18" dolls

 I don 't JUST like old dolls...I just LIKE dolls.  I sew for others in testing and I sew for my own entertainment and I design a few patterns.  I have 14" too as the little sisters.  Lately I fell in love with an AG boy doll.  I like to take them and alter them a bit to suit me.  

The first one I call Shermie

 

Shermie reminds me of two of my grandsons... also my husband so that is how he got his name. From Sherman. 

 Next is Jake

Shermie has to have a friend 

He got freckles

Sneaky Pete

Sneaky Pete is an Apple Valley kit.  I liked his looks but for clothes the body is not good.  Okay on girls but for a guy in pants, the stride is too high so he ends up in high water pants from a normal pattern made for the 18" dolls.  So I went on Evil Bay and found someone who sells brand new AG bodies without heads... WALA.... Sneaky Pete looks normal now.

I am working on ONE more boy. Another Apple Valley head with an AG body. Same face mold as Sneaky Pete but with a light complexion, green eyes and red hair.  Name to be announced.

COMPOSITION BOY

 I really need to stay out of consignment shops. I can't remember what I paid for him... a couple dollars maybe. But with the toddler legs it made me think more of a boy then a girl. I found some tennis shoes in my shoe stash and the vision of the bibs came into my head. He has some separation of paint on his face around the eyes and mouth but for now I won't mess with that. I gave him a real good cleaning and re-stringing. I love his chubby little body.

WHO IS SHE?

I have no idea who this little doll is. I found her in a consignment shop for $5. At that time that was a lot to pay for a doll only 8.5" tall. She has the infant legs. No neck joint. She had the holes and paint repaired and I gave her my own face version.  Then dressed her in a vintage dotted swiss. Her original dress is of a thinner dotted swiss and dry rotted. I will try fixing it if I can. But any way she is done now.  

 

TIN HEAD

 When I saw this one I was hesitant about buying her. She was 25% off the asking price so I took a chance. After I got her home and undressed her I didn't like how her body looked. It was leaking sawdust and one arm had a cloth instead of the leatherette upper arm like the other.  the legs from the knees down were pretty bad looking.  So I found another new/old body on Ruby Lane.  It is the right size and probably close to the same age. The Tin Heads were popular around 1905-1915. She is a German made  Minerva head.Needs her clothes now. 

Poor pale faced baby

Nasty body. not enough sawdust left to mess with. I will save it and try my hand at fixing it up some.

Inside the head. The eyes are set in a cement or plaster

the New/Old body I purchased to use.

Ready for some new duds.

DREAM BABY

 I neglected to take a before shot. She was in a shoe box at an antique  mall locally. She was loose in the joints so needed re-stringing. Her face paint was chipping off and she was missing a thumb. So these pictures are my progress to finish. Made by Arranbee of all composition. Late 1930s to early 1940s.  As they progressed with her they switched to open and shut eyes which to me didn't look as cute. The eyes could be forward or side glancing brown or blue. I did her the way she was. She is the infant body, 10" long,  though I think some later had the toddler body. Her hair is deeply molded though I have seen some that had the lambs wool short curly cap type wigs.  I like mine better just as she is.  Enjoy

After painting, re-stringing but pre thumb

She has a thumb now and fully dressed. Her clothes are fully removable and customized to her fit. I had some vintage patterns but none would fit this chubby little baby.

Now HOW cute is that!

Horsman Composition doll circa 1930s to 1940s early

 I don't know her name but I loved her on sight. The tag said Rosie Cheeked doll.  Well yeah that fits.

Compos crazed and flaking off, paint flaking off, clothes raggedy and dirty. The wig is not her original and was barely sitting on her head and she was missing her pate. 

she got a good cleaning and that  made her cheeks rosier still.

Fresh touch up to paint. Filling in of chipping paint, made a thumb for her.

clothes washed and ironed. a pair of bloomers made and socks provided. Still need to find her shoes. She has eyelashes now and teeth and a tongue.  I took the same wig and brushed it clean of dust and snarles.  One day maybe a real hair or mohair wig. And there is a pate now to cover the hole in her head and to provide a base for the wig.