Pink Depression Glass

I have accidentally begun collecting pink depression glass for my dolls, apparently. . . Because earlier this year, I found this lovely pitcher and glass set while on one of our ever-increasing antiquing sprees:



And then just a few weeks before Christmas, I was out and about again, and found this cute punch bowl and glass set at another antiques store:



Both of these sets are approximately 1/3 scale – maybe even a tiny bit smaller – which makes them work for my AG crew, but also perhaps a larger FFD, (and how I would love a larger FFD!) I don’t know how many more pink depression glass dishes I’m going to be able to find, but you can be sure I’ll be keeping my eyes open for that, now that I have these two little sets!

Adventures in Wig-Making

So this evening, I had my first adventure in wig-making (not counting the ridiculously brief attempt at ventilating a wig one hair at a time, which is madness that even I find too tedious to pursue!) and it was not too bad! I really think the only major problem is that I used too much hair. . .



Side & back views:



And when not in a ponytail. . .



Eek! Yes, too much hair for sure! LOL!

Also, I was using hair pilfered from a cheap Halloween costume wig. In the next go around, I'll use a much nicer-quality synthetic hair. But, the important thing is, this is going to work, and I'm going to be able to make a fabulous wig for Fanny. This is awesome because I have had zero motivation to work on anything for Fanny. In fact, I found myself feeling totally blase about her all-together, and wishing I could find a different doll. I made myself analyze what was bothering me about her, and decided it was the wig. It's a lovely quality, but the style is not at all what I wanted. I rarely see French Fashion Dolls with wigs as insanely puffy and curly as hers was. If curled, it seems that they are curled into a specific style, and not just unruly curls all over, if that makes any sense. Or, maybe I only remember those sorts of wigs because I like them better. ;) At any rate, even though this wig wasn't perfect, when I put it on Fanny, I instantly felt better about her. She looks pretty, and more authentic.

Meanwhile, Fanny thinks it's ridiculous that I'm making improved wigs for her, when she is still nude. Apparently, six months of sitting there with nothing on is unacceptable in her eyes. She wonders why I don't at least let her wear the chemise I made her, and come to think of it, I wonder that too!

A New Chair & Doll Madness

I went antiquing over the weekend and scored a cute little chair which I'm pretty sure is not too old, but is about the right size for Fanny. . .



I tried Fanny in it for size, and it's a little bit off, but once she is clothed, I think it will suffice.

Speaking of clothing Fanny. . .

So, I'm having a bit of a flopping problem with Fanny. . .



:(

I apparently didn't stuff her body firmly enough (or perhaps should have stuffed her part way and left her hanging for a while, for everything to settle, before finishing stuffing), combined with constantly trying to make her sit (which she can't do because her thighs are massive and do not budge). I've been so disappointed with her body (and starting to not like her wig too much either) that I haven't felt very inspired to do much of anything with her. What I really need to do is draft my own body pattern from scratch, because I dislike this one, and can not seem to find one that I do like! It's just going to be a crazy amount of work and I never seem to feel inspired to do it. . .

I think I'm beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with the doll madness around here!

Here is the crew that is currently waiting on all sorts of clothing, and two bodies, and four names:



Eep!

(And, I haven't talked about that 2nd doll in from the left yet. . . I actually got her a while ago, but haven't got around to posting about her. . . I'll give her a post of her own some other time. . .)

Kirsten's Skating Scarf

I finally finished Kirsten's knock-off Ice Skating scarf the other day!





I was so happy with how it turned out, that I thought I would like to share the pattern with other AG-loving knitters! So, it can be found as a free Ravelry download here. . .

Another new doll!

My name is Jenni and I am a dollaholic. Seriously! I had no intention of purchasing a new doll any time soon, and yet somehow, I did. ;)

Since finding that china-head doll at Brimfield, I've done a lot more looking at china-head dolls, and my absolute favorites are the ones that look 1840s-1850s, with brown/black hair that goes into a bun at the back. Of course, they're always ridiculously expensive. . . But I got lucky and found exactly what I wanted (well, assuming she's a reproduction based on the price) for a great price on eBay!



I just think her face is so lovely!



The hair I've been dreaming of!



She came fully clothed, and while I'm going to make her a more period-correct dress (and probably some accessories too) it was sort of a relief that she has her underpinnings sorted out, because I'm getting overwhelmed with nude dolls around me!



Her feet are so tiny!



I just love her. She's awesome. Can't wait to make things for her! But poor Fanny has only a partial underpinnings set, and no dress, so new unnamed doll has to wait!

The FFD gets a name, and a couple of shop reviews. . .

The other result of my weekend at Brimfield is that my reproduction FFD has a name! It really had nothing to do with Brimfield, unless you consider that two days of walking so much, surviving on junk food, and having a ginormous sinus headache may have caused my mental state to reduce to the point at which everything becomes hilarious. . . And it was at this point when I remembered randomly that her behind was so sizeable, and began laughing all over again, and then and there realized that she should absolutely be named Fanny! Ah, how I crack me up. . . ;)

Speaking of Fanny. . . I thought I’d take a few moments to review a couple of shops I ordered things for Fanny from. . .

First, Dollspart. The most important thing I ordered there was her wig, which is their “Sheryl” wig. It is mohair, and just absolutely lovely and so soft! The only thing was, it just was a lot of curls, and they were just a little bit more independently minded than I was aiming for. . .



I had really hoped for something that was more controlled and gave a very 1870s look, so I grabbed a couple of tiny bobby pins, and was very easily able to make it look more like what I had in mind. . .



I’m really happy with it now!

Also, while I’m talking about Dollspart, I want to mention that their customer service folks are some of the nicest I’ve ever interacted with!

Dollspart: A+

Next, Antina’s Doll Supply on eBay. I stumbled onto this shop while looking for a stand, and ended up ordering a few extra things as well!

First, the stand. It is supposed to fit a 14”-16” doll, but I think there’s no way it will work for my 15” doll. The bit that should be at her waist is much too high, and therefore it will only work as long as the doll is not dressed. I have some ideas on how to modify this stand to work, so stay tuned. . .



Next, the footwear. I ordered size 6 boots and size 5 shoes, both of which should be right around 2”, and were. I think they’re pretty standard antique-esque doll shoes, but they do look a little larger-scale on the doll, simply because they are tall, and not as fitted to the leg as antique boots were made to be. (Sorry, I was too lazy to button all the buttons on the boot as they were quite hard to fasten and I wasn’t leaving them on at the moment!)



The shoes were a disappointment. The style is super cute, and I liked them way better than the boots, but I ordered size 9, which is supposed to be 1 3/4”, but it was not. They were only 1 5/8” long, making them a bit too short for Fanny to squeeze her feet into them – especially since they have a pointed toe. Since it would cost me $7.75 for the shipping on one single pair of shoes, I am not planning to try a different size. :(

Finally, the earrings. I had this idea that I could use these eye pin things I had to make earrings, and I stumbled on to these and thought, that’s exactly what I was thinking! Except I figured it would be cheaper and less of a hassle to just buy them rather then make them, so I bought her four pairs, (rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and plain gold).



Here, Fanny models the “diamonds” for you:



I am very happy with the earrings! I think they’re really cute, and they fit perfectly.

So overall, I think they have decent products, and at great prices. However, the shipping is really high if you are just buying one item, and the measurements of things may be off, so there’s a little risk there.

Antina’s Doll Supply: B+

New dolls and a doll show review. . .

I went to the Brimfield antiques show over the weekend, and came home with a larger doll family than I went away with!

I told myself I had no desire for this sort of doll, but when I saw her, I thought she was so pretty, and at $15, I could hardly leave her behind!



I know she’s a repro straight off the bat because of her eyelashes. You never see lashes on this sort of a doll, and even if you did, I suspect they would be across the entire eye, and very fine and delicate.

I can’t figure out what era she is supposed to be a reproduction of, however. She’s got elaborate hair so I thought maybe 1870s? I need to do more research, so I can choose a style of clothing that is right for her.



I also found I could not resist this tiny doll head!



And when I say “tiny,” I really do mean tiny!



My thought process behind this purchase was, Charlotte is so jealous of the time I spend on other dolls, what she needs is a doll of her own! (The title for my blog really does seem accurate right about now, does it not?) ;)

Sadly, I did not get to admire any French Fashion Dolls at Brimfield. I think those dolls are just so valuable, that they never seem to show up at regular, general antique shops/shows. In fact, the only place I’ve seen them was a “Doll, Teddy, & Toy” show I went to back in March. It’s held at the Dedham Holiday Inn, and seems to take place twice a year (March and October).

Pros of the show:

Enough gorgeous, rare, spectacular dolls and accessories to put a doll fanatic like me in to cardiac arrest!!! I can stress the eye candy factor enough. There were so many French Fashion Dolls, that I contemplated selling a kidney so I could take one home! There were many other dolls as well, and all kinds of excellent clothing, accessories – you name it! Both antique, and nicely made reproductions. And it wasn’t all $1000 items either, because I saw some boxes of Monique wigs at great discounts, and things like that. And, the folks at the admission desk outside the show were super nice and made us feel quite welcome.

Cons of the show:

The room is super small, so the fact that it’s so tightly packed with booths and people, while giving a great variety of beautiful things to look at (and buy, if you have the funds!), it also means it’s a bit of a challenge to navigate. A claustrophobic person would not enjoy it so much! The worst of it was the dealers themselves, who were clearly excited to be reuniting with their doll pals, (and understandably so!), but unfortunately, when they are blocking the entrance to their booths so they can be nearer in order to chat with one another, it makes it a bit harder for the customers to make their way in to their booth, or even past it to another!

Also, I hate to say it, but some of these dealers were not nice people. I had some good chats with a couple of nice folks, but there were multiple dealers where I walked to their booth, gave a friendly smile and complimented their excellent collection of things for sale, and in return, got an icey scowl. I know not what I did to tick off so many total strangers, but they clearly wished I would die and immediate and horrible death. Maybe they sensed that I only had like $40 with me, and clearly should be therefore treated like dirt. It was really disappointing because I was hoping to get to chat dolls with like-minded folks.

Diagnosis:

I think it’s worth it, if you love antique dolls – even if you aren’t planning to spend. Just be prepared mentally to deal with the tight, small room, and don’t expect all the dealers to be friendly. Oh, and bring a coupon plus $6 for admission. Coupons can be printed here - although it looks like they aren’t quite ready to download and print just yet. (And if $6 seems high to window shop, consider it the equivalent of paying admission at a museum!)