Simplicity 1179--A Drop-waist Dress, Coat & Hat for 18" Dolls from the Titanic Era

I bought this pattern several months ago and finally got around to stitching up a couple of the pieces.  I just love this era of clothing...reminds me of the Titanic and Downton Abbey.

First, I decided to make View C, the sailor dress.  I have a huge weakness for nautical style clothing.

I think this is the FIRST time I've ever sewed a pattern where I pretty much followed the instructions as written.  I almost always end up making major changes.  But this time, I resisted the urge and followed the instructions, step by step.

The hardest thing for me was not lining the bodice--I love to line bodices!  I just think it makes them look so much cleaner and finished inside.  However, I restrained myself and made simple neck facings, like the pattern called for, and it actually turned out quite well.  I did finish all the raw edges with a tight zig zag, just to keep everything looking neat and tidy.

The dress opens completely down the back and fastens with five buttons.  The sixth button (at the waistband) is decorative and sits over a snap.  The main fabric is a pretty, woven plaid which I've had for years.  I like it because it doesn't have a "right" or "wrong" side.  The collar, sleeve cuffs and welts were made from a lightweight linen.

The collar is removable. Here is the dress without it.  I think it looks cute both ways.  I love the detail of the sleeve cuffs and the little welts at the front of the skirt.  I couldn't resist and also made a matching hair bow.

Next up, I made the coat and matching hat.  How cute is this???  Again, I followed the pattern instructions exactly.  It wasn't as difficult to do, since the coat is completely lined--just like a real garment.  I used a recycled, light blue linen skirt which I had picked up at the thrift store long ago for the outer fabric, and a quilter's cotton from my stash for the lining.

It fastens down the front with four buttons, and there are four, additional buttons which are attached to the tabs at each side of the top of the pleated skirt.

Back view--I did have to run to the fabric store to buy the trim which I attached to the collar.  I just didn't have anything in my stash that was small enough and in the right color to work.  Oh, and I had to pick up buttons.  I do have a large button jar, but finding eight, matching buttons just wasn't going to happen.

I LOVE this little coat and hat!  The hat, by the way, was super simple to make.  Just a large, circle of fabric which is gathered to a band.  

And here's a peek of the lining.

Sewing for dolls is so much fun.  

New: Petitcollin Dolls ZOE and JOELLE

Several months ago, I saw these wonderful new dolls advertised on one of my favorite on-line doll shops, Petalina.  They are designed by Sylvia Natterer, who creates some of the most beautiful faces in the doll world, I think.  These are the 13" cuties in the series called "Minouche": 

From left to right they are:  Joelle, Natalie, Samira, Jeane, & Luc

 

The "Finouche" series is so far comprised of these three 19" beauties:

Alice, Zoe, & Smilla

 

After falling in love with these dolls, I put in my order and waited.  And waited.  And waited.   A few weeks ago, I was notified by Petalina that the dolls had finally arrived and were ready for purchase!

The hardest part was choosing which ones I just had to have, although I pretty much new from the start that gorgeous, red-haired Zoe would be coming home to live with me.  But the little ones?  That decision was much harder.  I mean, they're all just so CUTE.  At first I was leaning heavily towards little Natalie, another red head, but in the end I decided on Joelle because I really did want a little blondie, and I loved her sweet outfit.

 

After placing my order, I waited another 13 long days before the postman arrived at my door with a rather large package.  My dolls had finally arrived!  Oh, the excitement.  It almost felt like Christmas!  Here is my first glimpse of Zoe, through her box:

 

 

And here is little Joelle:

 

Poor little Joelle's hair had become pretty mussed from her long journey overseas from England.

 

"Please, stop taking pictures and get us out of our boxes!" they cried.

 

The back of Zoe's box, which is written in French and English.  Petitcollin is a French company which now manufactures their dolls in Spain.

 

Joelle's box

 

Finally!  Released from the confines of their boxes.

 

Little Joelle is just the sweetest.  She will definitely need some sort of hair bow or clip to hold back her wavy locks.  Her hair is nice and thick though, cut in layered waves.

 

 

Joelle stands 13" tall.  She is jointed at the neck, shoulders, and hips.  Her head can tilt in many directions.

 

And here is Zoe:

 

Zoe's hair is some of the loveliest hair I've ever seen on a doll.  The color is gorgeous.  It is silky and shiny and thickly rooted.

 

But it does like to hang across her pretty face, so I think I'll need to tie it back...

 

There!  That's better.  Now we can see her hand-painted features.

 

Back view

 

I think they make sweet sisters.  I like how their legs bend when they sit down, and don't splay outwards too much like some other doll brands.  Their bodies are nice and sturdy and stand on their own.

 

Out of curiosity, I brought over one of my Hearts 4 Hearts dolls, Lauryce, and my Corolle Les Cheries doll for comparison.  Lauryce is the tallest, at 14", and has a chest measurement of 6" and a waist of 5 3/4".  Joelle's chest is 6 3/4" and her waist is 7".  My 13 1/2" tall Corolle's chest is 5 3/4" and her waist is 5 1/2".  So Joelle has a chunkier, more child-like body than the other two, but I think they are still close enough that they'll be able to share clothes.

 

Speaking of clothes, Zoe and Joelle's outfits are adorable and beautifully made.  The fabrics are quality cotton with cute trims.  They each wear a one-piece type knit underwear.  I would have preferred that their clothing fastened with snaps or buttons instead of Velcro, but I guess that would be more labor intensive and end up costing more. 

 

And here is a comparison of Zoe and a slim-bodied Gotz doll, Louisa:  both stand 19" tall.  Louisa's chest measures 9 3/4", and her waist is 9".  Zoe's chest is 9" and her waist is 8 1/2".   So Zoe is more petite but close enough in size to Louisa that they should be able to share clothes nicely.

 

I ordered my dolls from www.petalinadolls.com.uk  I highly recommend this doll shop as they have so many beautiful dolls to choose from and excellent customer service.

 

I love my new dolls and couldn't be happier!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Back! and New Project Dolls

Well, hello!  After taking a bit of a break from blogging, I'm back to share my projects with you once again.  Our summer has been unseasonably long and hot; needless to say, I am SO looking forward to the cooler days of fall.  While our house does have central air, it really only works on the main level of our home--the upstairs, where my sewing/doll room is located, becomes an oven when the temperatures rise.  So there has not been much sewing going on at all during this summer.  However, I have managed to visit the local thrift stores on a regular basis, and found some neat treasures I didn't know I needed!

 

Just look at this sweet, little waif.  She is a vintage, 12" Madame Alexander "BETH" from Little Women.  She is all original, from the ribbon in her hair down to the socks and shoes on her feet.  I found her for just $1.99.  Her joints are extremely loose and floppy, so she will need to be restrung.  Her hair is in need of a gentle combing and reset, and her clothes could benefit from a gentle wash and ironing.  But when all that is done, I'm sure she'll look good as new!

I don't normally purchase Madame Alexander dolls, but I just couldn't resist this one.  Especially since she represents a character from one of my favorite books.

 

I've been coming across these 17" singing Disney princess dolls lately, finding one here and one there. 

The very first one I came across was Snow White, and I brought her home just because I thought she was so pretty.  I really didn't know anything else about her, so I spent some time on Ebay and the internet and discovered that the Disney Store had issued her, along with many of the other princesses, a few years ago.  They are no longer in production.  As far as I can tell, there are 13 dolls in the series: 

I pulled this picture from the internet, but I don't know who it belongs to so I can't give proper credit.  Anyway, it looks like there's Merida, Pocohantas, Cinderella, Tiana, Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Belle, Mulan, and Ariel.

 

After I found Snow White, I suddenly started discovering more of these dolls every time I left the house!  Over the next couple of months, I found Rapunzel, Tiana, Belle, Ariel, and finally Merida.  All were nude except Merida, who came completely clothed and Ariel, who still had her bra top.

 

They really have sweet faces, don't you think?  Disney did a great job in capturing their personalities from the films. 

 

 

They all have a battery compartment in their backs which allows them to sing!  It took me a while to figure this out, but when a small switch on their left hip is flicked to the "on" position and you touch a tiny, metal knob on their right hand, they start singing in the same voice from their movie.  I haven't been able to get Merida to say anything (does she even sing in the movie?  I can't remember)--there may be a glitch with her computer chip.  But I don't mind.  I like the dolls even if they can't sing.  I had initially planned on selling these dolls on Ebay.  I have never really been interested in fashion dolls.  But somehow, they have grown on me, and I plan on keeping them around for awhile.  I went to the fabric store and picked up lots of small pieces of satins in different colors so I can hopefully recreate their original costumes.  I don't like sewing for small dolls, so we'll see how this goes!

 

And now, for my best find in a long time...drumroll please...

A real, genuine, American Girl doll!!!

 

I had really given up on the thought of ever finding one at Goodwill, because they NEVER put AG dolls out on their shelves.  But lo and behold, I saw two, 18" doll style legs poking out from among all the toys in the over-packed shelves, and when I pulled her out, I just about fainted!  She is marked American Girl on her lower neck in very small letters, and also has a body tag that identifies her.  Some Goodwill employee just wasn't paying attention that day, lucky me!

 

Now, after my initial excitement, I did realize that she needs WORK.  But not as bad as you might think.  Her major flaw is her hair.  From my research, I believe my doll is a Just Like You #46 with the Sonali face mold.  This is what she looked like brand new:

'Sigh'.  What a difference a beautiful wig makes.

 

This is what is left of my doll's wig:

The back

 

Side view

 

On the plus side, her joints are nice and tight and her cloth body is clean.  Her vinyl limbs are in good condition, but she does sport black polish on her finger and toe nails.

 

 

My first step will be to remove the polish and remove any slight scuff marks from her vinyl.  I hope to find her a replacement wig.  I really wish that you could buy wigs directly from American Girl, but you can't.  (It's a scam, I tell you!)  So I will check around at the upcoming doll shows, and then maybe order one online if I can't find one locally.  I only paid $3.99 for this doll, so even if I have to spend a bit more on a quality wig, it will be worth it.

 

 

Oh, and I almost forgot...my oldest son is getting married in two weeks and I am making my dress and my youngest daughter's flower girl dress!  I have almost completed my dress using a 1950's vintage reproduction pattern from Butterick, and I will start working on my daughter's dress today.  So stay tuned for updates!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Show and Tell: Schoenhut Dolls

Lisa over at www.onceuponadollcollection.blogspot.com  recently wrote a post on Schoenhut dolls, and encouraged me to write a post of my own.  So here goes!

 

The Schoenhut doll company was started by Albert Schoenhut, a German immigrant who came from a long line of toymakers.  He settled in Philadelphia and made his living at first by making small wooden toys (like the circus animals shown in the toy ad above) and musical toys, such as child-sized pianos.

 

His first dolls came on the market in 1911.  What made them so unique was the fact that they were completely made out of wood and used a patented steel spring hinge in their joints.  This allowed the dolls to be placed in just about any position and hold a pose--even standing on their heads!

 

The first dolls had what we in the doll world now call "character faces"--faces that reflected the characteristics of real children.

Isn't she a sweetie?

 

Patriotic fellow with carved hair

 

Another carved hairstyle with a headband

 

Some Schoenhut dolls came with wigs.  Notice the holes in her feet?  These were so that the dolls could be placed on a special stand specifically made for them.  I have never seen one these original stands--they must have been the first thing to get separated from the doll and thrown away.

 

This type of Schoenhut is known as a "bonnet head", because she has a bonnet carved into her head.

 

This mischievous looking fellow was one of the only a few named dolls, known as "Snickelfritz".

 

Unfortunately, just like with their bisque counterparts, the character dolls were never really popular.  Children preferred to play with the more generic looking "dolly-faced" dolls.  Schoenhut phased out the characters and focused on these types of faces instead.  I happen to have two of them:

 

This little sweetie stands a diminutive 14" high.  I bought her a few years ago from another collector in my club because I just fell in love with her small size!  (the doll buggy is a reproduction of an antique Marklin buggy, and the baby dolls inside are all-compo babies from the 1930's)

 

She is in very good shape all around, with one, small scuff mark on her cheek.  Because these dolls were painted wood, many of them have suffered some kind of paint wear.  My doll wears a replaced wig, similar to what the original might have been.  Her clothing is not original.

 

Like the majority of these dolls, she has painted eyes.  Schoenhut did patent a doll with moveable, wooden eyes in 1921--oh, how interesting I think that would be to see!

 

Here you can see how this doll is jointed.  Remember, she is completely made of wood with metal, spring-hinged joints, so she has more weight to her than an ordinary doll.  She is jointed at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles.  She can completely stand on her own...

 

...and even do a headstand!

 

She has a paper label on her upper back, and a stamp on her head.  I'm not sure what the penciled numbers "55-5" are that are written on her neck...maybe a price?

 

Complete back view

 

Ready for Easter!

 

I have never named this cutie...maybe I should remedy that?

 

I love her cute, pouty cheeks

 

My other Schoenhut...a cute little fellow also known as "Nature Baby".  He is approximately 15" tall.

 

He differs from his sister in the fact that he does not have a wig, and he has fewer joints.  He has the typical, 5 piece bent-limb baby body, jointed at the neck, shoulders, hips, and wrists.

 

He also has a stamp on his neck and a paper label on his back.

 

Here they are together...you can see that he is chunkier and much more baby-like than his "big" sister.  She stands an inch shorter on a child-like body.  But I still think they are cute together!

 

There is much more to the Schoenhut doll than I have described here, so go check out a book on them from your local library or do a bit of research on the internet.  Some of the dolls are really fascinating!  I would love, love, LOVE to own one of the character faced dolls someday, but they are more rare and sell for thousands of $$$.  The dolly faced Schoenhuts, however, can still be acquired for reasonable prices on Ebay and at local shows, depending on the price.  I think I paid about $125 for my baby several years ago, and maybe $300 for the little girl.  (I really need to start writing these figures down because I don't do a very good job of remembering them!)

 

Schoenhuts are wonderfully, sturdy dolls that have a unique body articulation and an interesting history.  I highly recommend having at least one in your antique doll collection.

 

One last picture to amaze you with their poseability:

Have a nice Tuesday!