Addy's School Dress

 I also bought the re-release of Addy's School Dress.

I was especially excited to get her special pin for winning the school spelling bee!

I am happy that American Girl is releasing its classic outfits again, and so is Addy.

This is Beforever Addy. It fits her very well.

I need to see how it fits my Pleasant Company Addy as well. 

Kirsten's School Dress

 I was very happy that American Girl re-released Kirsten's school outfit.

It's just a classic. And, unlike everything else they sell now, it's not pink.

To celebrate, I took Kirsten to Old World Wisconsin. I was able to get some great photos!

Kirsten looks right at home in the general store.

The dress fits my Kirsten perfectly. She is an older Pleasant Company doll from 1994.

Actually, she's my sister's. I am keeping her safe. Hee hee.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do! This dress is really making me happy.

Happy Halloween!

 Ellie wishes everyone a happy Halloween!

I found this outfit new in box at the thrift store a few months ago. I was super excited!

I liked the outfit when it was released, but I thought that it was overpriced. And I got it for $7! So exciting!

(I won't blame you if you hate me for all my thrift store luck, I would be jealous of myself, too.)

Thrift Store Find: Addy's Prototype Meet Dress

 Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment in a town about 30 minutes away from me.

Several hours after the appointment, I had an ASL class in the same town.

I decided to not spend time and gas driving back and forth after my doctor's appointment. 

Instead, I visited several of my favorite stores in this town.

Since I had plenty of time, I decided to stop by one thrift store that I never find anything at. I thought maybe I would find some small accessories to use in the doll house.

To my utter surprise, I found Wellie Wishers Emerson for $7 in among the kid's toys. She had her dress and boots and everything.

I was even more surprised when I found Molly in the collector dolls section. Molly was very dirty and had messy hair.

She was marked at $5.

And she was wearing Addy's prototype meet dress.

I knew what it was immediately. I have seen one in person before. One of my friends has it and showed it to me.

I couldn't believe it.

I circled the store several times to make sure that I hadn't missed anything, then I went to check out.

I still can't believe it.

I don't know how I have such good luck at the thrift store. Living in Wisconsin probably helps, since we had the MCM sale for many years. 

Wow.

I thought for sure I would wake up and find that this was all a dream.

1920s Frock

 I had this scrap of fancy fabric, and I wanted to make a basic 1920s dress that would be fancy from the fabric used, not from the pattern.

I used some of the pattern pieces from the Keepers Dolly Duds Nautical Pleats pattern for the bodice and sleeves, and for the length of the dress.

I made my own Peter Pan collar pattern to go with it.

I added a black velvet Peter Pan collar and sleeve cuffs.

I am happy with it. I feel like it's something a girl could reasonably wear to a jazz concert with her parents in the 1920s.

Both Phryne Valancy and Claudie got to try it on.

Who do you think looks better in it?

Julie's Calico Dress

 I found Julie's Calico Dress at the thrift store. It was being worn by an Our Generation doll. Doll and dress cost $6.

One of my friends has been wanting an 18 inch doll to use as a sewing model, so I gave her the doll.

I am really pleased with myself to have recognized the dress.

Julie is pleased as well!

It worked out very nicely.

I have been so lucky with the thrift store, and I am very grateful. It's an upside to living in a smaller town. I am sure in a bigger town, it would have been snatched up long before I got there.

Pattern Review: Dollhouse Designs Winter Princess Nightgown

 I made the Winter Princess Nightgown from Dollhouse Designs.

I was very pleased with this pattern. It has two sets of pattern pieces, one for woven fabric and one for knits.

I was using flannel, so I used the patterns for woven fabric.

I thought that it makes a pretty and elegant nightgown.

I used what I had on hand, but I think you can see it as  Frozen inspired nightgown fit for a princess.

It looks warm and cozy for winter nights as well.

The pattern came together easily.

I liked this pattern and may make it again. So many nightwear patterns are for knit fabrics, and I don't sew with those a lot.

This nightgown is going to be a gift for a little girl, and I hope she likes it.

I have really admired the patterns from Dollhouse Designs for a while now. I enjoyed making this pattern, and hope to make more from this designer soon.

Cleaning Doll Clothes

 Something that has been low-key bugging me for a long time was that some of the doll clothes in my collection were dirty.

I am really careful with my doll clothes. However, for example, my Felicity's meet dress is 28 years old, and I kept her in that dress most of the time, so it was just grubby from handling, even though I kept an apron over it.

I buy a lot of doll clothes used, and some of them came with spots on them.

However, when I was little, I washed my Barbie doll clothes in the sink, and some of them shrank beyond use. I really didn't want to repeat that.

So what I did was, I bought this powdered OxiClean, and I added the recommended amount of powder to hot water.

THEN, this is the important part, I let the water cool before adding the doll clothes.

The hot water is needed to dissolve the powder, but hot water might shrink your doll clothes, and I didn't want to risk it.

I let the doll clothes soak for six to eight hours, then I rinsed them with cold water and let them air dry.

It worked great! I reused the same tub of cold water with OxiClean in it for several cycles of doll clothes each. I dumped it out when I could see the water becoming discolored.

I am so happy to see the doll clothes looking clean!

The Kindness of Strangers

 I am in a group on Facebook about sewing for 18 inch dolls.

A lady in that group posted a free knitting pattern that she had designed. I complimented her on the pattern.

She knitted me a doll dress and coat and mailed them to me all the way from Switzerland, out of the kindness of her heart!

I was so surprised and so touched.

She made me this beautiful doll coat, modeled by Aurelie. 

She also made me this cute doll dress modeled by Kanani. 

I really love the tiny sunflower buttons on the back.

This gesture really touched me. It was so kind of this lady to do this for a complete stranger.

I'm actually a little speechless, can you tell?

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my health, my family, my home and the kindness of strangers.

Mara: Ready for Adventure!

Mara just got this new-to-me AG Adventure Outfit!

I really like it.

I like that it has long sleeves, bad that it simulates a layered look.

The shoes are particularly realistic. They are a bit worn from age, but still better than many more recent AG shoes.

Not all of the pockets in the pants are real, but some of them are, and it's so cute.

Mara would be ready to go hiking if it were warmer. As it is, she needs a coat first.

But she's a Wisconsin girl, so she didn't mind going outside briefly to take a picture without a coat.

Felicity's Wardrobe: Felicity's Nightgown

Now this is a piece of clothing that isn't featured very often... Felicity's nightgown.

The American Girl Company would not make a piece of clothing like this today. It's very simple.

Most of the historical night clothes that they make now incorporate color in some way and have short sleeves.

But its very simplicity makes it seem authentic to me. When you have to sew complete wardrobes for a family of five by hand, you would want night clothes that are easy to make and to launder.

The set comes with the nightgown, a night cap, and leather mules. The night cap and slippers would help you stay warm at night.

Here is a better look at the cap:

The leather mules do a surprisingly great job of staying on her feet.

Someone on an AG forum asked once about the construction of the arm seams on the nightgown.
I did not have it on hand at the time to check, but I can show you now:

There is a triangle sewn in the armpit. Interesting!

The nightgown closes with a drawstring. While I am sure this is historically accurate, it has occurred to me that this is not good for small children. It would be all too easy to accidentally yank the ribbon out of its casing, and then you couldn't tie it.

This nightgown is very similar to the nightgown made by A Girl for All Time for their Tudor Doll, Matilda. I suspect that the basic style did not change for quite a while.

I am glad I have this in my collection, but I admit Felicity never wears it.
She has too many pretty dresses to wear instead.

Pattern Review: Hodgery Podgery's 1952 Walk-Away Dress

At long last, I am reviewing Hodgery Podgery's 1952 Walk-Away Dress.

Hodgery Podgery is the brainchild of Nethilia of American Girl Outsider.

I know that she has more amazing patterns in the works, so this is a shop to keep an eye on!

The 1952 Wal-Away Dress is one that was insanely popular at the time. The dress needed only three pieces to make and could be made in an afternoon. Stores had problems keeping the pattern in stock due to its popularity.

I found the background information of this pattern so interesting!

In order to adapt the doll sized pattern to dolls with large heads and rigid bodies, this pattern does have more than three pieces.

It is so historically accurate and has so many potential combinations, you won't be able to make just one!

I wanted to use two fabrics because I enjoy color contrasts.
However, it was too dark when I sewed the buttons and, and, um, ... one is pink and one is red.
That is not the color contrast I was going for.

Luckily, this is fixable!

Here is the dress with the matching buttons!

Give the pattern a look. I can think of a few Maryellens that need this dress!

Secret Snarker Gift 2018

I got my Secret Snarker gift from the American Girl Collectors Swap from Thyme.
My gift came all the way from the United Kingdom!
I am so excited and I love everything. I have LOTS of pictures.
Side note: I tried really hard to get the best pictures I could, but I have room to improve. It's just so dark this time of year.

Here are Anne, Kanani and Melody waiting impatiently to open the box

Here is the box itself! everything is so nicely packaged and each package is labelled with a doll's name! I am ashamed that I did not do this in my package for agate13.

Anne's Wardrobe: Culotte Dress

Anne wants to let you know that she is going to kill me for this one.

Lea's Celebration Dress

I bought Lea's Celebration Dress at MCM.

Stella is the first to get to wear it.

 I honestly love this dress. The best way for AG to get me to but anything is to put embroidery on it. I am a sucker for real embroidery.

This is a really intricate pattern, and the colors play together beautifully.

Nanea in Molly's and Emily's Clothing

Nanea Mitchell is now available to purchase for American Girl rewards members who are Gold or Berry level members!

I am not, and therefore I do not have a Nanea on the way.

(I am also not ready to make another doll purchase so soon after MCM.)

But Nanea pictures are beginning to be seen on the Internet!

User Nicolel at American Girl Playthings took some really lovely pictures of Nanea wearing clothes from the collections of Molly McIntire and Emily Bennett.

Nanea looks so cute!

I especially love how Nanea's hair is lovingly re-styled in each picture.

I contacted Nicolel and asked if I could re-post her pictures for those who are not AGP members.

She very kindly said yes!

I love Peter Pan collars, and this dress looks so adorable on Nanea.

 I think this is my favorite! Nanea definitely needs a swimsuit.

She is SO cute. She is rocking the color and the pig tails.

She also looks great in Molly's birthday dress.

 She is heart-meltingly adorable as a tap dancer!

 I have always loved Emily's meet dress, but it is SO gorgeous on Nanea.
A must-have!

In my collection, Molly's Christmas dress belongs to Anne, because I had a similar Christmas dress in 1992. Mine was in black velvet with a gold sash.

However, Anne might have to start sharing with Nanea- or I may have to re-create that dress in black velvet in doll size.

These pictures are soooo amazing and they make me so much more excited about Nanea!

Many thanks to Nicolel for sharing!

Felicity's Wardrobe: Spring Gown With Pinner Apron

April 21st is Felicity's birthday! Happy Birthday, Felicity!

For Felicity's birthday, it makes perfect sense to write a post about her spring gown and pinner apron.

Felicity's Wardrobe: Laced Jacket and Petticoat

Felicity is my childhood doll. She was a gift from Santa. I collected most of her wardrobe that was available in the 1990s by babysitting and saving up. The only thing that I did not get was her breeches. I do regret that now, but at the time I only cared about her dresses.

Since all of her wardrobe that I own is now retired, I decided that I desperately needed to take pictures of her wearing her various dresses and share the pictures with my readers.

I am starting off with her school dress. This outfit is officially known as the Laced Jacket and Petticoat.

Doll Wardrobe Styles

As a little girl, I loved dresses and fancy clothes. I didn't wear them that often, so my dolls had my fantasy wardrobe.

That was, honestly, how I fell in love with Felicity. She had the fanciest, most beautiful dresses that I had ever seen, and I wanted all of them.