Christmas and other holidays

Ever mark time by what happened at what time of year?  Like "oh that was the Easter we had a late snow or That was our last Christmas with so and so"   .... I do that often.  Whenever Christmas comes along I ask the Lord to NOT let someone I love die then... We thought my mom would pass away near a Christmas one year...but the Lord heard my prayer. It was just a short time after her 80th that she left us.  Now I face my Dad getting older and weaker. He is 87 now and he misses mom something fierce.  It is during the times I think on these things I turn to my dolls the most.  I find solace in them. They do not die and leave me...they live on if cared for. Someone somewhere is waiting to love them again.  I guess I should change my name to Granny's RE-loved dolls. Just a melancoly time of year for me.

the outfit, not the doll was a Swap for a precious lady on a doll list I belong to. As I sewed it I tried to imagine what SHE would think of it. She does some of the best sewing I have ever seen when it comes to doll clothes. I have some lovely outfits she did for some of my girls...this was the first I did for her. The following are ones she did for my girls...

A Special little lady has come to my house.

I got a new addition to my house. I don't have a name for her yet. Perhaps somone can tell me who she is. I think she is compo. She once had a wig and will again. I need to renew her color and give her some pretty clothes... She was a gift to me from Sandra Walker of Maine.  I can never thank her enough for this precious little girl...

After looking a the wigs I had available...this one seems made for her.  She seems to like it!

I was searching on the net and found this Rosebud by Horsman. Looks like my girl. Made around 1929

Whatcha think?

 03/14/2013

Started to work on her.  She needed cracks filled, cleaning and painting where it was missing and then sealing...ready to dress.

Don't you just love her face? I sure do.

Well it took a while but now Dec 2013 She has her dress. She made me think of Little Orphan Annie so I tried to dress her close to what i was thinking...

 

The Sisters Dolls

Maggie and Orpha brought me their child hood dolls to be re-stored. I don't like to do things half way. I want them to be beautiful. The cost to me is not important. Most is my labor. I just enjoy it more then I want to make a lot of money doing this.  Maggie brought me one and Orpha brought 3.

 

 

 

MAGGIE'S DOLL

This is Maggie's doll. 1950s Magic Skin...

the legs and one arm are NOT salavageable. Maggie said to replace them with what I could find. On eBay there is not much in this...so I will probably cannibalize a doll I have here that has the right shape arms and legs...

 I scalped her!

this will be the sacrifice.... poor baby

Ack! I killed her!

 

 today is November 5 2012 and Maggie's doll I hope is finished.

 

so some sewing on the slip and pressing...they both need snaps or fasteners of some kind and maybe some lace or other embellishments

I don't think her clothes that came with her, did her justice so I made her some new ones.

 

 

 

ORPHA's Dolls

Soft vinyl stuffed all in one body. Large bottom as she is a sit down doll.

dress is dry rotted. Even after washing and pressing it still would not do  and shoes were split on one.

So I decided she needed something new ALL the way.

 

 

 

 

Baby gonna get new clothes 

soft vinyl hollow body. She only wants it cleaned and dressed for her granddaughter to play with

 

 The Sticky Sister

Orpha's childhood doll gotten when sister Maggie got hers.

Well now I know SHE does NOT have magic skin. Hers is a soft vinyl that has undergone a breakdown and this releases that ucky sticky feel. Because of her age I am not willing to do the vasaline and sun treatment.. so today I started by scrubbing her with a mild abrasive cleaner to make the vinyl less sticky and replaced the momma box in her chest...

 removed the head and wig (it was stapled on)

 gave the face a gentle scrub to remove some scuffs from it. 

Now to wash and style this thing...kind of looks ratty right now.

the dress below came out very nice and clean... but needed work

made a Combination for under the dress. It is a one piece that covers from shoulders and takes the place of unders or long bloomers. This gives better protection to the body.

Wig glued on and she is ready for a box to protect her till she goes back home. 

 

 

 

 

Bye Lo Baby wannabe

Sometimes you see a doll and you know it did not cost much. You know it is an immitation. Even though I could not find where it was made I bought it anyhow. We were at an antique store in Strausburg Pa.  Doubt I will ever get up that way again. But for $10 I got the doll and the chair.  Chair reminds me of an electric chair. Working on her now to clean the clothes up and make her look pretty again.
    She is all cleaned up now...

Chatty Cathy

One of my girls will haunt the Goodwill. She ferrets out the dolls and if she thinks it is good, brings it to me.  Here is one of her finds... and I love her. A Chatty Cathy

The clothing is all orginial but she was missing undies and shoes... and needed some cleaning up too!

My Child Doll

My husband is an excavator. Sometimes he finds things in the rubble and brings them home...

This is a MY Child doll. I do not have her history right off.  The body is fabric. Has the feel of felt but much tougher. The eyes are a vinyl and more or less fused to the fabric. She also has MY CHILD on her bottom.

First step was to see if she would clean up.

She looks pretty good.

Next step was to dress her.

Another pretty girl rescued!!!