Two Consuelos

 Here's a comparison of my two Hearts for Hearts Consuelo dolls.

The one on the left with the purple eyes was a recent thrift store find. The one on the right I bought new in box from Toys R Us when the line was being discontinued for the first time.

The thrift store one cleaned up nicely. Her hair brushed out and is gorgeous. Her eyes, obviously, are still purple. I was not able to get all the scuffs off her face with Magic Eraser. If I ever buy fine-grain sandpaper, I will try that.

It's really interesting because they were both made by the same company that first produced these dolls. The thrift store doll would have been one of the first ones made by this company, and the Toys R Us doll one of the last.

I feel like there are subtle differences in the face paint. Combined with the difference in eye color, it gives them different personalities in their faces. 

I am not ruling out that I may customize thrift store Consuelo, but right now I enjoy both of the dolls as they are.

Hearts for Hearts Consuelo

 I am having the most insane good luck at the thrift store lately.

This time I found a Hearts for Hearts doll Consuelo.

Yes, she in pretty rough shape. Her hair just needs to be brushed out, I think.

Her face is marked up, and her elastic is loose.

Since these dolls have just been discontinued for the second time, there's no way she wasn't coming home with me.

I don't have any other Hearts for Hearts that have had eyes that turned purple, so she is unique in my collection.

I also don't own the outfit that she is wearing, so that's a plus as well.

I also found a porcelain doll's tea set decorated with a Christmas theme.

The Christmas theme is what sold me on it, since after all, I take doll Christmas pictures ever year and can use some new props for that.

Hearts for Hearts Doll Dell

 Every once in a while, I buy a doll or doll accessory and set it aside to open on a day when I really need a perk-me-up.

I bought Hearts for Hearts Dell when Target was carrying the Hearts for Hearts dolls, two or three years ago. They only had Rahel and Dell in stock, and I already had Rahel.

I was curious to see what the reissued Heats for Hearts dolls were like, and there was a coupon to use on one toy from the toy section.

So I got Dell, and I just opened her this week.

Hearts for Hearts dolls seem to have gone back into retirement again. I really wish they had issued Syrian doll Aya first. I loved the pictures of Aya from Toy Fair.

Here are the pictures of Dell's box:

And here is Dell!

I hadn't realized her eyes were so teal. They are beautiful.

She has such an interesting face. Dell looks almost sweet and sulky at the same time.

I hate camo, so I immediately threw her hat into a drawer.

I love her shoes and blouse, though.

Dell was never one of my high priorities to collect from Hearts for Hearts. She's the only white doll that I own from this line.

Still, I am glad that I got her when I did. She and Nyesha are the only Hearts for Hearts dolls that I own from the second release, and they are just as nicely made as the first release dolls.

I should try to take a group picture soon.

Some Hearts for Hearts Pictures

 I took a couple of Hearts for Hearts dolls pictures for Dolls of Color Month.

Shola, who really needs some leggings under her jumper. 

I meant to crop this picture to hide her bare legs.

Nyesha and Rahel

I think that the Hearts for Hearts dolls are unique and beautiful, and I love them.

More Sundresses! Ahoy!

I loved the red, white and blue dress on the cover photo of the Sofie Clareese Perfectly Pleasant Sundress.

It was nautical and perky and cute.

I decided to make one just like the cover photo, and one in reverse, with red as the main color.

So, here they are:

This is Hearts for Hearts Tipi.

This is Hearts for Hearts Mosi.

My versions, to me, somehow look less nautical and more like cheerleading costumes.

Maybe that's just me?

But you could actually make a cheerleading costume from this pattern, I think. Just shorten the skirt.

There is this very colorful flower print that I have been drooling over for a while.
Finally, since I had a project, I bought half a yard and made this:

This is Hearts for Hearts Rahel.

This is my favorite of the sundresses so far. It's so colorful and summery.

This pattern is really versatile! You should try it out!

Pattern Review: Sofie Clareese Perfectly Pleasant Sundress

Last week, I wrote about the Sofie Clareese Perfectly Pleasant Sundress.

Well, I had an unexpected three day weekend, so I bought the pattern and made five dresses from it.

The pattern is in two sizes: 18 inch and 14 inch.

I bought the 14 inch one, because I have many more 18 inch patterns.

This is a great pattern. It is easy to make and it is so versatile.

This is the first dress I made! I am tired of looking at Emerson's meet, especially the very shiny skirt.

I wanted to make a pink dress to match her boots, but I added a green bodice to tone down the pinkness.

Result: cuteness!

Next I made a purple dress.

I feel like I could have gotten a better picture. As my friend pointed out, the configuration of the skirt looks almost like pants. I can assure you that this is entirely sue to awkward picture taking, but I didn't have time to redo it.

I would like to point out that this pattern fits both Wellie Wishers and Hearts for Hearts dolls perfectly.

The doll in this picture is Hearts for Hearts doll Nahji.

The Heart for Hearts dolls look so much skinnier, it's great that the pattern can fit both dolls.

I love this pattern!

I am going to write another blog post to share the next three dresses I made. Stay tuned!

Hearts for Hearts doll Nyesha

I got Hearts for Hearts doll Nyesha!

As far as I can tell, she has the same meet outfit from her original release, only minus the tie.

I am totally fine with that. I did not dig the tie.

The rest of her outfit is so colorful and pretty!

Her hair was bunched up when she arrived, but I was able to separate it into ringlets and finger cur it.

It's so pretty as it is now, but it will need care to maintain it.

She is the last Hearts for Hearts doll that I really want for now, at least until they release any new dolls. The $41 price tag is a bit hefty for these dolls.

I am very happy to have Nyesha, and I recommend her to other collectors.

The hair might make her less of a practical toy for kids to play with.

Hearts for Hearts Zelia Re-Release

Hearts for Hearts dolls Zelia and Nyesha are getting re-released this month.

Currently, Zelia is listed for pre-ordering on Amazon, but Nyesha does not appear to be listed yet.

The Zelia currently listed on Amazon seems to have a new meet outfit!

It's very summery and cute. I like it!

I wonder if Nyesha will have a new meet outfit?



Here is a link to where I spotted her on Amazon.

Kermit Hoodie

I made a Kermit Hoodie using the Requiem Art Designs pattern.

I feel like I could have done  better job with his eyes and his collar, but that is probably because I am a picky Muppet super fan.

Also, I am not an artist at all.

My model is Hearts for Hearts doll Consuelo.

Hearts for Hearts dolls in the Snow

A selection of my Hearts for Hearts dolls got to go out in the snow!

They were nice and warm in their hoodies made from a pattern by Requiem Art Designs.

Nahji looks cute in her elephant hoodie.

Tipi looks cute in a panda hoodie!

Mosi looks cute in a fox hoodie!

Hearts for Hearts News

News from Hearts for Hearts!

The dolls that will be released in 2019 are Nyesha from Brooklyn and Zelia from Brazil.

While I will be happy to add Nyesha to my doll collection- she is very unique and pretty- I still really want to see Aya, the doll they showed at Toy Fair literally years ago and do not seem to be any nearer to releasing.



The Hearts for Hearts Instagram says that they will be released in August. I wish it was sooner.

It is believed that Lillian and Surjan will be released in 2020, but this has not been officially announced.

So we may not see Aya until 2021. I am very sad about this.

Surjan is the only one of these dolls I own currently, so she gets to have her picture posted.

I do not plan to get Zelia, Lillian or Lauryce, unless I find them at a great sales price or something.

Faux Button Jumper 4

I just had this pink fabric lying around, so here is another Faux Button Jumper from the Forever 18 Inches pattern.

Yeah, I was running out of energy to make T-shirts to go with the jumpers a bit, so this jumper got paired with Tipi's original shirt.

This outfit looks very spring-like to me, even though it is fall.

Surjan looks pretty in it. Surjan is just a lovely doll.

Faux Button Jumper 3

Here is another jumper made from the Forever 18 inches pattern.

This one is blue, and it's the first one that has a pattern on the fabric.

The print is maybe on the large side of the scale, but I think it works.

Also, this jumper and the red one together will be cute for the Fourth of July.

 I really like Tipi's meet outfit, especially the shirt, but this one is cute too.

She is happy to have a change of clothes.

Blue is my favorite color, so it's not surprising that I use it in doll clothes a lot.

This jumper is actually lined in pink. I think it adds a cute touch, although obviously you can't see it when she is wearing it.

Faux Button Jumper 2

Here is another Faux Button Jumper for Hearts for Hearts dolls made from the Forever 18 Inches pattern.

It's really cute too!

Here is my blog with the first jumper.

After that first jumper, I stopped adding packets. Pockets in doll clothes are always amazing, but I am bad at getting things straight.

I felt that the risk of adding crooked pockets canceled out the added cuteness of having pockets.

I am super happy to have Rahel out of the outfit that she came in.

I love Rahel, but I think her outfit is pretty much a stereotype, and it bugs me.

I cut her plastic necklaces off, and then discovered that they actually unsnap in the back. Oh well.

They would never lie flat, and that annoyed me, too.

14 Inch Brownie Uniform

I found that Walmart.com had a variety of 14 inch doll clothes for sale.

Some of them are very obvious American Girl knock offs, which is kind of funny.

Anyway, I could not resist the 14 inch doll Brownie uniform. I looked at the Junior uniforms too, because I consider my Hearts for Hearts for be more of a Junior age level than Brownies.

However, the Brownie uniform was somehow much cuter.

Aaaand it's adorable.  The patches are embroidered on for realism, and the whole thing is just so cute.

This is a more recent Brownie uniform than the one I had as a Girl Scout. I admit it is cuter.

I would like to have a tiny version of the older Brownie uniform, just for nostalgia's sake.

Anne posed with Mosi. Normally, I don't think that the scale of American Girl dolls works well with Hearts for Hearts. The size difference in the hands is huge.

But the Girl Scout uniform adds a note of similarity that helps with the discrepancy in size.

Mosi is kind of like a mini Anne, anyway, with brown eyes and black hair with bangs. Too cute.

My doll sized Girl Scout collection is growing!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope that you have a frightfully good one!

I didn't get costumes made for all the dolls for Halloween. Nor did I expect to.

But I am proud that SOME of them have costumes made in time!

The American Girl dolls

The Hearts for Hearts Dolls

All the dolls!

Hearts for Hearts Doll Mosi

I bought Hearts for Hearts doll Mosi.

I think she is really cute.

However, respect needs to be used when portraying Native Americans, and I feel that the company made some iffy choices here.

Straight out of the box, I took that stupid plastic blue feather off. There is no reason for it, and it just plays into the who Native American stereotype thing.

Next I took off her Thunderbird danglies, because the Thunderbird is a sacred animal.

I also replaced her tunic with a long sleeved T-shirt that I made from the free Liberty Jane T-shirt pattern.

There she is!

I think the pale blue shirt matches the grey striped leggings better than the red tunic that she came with.

I like her much better this way.

Here is Mosi in the box. It showed the prototype, not the actual doll. I wish they had changed this with the re-release.

The side of the box said something that really bothered me.

It says, "Like all Hearts for Hearts Girls, Mosi's fashions are authentic to her culture."

This is so stupid! Native Americans wear normal people clothes. Apart from her feather and Thunderbird earrings, Mosi is not wearing anything that is special to her culture, and I think she is better off not wearing those for sensitivity reasons.

I always thought of Hearts for Hearts outfits, like Consuelo's and Lillian's, to be creative reimagionings that combine the traditional wit the modern. I don't think anyone is real life wears exactly the clothes that they were, and this is a very stupid claim to make, especially on a Native American doll.

Some people have complained that Mosi is marketed as a generic Native American, instead of a particular tribe.

It is true that there are many different tribe with different traditions, and that they should not all be lumped together.

However, there is a reason behind this.

There is a law that says tribe names cannot be used without the permission of the tribe on items for sale. This protects the tribe and allows it to control its image to some extent.

Hearts for Hearts did not have permission from a specific tribe to use their name, so Mosi HAD to be marketed as a generic Native American..

Mosi has the same face mold as Consuelo.

She has a different hair style, slightly darker hair and eyes and different eyebrows, lip color and face up.

I think they are different enough to justify owning both. Consuelo has a more serene facial expression, and Mosi looks slightly worried. It is very cute.

I was surprised that Mosi's hair is curly and comes in a ponytail. It is cute and I like it, but you would never guess from her stock images.

You can read another review of Mosi by Nethilia on the Toybox Philosopher.

I like Mosi a lot, but I think her Native American heritage should be handled with care.

Pattern Review: Forever 18 Inches Faux Button Jumper

Forever 18 Inches Faux Button Jumper for 14 inch dolls was  a Freebie Friday a couple of weeks ago.

I wanted to try it out, but the pattern is JUST for the jumper. It does not include a shirt to wear under it.

So first I made the free Liberty Jane T-shirt pattern for Hearts for Hearts dolls. I lengthened the sleeves so that it would be warmer for autumn weather.

Then I made the jumper.

It's really cute! Here is Hearts for Hearts Consuelo modelling it.

You can choose whether to make the jumper lined and whether to add pockets.

I made both of those options. It would be faster if you skip them.

The jumper turned out really cute! I am happy to have more clothes that my Hearts for Hearts dolls can wear.

Doll clothes rarely use a combination of dark colors like this- at least not the ones made by doll companies- but I think it looks great.

Consuelo can put her thumbs in her pockets!

I did make several mistakes in this pattern, but none of them were unfixable. Next time I will know better what I am doing.

Overall, this is a relatively easy pattern and a good addition to a doll wardrobe.

Hoodies Galore!

Here is a group picture of my Hearts for Hearts dolls wearing the hoodies I have made so far from the Requiem Art Designs hoodie pattern.

Aren't they cute?

There are so many cute possibilities to make with this pattern!

Panda hoodie

This is the sixth hoodie that I have made from the Requiem Art Designs hoodie pattern.

It's a panda!

 Hearts for Hearts doll Surjan is my lovely model.

There are a lot of panda themed clothing items out there, but I think this one is super cute.

I want to make hoodies for all of my Hearts for Hearts dolls.

What is next? A polar bear? A pig?

I honestly haven't decided yet.

Some animals just won't translate well as a hoodie- turtles and seals for instance. It would be really hard to make a giraffe with its spots. Ditto Tigger and his stripes.

I have thought of a penguin, but I am not sure it would look good.

What animal would you make as a hoodie?