Kathie sent me some pictures of how she replaces the onesie on a doll when she is repairing it. I hope you’ll enjoy it… and if you ever need to send a doll to the hospital, Kathie is a first rate doctor! :o)
Hi Jeanne,
I was trying to think of some pics to send that might be interesting to the Sofa Sisters while you are under the weather. The pics are not in a great order but I don’t know how to change them:( This a pretty simple way to clean up a baby doll that has had lots of loving.
I usually do this to vintage Compo “Mama” dolls but it is easy to do on any soft bodied doll.
Of course you scrub the head , arms and legs first. If they are super soiled I use a damp cloth and Comet…..( Yes, Comet….Robert Tonner uses it on Dolls too)…if not too soiled then the Magic Eraser works well. You can do it to vintage compo dolls too…just keep the dry towel right there to dry it asap…do a small are at a time. Rinse and dry.
Gerber Onesies come in lots of sizes but any onesie will work. Gerber sizes start with Preemies, come long and short sleeved and sizes go up from there. What is nice is the Trim that is already in place for a finished look. The onesie is usually too long so I cut away what is extra, which is usually the area where the snaps are. If one or two snaps show it isn’t a problem.
I use a long strong needle with Quilting or Buttonhole thread and place the needle under original cover and up through the knit trim on the onesie. Catch it through the stitches that attach the original cover to the vinyl if you can. Have the needle come up where the trim meets the onesie. It is sometimes tough to push through so I keep a little needle nose or pilers handy. Let the knit trim come down over the leg or arm.
One pic shows the front of the crotch area and if your onesie has extra fabric in back just take a dart or pleat there (in another pic)The neck can be overlapped at the shoulder and gathered if needed.
There is lots of give to the knit..one pic shows the onesie shorter than the doll body….that much will stretch and give a nice tight fit :0)
Hope that is clear enough. A good snowy day project.
Kathie Welsh
Loved-to-Pieces Doll Repair
First of all, Jeanne, I hope you are feeling better! You didn’t say anything about your recent illness, so hope that means you are on the mend!
Congrats on your successful auction of Valentine Surprise! The outfit brought a nice price!
Kathie, thanks so much for sharing pictures. I vaguely seem to remember something about using a onesie to cover a doll body, probably in the dim and distant past, but it really helps to have the pictures showing the various steps to get this accomplished! Thanks for sharing.
We’ve been having a lot of fog lately. Last night visibility was very low (0.3 miles, I think) and although it did clear up some during the day, by the time we got out of evening service, we were getting “socked in” again. However, a change in weather (that means “rain”, usually, in our neck of the woods!) is due tomorrow, so that should take care of the fog.
Kathie, Thanks so much for your unique idea on recovering a doll’s body. My mother has 2 baby composition dolls from her 1930’s childhood. Both bodies seriously need covering and I have thought about many solutions but never this one. I think this might be worth a try. They also need many repairs on the composition but she and I love these babies anyway. They are both fun to dress in real baby clothes and look so sweet despite their obvious flaws.
My Mom is losing her memory but really has great memories of these little girls and her childhood.
Thanks for sharing a great idea.
Doreen from Arkansas
Hi, Doreen,
I hope you and your mother can actually play with dolls together. Something you both share a love for and a way to spend some quality time together. My heart goes out to you both. ❤️
I can personally vouch for Kathie’s talent as a doll hospital doctor. She reattached the arms, legs and head of my Mary Hoyer doll which had fallen apart due to aging of the rubber bands which held her together. I don’t think if I hadn’t followed Jeanne’s blog that she ever would have been restored to being in one piece! I’ll try to find a picture of the before and after if anyone is interested.
Kathie has demonstrated something very well that I won’t be trying myself! Great job and instructions. Thanks for sharing them.
So, how is Jeanne doing? In recovery yet? Hope so.
I would love to see how Kathie removes and reattaches the doll head. I’ve always been too scared to do that. I have my childhood doll from the early 1950’s that needs a new vinyl body. She had a rubber like body that has disintegrated over time. I’ve been told that the body can be replaced, but don’t think I am up to it. Covering the body on a well used baby doll is a great idea. Looks as fresh as new. Thanks for sharing the photos Kathie and Jeanne.
No alone time yesterday, but I did manage to get Francis and Estelle from their big box. Hopefully, today I can get them out of their own boxes and dressed and wigged. Nice to see that they arrive with their clothes and wigs packaged separately to prevent that dreaded staining.
Also, Rose BBflockling is having a preorder for her ShooHoos who are adorable and elf like and in many colors. So fun. 🙂
Hi, Jeanne. I do hope you’re getting back on track. We’re all quite concerned. Congratulations on the auction. I was binging on Downton Abbey once again with my hubby, took the dogs out, and when I got back in, it was 7:38 and I had missed the end of the auction. Doggone it! But congratulations to the winner if she follows this blog. 👏❤️
Kathie! This was very interesting; great pictures and directions. So clever to use a onesie which, as you say, has built in cuffs for arms and legs. Thank you so much for sharing all of this, and thank you, Jeanne. I am going to try to remember that Kathie is a doll repairer. (Kathie, what state are you in?)
Yesterday I finally got around to a few comments, addressing Charlotte, Linda and Anne.
I think a great many of us are having “adventures “ with our postal system and the system globally. Will it have a turn around? Our local office will no longer take phone calls because not enough staff, and when subs fill in for carriers, often the mail goes to the wrong people, and not just a few people on the route. I feel so sorry for them all as they are exhausted and demoralized. Like our healthcare workers and essential personnel. Sigh. 😔
On that cheery note, hope you all have a good MLK day. Get better, Jeanne. You’re sorely missed, my friend.
Hi Sally,
I also am a Downton Abbey fan. watching it will get you in the mood for the 1920’s AG historical, Claudie, that is coming out this fall to replace the original 1920’s historical, Estelle. She was the blonde ballerina sold at Cosco.
As a heads up, there will be a second Downton Abbey movie coming out in March.
Oh, Laura! You made my day!! Another movie…is it for theaters? What bliss! And I’m happy for you about a new AG girl. Are you planning on getting her? I would imagine she would have bobbed hair?
Thanks for great news, Laura! Have a glorious day!
Kathie, I failed to realize you had a doll repairing business! Lucky you to be able to fix up dolls and make them “new” again ! It certainly takes a special person to be able to do that, and you do it very well! That is a genius way to renew a baby doll body, although I doubt I could do it as well as you. If I needed it, you would be the one to do it for me!
Jeanne, I hope you are doing better and that we are able to chat with you tomorrow! Missing you!
I hope your feeling much better, Jeanne, and resting up.
What a wonderful repair method, Kathie, thanks so much for sharing
Dear Jeanne, Happy MLK Day to you and the Sofa Sisters. I am happy to take a moment to celebrate this holiday.
I attended a Zoom program this afternoon on Creche dolls. It was fascinating. Many of the Creche scenes displayed were made in Italy.
I also watched The Ugly Dolls (Disney film) today. I had not seen it. It was very moving and, of course, had a happy ending.
Kathie certainly is a great doll doctor. That is a wonderful skill to have as so many dolls are in need of repair.
Kathie, what a wonderful idea for fixing a much-loved baby doll. I don’t have any of those around myself. Having three younger sisters who inherited my dolls after me, I have no “remains” of my childhood, which is why I had to start over in my second childhood.
My MA 18″ dolls Gracie and Natalie will be heading to Kathie’s in the near future to have a little orthopedic work done. I’ve found the perfect box and they are ready to climb aboard within the next couple weeks. I have a few other things to get ready for the post office and then I will be making an appointment with Kathie and sending them off. They’re very excited to be going and hope to see some snow while there.
I’m finally recovering from my cold and throat infection. Hopefully that will be the end of it for this year. I usually don’t have a problem, but this year the stress factor has been higher than usual. But David is nearly 100% on his feet these days and actually drove this past weekend, both to the grandkid’s birthday party and to church on Sunday. Then he took himself to PT today. Since he still has about a month and a half to go on that.
Happy Martin Luther King Day to all my Sofa Sisters.