I know you’ve been waiting for this since I mentioned it, but WHO buys a doll just for her feet?
Well, first let me say, if you make and sell doll clothing and several different dolls can wear it, you are much better off. The same goes for wigs and shoes and accessories… the more dolls that can share things, makes it much easier on the wallet! Whenever dolls can share wigs and shoes you can save a WHOLE LOT! Those things tend to be expensive.
Well, I made those fun little leather sandals for the Little Darlings and they have been a big hit, but I was wondering if there were other dolls that had the same size feet as them… and it seemed like the little sister of the Ruby Red Fashion Friends just MIGHT! Trouble was, guessing and assuming they fit the 12″ Siblies (as they are called), was pretty presumptuous… So the only thing to do was try and find a used doll at a good price and see for myself. I’m not particularly drawn to these dolls, but I was to their feet… They have the same split toes as their big sisters, and that can be wonderful for flip flops.
So I asked on a doll forum if anyone had a Siblie doll in good used condition, or if anyone even just had the legs. The dolls aren’t terribly expensive and can be found the cheapest if ordered online from Walmart… with shipping, they run around $75. I was hoping for a better deal than that. And I found one… a lady was selling her nude Sydney Siblie and asked $50 for her. I was willing to give it a chance and see if their feet and the Little Darlings feet were close enough to modify my patterns and make one shoe to fit both dolls… (Well, the flip flops won’t fit the Little Darlings… I’m talking about the sandals.)
I got Sydney and she’s quite pale and quite plain and she’s also one of the dolls who’s eyes are fading… from dark brown to a purple… I may try Kathie’s permanent marker on her eyes if they start bugging me too much…
See those cute little split toes?
Anyway, she was in good condition and with a wig change, instead of her red streaked hair, she looks pretty much like one of my girls…
I did notice though, that her face was a bit non-descript… I mean, it had no definition around her nose and her face color just was flat and had no emphasis that made her nose protrude just a little bit. So I took my water color pastels and defined it just a little bit around her nose and divided her lips with another pencil and then added some teeny tiny bottom lashes to her eyes. I took a light brown pencil and lightly shaded in some of her eyebrows too… I think she looks better now… maybe she’s growing on me more than being just a foot model!
So anyway, back to the shoes. My first attempt was to see if I could get some sandals to fit both the Siblies AND the Effner Little Darlings… The thing is, their foot is “almost” the same size but it’s different in different areas… The Siblies foot is flatter across the toes so her foot slides under the strap, making her toes go further to the end of the shoes… Siblies also have a very flat heel in the back that doesn’t catch the elastic cord very well… it just wants to slide down… So, I came up with a way that both dolls can wear this shoe by adding a button on the side that holds the strap up. I’ll show you the difference… first up is the Siblies…
Here they are on the Little Darlings… their foot isn’t quite as long as the Siblies, but they are chubbier across the toes, so the shoe stays more to the back… The elastic is a bit longer on the Little Darlings, so you get a tiny ripple on the side. Here they are on the Little Darling’s feet.
They work pretty well for either doll… but I just need to see if there is a another way to make them that is easier… sewing that button on was hard, trying to hide the ends of the thread…
So after I did those sandals, I decided to go for some flip flops… and these are what I’ve accomplished so far…
My first pair were cute but a little too wide to suit me… so I revised my pattern… Here’s that first pair… a bit square too…
Here is the difference in size after I revised my pattern…
So here are a few more using that new size…
This is picture of them all together…
So… that’s why I bought a doll for her feet! :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
First of all, thanks for all your nice comments about my Gigi in her 4th of July finery. I did reply to each of your comments, if you wish to go back and read what I said.
Jeanne, you were fortunate to get such a good deal on Sidney. I do like the changes you made to her–so much better in a “regular” wig and with the makeup enhancements! The new flipflops are very nice, too. I think there will be a lot of happy Siblies out there!!
HI Charlotte,
Thanks again for sharing your pictures of Gigi all dressed up for the 4th! I hope she was happy with some modeling time from you! She sure looked cute.
I am happy with Syndey and hope she’ll work out for a model… I was concerned about her eyes when I first saw her, but I think I can come up with something to help her out…
I made a few more flip flops today… another tweak, and now it’s time to turn to some fabric like I promised…
Thanks Charlotte,
Blessings, Jeanne
Jeanne! Congratulations! The button idea was inspired:) I have Sydney too but have never unboxed her.. that’s yucky about her eyes fading. She was supposed to be a sewing model but I’ve never gotten around to that size ..(yet). I do have Siblie Victor..those brown and blue flip flops would be perfect for him!
You are rapidly becoming a wonderful cobbler:)
Hi Shara,
I hope your unboxed doll hasn’t gotten purple eyes since she arrived. It is pretty yucky, like you said. I’m hoping to paint them with markers or something… I think she’s such a little cutie, but dark brown eyes would certainly help…
I made 2 more pair of flip flops today… another tweak.. and soon they’ll be listed… they work out best if I sell them from Etsy.. I get 25% off shipping labels and it’s about $1.00 cheaper than shipping them through the post office.
Thanks for your compliments on my cobbler skills… I do enjoy making them…
Blessings, Jeanne
Charlotte, I wasn’t able to comment yesterday but it was great to see your Gigi and her little friends celebrating the 4th of July. Glad you sent it in.
Jeanne, the flip flops are coming along. The fit on the Siblies is perfect. They are adorable.
I must mention that I have two Sydney’s. One, I changed her hair to a blond wig but while doing that, nearly wrecked my hands. The wig was very stubborn. My other Sydney, I carefully snipped most of the red out of her wig. I’d have ordered a different wig for her but wasn’t going to go through removing another wig. Plus I liked her page boy hair cut. How on earth did you get your doll’s wig off??
Secondly, I got a Frida awhile back but when I lifted her out of her box, here the whole side of her hair was loose so I took her braid out to tighten her hair up and got so frustrated trying to manage that, I gave up. If it’s one thing I can’t tolerate, is a dolls hair messed up. How did you control that head of hair she has to make two braids on your Frida?
The problems I’ve had with the RRFF makes me not want to buy any more of them.
Paula,
I understand completely about not tolerating a doll’s messed up hair. I have AG’s as well as two other companies 18 inch dolls and I really DO NOT LIKE IT when they have messy hair either!
HI Paula,
I wanted to get your comments answered… so here goes. My Sydney was used when I got her and her wig had already been taken off, so I just had to peel off her original wig. I have no idea if the lady had trouble getting if off or not. I don’t know where you started pulling her wig off at, but I’ve heard, if you take one off, start at the back of the neck and work your way forward.
My Freida’s hair was in a braid off to one side and secured at the bottom. I wanted to see what she looked like with it down, so I just undid the rubber band at the bottom and it unbraided pretty easily. She wore it down for a few days and then I divided her hair into two sections and braided it into 2 long braids. I didn’t have any trouble doing it… I can’t imagine that you aren’t able to put her hair braid back the way it was, but you mentioned your Freida’s hair kind of fell loose when you picked her up out of the box… I’m trying to imagine what happened that caused it to do that… hopefully by now, you’ve gotten her braid back in place. I hope so…
I don’t think I’d rule out any more RRFF because of their hair… most of them come with pretty easy hair styles to maintain… and I think the newer dolls are coming so the wigs are off the dolls when they arrive at your house. So many people like to change their dolls hair, I guess the company is listening to their customers.
Well, I hope you figured it out…
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, poor Syd. Her eyes are creepy. I’ve heard that many have replaced the eyes by heating the head with a blow dryer and then popping them out the front. No need to cut open the head. Have you tried that on a RRFF doll? You also might write directly to RRFF and tell them about the problem. Their contact address is on the RRToys site. Used or not, they shouldn’t fade that much as they haven’t been out that long. Maybe you might be able to ask for new eyes and then try replacing them yourself and do a tutorial. 🙂
At first when I saw the photos, I thought, boy, the sandals are huge. But then found that you had reduced the pattern so now they look just right. I know that they have leather insoles, but some of the close ups look like Sydney is standing on a Turkish towel. I’d like to see some made with smooth leather for the insole. And like Shara, the boys here would love some sandals in brown, black, or darker solid colors. They always seem to get their sandals dirty. Some of my girls as well. 🙂
Fog is in today so it is cool this morning. We are getting some smoke though from the Yosemite fire. Sounds like they are finally making some progress hopefully not too late to save the Sequoias.
HI Joy,
Have you seen any videos of the Siblies eyes being changed like you mentioned? Her eyes would be so pretty if they were just the dark brown they are supposed to be. I haven’t ever tried changing a dolls eyes before… (except the ones you can easily do… like Nyssa, Navi, Bailey, etc)
I made 2 more pair of flip flops today… still tweaking… and will soon have enough to list them on Etsy… It’s easier to list on their because the shipping from them is much better than the PO.
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Dear Jeanne, what a great find! You are right. Doll Mamas are always looking for “cross-over” clothing and shoes. You have mastered creating shoes for two more dolls. Soon you will be able to hang out a shingle that says “Dolls Shoes R Us!” (smile).
For folks who still want to purchase a RRFF, I wanted to let you know that Ed is having a sale today. Here is a link to his website:
https://www.happily.com/Ruby-Red-Fashion-Friends-By-The-Sea-Maya-p/rubyredffbytheseamaya.htm
Ooh, Dorothy, if I didn’t already have the first Maya, I would be sorely tempted! This one is lovely!! Thanks for the heads up!
HI Dorothy,
I had to take a peek at the link of the RRFF doll, but I passed on the temptation of her. I’d love to find a Victoria sometime… or maybe they will come out with one I just can’t resist…
Thanks for your kind comments on my doll shoes.. .I did make 2 more pair today… tweaking, you know! :o)
Thanks so much
Blessings, Jeanne
Leave it to you to find a Sydney to use just for her feet😉The flip flops and sandals look great and that button you added to keep the elastic up is genius! She does have more personality with the added color on her face. Won’t she need to be a dress model too?😉
More Happy Dolly feet happening!
HI Kathie,
I supposed Sydney will become a dress model for me one of these days, but I may have to try that permanent marker on her eyes before I show her face again… kind of creepy with purplish pink eyes…
Would you like me to show that picture of your AG #4 doll on my blog? I would be happy to…
Blessings, Jeanne
Guess you may have your ‘money’s worth’ out of that doll😏 and while I was ok with ‘Sydney’s’ original ‘face’ color, I see what you did to her and its very effective. 😍
Thanks Joy,
It really wasn’t much of a faceup, but she definitely has some defintion to her face now… I like her much better now.
Thank you,
blessings, Jeanne
I have a Siblie Sydney and love her, but it is hard to find shoes especially made for her so I would love if you would make some shoes for Siblies. Sydney is about to get a new dress as is her friend L’il Dreamer Eviana. Kathy Anne Designs has a pattern called “Bow Shoulder Dress”. I made one for my Mini Maru Chloe and will probably make one for many other dolls as I like the pattern so much I bought it in every size. It’s fun choosing the fabric for each dress.
The change you made to the flip flops is perfect. I have seen flip flops with that square toe but didn’t like them very much. Tapered toe is better.
I mentioned we were selling our farmland in Kansas. We closed on the smaller piece so we decided to use that for some things we were wanting/needing but didn’t feel we could splurge. I’m getting some of it for my personal account. It came with a caveat that I was not to spend it all on dolls. What?! Hubby is going to get a much-needed new truck. His truck is a 2002 bought used so I think that’s only fair. I’m going to get a new serger that I have been wanting forever. He asked if I wanted a sewing/embroidery machine upgrade, but I’m more than happy with my Husqvarna Viking Ruby and I sure can’t say that for my serger, so I chose a serger instead.
Another 100+ degree day expected here and no rain in sight. Got a little yesterday. I guess a concrete pour is like washing your car, guaranteed to produce at least a few sprinkles. We didn’t get much and it came about a half hour after the concrete finishing was done so it wasn’t a problem.
HI Barbara,
I made 2 more pair of flip flops today, so I’ll be listing them on Etsy soon… I wanted to have enough to make a statement and give everyone a choice…
I hope you got your Sydney a new dress made. I haven’t looked at patterns yet to see what size doll she’s closest in size to… I haven’t looked at patterns for her either on Pixie Faire…
Congrats on selling the land and getting a new serger. I had my first serger for 14 years and almost cried when I had to get another one. I’m happy with the one I got, but that first one was my baby…
Thanks Barbara,
Blessings, Jeanne
You may have bought this doll for her feet, but I think she’s going to make a fine model for your dresses and outfits as well. I think she needs a farmers’ market outfit now, to go with your favorite of the new shoes. What do you think?
HI Marilyn,
I’m sure Sydney will get some modeling time one of these days, but since I don’t know what size pattern to use for her yet, or who she is even closest to in size, I think I better pick someone else right now.
So you think she needs a Farmer’s market outfit? I might have to come up with something…
Thanks always, for your input…
Blessings, Jeanne
I like your new doll Jeanne! Sydney is quite cute 🥰 Your also excellent at doing her “make-up” I would be scared to do that…that I would ruin my doll! I also like her shoes! I do see the ripple your talking about with The Little Darlings. Just to let you guys know (especially if Linda, yes Linda I am thinking of you) comes on later. Anyone who like or collects American 🇺🇸 Girl Dolls, Amazon is having a sale on The Street Chic dolls even the newest one for only $69.00! Just in case you guys wanted to know!
HI Lauren,
I’m glad you like my new Sydney doll. She is pretty cute and would be much prettier if I could get her eyes back to dark brown… I’ll figure out something.
I think I better stick with SELLING American Girl doll clothes… and not buy anything! :o)
Hope you had a nice day!
Blessings, Jeanne
Thank you for thinking of me, Lauren, concerning the doll sale AG is having, but I am fine with what I have, at least for now! It seems that with my dolls, they need so many things, that I am so thankful that I don’t have to put money away for them to go to college! They need about everything else!🙂
Jeanne, Sydney is really a cutie! I really like the way your redid her face, and she still looks like a little girl, not someone who got into her mother’s make-up case! That bugs me no end, when dolls have overly made up faces, and they are supposed to be children!
Yes, like Marilyn says, Sydney will make a cute little dress model, and I can see some big sister-little sister outfits featuring her! The things are so cute, I can’t imagine how little they must be!
Linda,
Your funny! 😁
Dear Linda, I echo Lauren, you are funny!
My dolls are needy also. Caroline (Kaye Wiggs Holly) has more dresses than I do. She has her own space in the closet! I wonder if Jeanne would hire her to be a model maybe then she could earn some money and buy her own dresses (laugh).
HI Linda,
I’m like you for the most part… I want my dolls to look like little girls, not little girls who go to pagents! :o) right?
I need to figure out who Sydney is closest to in size… I thought it was the Little Darlings, but I’m not sure now. I haven’t looked at any of my patterns yet…
I’m sure she’ll get something eventually… but not just yet… her feet sure haven’t gotten a workout though! :o)
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne