Are you familiar with A Girl For All Time Dolls?
They are a wonderful line of dolls from Great Britain depicting historical eras in British history, much like the American Girl historical dolls do for the United States.
This is Matilda Marchmont. She is the first in the line of dolls from this series, and depicts a 13 year old Tudor girl from the time of Henry VIII. The other four dolls (so far) in this line are her descendents, so they are all related! What a neat concept. There are books that go along with these dolls as well, telling their stories.
This photo is credited to Swish-swirl.com who sews fabulous outfits for these girls. From left to right are Matilda, Lydia (Georgian girl), Amelia (Victorian girl), Clementine (1940's girl), and Sam (1960's girl)
As you can see, I have redressed my Matilda into a more current day dress, although she still reminds me of an old-fashioned girl. I styled her long, luxurious hair into looped braids, which instantly made her look like a young Margaret O'Brien to me:
The first time I saw these dolls, I wasn't sure if I liked them. Their faces are definitely different from most other dolls on the market. But the more I looked at them, the more they grew on me.
Matilda came with the key necklace--I think it is supposed to unlock a hidden compartment in her trunk where she hides her diary. Mysterious!
I have to take a moment and show the cutest little bear I found at Goodwill the other day. The minute I picked him up, I knew he was a quality teddy-bear. He had a hang tag which identified him as an artist's bear made by Steve Shutt. He is all jointed and 100% mohair, and he wears the most darling, little sailor outfit. I love him! Not a bad purchase for $2, I think!
I love Matilda's serious expression...
...and I think Matilda loves Little Bear.
So sweet.
Lydia is the next one I'd like to add to my collection. Not quite as serious as Matilda, she has the hint of a smile beginning to show.
Another photo courtesy of swish-swirl.com...this is Elinor, the Elizabethan girl. She is slated to be released this fall. I love, love, love her red hair and blue eyes combination!
These dolls are completely vinyl and jointed in the usual places, as well as at their elbows and knees. They stand 16" tall and are much thinner than American Girl dolls, so they cannot share clothes. However, that will not stop me from adding more to my collection--these dolls are gorgeous! Everything about them is high quality--their outfits are beautifully made and close with snaps (no Velcro)--and their hair feels real, like human hair! There are books available that go along with these dolls, but they don't come with the doll. I will most likely buy Matilda's book soon as I'd love to read more about her time in history. You can see all these dolls and their available extra clothing and accessories at www.agirlforalltime.com .
Happy 4th of July!
Matilda is lovely. Did you make her dress? It looks wonderful on her and with her hair in the looped braids she reminds me of Margaret O'Brien too.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I made Matilda's dress a while back for another doll in my collection, but it was a bit tight. So when I realized it might fit Matilda better, I decided to let her wear it for a while!
DeleteI love these dolls but have not seen one in person yet. They seem to be made a lot like the Ginger Brook Hollow dolls I have. They are jointed the same way and are close to the same size. I think they are officially 17 inches tall and slim. Htey large dolls are no longer made, but they have an 8 inch size too. I shamelessly bought all the 27" girls and their 8" size too, as well as 22" Grandma Sunday, and almost every item the company has made. This by far was the best doll line I ahve ever known of. It used to have a daily diary entry from one of the orphan girls, and an online store with activities, etc. Even better than AG. Fantastic outfits and shoes too. No velcro whatsoever! All the dolls are boxed up now to keep them from getting dusty. They will belong to my granddaughter one day, although she has two small ones and one big one of her own. I think I have posted about them on my blog somewhere....LOL!
ReplyDeleteI had heard of the Ginger Brook Hollow dolls long ago, but never knew much about them. Now I'm quite interested to find out more! They sound like wonderful dolls. I especially like the 8" size--so cute!
DeleteOh my! I forgot to mention your fantastic bear!Steve Shutt and his wife have made awesome bears for many years. I am not as engrossed in the teddy bear world as I used to be, so I don;t know if they are still creating them. You definitely got a wonderful treasure for a phenomenal price! :o)
ReplyDeleteI love this little bear! He's just so darn cute, and makes a great prop for the bigger dolls to hold. I love teddy bears, but I love dolls more, so that's what wins out in my collection!
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