Beach Time

Libby Relaxes at the Beach in her New Beach Chair

Lulubelle and Libby came along on our beach vacation and showed off new clothes and a new chair.  Lulubelle is wearing a dress made from the Half and Half Kit from Affordable Designs (www.leeann.ca under the Sewing Patterns menu).  This was a fun kit that I hand sewed, but it can be machine sewn.

Lulubelle in her Half and Half Dress

Lulubelle in her Half and Half Dress

Libby is wearing a tunic made from a kit by Doll Project (http://www.etsy.com/shop/DollProject) and leggings made from a pattern by MHD Designs (http://dolloutfits.com/patterns/aeriens/index.html).  She's lounging in a beach chair by Stillpoint Woodworks (http://www.etsy.com/shop/StillpointWoodworks).  It's a great little chair that fits Barbies, 10" collectible dolls, etc.

Libby Kicks back in her Beach Chair

Gnome likes it!

A Little Doll Surgery

Poor Bleuette!

Bad dog!

We are not the only ones in our household who love dolls-- unfortunately, our Pug got a hold of Kairi's resin Bleuette from Ruby Red Galleria (http://www.rubyredgalleria.com/) last year and chewed up her hands.  We were pretty upset (the dog not so much), but I had hopes we could fix her.  Recently, I contacted Ruby Red Galleria and was able to get a pair of replacement hands (Yay!) so today I replaced them, and have the pictures here to share.

New hands from Ruby Red Galleria

The resin Bleuette is a merging of new and old-- Bleuette was a french doll given away when little girls subscribed to the magazine La Semaine de Suzette.  She had a jointed composition body and porcelain head, and was made from 1905 to 1960 by several different dollmakers.   The magazine would have a clothes pattern for Bleuette in every issue, so there are dozens and dozens of patterns out there (see http://www.thebleudoor.com/Libraryhome.htm for free copies), making her very popular with doll lovers.  Ruby Red Galleria is a doll company in Hong Kong that decided to make a modern Bleuette-- she is made of resin and ball-jointed like modern BJDs (Ball-Jointed Doll).  She is a great incarnation of a great doll, and we have lots of fun with ours!

A BJD is made up of doll parts strung together with elastic, and you can repair or change them fairly easily.  The next picture shows the elastic that the hand is hooked to:

I just pulled the hand out to expose the elastic.  A good way to do this would be to use a hemostat, a tool that clamps on to the elastic and prevents it from pulling back into the doll.  I didn't have one, so I used my fingers and was careful not to lose the elastic.  The next picture shows the new hand hooked on before I removed the old hand, just in case!

Then I removed the old hand and released the new hand into the joint!  All better!

She feels much better!

New Coats

Patsy, Lulubelle, Claire and Kaya dressed for fall?

In my continuing efforts to reduce my fabric stash, I made coats for several of the dolls.  For Patsy, Lulubelle and Kaya, I used a pattern by MHD Designs (the pattern is at http://dolloutfits.com/patterns/aeferme/index.html).  I highly recommend this designer, her patterns are very unique and the directions are excellent, with lots of pictures.  I was using a wool plaid fabric and a wool furry fabric with mixed results.  The furry fabric is very thick and makes the lined coat very bulky.  I redid it without the lining and also lengthened it (that's the coat on Patsy).

Saige models her new coat (without shoes!)

I also made a coat for the American Girl dolls in the house, using a pattern by Liberty Jane (the pattern is at http://www.pixiefaire.com/collections/18-inch-doll-jacket-patterns/products/oxford-square-coat-18-doll-clothes).  I can also recommend Liberty Jane's patterns-- the directions are very well written and illustrated.  I like this pattern and will definitely use it again.  I had a little fun with the hood lining, using some puppy-paw print fabric I had in my stash.

Lastly, Bleuette is wearing a coat made from La Semaine de Suzette pattern 1929 #46: Vite au travail.  There was no translation available, so I winged it to less than satisfactory results.  Many of the LSDS patterns tend to be too big and need some adjustment to look right, and this is one of those.

-- Janet

Latest Sewing Projects

Christine likes it

I bought this fabric years ago to make teddy bears out of, but never got around to it.  I decided to try to use it up on doll clothes, and started looking for patterns.  For the American Girl dolls, I found the Flounce Dress pattern at Pixie Faire (http://www.pixiefaire.com/collections/18-inch-doll-dress-patterns/products/flounce-dress-18-doll-clothes).  It is a very easy pattern and I've already got ideas for more outfits (I bought a bunch of knit fabric this summer that needs to be used!).  Kairi does not like the dress very much-- she feels it is too plain!

I also wanted to make something for Ellowyne Wilde/Lizette, and found the perfect pattern!  It is All Hallow's Eve by Designs By Jude (http://www.fletcherpatterncompany.com/index.php?_a=product&product_id=1772).  I opted not to do the collar, since I didn't have anything I liked that I could use (it calls for fur; although I have LOTS of faux fur, what I had was too thick, and poor Lizette would've been overwhelmed!).  I am very happy with how the dress turned out, I think it looks great on Lizette!

-- Janet

Lizette Models "All Hallow's Eve"

New camping gear

This is a pretty good deal, and we wanted to share; the Mary Hoyer Doll Company has this neat doll tent and sleeping bag for just $20!  You can buy it at http://www.maryhoyerdoll.com/tentandsleepingbag.aspx.  It is made for the Mary Hoyer doll, which is 14" tall, so you can use it for a range of dolls-- Barbie, Patsy, Bleuette.  It was fairly simple to put together, and packs flat for storage.  Here Kaya, Leeann and Betsy take a break in their new tent.

-- Janet & Kairi

Fun doll shoes

These are some very fun shoes!  Affordable Designs (www.leeann.ca) is selling these shoes with patterns but no color so you can decorate them yourself!  There are five designs to play with, and the shoes fit 10-12" size dolls like Leeann, Patsy, Bleuette, Kish and Plusczok.  The elastic on the shoes is a new feature he introduced to make the shoes easier to put on.  I had fun decorating my shoes, and they look pretty cute on my doll!

-- Janet

A Visit to Buc-ee's

Traveling around Texas is a lot of fun-- you can see the ocean like we did recently, travel through endless forest or drive through dry hills.  But all that traveling can make you thirsty-- or require a pit stop!  And Buc-ee's (http://www.buc-ees.com/index.php) is the best place to take a break on a long drive.  It is a chain of gas station/convenience stores/souvenir shops/deli/etc etc, and several of them are mammoth in proportion!  They are famous for having clean restrooms, and tout that fact in cheeky billboards along the highways ("Your throne awaits!").  Anyway, they sell shirts with their beaver mascot on them for people and for stuffed animals, and I have taken several of the stuffed animal shirts and remade them into shirts for our 10-12" dolls.  So on our recent road trip, Lulubelle was wearing her Buc-ee shirt and posing for pictures.  She can't wait to travel again soon!

-- Janet & Kairi

Posing with the Giant Squirrel at Berdoll's (The Pecans were awesome!)

That thing is HUGE!

Best thing about Buc-ee's: a dozen flavors of Icee (Kairi mixed four at once!)

Beach Day!

Patsy, Blue Seuss Doll (BSD), Libby, Toni, Lulubelle & Ella

 Today we went to the beach, and the dolls came with us!  They mostly wanted to stay in our sunshade, and were a little icked out by the seaweed (there was LOTS on the beach!) but they did pose for a few pictures.  Patsy, Blue Seuss Doll and Lulubelle are all wearing the swimsuits we made from socks at the last doll club meeting.  Our dear friend Sheila did the program, teaching us how to make them (she learned from a My Froggy Stuff video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYh6JUI7wsQ).  Libby and Ella are wearing swimsuits from Affordable Designs (http://www.leeann.ca/) and Toni is wearing a swimsuit I made last year from a pattern posted to the Kish Chrysalis Yahoo group (Yahoo groups are a great way to chat with other doll collectors, and they often have free patterns posted for the doll).

-- Janet and Kairi

Toni, Libby, Lulubelle and Ella

Happy 4th of July!

Happy American Independence!  We are celebrating, and so are our dolls!  Janet made a dress and jacket for Kairi's American Girl doll Christine using a pattern from "30 Minute Doll Clothes" (http://www.nancysnotions.com/product/30+minute+doll+clothes+book.do).  The fabric is actually from two bandanas we found at Wal-Mart that only cost $1 each.  The patterns are very easy to follow, although the clothes are a little big for American Girl dolls (probably would be perfect for Springfield dolls).  Christine thinks her outfit is perfect, and is excited to celebrate the holiday with some sparklers tonight!

Janet also made outfits for her small dolls using a free pattern by Antique Lilac (http://www.antiquelilac.com/free-pattern-for-simple-bid-sun-dress---tutorials.html ) and another bandana (one bandana made two dresses, with plenty of fabric left over).  Heidi and Kaya are ready to watch the fireworks!

-- Janet and Kairi

Christine in her holiday duds

Heidi and Kaya enjoy the festivities

Dr Seuss Fun!

We recently bought two new dolls-- Oh, the Places You'll Go and Tip of His Hat from the Tonner Dolls Dr. Seuss collection (http://www.tonnerdoll.com/dr-seuss).  These are very fun 10" dolls with the Ann Estelle body and a new Baby Lou head sculpt.  Kairi has Tip of His Hat, which has blue rooted hair, and Janet has Oh, the Places You'll Go, which is wigged (and of course Janet's changed the wig!).  A recent issue of Dolls magazine (http://www.dollsmagazine.com/) had a pattern for a Horton (from Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who) costume for Tonner's Patsy doll (which is the same size as the Dr. Seuss dolls).  One of Kairi's favorite stuffed animals happens to be Horton, so of course we had to make the costumes!  They turned out very cute, and the dolls were happy to model them for us!

-- Janet and Kairi

Double vision: two Hortons!

World Doll Day!

The second Saturday in June is World Doll Day, started by famous doll collector, Mildred Seeley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Seeley).  We celebrated by doing a little sewing for our dolls, and a kit we had preordered from Doll Project (https://www.etsy.com/shop/DollProject) had arrived just in time!  Doll Project has many great kits for smaller dolls and tutorials for sale on her Etsy site, and she also has a newsletter with free tutorials.  This was the first time we had tried her kits, and we will definitely buy again.  The dress designs are very cute, and the instructions were nice and clear.  Each kit comes with two dresses, a pair of socks and a matching soft toy to make.  Janet made the dresses and socks, and Kairi tried her hand at making a doll from one of the kits, and did a great job!  She liked it so much she took some of the extra fabric and made a few pillows for her dolls.  Below are pictures of our handiwork.

-- Janet & Kairi

Kairi's Winx Club doll cuddling the doll Kairi made (she also made the pillows on the right)

Lulubelle modeling a dress and socks from the Doll Project kit

Hankie Dress

I love doll dresses made out of handkerchiefs, and am often on the lookout for vintage or new hankies.  I bought a pack of men's hankies, and one of them reminded me of the dress Dorothy wears in the Wizard of Oz.  I hunted around, and found an Ann Estelle pattern for a dress in my Doll Reader pattern book (http://shop.dollsmagazine.com/books/doll-reader-pattern-book.html).  I used the hem on the hankie as the hems on the bottom and back of the skirt and for the hem on the sleeve.  Otherwise it was like making a dress from regular fabric.  I used a second, white hankie to make an underskirt and the sleeves.  The dress fits Bleuette quite nicely.

-- Janet

Girl Scout meeting

We are both Girl Scouts, so I made Brownie uniforms for several of the dolls.  I designed all of the patterns-- the skort pattern wasn't too hard, but I had trouble with the blouse (I was trying to cheat and have a single piece, which was not working).  For the sash, I took a picture of Kairi's sash, resized it and printed it on iron-on paper, then ironed that onto brown fabric.  It was a fun challenge!

Below is a picture of our troop!

-- Janet

Time for the Brownie circle!

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Sunday, May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that celebrates Mexican heritage and pride (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_mayo), and several of the dolls are celebrating!  Libby is wearing a Mexican style dress and skirt, and has a Pinata for the other girls to enjoy later.  She is also serving cake and other sweets.  The girls have all dressed up for Libby's party, although they all opted to wear their comfortable frog shoes so they can run and play games.

-- Janet

Yumm!

New Girl in Town

Heidi Plusczok's 2013 line of dolls is titled "Celebration" and has some very darling dolls and new sculpts.  I pre-ordered "Linette" in January, and she arrived last week!  She is a very cute doll, here's her official picture:

She is celebrating the first day of school, and has her backpack and a paper cone filled with candy from her parents.  Pretty cute, eh?  Well, I love this sculpt, but I already have a doll with the exact same wig (Heidi) so I decided to play around.  I undid the buns and brushed out her hair and put it into a single ponytail.  When I pre-ordered her from Let's Play Dolls (http://letsplaydolls.com/cart/index.php) there was a great offer of a free Boneka dress with my order.  I picked out a cute smocked dress, and decided to redress Linette in it.  Then, off to the backyard for pictures!

-- Janet

Water Babies

My mom made a mermaid costume for my American Dolls, so I put it on Christine to try out.  At the doll show in March, I got a Felicity doll, and she wanted to dress up, too, so she is wearing the new swimsuit I got at the American Girl store.  The girls are ready for the water-- and so is their dog!

-- Kairi

Follow-up to the Doll at the Library!

It looks like the article about the doll at the library touched a lot of people!  Here's a follow-up: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/at-a-library-an-outpouring-of-support-and-new-dolls/?src=recg

-- Janet

A really neat doll article

I saw this article the other day on the internet about an American Girl doll you can check out at a public library in New York, and wanted to share it: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/doll-of-pioneers-spirit-explores-the-city-one-loan-at-a-time/

This is a neat idea, and I love that the girls saved up money to send the doll to the doll hospital!

-- Janet

At the Beach: Janet's Version

We spent our vacation at the beach, but unfortunately, it was pretty chilly, so the dolls didn't get to wear their swimsuits, but instead wore their holiday sweaters and boots!  I had made holiday sweaters from socks for Libby and Toni before Christmas, using a pattern by Dale Rae (http://www.dalerae.com/) and the girls definitely needed them on the day we ventured out.  Toni loves her new cowboy boots, and refuses to take them off (good thing they didn't go swimming!).

-- Janet

Libby is amazed at the size of the ocean

The girls huddle together against the wind

At the Beach: Kairi's Version

We spent our vacation at the beach, but as you will see in Janet's post, it was sometimes too chilly to really enjoy it.  So Kairi brought the beach indoors for her new doll, Strawberina.  We had some Fun Foam that we used to make boogie boards for the dolls, then she used some to make a great beach scene for her doll.

She not only made sand and water from the foam, she also made a sand castle, bucket, shovel, beach ball, umbrella, flip-flops, shells and suntan lotion!

-- Kairi

Bluebonnet Bebes Christmas Party

At the beginning of December, we attended the Bluebonnet Bebes Doll Club's annual Christmas party, and had a great time, and got a few new dolls (Kairi got her new Gene doll at this party). Janet's doll Libby tagged along, and got a new doll, too. :)  She sits happily in the photo below, hugging her new doll.

-- Janet