too, have needlework projects I have done that have been framed, along with some that I started years ago and never finished… oh, dear…
Melody – I assume that is a Frozen Charlotte, you have just shortened her name to Lottie. 🙂 I’ve had several antique bisque dolls over the years, but never a Frozen Charlotte. She’s very cute!
I got the email about the Little Darlings ning site, and made sure to respond that I want to remain a member. I was very surprised at the number of responses, most from people whose names I have never once seen as posters, or commenters on the site. I admit – just like here on Jeanne’s blog – I don’t post on the ning site nearly as often as some others do, but I do visit it every day, and post and/or comment on occasion. I do hope Dorothy and Elizabeth will be able to keep the site going.
Good luck with the wedding this weekend, Jeanne, and best wishes to Rebecca and Karn!
Hi, Theresa,
Thank you! Glad you like those girls. Thank goodness not all my RRFF girls are clamoring for fall outfits. I, too, used to change all my dolls for the seasons and holidays, and I was was very particular to keep the entire outfit, head to toe and underwear, stockings, era appropriate. Oh, boy. It took forever. I do changes a lot less often and have very much dropped my standards of accuracy. I think the kids all understand that mama is getting older and are willing to cut me quite a lot of slack.
Like I said above, life is getting shorter for us, so don’t bother doing old uncompleted projects if they don’t make your neurons get wildly ecstatic.
Have a super weekend.
Sending hugs,
Saly
Sally, your dolls are so cute in their sweaters. The embroidery is beautifully done. It really is expensive to have things framed in the round! As Linda asked, did you paint the picture? What a treasure you have there.
Melody, what a darling little doll. So cute. Thanks for sharing pictures with us. Just a few more days to see what we can all contribute. Thanks to everyone for sharing while Jeanne gets ready for the wedding. Maybe we could have a Share once every couple of months in the future.
Dear Susette,
Those little sweaters are mighty cute, and I am happy you enjoyed them as well.
Yes, it was expensive doing the round frame and matting, but because I knew this was the only time I would do such a huge project, I felt it worth the expense and added museum glass, too. With some luck, maybe one of our kids will want it. A lot of kids (adult kids) are not very sentimental about “stuff” these days. “And the beat goes on,” right?
As for the painting, I explained that above in my reply to Linda in St, Louis above. I have done some watercolor paintings in my later life, some of which I am rather proud and have had framed. It’s a lot of fun, but very, very challenging. Takes a lot of patience on my part.
Susette, have a wonderful holiday weekend, and thanks again.
Hugs,
Sally
Hi Susette,
I answered your question on yesterday’s post. Please check back there. Thanks!
Oh, more dolly fun today…..
Hi Sally, your RRFF are so sweet. I, too, like Sara compassionate expression. She need a little puppy or kitty to be cuddling. Perihelia. is lovely with her red hair and Libby is precious with her outfit with the ears.
Your crewel work is just gorgeous. I love those Jacobean embroidery designs and the in the round piece is so unique. I’m with you, Sally, much better at handwork than sewing.. The daily farm watercolor is lovely. Such an idyllic looking place.
Hi Melody, your frozen Lottie is so cute. Can’t wait to see what you make her to wear.
Thank you both for sharing them.
Dear Laura,
Do you go to sleep at night hearing violin music, I wonder? Hope your little Requiem is settling in nicely with her sisters. Actually, that Sarah (renamed by Shai as Arianna, which I like,) did come with a rag doll. You’re right, she should have it in her hands as if she is offering it to another little girl who is sad.
So we are both hand needlework gals, and we go for the old classic designs. I think we would get along famously, Laura, if we were neighbors!
Yes, the farm was a very special place for me. The barn burned down when I was a high school senior. My younger cousin had been smoking in there. Burned to the ground. Since then, it has been bought and operates as a B&B and has an exceptional restaurant. When I go back to VT, that is where we stay. The owners love that I have history with the place. It is idyllic and a beautiful, classic New England town.
Have a fantastic weekend, dear Laura. Open up your windows so I can hear Requiem’s music!
Hugs,
Sally
Hi everyone,
Jeanne, I hope you do take time away from your blog and concentrate on just enjoying all things wedding. Making memories, taking lots of photo’s and enjoying your family. I’m sure you will.
Oh oh Jeanne’s turned Joy into a doll collector. Welcome to the club Joy! Your new 18″ is lovely. Lets us know what you decide to name her and have fun sewing for your girls.
Susette, Your girls are so sweet. I don’t have a siblie. I’ve been trying to resist. It’s getting harder and harder yikes! I couldn’t resist that sweet little crocheted white teddy either, I was bad and ordered two. The little purse is too cute!
Marilynn, What a grand wedding cake and how nice to see you and your sister. You made that lovely cake perfection. I love real flowers used in that way, so beautiful. The bride and groom look so very happy and what an attractive couple they are. I’ve also been to a wedding at “sea” not really at sea (smile) but a trip down and back on the Erie Canal. A local tourist attraction here in Lockport. It was a summer wedding so it was plenty warm but up on the top deck there was a nice breeze. Good thing you had on that pretty velvet dress to keep you comfortable. Thank you for sharing, I enjoyed so much.
Sally, Your RRFF are looking so sweet in their fall outfits. I’m so happy to see you won “Monkey Business”. Lucky you, you have a Sara customised by Shai, she does beautiful work! I love your embroidery story. I’m pretty sure all crafting people have a project like that… I’m guilty of several LOL Your 33 year project is beautifully done. Thanks for sharing.
Melody, your Lotte will make the perfect little dolly for a Connie Lowe doll as her girls live in the 1930’s. If I was to guess I’d say Lotte is a 1930’s/1940’s doll. Perfect for Big Stella. Congrats on winning her she’s a cutie. Do make her a little something to wear and share it with us.
Dorothy, Oh my word… what a project you’ve taken on. Congrats! I am a member but not active. I joined and had a hard time navigating the site so never went back. I hope to give it another try before I get the heave-ho.
Best wishes for a wonderful wedding Jeanne. My son, daughter in-law and grandkids will be here tomorrow for a few days. Celebrating the end of summer with a party, expecting about 35… I rented a bounce house to keep the kids busy and of course there is always the pool. The weather is suppose to be lovely here. I pray it’s a gorgeous day for the wedding too!
Hugs to everyone
Ingrid
Hello, dear Ingrid,
I am sorry to be a day late, but yesterday was quite a day; it has been quite a week, but all has turned out well, and I am more than ready to move on.
Thank you for your kind compliments, and I must agree, Shai does some lovely work. She had one, Vivienne, that I adored but I just missed snagging her, so Shai did this doll and offered her to me. Quite different from Vivienne, but, in my opinion, very special in her own right. I feel that looking at her, she is the type of little girl that if she found another kiddo feeling very sad, that she would put her arm around the sad child to give comfort.
As for unfinished old projects, only do them if it will make you happy, really, really happy. 🥰
Have a fantastic weekend, dear lady.
Hugs,
Sally
Sally, it was lovely to see your dolls all ready for Fall (we’d say Autumn here).Me, I am hanging out for Spring. My hip especially is begging for warmer weather but all my other joints are in agreement.
I may grumble a bit about lockdown but personally I don’t mind it too much I always have plenty to do even when we were locked down for 8 weeks. This time, for three weeks, I have nowhere to be and I can choose to sew or read or even watch TV (but that doesn’t happen often in the daytime) and anything else that takes my fancy. However I realise that isn’t the same for everyone. A friend (though not a close friend) has apparently tried to commit suicide and at least one little one has been killed and her mother has been arrested. I think those with young children and those living alone (who are not solitary, like me) are the most affected. Years ago I heard something that has stuck with me. “Being alone and liking it is solitude, being alone and not liking it is loneliness”.
My friend lent me some books for Lockdown as I missed out going to the library. One was called “Colours” and was the history of paint colour. It gave me a whole new perspective on how great those early painters were and how they sourced the wonderful colours they chose for their painting! However, the one that has really grabbed me is “Human Kind, a Hopeful History” by Rutger Bregman. If I try to explain the book I would be here all morning but the basic premise is that humans natural instinct is to be kind and helpful (as usually happens in times of crisis) and we have to be trained or conditioned to be otherwise. (The media, especially digital media, is doing a good job there.) If you are able to get a copy I would urge you to read it. If everyone read it, it could change the world.
Enough Philosophy for the morning. The one thing I still have to do, in spite of lockdown, is take Louis for his walk. He was groomed yesterday and is lovely and white and soft and fluffy. Unfortunately he won’t be most of those things by the time we get back after sniffing under every bush in site lol.
Hello, Anne,
Well, both terms are used here, fall and autumn. Hope your weather warms up a bit to soothe the joints. I have a very unhappy shoulder today. And so it goes, yes?
Like you, the lockdowns, the solitude of Covid has worked quite well for me. There is always plenty to do, and with Covid being as politicized as it has been here, I have come to like and trust people less and less, which is not very nice. Our county is seeing a surge in the Delta variant and most of the cases are breakthrough. Four deaths last week. Well, it’s Labor Day weekend here, so that means fewer tourists for a couple weeks until the Aspen leaves start turning. Folks here in CO get very excited about the Aspen leaves, but I lived almost all my life out east and we had real colors. Aspen are mostly yellow and gold with an occasional reddish hue here and there. It’s nice, it’s different. But anyway, I will relish fewer people around “with attitude “ which mostly boils down to rudeness and airs of entitlement. Ugh.
So, I have ordered your book suggestion of “Human Kind”. I think I need a large dose of that, so thanks.
So sorry to hear about that woman and her child. Just so extraordinarily sad that some people feel that hopeless, sad and alone. I agree with your quote about being alone, enjoying solitude vs feeling lonely.
Well, I’ll bet dear Louis did his best to mar the perfection of the grooming. Dogs are the best…and dolls.
Have a good weekend and thanks for the book recommendations.
Hugs,
Sally
My computer changes introductory pages every few days. Recently it showed a mountain (volcano?) near New Plymouth in New Zealand, so of course I thought of Anne. It’s a beautiful country.
Thanks to everyone for the compliments on my family and the wedding cake. The flowers were added at the last minute so they’d stay fresh, and I’m guessing that they were chosen because they wouldn’t wilt too fast. Their “won’t go together” quality is probably why the cake looks so striking. The unexpected black ribbon accent also helped.
On Teri Lee dolls, there was a children’s clothing store here that sold them. There were also free booklets that showed the dolls and the clothes available for them. I was a big fan, but we had neither money nor space for one. The AG’s were a dream come true — an updated doll with endless clothes. They came out 40 years too late,but at least then I had the money — and now I have too many dolls.
Let me be the next person to say, “No Saturday column.” Save your energy for the wedding. You can share it with us Monday or even Tuesday. We’ll all pray for good weather for you.
Jeanne, Sending best wishes to you and your family for the big day! Blessings to Rebecca and Karn as they start their new life.
Sally, Those girls are just yummy! Today we had our first cool breeze in months. Your “fall friends” have me thinking of autumn with happy anticipation. I have a few of those partially finished needle work projects tucked away but none as colorful and artistic as yours. My grandparents had a dairy farm in southeastern Pennsylvania when I was very young. One of my earliest memories is being licked in the face by a cow! The farm was not my happy place after that.
Melody, Love that expression on the face of your frozen Lotte. Have fun with her outfit!
Hi, Debbie,
Perhaps you got the same “chill” as Linda had in St. Louis yesterday. When the air starts to turn, I greet it with mixed feelings. Glad to let go of the heat, happy to feel more comfortable, but then, winter is coming sooner. When I skied, winter was great. Now it’s just more chances to fall down, so out come the walking poles.
I can imagine the surprise of being licked by a cow. Sorry, but I laughed, Debbie. Made me think of a time being out in Sonoma Valley with the family and walking out oldest grandson across the street to visit the cows. He thought it was great until the cow nearest him let out a very loud moo! Scared little Zach to pieces and he started howling. He didn’t like my explanation that that is cow talk.
Thanks for your kind words and enjoy you holiday weekend. Hope it’s fun and cool!
Hugs,
Sally