Hi everyone,
I didn’t have a chance today to decide who will be up next for an outfit… but I thought maybe I would just show the dresses I made for dolls in some past Octobers… Starting with October 2023…
Here is Stella in “Welcome Fall!”
Here is Freida in “Fall Fever!”
Back in October 2022 Molly was thrilled at this new Christmas dress… It was called “The Perfect Christmas Dress!”
Here is Addy in another dress called “Fall Fever!” I must have liked that name…
Here is Violette in one for October… but I have forgotten the name…
I know I have lots more, but I need to get to bed… I’ll see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
It’s easy for me to pick a favorite today, Jeanne–it’s Molly’s Christmasy outfit. I just love the red/white/black combination. And of course it looks rather like something I might have worn (I definitely had white blouses, and mom made me a black corduroy vest one year; don’t remember a red plaid skirt, but I do remember a black/white checked taffeta skirt that I just loved.
My next favorite is Frieda’s outfit; such a pretty combination!
I see TenPing’s outfit has one bid already!
In reference to Barbara’s comments yesterday about being in plays, etc.: I have been in two plays at our former church. In “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” I played Mrs. Armstrong, the lady who always runs the Christmas pageant but who is laid up with a broken leg–and trying to run things from the hospital! “There are no small parts, only small actors!” I still remember that line!
I don’t remember what the other play was, though. I just had a small part, and got to wear a borrowed fur stole or collar or something (it took place in the 1940s I think). It was fun.
I love “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. I first read the story and then saw it performed. How lucky you were to have a chance to perform in that wonderful play.
Oh, I love the book and the movie! So funny! I wish I could see you in the play, Charlotte!
Jeanne, you just KNOW that I love Molly’s outfit! The colors, the style, the doll (!) are just right all around! I do wish I had that outfit!
That’s not to say I don’t care for the rest, because I do, every single one!
Looking at our outdoor thermometer, it is 48, up from 44 just two hours ago! Brrrr!
Linda, that is cold. We are just moving past that now our outside temps are more into double figures (celcius) than they were a month ago.
I love all of them and can not pick a favorite.
Thank you for showing your quick round up of memorable ones today.
I hope everyone is having a great happy week so far.
We have had drab drizzly days for practically a week!!! nothing violent or
overwhelming and I am grateful. Today is another day we will have to make our own sunshine.
Autumn is coming in like a lion haha— the trees are dropping their brown and yellow leaves. Of course the Maples like to wait until December and the oak trees just never let go. We won’t be doing much raking this year, too busy and hubbs has his eyes to guard. This will be the first year we have the mowers do all of it.
Rosemary we always let our mower do it all. It’s not only good for our backs buts it’s great for the grass. You said your oak trees hang on to their leaves. Are they Live Oaks? That’s all we have here. I envy you your Maples. Nothing like that here.
Hi Rosemary,
I always mow the leaves as well. Haven’t raked them in more than 15 years.
Well, our official temp yesterday was 105, and we didn’t like it a bit. Today it should be slightly cooler, probably only 100. Heading out soon to water the poor plants so they can withstand another hot day. We’re expecting hot weather until next Monday, if you can believe. Not a happy camper here.
As to my stage career, I did lots of dance performances in high school. A long time ago. However, does being a director count? I put on big play productions with my elementary classes over the years which everyone enjoyed. We actually would do our productions for the whole school and parents as well. Usually, we transformed our classroom into the theatre with scenery and costumes for our fall/Thanksgiving plays. My third graders memorized all of their lines and always put on a great production. All this while still doing our regular lessons as well. Since our school was only K-3, all of the younger kids always looked forward to when they would reach 3rd grade and be able to preform. We had narrators who memorized their lines as well and the kids sang fun songs as well. Years later, I had students come back and talk about the special plays we performed. It was so much fun.
I’ll gladly trade temps for Linda’s 44 low today. 🙂
Being a director certainly does count. Many actors aspire to try their hand at directing. That’s what Ron Howard wanted to do from the time he was little. Your plays sound like so much fun to watch and also to participate in them. Sorry about your horrible heat. You’re actually hotter than us these days. I’m with you on Linda’s 44. We can’t expect anything like that until late December or January.
My favorites are the first one, Addy’s dress and, of course, the Christmas dress. I used to buy lots of clothes for Riya, my granddaughter, and send them to her until she outgrew Girls sizes, but she’s 15 now, so choosing them herself of course. She had a Christmas dress like the one you made. They are all so original in design! It’s fun to see the collection over the years.
My Stella has Stella’s outfit. As a matter of fact she chose it for her back-to-school outfit. I love it but there is a constant dilemma as to which hat to wear since both look so good with the outfit. And the shoes are so cute and easy peasy to put on. Wish more shoes were like that.
I love Molly’s Christmas dress. I always loved this combination of fabrics and colors and made myself and my daughter several similar outfits over the years. I imagine I will be making some for my dolly girls since I went through my box of “dressy” fabrics the other day and had several leftover pieces of fabric from some of those dresses. I love all the outfits shown, and I would have to judge all of them my favorites in some way.
Do any of my sofa sisters have a Gotz doll? I have wanted one for a long time but don’t really collect the larger dolls. But since I decided to replace my MA Gracie and Natalie 18″ dolls because of their unfixable leg issues, I decided to go with two large dolls since I have a lot of clothes for that size doll. I got my 18″ Truly Me #122 a few days ago. I named her Druanne. I was going to leave it at that but decided to go for another doll to share the clothes and shoes. I decided on a Gotz Hannah. Problem is I forgot she was 19.5″ tall so I don’t know if she’ll even fit the 18″ wardrobe and her shoes are larger also. Anyone know if the 18″ clothes will work? I did notice there are a lot of patterns for the 19.5″ Gotz dolls and since I’ve already ordered her I need to be thinking about wearing attire for her – of course.
Dear Barbara, I have two Gotz girls. I will send you an email with information. I love them!
No Gotz dolls here, but I do have a few Natterer. They are very cute too. 🙂
My favorite is Addy’s dress followed by Molly’s.
Well, As for being on the stage, I was 7 years old. Our dance class had a recital and one of the scenes had a boy named “Freckles”, there was even a song about him. There were no boys in the class so they picked the girl with the most freckles, me! My pig tails were stuck under a boy’s hat and I wore jeans and a plaid shirt. I had to strut around while they sang the song. That is all I remember about that part, but I do remember our moms making us dresses from yellow crepe paper for the scene where we sang the “Doggie in the Window.”. Dance recitals have really changed!
My son was the only boy in his dancing class and each year I would send my mother a video of the recital. She would always remark about how the teacher seemed to use Sean as a prop rather than a dancer. But that did change as he got older and he became one of the dancers. But he was still the only boy, which gave him the chance to be the Phantom when his class did songs from “Phantom of the Opera” when he was in high school. Andrea was in that class also and I have a wonderful picture of them together in their costumes. One time someone came in my office at work and wanted to know why I had a picture of Andrea on my desk but none of Sean. They were surprised to discover Sean was in the picture. The idea that boys don’t or shouldn’t dance always perplexed me since some of the best dancers are men.
You’re right about dance recitals changing from when we were kids, even from when I first started dancing when I was about 21 and my friend’s girls were dancing (1960-1970s). Then it seemed almost all the costumes were made or “created” by the moms. The dancers at my friend’s daughters’ dance school wore a leotard “basic” that their other costume pieces were added to and the expense was minimal. When my daughter and son danced in the 1980-1990s the costumes were all purchased and often there were at least three dances that had separate costumes. When my daughter was in competitive dancing, we parents were told that if we couldn’t afford the costumes and necessary shoes that it would be a good idea not to be involved. It was impressed upon us that this was serious business and we should think of it as such. The reason I worked was to provide the extras for the kids, since I never had any of these things when I was growing up (hence the dancing lessons as an adult) so I agreed to go for it. Aside from the costumes for ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and any other category they danced in there were black character shoes with taps and without, the same in beige, ballet and toe shoes, etc. I have to admit though that it was a lot of fun watching the competitions and Andrea and I had a fine time and there was none of that horrible business you see in the reality TV shows.
Barbra, My grand-niece takes dancing and over the years I have marveled at the grownup looking outfits she wears at the recitals. She is only 12 now and has been doing this for several years. My oldest granddaughter, who is almost 30 now, started ballet at age 3. She took classes later at the NW ballet company and was very good although never professional. She stayed with it, going to different places in the summers, etc, until covid pretty well shut it down. I did get to Seattle a few times to see her dance. At age 12 she was a fabulous Tinker Bell in the ballet. I did get to see that and more when she stated with the NW ballet.
I love your story about your family’s dancing! You were brave to start so late.
I may have mentioned this before, but our Blue Bird group put on a performance at a gathering of groups. We also had crepe paper skirts and hats. All stapled together as I remember. There was a board across the front of the stage that had tulips on it that the mom’s flipped up for our number. Tip Toe Through the Tulips, which we sang with motions. I’m sure the Doggie In the Window would have been a much better choice. 🙂
Dear Jeanne, I love Violette’s jumper outfit. Of course, I think she is adorable so I am kind of partial (laugh).
Thanks for sharing the dolly fashion parade.