Hi everyone,
I spoke with Sarah on the phone today as there was too much to say in a text. She is going to call Blue Host tomorrow and try to figure out what is going on with my website. It’s kind of strange to her that I can’t load any pictures. She had me send her some of the emails I had received right before I was suspended from the feature that deals with the comments. She is very smart and wants to learn from this… so I guess it will all work out… hopefully soon. So I’m going to do my best to keep things as interesting as I can with what I have to work with.
As I was reading over all the comments yesterday, (which were WONDERFUL) about why you all love dolls, and even mentioned LOTS of the ones you had as kids, I wanted to find time to post my own comments, but it’s now 10:47 and I never got my comments posted, so I thought I’d just make a post of that.
I was trying to find a picture of me and Cindy and finally found it. I was pretty sure I had used it in a post, so I’ll just use it again, since I can! I was actually looking for our tiny 8″ Betsy McCall dolls were each got and ran across the opening of a box from Joy. She sent this Betsy McCall to me and it was in that same post that I found the picture I was looking for. UPDATE: The big box in this next excerpt wasn’t from Joy… it was from someone else… it just so happened, I opened “another box” in that excerpt! I didn’t catch it till now. Joy DID send me a Betsy McCall doll though…
Here is an excerpt from that post, several years ago.
“So ALL this Betsy talk this week, from the Betsy Paper dolls I received in a box earlier (HERE) to my new doll today, got me to thinking back of when my sister Cindy and I were younger. I called her in PA today and asked her if she remembered when we had our Betsy McCall dolls and where we lived. We chatted back and forth for a long time trying to remember what she looked like and how old we were and what was Betsy wearing and what ever happened to our dolls… well this led to us both getting on Ebay and looking at the 8″ Betsy McCall dolls and trying our hardest to remember. We thought maybe if we SAW her, we’d recognize her. Well, we tried as hard as our brains would let us, but we both had to admit, we really couldn’t remember much about her. Then Cindy said, “I think I remember seeing a picture of us, I think when we were in Italy, at Christmas, and I vaguely remember seeing the dolls.”
Well, that’s all it took for me. I decided to play Super Sleuth and see how my detective skills were. Years ago, my brother put together a CD with all of our family slides and pictures on it. I began the arduous task of looking through them all. Some were in order and some were not. I looked for over an hour and then I saw it! One single picture of me and Cindy, at Christmas in Italy, and there was tiny 8″ Betsy McCall.. One for me and one for Cindy…one still in the package (probably Cindy’s!) :o) and I’m sure the one opened and on the coffee table was mine! :o)
If you click on this picture, you can see the dolls larger.
She was the Betsy with the dark hair, in the blue and white striped sunsuit, just like we had seen on Ebay. Oh, aren’t pictures wonderful! I’m so glad I found this picture.
What a trip down memory lane for us!
Thank you again, Joy!
So I tried to look on Ebay to find what the Betsy McCall doll looked like up close. Here is one I found on Ebay… (I could actually load this link to the doll on here… hmmm!)
Betsy Mccall on EbayBetsy Mccall on Ebay
Anyway, all that to say, tiny Betsy may have been the beginning of my love for dolls. I also had a Toni doll, the one that came with the perm set, and then I had Skipper and Scooter and Barbie and Ken and Midge. That is when I began my sewing for dolls…I was probably 6-8 when I made these things below. I have shown them before, but since I can only use pictures from my blog’s Media Library, here are a few of my early sewing attempts… I still have these outfits for the dolls and so glad I do. My goodness, I have come a LONG WAY!
These are some of my doll outfits when I was probably 8-10 years old. I had improved a little bit… What is below is taken from the post I did showing some of my “better” outfits. :o)
Let’s start off with Barbie in that blue dress. My mom found me cutting up my pajamas one day because I wanted the shirring from the elastic in the waistband of my pants for my Barbie dress. I was pretty little when I did this but not exactly sure of my age.
Now, let’s move on to this “lovely white” robe! White? That’s not white! Well, it was, and believe it or not, it was one of my very favorites I ever made. I don’t know why, but I think it was the way it “skimmed” over Barbie’s curves! Must have been….because that stitching isn’t doing anything for me! Ladies, just take a close up look at the way that lace is sewn on. See, there’s hope for ANYONE to learn to sew!
I think this was going to be a party dress for Skipper. Notice the lovely black velvet ribbon sewn around the hips….pretty crummy, isn’t it? Oh well, if you can overlook the stains and the way the back is much too narrow, you can see how I was starting to think a little more about the design of the dresses… not that my sewing had improved terribly, but if you use your imagination, maybe it was!
Oh, and how about this lovely number….a little color blocking going on. I remember making this one. I used the inside and the outside to create this look. The pockets were supposed to be the feature of the dress. Notice too, how crooked it is… that’s just the way it turned out. Oh well, do you think I’m getting better? Obviously this was WAY before I realized the inside needed to be as neat as the outside.
This one was pretty creative too… I quilted my own fabric and made this “adorable” robe for Skipper. Again, I added the patch pockets, only this time with lace.
…and finally, my grand finale! I thought this was my best Barbie outfit ever… I can’t seem to figure out why I thought that though. I made it over at my Aunt Evelyn’s house and still remember the day. I thought it looked exquisite on my Barbie, but I must have needed glasses back then, because there is a lot to be desired with it. Oh well, at the time, it was perfect!
So, those few pieces are the remnants of my past… my sewing past, that is. I went on to major in Clothing and Textiles and specialize in Apparel Design. I’ve come a long way, but it’s always good to visit where you came from occasionally. It helps you see how far you’ve come.
We got Rebecca an American Girl doll when she was 9. She played with her and I made clothes for it, but it wasn’t until I started making and selling the doll clothes at my local Farmer’s Market that I began to improve my skills even more. I was selling to the public, so I began paying closer attention to the details. I sold at the Market for 10 years and then finally gave up my spot. It was hard work and took up a LOT of my time getting ready for it each week.
After I quit the market scene, I rested for about 6 months and just looked at what everyone else was doing… and after a few attempts at making appliqued “boutique” overalls and things like that… I began to notice ladies selling doll clothes on Ebay… I bought a Felicity doll and began sewing for her in 2006 and selling the outfits I made. My average price for a dress set was $27.00! The second year I had improved a little bit and my average price was $35.00. The more I sewed, the more I wanted to do excellent work. I tried very hard to make everything look as nice as it possibly could.
With all the sewing, came new dolls, because American Girl dolls weren’t the only ones out there. I sewed for Helen Kish’s tiny little 7 1/2″ Riley doll and had 4 or 5 different ones. I had the 14″ and 16″ dolls, and then I moved onto the Katie Effanbee dolls, the 10″ Patsy Tonner sized dolls, then the Kaye Wiggs resin dolls like Nyssa and Hope, and then the Little Darlings. They are the ones that made me fall in love with dolls. I really tried hard to dress them nicely and then I began making lots of little things for them… hats, slips, purses, and later… shoes…
When I discovered I could make shoes, my love for the dolls really took off… I could make a whole complete outfit from head to toe… and I loved it. I also LOVED the thrill of the hunt looking for props and accessories for the dolls. I STILL do that even when I try not to.
I love making doll outfits and don’t know when I will ever stop. I don’t have as many dolls as I could, but I have plenty and it’s even hard to get to them all in a year. I have the right equipment to make my sewing easier but I’m sort of particular so I’m not able to churn the outfits out like others can. I do have a lot of interruptions in my life and sometimes can’t seem to find any time some days to even make it to my sewing room. Not because I don’t want to be in there, but because something else is more important that day.
I do love looking at dolls and all their accessories… shoes especially… I can get lost sometimes on Pinterest looking at little leather shoes!
Well, that’s my “Why do I love dolls?” and I’m not sure I actually answered my own question, but there is it…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow, Jeanne, what a great story and so many fun photos! I love the Christmas one of you and Cindy, and of course, the fabulous things from the box! Joy, what a lovely gift you sent, you must have been collecting things for a year! All so brightly colored and so useful too!
I remember the photos of your childhood attempts and it was fun to see how your efforts grew better. This has been a lovely visit down your sewing lane.
We are getting ready for our water aerobics this morning and will be busy with several places to go before we get home. It will be fun to see everyone’s notes when I get home.
Well, this little “interruption” in your blog is turning out to be really fun, Jeanne! I loved reading and seeing your early attempts in making doll clothes, and will say my goodness, you even had it in you at a young age! I remember my early attempts too, without the benefit of a sewing machine, and just sitting on my bed, cutting and sewing for my dolls! Your early creations made me smile! The armholes! 😊
Your precious picture of you and Cindy opening your Christmas gifts are very similar to some of my memories of my own childhood pictures. Oh, the fun of opening or seeing my doll underneath the tree on Christmas morning! Betsy McCall has certainly changed a bit, since my current Betsy doesn’t have the same face as yours did. I don’t remember that earlier doll, although I do remember cutting out the paper dolls that came in my mother’s McCall’s magazine. I don’t think the Betsy doll was available in the 40’s, but I may be mistaken.
Wow, was that some package to go through from Joy! What a thoughtful gift to someone who really deserved it!
Thinking of our Sofa Sisters, Anne and Charlotte, who are traveling and hope they get to where they are going without any trouble or hiccups along the way!
Another great post. Through this inconvenience we have had a chance to share. I am happy to see the beginnings of your dolly love. I think I was about 8 when I started the desire to make clothes.
My parents did not over indulge us, so we did not have mountains of toys, back in the days of olden, it was just a good practice to regulate such things. The wonderful gifts we received on Christmas were always special. I really love the picture of you and your sister.
I love your early attempts at making clothes. we learn a long the way.
Happy Tuesday everyone. enjoy another nice day, it is getting warmer here in Northern Virginia but still quite a cool trend for our area.
Loved seeing the Christmas photo from the past. And so fun to see tiny Betsy. I do still have a little Betsy and a few outfits. I received her around the same time as my Ginny dolls, but my Ginny’s had the huge wardrobes of outfits to play with. I actually had two Betsy’s, but when the captain of my father’s ship during WWII and his family visited us one time, my mother made me choose one of my Betsy’s to give away to their son. Something I would not force my own children to ever do, but then, that was my mother. So, I only still have the one Betsy now. She was very thin and her clothes spectacularly made. In fact, I think that mine came in a similar little outfit to the one in Jeanne’s photo. 🙂
To be clear, I did send Jeanne a big Betsy McCall, but not the package with great items she received as a birthday gift. 🙂
It was a lot of fun seeing Jeanne’s early attempts at sewing doll clothing and seeing the fun, now vintage fabrics. 🙂
Sure hope Jeanne’s friend can figure out the blog loading problem although, I really have enjoyed all of the retro photos.
Hope Charlotte and Anne are enjoying their trips and haven’t had any glitches. Looking forward to seeing some photos of their travels upon their return.
It’s foggy this morning, but the sun will burn through later and it looks like another nice day ahead. I had to take a break from the weed pulling yesterday after my eye appointment, so today it will be back to work. I’m determined to clear the backyard of anything in the weed family. Those wild sweet peas that the bees loved are next because they have actually developed pods that will be available to flower again next year. Horrors! I’m trying, but it’s hard to keep up with those darn weeds and blackberry. And sewing is not doing so well either. The Sew Along continues and I’ve seen some lovely outfits posted so far. Unfortunately, I don’t have a clue as to how to copy something printed and put it on my machine and then have it embroidery a pattern piece. So, I’m just using the first fabric I grabbed to make the simple shift. No imagination here at all.
Keep cool everyone!
It was great hearing about your own doll stories. And loved the picture of you and Cindy playing with your dolls.
I have to hand it to you, the clothes you made for your dolls is an impressive effort! It more than I would ever even think of. My mother made my doll clothes – she and my sister taught themselves to sew and they made beautiful outfits. Some were were glamorous for my Barbies. Unfortunately, I no longer have those childhood dolls or outfits. I’m sorry I got rid of my dolls and I think that’s why I became a doll collector later in life. Also, because I always love dolls.
I sure hope you can get your blog taken care of by your friend, Jeanne. And I agree with Linda, this has been fun to read everyone’s doll stories in the interim. I was late, but I did leave a story myself yesterday.
Today will be another busy day. I’m glad it cooled off a bit as the last couple of days were too hot for me. Hope everyone has a good day – I thinking of Charlotte and hoping she’s enjoying herself.
I enjoyed seeing that photo of Cindy and you, Jeanne. What a delightful package you received from Joy. I remember when you got it. So many fun goodies.
How wonderful you kept your earliest sewing attempts. Yes, you’ve come a long, long way.
I never knew there was a Tiny Betsy doll when I was growing up but you are ten years younger than me so I might have been “outgrowing” dolls when you got yours. I bought mine a few years ago and she was some kind of special doll. I can’t remember what though. She came in a beautiful white dress with embroidery on the bodice. I was looking at the Betsy dolls on eBay and almost came to buying one of them. She had pretty red hair and a lovely dress, but I decided I really did not need another Betsy doll, so I quickly exited the site before temptation got the best of me.
What a sweet picture of you and Cindy. After my mother passed away I got quite a few of the pictures taken during my growing up years but we must not have taken pictures at Christmas because there were none in the box. I think later there may have been some home movies but when my parents separated the movies “disappeared” so my mother could not have them. I have no idea what ultimately happened to them but none of my sisters have them.
I wish I had pictures of some of my early doll sewing endeavors. I remember having a doll called Miss Debutante. She was a doll sold by the Jewel Tea Company. She was about 11 or 12 inches tall, I think about the size of the Miss Ginger doll. She was my last doll. My friends were getting some absolutely beautiful dolls for their last doll, but she was all we could afford. I liked making clothes for her and was really enjoying that. One day my grandmother and aunt came to visit (Mom’s side). They both sewed so I was excited to show them what I had made for my doll. My grandmother thought it was lovely but my aunt told me that I was too old to be sewing doll clothes and should be sewing for myself. I think I was 11 or 12 at the time. But that was my aunt. A bit of a bubble burster so I didn’t “share” with her again. But her saying that has stuck in my head to the point that I often find myself justifying my reasons for sewing doll clothes since I don’t sell them. Sewing them for pure creative enjoyment seems a waste of time to most people and it shows.
I thought at first you were ahead of your time on the shabby chic trend but then I realized what I was looking at was armholes. Sorry. I laughed at your cutting up your pjs for your doll dress. I’m sure your mom wasn’t laughing. But how clever the way you used the shirring. You definitely have come a long way but then haven’t we all. I remember once trying to make a box pleated skirt. When I couldn’t get the pleats to fit the waistband, I just cut the waistband bigger. You can imagine what happened when I tried on the skirt. Oops! I took the waistband off and took it to my mother with a helpless look on my face. She showed me what I was doing wrong (besides enlarging the waistband) and showed me how to do the pleats to fit the waistband and I wore that skirt for several years.
I just found out my Maru and Friends doll Luna is being held hostage by the tariffs. She was due in May but it is now July. I ordered her in December. I have another Maru and Friends doll, Mini Maru, who is due this month. Not sure about her arrival yet. I ordered her not much after Luna.
Very sorry to hear about your Maru doll. Have the dolls arrived at the dealer in the US? I don’t think they come directly do they? or at least they didn’t used to. Curious if the dealer is going to have to pay the tariff to receive the shipment? or if direct to you from China, if you will have to pay a tariff to the delivery company? So complicated.
Hi everyone! I’m doing this on my Kindle Fire from my bedroom at June and Jerry’s house, as I didn’t want to the up their computer too long nor stay later than they do. It’s only 10:30 p.m.! That would be 7:30at home.
I enjoyed reading the blog and the comments, etc. Jeanne, I’d say your sewing has Vastly improved since those early attempts, but I can see the talent was there, even at such an early age; that dress with the shirring shows us that!
I think I may be getting caught up on sleep; I slept something like 9 hours last night! I’m also getting rehydrated. I’m used to sipping water all day, and yesterday I didn’t get to do that. So,feel I g more myself. Today we went to a nice Christian bookstore as well as Big Lots. I think tomorrow we’ll go thrifting. Mostly we visit.
Good morning everyone
It is coming up to 6.30am on Wednesday and I have been here since Friday. The journey was pretty grim. 36 hours without lying down is difficult. Made much worse by having acquired a severe head cold. Ugh. I am staying with my brother in Sheffield first. My sister came over on Friday but I haven’t seen her since though we have talked on the phone. We are going over today, she lives about 1 1/2 hours away in Huddersfield. Like Charlotte, I have spent a lot of time sleeping and not sure if it was the cold or the jet lag that was the worst.
I’ve really only been to the supermarket so far. I did go to the city on Monday and wandered around for a while, also found my watch had died and needed a new battery. I was very pleased I got one here and not at home. They are twice the price at home.
John shops every day so we have walked to the supermarket several times, it is downhill all the way so that means it is uphill coming back. I’ll take a photo of John’s street to show how steep it is. Christchurch is completely flat so I am finding it hard on my 80 yr old unfit lungs. I’ve told him it will either kill or cure me, I prefer the latter! lol
Loved seeing your early attempts at making clothes for your Barbies. I was very impressed especially with your design skills. I only remember making one dress for my doll my Mum cut it out for me sleeves and body all in one. I don’t know how old I was, I know I could sew back stitch, probably 6 or 7. It was a white silky material I am not sure now if I used white or blue lace on the sleeves and neck and possibly around the bottom as well but it certainly had a blue ribbon as a sash. I always think of that doll dress when I hear Julie Andrews sing “Girl’s in white dresses with blue satin sashes”.
I grew up with rationing. If the dolls you girls are talking about made it to our toy shops I would only have been able to look. My dolls invariably
came from Woolworths and my Mum was a much better knitter than a sewer so they usually had lots of knitted dolls clothes. No photos either, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to get film or photos developed. I have a few photos from when I was very young but none of me with dolls.
loved the wandering down memory lane with you all. Have a great day