Friday, October 21, 2011

I Couldn't Help Myself

We went up Valley Road to the Salvation Army warehouse. We didn't have much time and I really didn't expect to find much, but when I saw this dolly, there was just something about her. I think it's her relentlessly cheery smile.

"Nothing gets me down!"
She was naked, of course, but I picked up this camouflage dress, along with a pink with butterflies dress, which I think are probably bear dresses. But it was better than nothing.

She had TOMY written across her lower back and I found out she's a Kimberly doll, made in the early 1980s. One seller on Bonanza said "She came out during the Cabbage Patch rage in the early 80s and was ignored. But she shows up these days and is very collectible. A very workable doll if you like to sew doll clothes. First issue face.

At 17" tall, she has gorgeous painted features (look at those eyelashes above her painted blue eyes), beautiful long nylon blond hair and a serene face with cute upturn nose. She is strung."

I noticed she was strung, too, which makes her arms and legs a little loose but not drastically. The serene face is referring to the closed-mouth version (you can see both here dollinfo). I made her a skirt and panties to wear with a T-shirt I had (also a bear's).


I don't think she realizes she was headed for the landfill if I hadn't rescued her.
I introduced her to Lorraine. For some reason I keep thinking Lorraine is 18 inches but actually she's 21. That's why I can't find any shoes to fit her.

"I don't know if I can stand such a relentlessly cheery sister."
Then I had a brilliant idea! I have them frequently. Most of them don't turn out this well. Ann at smallsewing had sent me a dress she crocheted. It was supposed to fit a Barbie but was a bit big for them. What if that dress fit my new doll?

"I love this dress. I don't know why Ann's Francine didn't like it."
"Now if only something can be done about my hair."
Here is how Sabra looked in it.

"She might have changed my boots for slippers before she took the picture, but she's all wrapped up in that huge new doll. This is more Bobbie's color than mine, anyway."
I was going to find shoes for the new doll, but when I opened Auntie Berman's shed door I saw it was stuffed to the gills with--stuff, and I couldn't get over to the small corner she has allotted me where I keep my extra dolly things.

"I think I'm going to like it here."
I'm thinking of naming her Pollyanna.

4 comments:

  1. What a cheerful girl she is!!! Pollyanna would suit her, I loved that film and saw it at the cinema, I would have been about 14 or 15. I'm 'glad' the dress fits her, she must be about the same size as my Francine. Francine didn't like the pointy bits for Barbies more developed figure, they stuck out under her arms.

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  2. I solved the pointy bits problem by removing the buttons and lacing pink ribbon up the back, which stretched the pointy parts smooth. This doll is supposed to be a teenager but she certainly isn't built like one!

    I was a big Hayley Mills fan and loved everything she was in. Maybe I should name her Hayley. I was also thinking of Little Miss Sunshine, because she reminds me of a child beauty queen.

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  3. I gave in and bought a Barbie!!! Was told about a brilliant site for knitted patterns, already made one outfit and another one started so look out in a few weeks for a better fitting outfit for your Barbies!

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  4. Barbie is hard to resist! There are so many of them and so many different looks. I can't wait to see which one you got and what you make for her.

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