My Old Gang of Misfits

 

Several weeks ago, these three little girls showed up in my Instagram feed. They were for sale on Mercari. I instantly fell in love with them, because they all seemed to have unique personalities, and to be close friends. I contemplated adopting them, but waited too long, and alas, the black doll on the right sold, and the price for the remaining two was reduced. I considered adopting the last two, but just couldn't get excited about buying more Gotz (made for Pottery Barn) dolls. While Gotz is my favorite doll company, I have plenty! 😂

 

Then I remembered that I have several secondhand Gotz dolls I adopted years ago, when I was newly out of the dolly closet. My older DIL (Nurse Girl) had asked me to crochet her a mermaid tail blanket. I was very much out of practice, so I crocheted several doll dresses before settling in and making her mermaid tail. My newer dolls were already dressed in clothes that I had either sewn or knitted. (The older dolls were poorly dressed, or not dressed at all) They've been standing (neglected) in my shelves, modeling their crocheted clothes for a couple of years. 

💕I realized that I have my own Band of Misfits, that are in desperate need of attention & affection!💕

I gathered up The Misfits, and settled them all in a chair, so they could enjoy watching TV with me. It was fun, and somewhat surprising to see how many dresses I had crocheted. The Misfits proved to be excellent company, and are still hanging out in the chair. 

This isn't a long blog, but I did want to stay in touch and share my happiness at reviving my own little Band of Misfits. Thank you for visiting. 

 

Longing for the doll blogs of old.

Hello. For the past couple of weeks, I've been craving the comfort & fun of the old timey doll blogs. I've seen lots of doll videos on YouTube, and they're enjoyable, but I'm longing for doll blogs. I like photo stories, following different doll's adventures & seeing the clothes/accessories people make for their dolls. Some of the blogs are still active & a pleasure to visit. Thank you for maintaining them! Instead of moping around, longing for the past, I've decided to try and recapture the essence & feel of the old blogs...to create a safe & relaxing place to visit. This will by no means be perfect, but here goes.

A few months ago, I bought this doll house second hand. It is designed for 18" dolls. It is beautifully constructed and came painted. 

My youngest daughter (Spunk) gifted me the Our Generation science lab a couple of years ago, and I never set it up, for fear of the tiny pieces falling off and getting lost. Enter the doll house attic! This is a work in progress. I need to buy some museum wax, so I can adhere the lab equipment to the cart and table. I'd also like to paint or paper the walls. Yep, the scientists are aliens.

Earlier that same day, I finished sewing a dress for my doll, Peri. The fabric is a fat quarter from the Dollar Tree (which I now call the $1.25 Tree). The pattern is from Pixie Faire. It has become one of my favorites https://www.pixiefaire.com/products/polka-dot-party-dress-for-welliewishers-dolls. 

I shared pictures of my projects with Spunk and my younger DIL, Art Girl. Art Girl messaged back that my day seemed so cozy. Yes it was! That was the perfect description. Here's Peri in her new dress. 

Thank you for visiting. 

Good afternoon! Day 5: Ravelry Photo Challenge

Yesterday's photo challenge was, Watching TV. I had a very productive day, but Annelise was sorely neglected. Good thing today's challenge is, Pets. She and my dog, Skye, are having a cuddle, since they both think they were ignored yesterday.

Annalise: I'm not sure Mom loves us anymore

Skye: I know she doesn't. She had spaghetti for lunch, and didn't share.

They're just pitiful!

As always, thank you for joining us!

Hello! Day 3: Ravelry Photo Challenge

 Hello. Today, the sun is shining brightly, after a couple weeks of gray skies and rain. Fortunately, it cooled down a bit, too. Annalise, and her Shih Tzu, Charlie, are going to play a couple of games, like chase the ball, sit, come & shake, before they take their walk. They both feel better after a nice long walk. Annelise thinks their walks do as much for her mental health, as they do for her physical health. Today’s special calendar day is, International Mind-Body Wellness Day. I’d say playing games with Charlie, and walking a couple of miles together, is a great way to celebrate.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a blessed day.

Good morning! Day 2: Ravelry Photo Challenge

Good morning! Annelise is beginning the day, watching reruns of her favorite Star Trek series, Deep Space Nine. The crew of DS9 are joining her today, as it has been a while since they’ve watched their own show. I found a calendar of special days online, and today, January 2, is both National Science Fiction Day, and World Introvert Day. As both a lover of Sci Fi, and a dyed in the wool introvert, Annelise is happily celebrating!

Thank you for joining us!

Happy New Year! 2022

January 2022 Beat the Blahs Daily Photo Challenge

This photo challenge is such a cute idea, and looks like so much fun. I've needed something to pull me out of the retirement/pandemic blues, and joining the sweet crafters on Ravelry, seems like a good place to start. 

The challenge is headed up by, crazyquilter and HazelRose, on Ravelry. Here is the link: https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/american-girl-knitters/4173040/1-25#15 Thank you, ladies!

I will be using my Gotz Precious Day doll (Elizabeth), that I call Annalise. She is one of my favorite dolls, and I think it will be fun to showcase her all month. So, here goes....

Annelise did her best to stay up and ring in the New Year on Animal Crossing New Horizon (ACNH), but sleep claimed her long before the festivities began.

Not to worry. K.K. Slider, who shows up every Saturday to play and sing for the residents on ACNH, arrived early this morning to spend the day with Annelise.

Thank you everyone for joining us for a few minutes, as you read my blog. 

Happy birthday, America.

Today, July 4, 2021, marks the 245th birthday of the United States of America. I am honored & proud to be an American. I thank everyone who has served, or will serve in our country's military. We are a country worth protecting. We enjoy freedoms & opportunities unheard of in many other countries. Happy birthday, America. Patriotism still matters. Stay strong and free, forever.

Crochet to the Rescue

Thank goodness for crochet! My mother has dementia, and the very day Dad and I visited and reserved an apartment for her in an assisted living home, she fell and broke her hip. Fortunately, she had almost no pain, and her surgery to fix the break was successful. Dad and I didn't realize that we would be in the hospital all day yesterday, and I just happened to pick up my day pack which contained a book, crochet and some snacks. Dad was thrilled about the snacks and I was thrilled to have the crochet to keep my hands and mind busy as we waited. This is a picture of my little project: a partially finished doll blanket. It will be the right size for an 18" doll, but for now my tiny BJD, Pinky seems taken with it. I am sad that my mother is failing, but relieved that she is feeling good and is able to move around with assistance. She will spend about two weeks in a rehab facility and then be reevaluated to determine whether she should be placed in assisted living or a dementia unit. I will definitely keep a bag packed with crochet and/or knitting (and snacks for Dad) as we face an uncertain future. Thank you for reading this post. Peace.

August 3, 2018...A New Day

Wow! My last post was over four years ago. I considered giving the blog a new look, but I think for now that I'll stick with the old look. I still want it to be the same "place". I still love and collect dolls. What an understatement. I am swimming in dolls...maybe drowning in dolls. Thank goodness I came out of the dolly closet five years ago and have been openly enjoying and collecting them ever since. It's hard to know how to begin blogging again after such a long absence. Obviously, I can't start where I left off and introduce each new doll in order. Boring! I'm just going to start right here, right now. Today Spunk and I went to the town where I used to work and enjoyed a good old fashioned Chinese buffet. Delicious and nostalgic! I practically raised my family in Chinese buffets back in the 1990's. This place is dimly lit and the food is affordable and fresh and delicious. We stopped at a thrift store on the way home, and Spunk bought a necklace and a homemade unicorn plaque. (She has always loved horses and is now even more in love with unicorns. She and I even had a unicorn themed dinner on her birthday last month.)

I've been knitting quite a bit for my dolls over the last year. I love both knitting and crochet, but find the rhythm of knitting especially soothing. Here are a few of my girls in their knitted clothes. From left to right: Gotz Happy Kidz Clara (Edwina), Gotz Precious Day Jessica (Jesse), and an Asian Gotz Hanna (no name yet). The patterns are all on Ravelry. They are by a designer called GrandmaKnits or Janice Helge. I find her patterns to be very well written and easy to knit up. The grey dress and the red print dress are from her Hannah Loves Cables pattern and the blue and white dress is from Katie's New Dress pattern.

I realize this post is a bit lack luster, but I just want to begin the posting process, so I think I'll go ahead and publish it. I would like to show more dolls, but it took me nearly half an hour to comb out these three dollys' hair. I'm not sure I should call myself an adult doll collector. Their hair couldn't have been worse if they had been in the bottom of a toy box! Thanks for reading this.

A Lovely Gift for Sasha

Hello. Long time, no blogging. I am sorry. I'd like to begin blogging again by sharing a picture of the lovely dress a very sweet doll friend from across the ocean sent me. It is a welcoming gift for Sasha since I bought her not long ago. I've had the dress at least a couple of weeks (and Sasha put it on immediately), and wanted to blog sooner, but I kept holding out for some shoes and socks for her. I've found the shoes I want, but am having difficulty getting a hold of the person who sells them. I decided it was time to quit obsessing over Sasha's lack of footwear, and celebrate this generous gift with all of you. Thank you again, my sweet friend for this gift. It means so much to me.

Thanks for stopping by. =)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holiday! Thank you for visiting my blog and all your kind words. May you all be blessed this season.

It doesn't show up very well, but the dolls are standing on a fleece throw Spunk made and gave me for Christmas. Thank you so much, Sweetie! Love, Mom

Another exciting giveaway at Daydream Doll Boutique.

Hello friends. I just had to share this giveaway with all of you. It is for an American Girl doll! Who among us wouldn't love to win that???!!! Just go to this site and follow the instructions. Good luck everyone. If one of my readers wins, I hope you'll let us know so we can rejoice with you. Here is the address: http://daydreamdollboutique.blogspot.com/2013/11/daydream-doll-boutiques-amazing-holiday.html?showComment=1385906225300#c1597387593699294483

Thank you for stopping by.

Where to Start...

Hello. It's been so long since I've blogged that I almost feel the need to reintroduce myself. To my followers, Thank You. I still need to learn how to "follow" someone on here, as I read your blogs on a regular basis and am inspired and comforted by them.

First, I'd like to wish Seranata's Peggy Sue a very Happy Birthday. Her dolls threw a splendid party in Peggy Sue's honor. You can read all about it here: http://howmanydolls.blogspot.com/2013/11/party-time-happy-birthday-peggy-sue.html#comment-form . 

I suppose I should begin with the most exciting acquisition. I finally bought a Sasha doll. I made a very low offer on ebay, and the seller accepted it. She is a birthday present to myself, although I really don't need official reasons to buy dolls. Every day is a dolly day! She is an original Sasha doll. I've thought of several potential names for her, but I keep calling her Sasha. I'm pleased to say that the other dolls have given her a very warm welcome.

As a lover of nature and particularly botany, I couldn't resist buying Venus McFlytrap. Carnivorous plants have always fascinated me. She has become best friends with a much more sedate looking Moxie girl. I suppose opposites do attract in some cases.

 

"That giant cat doesn't scare me. After all I AM a monster."

 

Here is a little beauty I found at Tuesday Morning a few weeks ago. She is jointed and was only $20. She reminds me of the beautiful artwork in the old anime shows we love to watch. I've not named her, or really 'played' with her. She looks so pretty in Spunk's room that I've just left here there on the sewing machine table.

 

 

 

 

I've been a little frustrated lately because I am not adjusting particularly well to 3rd shift, and I don't have the energy or mindset to sew right now. Also, I have a lot of work to do in my home (repair and remodeling) and I am working towards qualifying to teach high school science. The Department of Education has sent a letter stating that I have all the required college courses and now all I need to do is study for/take the Praxis test. I am excited about making my house nicer and the prospect of getting to teach science instead of driving a forklift on 3rd shift. And yet through all this, my dolls still are a huge part of my life and bring me a lot of comfort and companionship. Instead of fretting that they're not the best dressed dolls in the world, I am simply going to share their interaction in our lives. This is an exciting time for us and we feel immensely blessed. So, please join our motley crew on this adventure! As always, thank you so much for stopping by. (And if any of you can tell me how to follow other blogs on here, I'd be very grateful lol.)





Exciting Giveaway on A Fellow Doll Lover's Blog

Hello. I wanted to share an exciting Giveaway opportunity with you. Daydream Doll Boutique is giving away this Little Red Riding Hood costume with all the extras your 18 inch doll could want. Entering the Giveaway is easy. Here is the link to the site: http://daydreamdollboutique.blogspot.com/2013/10/enter-our-happy-halloween-giveaway.html?showComment=1380957701005#c868128720525191668

I wish you all the best of luck! Thanks for stopping by.

A New Friend for Autumn

Hello. This is an Autumn Leaves Lottie doll. I won her in a giveaway on Beast'sbelle's doll blog, http://nevergrowupdollguide.blogspot.com/ . Thank you, Beast'sbelle! I'm still as excited as a child about having won her. She is only 7 inches tall, and seems very well made. Her hair is shiny, and looks like it will stay nice. I wanted to take her picture somewhere other than my desktop, but she's made herself at home here, so the desktop it is. This is a reasonably priced line of dolls (currently available on Amazon), and I love how young and innocent she looks. Her clothes are well made and as you can see, very detailed. She even came with a little winter jacket, scarf and hat. Thank you for stopping by.

"I like this guy. He has big eyes just like me!"

"Now if it would only cool off in the southern United States."

"I'm just the right size to go exploring."

Another Corolle Les Cheries Doll

 Hello. The doll on the left is a Corolle Les Cheries doll I found on ebay. She came to my house in need of a bath and shampooing and was only wearing her birthday suit. This is her after an evening at the spa and wearing a new dress I made her (and panties just like her sister). I actually used some of my stash on her dress. That always feels good. Here are a couple of full length pictures of the dresses.

 

 

 

I've always enjoyed making pillowcases. When my children were small, I'd buy a yard of print fabric of whatever they were into at the time. I've made pillowcases with everything from whales to My Little Pony on them. Spunk's bed was in need of an upgrade, so I got into my stash and made her a wolf pillowcase, a horse pillowcase, and a neon horse pillowcase for her body pillow. She's delighted.        

 

 

 



 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by. =)

Sewing at last!

It has been such a long time since I have sewn anything, let alone fussy little doll clothes, that I find I'm quite out of practice. My little Corolle Les Cheries doll, Ines, came as a ballerina. I've never been particularly fond of ballerinas/princesses, and besides her feet looked like they were killing her in those stockings and ballet flats. Also, she had no underwear. Spunk says I'm crazy, but I think panties for dolls are just as important as they are for me. Here she is at last with a new dress (and panties). I've never made doll shoes. Eventually I'll get my courage up and try to make some.

"I'm still waiting for that cammie you suggested Mom make, Aunty Audra!"


 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by.

The 1950's Doll I Thought I'd Never Own

 

 

 

I have seen these 1950's era dolls on several blogs, and always thought they were beautiful, but since I really know nothing about them, I always assumed that I wouldn't own any. Well, a spur of the moment trip to the Goodwill Warehouse changed that. After Spunk's dental checkup, we debated whether or not we felt like thrifting. I leaned toward going home, and after some deliberation, we decided we needed an adventure. The tables/bins were picked over and about half empty. We'd been thru three or four bins when I spotted this doll. After consulting a blogger friend, I feel certain she is some type of  Valentine doll. Most Valentine dolls seem to have high-heel shaped feet and this doll's are flat. Most of the Valentine dolls on ebay look exactly like her. I am still pinching myself to see if this is a dream. I think she is beautiful! The scariest part of all is that within just minutes of picking her up, an employee announced that all the bins would be taken away (to go to the dump) and new ones brought in. I can't even bear to think about her ending up in the dump.

Here are a few more pictures of her. She is a little over 19 inches tall. As you can see she has knee and ankle joints. She has most of her hair, but it is so dry and brittle and matted, that I am afraid even the miraculous "Downy dunk" won't save it. We shall see....

The poor dear was completely unclothed when I found her. She is borrowing some clothes I bought for a magic attic doll years ago. Thank you for stopping by.


"Hmmm. This Downy stuff better be pretty good."

"I feel like quite the lady."

"Oh no! We didn't wear miniskirts in my day!"













 

A New, Portable Little Friend

This little gal helping me with my school work is a Corolline Mini Doll. Our friend, Big Guy had given me a Barnes and Noble gift card for Christmas, and I finally used it to purchase this doll and a book on crocheting and knitting for small dolls. I haven't thought of a name for her (I welcome all suggestions!!!).

I'm not sure how well you can read the ruler, but she is a mere 8" tall. I was wanting a doll that I could easily slip into my purse or backpack for those days when I just feel like I'd enjoy a little dolly company on the go. So far, I am really pleased with her. Once again, I am eagerly awaiting the removal of this cast so that I can begin either sewing or knitting for her.

One last picture of my little girl. Thanks for stopping by!

A New Arrival...Finally!

Hello. This is my beautiful new little girl, Robin. She is a My Twinn doll and is 23" tall. I bought her from ebay. Fortunately (Unfortunately?) I am very experienced at buying dolls from ebay, so I know how to track a package and know about how long something should take to reach me. The lady who shipped her to me mailed her on July 5, 2013. I checked on the status of her tracking far more often than I probably should have, and by July 8th, the status hadn't progressed from the pkg having been accepted in Alabama. I contacted my post office, and my mail carrier even called me to explain they hadn't seen the pkg. I opened up a case on ebay, and finally early on the morning of July 10th called the Alabama post office and asked about her. The clerk explained that she's been sent off once and returned to their post office and that she'd sent the pkg back out on Saturday July 6th. I then called my own post office here in South Carolina, and the clerk here told me that they did indeed have a pkg for me & that the writing on the label had been almost completely washed off. I asked if I could come get her, and the clerk replied that since I'd been put thru so much that she'd bend the rules and let me come to a special door and pick her up before the PO opened.

When I got her home, Spunk and I cut thru MANY layers of tape and paper, and found her crumpled up in the bottom of the box wearing this toddler's dress (tied up tight in the back so it did look ok).

We dedided that she'd spent WAY too much time in that baggy toddler's dress and that she'd be much more comfortable in some hand-me-down Build A Bear sleep pants. We didn't have a shirt her size so we made a trip to the Miracle Mart (a very worthy charity thrift store) and found a brand new bright green t-shirt that fits her perfectly.

After we got Robin settled and in more comfortable clothing, she joined Spunk and I for a few episodes of one of our favorite animes. Robin decided that a pink rabbit in our toy stash looked like a magical animal in the anime, and instantly made it her own. Here are a few pictures of Robin soaking up the sun on the back of our couch and at play in our yard:

 

 

 

 

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I am taking a couple of college classes. I've had a huge amount of homework lately and have felt bad about neglecting Robin and our other dolly family members. Here is a picture of them entertaining themselves (on my unmade bed *blushes*) as I study:

 

 



 

Thank you for visiting our little corner of The Dolly World!