Hold that thought…
First, I have some pictures from Kelly, who bought the Civil War Christmas dress… she was going to let Addy have it, but Kirsten wanted to try it on… end of story!
Kirsten looks beautiful standing in it, out in the snow… thank so much for the pictures, Kelly… Kirsten looks lovely!
(I tried to download all of the pictures, but they were sent to me through Ebay and would only show up this smaller size and 2 wouldn’t download at all… Also, when I looked at them on Ebay, they were as clear as a bell, but not so on here. Sorry, Kelly!)
In that lot of doll clothes I bought last year, was an original, “Made in West Germany, 1986” Meet dress for Felicity.
Instead of selling it, I decided to keep it. I debated about selling it, but when I looked at them on Ebay, there were lots of them selling anywhere from $14 to $35… The one I had was an older version, but it had a couple of age spots, so I decided after some thought, to take it apart and use it for a pattern.
I liked the simplicity of the dress and thought I could make Felicity some pretty, but sweet dresses.
So I proceeded to take the dress apart, making note of how it was put together.
Once I got it all separated and the pieces pressed, I started cutting Felicity a new dress from that fabric I bought on the way home. I decided to make her new dress a little more full in the skirt. I think it will be pretty.
Cutting out is the first step… next comes the sewing!!
See you tomorrow!!
Blessings, Jeanne
Hello Everyone,
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a very 😊 happy, healthy New Year! I have been reading some posts and some I would like to answer at some point! Jeanne I think your coming up with something good for Felicity and I can’t wait to see what it is! Also, Kirsten looks just lovely ☺️ in your Christmas outfit…just darling and adorable! It’s a BEAUTIFUL piece you made!
Thanks to Kelly for sharing the pictures of her Kirsten in your Civil War Christmas dress. It really is perfect on her! That hat style is especially nice on Kirsten, I think.
I can certainly understand your taking apart Felicity’s dress to make a pattern (although I think somewhere there’s a web site where all the old [original historical] Pleasant Company patterns can be downloaded for free. At least there used to be. I have two of the original sets–Molly’s (of course) and Felicity’s–and found that the patterns themselves are Very close-fitting, even when being careful to maintain that 1/4″ seam allowance, so taking apart the dress was probably a better move. I think it’s going to be lovely in that blue-sprigged fabric you bought!
Dolly fever has struck this house once again! Denis Bastien has been selling some of his samples, event specials, etc. that he had kept in his private collection (he is “Leeann’s dad”–the person who designed and created the Leeann doll some 15+ years ago), and each Saturday he offers a few for sale, which he posts the night before, so you can “shop” ahead (but can’t buy until after a certain time). I had listed 3 or 4 that I was interested in, but knew I probably wouldn’t be up early enough to snag something. However, just in case…
As it turns out, my first choice was still available when I got up! I waffled, and waited until I got home from errands and she was still there! I took a closer look…and she has freckles!! So…”Games Dolls Play–Souvenir Doll” is coming to my house! She also has strawberry-blonde hair, and some intricate braiding. I will be sure to send a picture or two when I get her.
Well done getting the Denis Bastien doll! You can call her an early birthday present : )
I have no trouble remembering your birthday, it is the day before mine. My hubby’s birthday is the 27th, mine is the 29th, you are the 28th. Between the 3 of us we have that weekend covered. LOL
January is our month, Debbie! My husband’s birthday is the 21st; his daughter’s is the 18th, his brother’s is the 26th, mine the 28th, a dear friend’s the 29th, the mother of two of our grands is the 31st. Then there’s #3 grandchild on Jan. 13th (he’ll be 16!!), another friend’s on the 15th, and then in Feb. we have our son’s on the 7th and grandchild #4 on the 9th!! Phew!!
Here’s a link to the original Pleasant company patterns. They are listed “for a skilled seamstress” and do include detailed dressmaking instructions. You are right, the Meet Dress is not included.
http://agplaythings.com/AG%20Patterns/DollDressPatterns.html
So fun to see Kirsten in the Civil Was Christmas dress. Fits her time period too. Can’t wait to see this new blue dress!
Thank you, Linda. I knew someone would have it!
Kirsten looks just beautiful in that dress, Kelly! I think it suits her perfectly and I think I would have done the same thing! However, since both Addy and Kirsten live at your house, they can always share!
I do have that meet dress that Felicity originally was dressed in, but my Felicity is a Mattel doll, so she came in the striped lavender Travel Dress. However, I always loved the original dress, and finally got that off Ebay for a small price. I do love that dress more than the one my doll came in, and am so glad I have it. Mine looks a bit different, in the way the neckline is deeper than the one you have there, but those sleeves are the prettiest part of the whole dress, I think! Felicity’s new dress is going to be lovely and that is just the pattern to make it really hers! I think you did the right thing to take it apart to see how it was made, no problems with that! A pretty little mob cap would look so good with it, a drawstring purse and a pearl necklace could be the finishing touches!.
I liked that blue and white fabric as soon as I saw it, and I think it’s perfect for Felicity. You have the matching blue for an underskirt if you decide to go that way. And — with all that beautiful new leather, you might make shoes, especially if you can find buckles.
Kirsten looks perfect in the Christmas dress. Of course, nearly any doll would. That dress is a winner, and my mom always thought Kirsten was the most beautiful AG. Together they as good as it gets.
Very good idea to deconstruct Felicity’s original dress for a pattern. I have mentioned before that my PC girls are taller and thicker than the Mattel dolls, Felicity is the largest. Most of the dresses that are offered are made for Mattel dolls. I prefer the PC for their beautiful wigs and soft vinyl. It took years of stalking ebay but happily all of my dolls except Rebecca say “Pleasant Company” on the back of their necks. Some of these are early Mattel dolls but the old molds were still in use.
The blue and white fabric is a good choice for that dress pattern. I have not studied historic fashion but it looks like the skirts were a little more narrow in the 1770’s. We are not too far from Colonial Williamsburg and I hope to get there very soon.
Your Christmas dress looks great on a multitude of dolls. Thanks to Kelly for sharing her pictures of Kirsten.
Hi Debbie,
Colonial Williamsburg is just the most amazing place. My daughter loved it as a young girl. She took Felicity and made her era come alive. Bruton Parish Church is lovely and we ate at Christiana Campbell’s and King’s Arms. The shops are so much fun.
Thank you for the tips! I will include them when I visit.
Loved seeing the special Christmas dress with the new owner. It looks wonderful on Kirsten. 🙂
I searched patterns for the original meet dress for Felicity, but couldn’t find it. The free patterns do not seem to have that dress listed, so taking the not so perfect dress apart was a grand idea. Interesting to see the little shortcuts taken. I like that it appears to be a rather simple style and should look great in the latest fabric. I think she might need a simple shawl in blue for those still cold days ahead. 🙂 Looking forward to the next photos. 🙂
More heavy rain last night. Clearing just enough to give us time to clean up again today. Looking ahead on the weather reports, there are more Pacific storms blowing across, so we’re not nearly done yet. Rain is good, as long it comes with breaks between storms. 🙂
Interesting way to start the week. I wonder how many are printing off one of those patterns?😉 your idea to add to the skirt is good. When I first looked at it I thought the skirt was a bit skimpy too.The fabric you bought should look great in that dress and yes, some blue shoes?
You California ladies are sure getting a drenching…hope it leaves you intact and with full reservoirs🥹 we could use some rain/snow too.
Have a good week everyone🥰
Thanks, Kelly, for sending those darling pictures of Kirsten in the beautiful Christmas ensemble. It was one of my favorites for last year. Thanks, Jeanne for sharing it with us.
I don’t have any 18″ American Girl dolls. My two 18″ dolls are MA and I have tons of patterns for them but I think I’ll check out the link anyway. I’m a pattern junkie so I may find something for Gracie and Natalie that I can’t resist.
Molly’s things are my favorites, probably because she was close to my “era” and styles didn’t change a huge amount from the 40s to the 50s. Some of them would work for modern girls, too! Do check waist and chest measurements in addition to length, however; I found Molly’s skirt was a little snug on my Molly. She fits it, but she can’t gain another ounce!! 😂 I also changed closures from Velcro to snaps or other kinds of fasteners; this may require a bit of thought,depending on the style.
Kirsten looks adorable, Kelly. You have one of the sweet PC girls (my preference for all those that is an option) and your might even be one of the tinsel haired beauties. Thank you sharing.
Yay, Felicity!! Love, love, love my girl. How neat to have a Made in West Germany Rose Garden meet dress as that’s the same my West German one came in and I have a spare from another purchase. It a favorite meet dress of mine. It’s a sweet dress and I can’t wait to see the new one you are creating. She will need a round eared cap and lovely straw hat.
Yes, those old patterns offered on AGPT are great. Having bought Felicity’s and Kirsten’s when they were offered at Pleasant Company, printing off Samantha’s, Addy’s, and Josefina’s was one of the very first things I did upon joining.