Hi everyone,
I was just going to ask everyone if they had a nice Christmas, when I realized, I may be the only one who has already HAD their Christmas.
Maybe I secretly had it planned this way… have Christmas almost 2 weeks before it’s the 25th, then I can spend my time sewing! :o)
(No, I didn’t plan it that way… it just happened.) Actually, we’ve celebrated TWO Christmas’s this year. Rebecca and Karn didn’t make it here for Christmas 2022 until APRIL 1st, 2023, so we had that one and now the one we just had last week.
I’m trying to get a few things ready to sell and Lily was first on my list. She’s the blonde doll in the sweet Little Sister’s collection from Götz. They were made in 2000 and 2001 and have the exact same body as the American Girl doll, so this tutorial works for American Girl AND Gotz dolls.
Remember her hair? It was a tangled, knotted mess!
Well, I’ve washed it, conditioned it, straightened it, and unfortunately had to trim off about 1 inch from the bottom. It had gotten stretched and was so thin at the ends, it just needed to be evened up. It’s STILL very long and there are lots of ways to fix it.
It took me over an hour to comb out the tangles and knots, after it was washed… I was very gentle!!
When it dried, it looked much better. In fact, I couldn’t believe HOW much better…
After it was dry, I wet it again with a spray bottle and using a ceramic flat iron, I straightened the little frizzies.
When it was as smoothe as it was going to get, I trimmed the ends, mostly in the back…
I washed her arms and legs and face really well and decided I might as well, tighten her legs and arms… I untied the string at the back of her neck and began pulling out the stuffing. Then I gathered up what I’d need to fix her limbs.
I still can’t believe her hair is so silky now… it just shines in the light.
I discovered her arms didn’t need to be restrung, but could be fixed by using hair bands… it’s an easy way to fix loose limbs. (but generally better for arms than legs) You can see my post on how to do it the “easy” way, by clicking this post…
An EASY way to tighten your American Girl doll limbs
Here is what the arms looked like after fixing them…
The elastic in the legs was shot, so I had to put new elastic in. After the legs were fixed, I began restuffing her body. Before I even got any stuffing in her, she could already stand on her own two feet.
You can see my post on how to “restring an American Girl doll” by clicking this post.
Restringing an American Girl doll Tutorial
I just kept stuffing and stuffing and stuffing. It’s amazing how it all goes back inside that tiny body.
Finally it was all in!
I certainly couldn’t do THIS before I restrung her legs. Now she has nice and tight legs AND arms.
I ran a new string around her neck and got her head back in place.
It’s like night and day how much better she is.
She does have a couple spots on her legs…and a splotch of red on one knee. I tried to get them off with a Magic Eraser but it didn’t budge.
Now I have to find something pretty to put on her.
Next up is the new Felicity doll… she’s got extra loose legs too…
See you all tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Lily looks So much better now!!
Have you tried Oxy 10 on those spots on her legs? Get the kind that is NOT tinted, dab it on, let it sit in the sunlight for a day or two, wash off, and repeat if necessary. Years ago I’d gotten a Cabbage Patch Kid in the thrift store, only $2, but although her body was in great shape, someone had taken a ballpoint pen and outlined every feature on her face, and marked around to the back of her head, too! I figured, for $2, she was worth a shot. I used Oxy 10, and it did take several applications, but I got ALL the ink out! I redressed her and sold her at a doll show!
Looking forward to seeing how Felicity turns out!!
Lily looks brand new now thqat she had a day at the Jeanne Marie Doll Hospital! What a difference in her hair! Wish I was so successful with my hair! Ha!
Restringing her and redoing the stuffing made all the difference in the world. Did you add more stuffing to her?
Next, I’m sure she is dreaming of the pretty new dress she will be wearing soon, when she visits the Jeanne Marie Dress Shoppe! What a success story for her when the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve!
I’m in the thick of cookie baking now, since that’s always the last thing before Christmas! It isn’t safe to have cookies hanging around too long here! Besides, I like decorating and making things look good, the opposite of what baking does to my kitchen! Flour everywhere!
Dolly certainly looks much better. Will you be doing the Oxy clean method for the spots? I’ve heard that many use heat lamps indoors at this time of year. I have never tried it myself though.
Has Jeanne tried changing eyes on a Ruby Red doll? So many have developed the dreaded eye fade including a few of mine. Supposed to be fairly simple, but I’m kind of a chicken. Hairdryer on the eye area to soften the vinyl and then pop out the old eyes and replace with new. Maybe I’ll try at some point. 🙂
We had a deluge of rain early this morning. Way too much at once, and just getting light so haven’t checked for any flooding yet. We still have lots of leaves falling that clog up the works.