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!!!

Joyce's Doll

Wow, I have a real good one to work on.  Have someone searching out to find out more about her so I can dress her and restore her to as much as is possible to her "when new" look.  I have never tried to restore Compo so this will an experience for me.  And an intimidating one as well. It will take me a while as I have my youngest daughter's wedding to sew for. She was always my living doll when she was little because of her porcelain skin tone.  Anyway, this is Joyce's doll , she is about 65 years old, has a compo head, probably orginally had a mohair wig but we are going synthetic and back to the original blonde. Her limbs are soft vinyl with squeakers and a momma crier in her middle.  I want to take my time and do her right.

Joyce told me that she had been in her attic and she did not realize that the temperature fluctuations would do this to the compo... I am thankful there is no insect damage. Would hate to fumigate before I started...LOL

As I work I will take photos of the steps...I am learning as I go. 

I chipped off all the compo that was just more or less laying there... filled in holes with liquid nails putty and then sanded them down with a Dremel where it was too thick.

a couple thin layers of liquid compo.  Will add more after this has set up.

May 2012

Has taken me a while to get back to this.  Sickness and taxes wait for no man or woman. LOL

so here is today's offering. I am excited about getting this girl finished

next will be to dress her.  The body is slip covered to preserve the original size and shape. The wig color was chosen by Joyce I think she will be beautiful when finished. 

Back at ya when she is ready to show her final glory.

HER SHE IS!!!!!!

Past Re-cycles

 this is a Walker Doll that we got for my youngest daughter. The Doll  is probably about 19 years old. You can tell it went through a lot of "love". When my daughter outgrew her play time with this one I put it in my sewing room. One day I got her out and decided she needed some "modernization".  LOL

She wears my daughter's shoes and socks, a wig that I once wore and a brand new dress complete with slip and bloomers. 

 This a Baby Face Doll named Natalie, She was in pretty good condition only needing cleaning and her hair combed... so

 I gave her a bath, shampoo, new dress with one of my embroidery designs on the border and even made her shoes. 

 Another Baby Face (I think I have 21 of them now) named Sandie. How you see her is how she arrived. I have probably 3 more just like her so I decided she needed a new look.  So a wig and a new dress (machine smocked with a pattern I created) and you see the new girl here. 

I think Sandie looks just beautiful now!

 From time to time I go to the local second hand shops and look for dolls.  I found this one for only $1.25.  The dress on her is very old and all handmade but obviously not hers.

A good bath and all brand new clothes. Just have to get some shoes made for her and she will be complete.

I couldn't leave well enough alone...lol. Decided she needed more then shoes. Gave her a wig, and eyelashes and brows...then put her on eBay and she sold...Hmmm gives me all kinds of ideas.

 



 This so Sad Brooke. She does look unhappy. Another Baby Face but of the bathtub group.

Well after all I did for her you would think she would be grateful. She is still pouting!

they gather together sometimes to plot things and decide WHAT they will trick me into next.

I don't have any before pictures of this little baby. She is a Cabbage Patch Preemie. She was found in a trash pile outside a house that had been abandoned.  Poor thing was covered with mildew, red magic marker and ink. She got the Oxy treatment...body and cloth slathered in Oxy 10 then left on my deck through months of sunshine, rain and snow... She was then washed in the washing machine and dressed...she has only a few places I could not get off but they are barely noticeable.  She goes to a new home soon...

 



Finished Project: Naomi's doll

 torn leg is not that easy to fix. This kind of vinyl resists being glued by most of your craft store glues. Everyone I tried would come loose within a couple days. Even glues "made for " vinyl would not bond with it. Is there hope?

Taking a childhood companion and making it like new or atleast a lot better, is a challange I cannot resist.  Naomi is a grown lady who recieved this doll new when she was 8 or 9 years old.  In searching her out I found she was made by EEGEE in the 1960s. 


this is what a new one in a smaller size looked like then.

got her face washed~

we tried different wigs to see what would look best. Who says you have to go with orginal?

The blonde was chosen!

She needed clothes next

the leg is attached and held good.

 Pretty hat with a butteryfly and she has one on the dress and jacket too.

 Naomi's doll is now ready to go home.

The First Day

Today is the first day. Hope this can grow into something good. If the Lord be for me, then who can be agaisnt me?