I HAD TO REPOSITION HER ARMS BY MAKING A PIECE BETWEEN THEM SO I COULD 'LAY' THEM ACROSS THE TOP OF THE TORSO BEFORE PUTTING THE BISQUE HEAD BACK ON. THE TOP OF THE TORSO SHOWS A PIECE OF PAPER THAT WAS STILL ON THE CLOTH BODY STUFFED WITH HAIR! I WILL TRY TO FIND THE PICTURE THAT HAD THE STAMPING ON THE BODY SAYING IT WAS STUFFED WITH HAIR.
THE DOLL WAS A 154 KESTNER!! PERFECT SHOULDER HEAD! SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON A NICE KID BODY, BUT SOMEHOW SHE HAD ACQUIRED THIS 'HAIR' STUFFED BODY WHICH WAS IN VERY NICE CONDITION ONCE I WAS ABLE TO GET DOWN TO IT. SEE HER PLASTER PATE? ANOTHER SURE SIGN OF A KESTNER! HER EYES WORKED PERFECTLY, SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO REMOVE THE PATE AND WAS GLAD OF THAT. I DON'T THINK IT HAD EVER BEEN REMOVED. NOW TO FIND A FEW MORE PICTURES. THE CLOTHING WAS SUCH THAT IT DID NOT GO WITH THIS DOLL AT ALL. I WAS ABLE TO RESTORE IT AND SELL IT ON EBAY, BUT PUT THE DOLL ON NAKED WITH NO WIG, AS SOMEONE NEEDS TO FINISH HER UP IN STYLE!! CORRECT STYLE!!
CAROL

THE FOLLOWING PICTURES SHOULD BE VERY INTERESTING. I FOUND THIS DOLL IN A COLLECTION I PURCHASED RECENTLY. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A 'BEFORE' PICTURE, AS SHE WAS DRESSED AND WIGGED, HOWEVER VERY DECEIVING AS TO WHAT A WONDERFUL DOLL SHE BECAME. AS I CONTINUED TO TAKE OFF LAYERS OF CLOTHING AND A VERY BAD EXAMPLE OF A WIG (IT WAS A HUMAN HAIR WIGLET FOR AN ADULT PERSON, FULL OF GLUE WITH SOMEONE'S ATTEMPT TO MAKE A DOLL WIG OUT OF IT).

I WAS FLOORED TO FIND THAT SHE HAD A CLOTH BODY THAT WAS FILLED WITH 'HAIR'. SOMEONE HAD SEWN MANY PIECES OF FABRIC TO HER BODY IN AN ATTEMPT TO COVER IT, I GUESS, AND WHEN I REMOVED ALL OF THEM, THE SURPRISE WAS JOYOUS! HERE ARE PICTURES OF WHAT I DISCOVERED.

THE COMPOSITION 'MAMA' DOLL IN THE PINK DRESS WAS 'SPECIAL'. SHE WAS VERY DIRTY, BUT AFTER ABOUT A DAY OF CLEANING HER AND RESTORING HER CLOTHES, SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL! HER DRESS HAD A FEW WORN PLACES, BUT WAS SO SWEET AND ORIGINAL, THAT SHE SOLD IMMEDIATELY ANYWAY. THESE DOLLS ARE HARDER AND HARDER TO FIND IN A CONDITION LIKE THIS ONE. IT WAS ENJOYABLE, THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE.

THE BISQUE HEAD DOLL WAS IN VERY NICE CONDITION, HOWEVER LACKED HER EYES, WIG AND CLOTHING. HER KID BODY WAS IN GOOD SHAPE AND NO CRACKS IN HER HEAD. SHE NOW HAS A NEW HOME ALSO AND I'M SURE SHE MAY HAVE SOME OF THOSE MISSING THINGS REPLACED BY NOW.

THE SAUCY WALKER WAS A NICE ONE WITH FLIRTY EYES. POOR THING, SHE WAS SO DIRTY THAT IT TOOK A WHILE FOR HER BEAUTY TO BE SEEN, BUT IN SPITE OF NO WIG AND A LITTLE PIECE MISSING OUT OF THE TORSO ABOVE ONE HIP JOINT, SHE PROBABLY IS DRESSED AND WIGGED AND ENJOYING HER BEAUTY AGAIN! SHE KEPT SMILING AT ME THE WHOLE TIME I WORKED ON HER! HER FLIRTY EYES WORKED PERFECTLY TOO. WHAT A JOY SHE WAS!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THESE DOLLS AND OTHER THINGS. SOMETIMES I FIND SOMETHING THAT I REALLY DON'T KNOW IF I CAN RESTORE ENOUGH TO BE FOR SALE OR NOT, BUT LATELY I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE.

CAROL

I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE LITTLE VINYL AND CLOTH KEWPIE BABY IS TAGGED "KEWPIE BABY". I BELIEVE SHE WAS MADE IN 1999 AND IS SO SWEET. SO SOFT AND CUDDLY!

HERE ARE A FEW MORE THINGS.

MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE SOLD ON EBAY FOR YEARS. WE TRY TO WIND DOWN ON OUR INVENTORY AND THEN WE FIND SOME WONDERFUL THINGS TO SELL, AND DOWN TO BUSINESS WE GET AGAIN! HERE ARE SOME OF THE WONDERFUL DOLL ITEMS LATELY THAT WE HAVE EITHER SOLD OR ARE STILL FOR SALE. SOME ARE SO UNIQUE I THINK YOU WILL ENJOY SEEING THEM. (AS USUAL, I NEVER KNOW WHERE MY PICTURES WILL BE PLACED SO HERE GOES.)

WELL, THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER AND THE CHRISTMAS IS ALL PUT AWAY FOR ANOTHER ELEVEN MONTHS! WHAT A JOYOUS TIME WE HAD THIS YEAR THOUGH. A LITTLE AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF DECEMBER, 27 OF US GATHERED FROM VARIOUS PLACES ON THE GLOBE TO BE TOGETHER FOR A FAMILY REUNION. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME (AND HOPEFULLY NOT THE LAST) THAT ALL OF MY CHILDREN, AND THEIR CHILDREN, AND GRAND CHILDREN WERE TOGETHER! WE ALL HAD A WONDERFUL 3 DAYS OF LOVING, EATING, VISITING, TAKING PICTURES, AND LAUGHING AT THE LITTLE ONES AS THEY PLAYED, ATE, AND SLEPT. THANK YOU, LORD FOR MAKING ALL THIS POSSIBLE.

CAROL

IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I POSTED ON THIS BLOG. BUT I HAVE A VERY INTERESTING POST NOW, FOR YOU DOLL COLLECTORS.

REMEMBER 'SPARKLE PLENTY' DICK TRACY'S BABY GIRL?

SPARKLE PLENTY WAS INTRODUCED AS A DOLL TO THE WORLD WHEN SHE WAS A STAR CHARACTER IN THE DICK TRACY COMIC STRIP IN LOTS OF YEARS GONE BY! I WAS FORTUNATE TO FIND THE DOLL LAST WEEK IN AN ANTIQUE MALL HERE IN WICHITA, KS. IDEAL DOLL COMPANY MADE HER IN ABOUT 1958-60. HER HEAD WAS HARD PLASTIC AND HER BODY WAS MADE OF 'MAGIC SKIN'. THIS WAS THE DOLL WORLD'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT VINYL. IT WAS VERY SOFT, THE COLOR OF FLESH AND WAS STUFFED SO THAT IT FELT JUST LIKE A REAL BABY'S SKIN.

ALAS, OVER THE YEARS THE 'MAGIC SKIN' BEGAN TO FAIL. IT TURNED DARK AND IN TIME WAS COMPLETELY BLACK. THIS IS THE CONDITION THE DOLL I FOUND WAS IN. HER HEAD WAS PERFECT AS IT WAS HARD PLASTIC BUT HER BODY WAS BLACK ALL OVER. SHE HAD THE PERFECT 'YELLOW STRING HAIR' THAT SHE WAS MADE WITH AND IT STILL HUNG DOWN TO HER KNEES IN THE BACK!

I WAS ESTATIC! SHE IS NOT AN EASY FIND! I'M SURE MANY WERE TOSSED OUT AS THEIR BODIES BEGAN TO BLACKEN. I HAVE HAD ONE OF HER IN THE PAST, YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD THE DOLL SHOP IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM. A CUSTOMER ACCUSED ME OF PUTTING A WHITE HEAD ON A BLACK BODY AND WAS VERY ADAMENT ABOUT IT. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN BUT SHE STORMED OUT OF THE SHOP AND ALL WE OTHERS IN THE SHOP COULD DO WAS HAVE A BIG LAUGH ABOUT IT!

BACK TO MY PRESENT SPARKLE PLENTY - OF COURSE SHE WAS NAKED। SHE WAS TERRIBLY DIRTY, HER FACE MARKED WITH DIRT AND GRIME. HER HAIR WAS A DIRTY TANGLED MESS. I CLEANED HER ALL UP (WITH MY CAROL'S MIRACLE DOLL CLEANER, PLEASE EXCUSE THE ADV.) AND WASHED AND DETANGLED ALL HER LONG HAIR. THEN I DECIDED TO DRESS HER. I MADE A LOVELY WHITE BATISTE DRESS AND PANTIES WITH VINTAGE NARROW WHITE LACE TO TRIM IT - ALL BY HAND, NO MACHINE SEWING. I MADE LONG WHITE STOCKINGS FOR HER TO COVER THOSE POOR PITIFUL BLACK LEGS ALSO. HERE ARE THE PICTURES OF HER TAKEN BEFORE I LISTED HER ON EBAY. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY FROM A COMIC STRIP OR THE DOLL WORLD, AND THINK BACK IN TIME. I HAVE ENJOYED HER FOR A TIME, AND NOW SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY DECIDED ON HER TOO ON EBAY. BLESS HER HEART. SHE MUST HAVE HAD A HARD LIFE. IT WAS VERY EVIDENT WHEN I FOUND HER!

I HAVE MADE SOCKS FOR DOLLS FOR YEARS.  HOWEVER, I DISCOVERED THAT THE COLLECTORS WHO HAD ANTIQUE DOLLS CHOSE THE HANDMADE CROCHETED STOCKINGS FOR THEIR DOLLS WHEN THEY COULD FIND THEM.   HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF MY HAND CROCHETED SOCKS THAT SOLD VERY WELL.  AS YOU CAN SEE THEY WERE MADE IN ALL SIZES.  I THINK THE BABIES LOOK ESPECIALLY CUTE IN THEM.   SOME WERE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD THAN OTHERS.  I AM SURE THEY WERE CHOSEN TO LOOK 'JUST RIGHT' ON THE PARTICULAR DOLL THEY WERE PURCHASED FOR.   I WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY MAKING THESE FOR AWHILE YET. 

WE ARE SELLING OUT A LOT OF OUR INVENTORY ON EBAY RIGHT NOW AND GETTING READY TO RETIRE.  IN SOME WAYS IT IS SAD TO ME TO REALIZE I WON'T BE SEWING FOR DOLLS AS MUCH AS I HAVE IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.  BUT I WILL ENJOY OTHER TYPES OF NEEDLEWORK - YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THAT HERE.

I wrote a book and the first printing was published in 2004.  The second printing was in 2007.  ALL ABOUT DOLL REPAIR & CARE by Carol Lindberg.   Here is a picture of a Shirley Temple doll who is holding it!   I think this is such a cute way to advertise the book.   It is a full size 14" x 21" - 144 pages of all slick paper with over 160 pictures all in color.   The instructions for each phase of doll repair and restoration is given in steps with pictures to show each step.   So it is easy for anyone to follow and repair dolls.   We have sold over 6,000 books now and still have a few left of the second printing.  Email me if you want to purchase a copy.   They are $20.00 with free shipping.   Thanks!   You will enjoy.  

Carol

In years of sewing for dolls, I made doll socks out of all kinds of material.  Once we found an old hardware store going out of business and they had boxes full of women's cotton hose, men's dress socks, and children's everyday socks as well as dressy ones.   We purchased all they had!   Some we sold for vintage stockings to dealers who delt in vintage clothing, but a lot of them were made into doll socks.  They were wonderful for the antique dolls, especially.  Sometimes the tops of the cotton hose were of a silky fabric, and these were different and nice too.,   Then I had a request for crocheted doll socks.   It took me awhile, but I did make several and of different patterns, of course.   Here are pictures of many of them.  I'll have to hunt for pictures of other patterns.  Also I began to decorate the doll socks with lace and ribbons, many of which were made out of other than crocheted ones.   Doll lovers were very receptive to any of these as they were so different and looked vintage. 

Here are a few things I will post today that I have made for dolls.  

This is a pure silk dress with pantaloons to match.  The bodice is embellished with silk ribbon embroidery.  The slip is sewn in at the yoke seam and a tulle ruffle is around the hem of the slip to make the dress stand out.   This was a fun outfit to make.                             

This red organdy bonnet is made from an old vintage dress.  The ruffles are edged with the original stitching.  Vintage red ribbons are used for the ties on one of them and the second smaller one has black velvet ties and trim. 

This plaid taffeta skirt and white blouse were made for a larger 28" tall doll.  The white blouse closes down the back with buttons and buttonholes and the skirt closes on the side with a sewn-on snap.  A 1/2 sliip of white nylon net is sewn in at the waist band seam of the skirt.  It has a very full white tulle ruffle on both the inside and outside of the slip to make the skirt stand out just right!  This was a special order. 



This gold satin bonnet was fun to make. It is made of vintage satin and trimmed with vintage braid and gold grosgrain ribbon for ties. 

The next picture is of a gold organdy bonnet with the same organdy ruffle for the brim.  Vintage ruched gold organdy ribbon braid was used inside the ruffle to frame dolly's face.   This bonnet is line with the gold satin like the bonnet above.   Rich dark double faced gold ribbon is used for the ties.  Very nice bonnets!  Enjoy these, I'll be adding more things soon. 

Carol

Chatty Cathy doll shoes.  I made these in several colors to go with her original outfits.  My shoes were reproductions exactly like the originals.  They were made of ultra suede entirely by hand.   Sorry, I don't make them anymore and they have all been sold as well as my patterns and leftover materials.