Restoring doll hair

This is an American Girl Doll - I think it is Samantha....and her hair was completely frizzed out.     I forgot to take a photo, but you can imagine.....  At first I thought I was going to have to cut it off.  But I decided to try an old doll technique on a new doll...and it seems to have worked!

I used old tiny permanent rods like Grandma used to set her hair.  Be sure to use the tissues for the ends.  I rolled them up tight...in the shape of rag curls.  Then I boiled water and using a measuring cup, I poured boiling hot water over each curl for 10 seconds.  It's important to keep her eyes dry.  A little tricky, but it worked out great.  Then I let her hair dry for 48 hours

When I took the rods out, she now has wonderful "rag" curls.  If you know your American Girl dolls, you will know that they have never had a doll with rag curls.  I think she turned out perfect and the heat "melted" the frizz away.  :o)

We have an American Girl store in Denver, so I went shopping while on a visit up north.  I bought this dress from Rebecca's line, but when I saw the crinoline and slip, I had to get them as well as I had just found an old dress form in a shop here in town.

I used just a little bit of Genesis heat set paint (from Amaco) to make her lips a little pinker....and I think she is just gorgeous!  A "remodeled" American Girl doll!  Now I'm on the hunt to find other dolls with frizzed out hair and in need of repair.  I'm going to establish a home for unwanted dolls.  LOL!!!  All the while using up my craft supplies to do the repairs with!

This bungalow came with a very nice shed in the back yard, about 8' x 12'.  I think it will soon become a doll's house.  But I have to come up with a name for it.  "The Doll Cottage" is what I keep coming back to, but maybe "The Doll Village" since "The Village" - the place where mom used to live is just 2 blocks away.  "The Village for Dolls" - meaning a retirement home for dolls?  Because people who live here know "The Village" is a retirement center.

I have started collecting ideas on Pinterest for ways to decorate it.  You can see them here.  It's great to have so much fun at this stage of my life!!!

Bitty Baby - found a new home

I love going to thrift stores!  And I can usually find fun stuff - like this Bitty Baby - for only $2.99!!!  Yes, she needed a little cleaning, but worth every penny!

So, if you're a mom with little kids and you don't have any time to sew clothes for either the Bitty Baby or any American Girl doll, here's my tip.....look for Carter's clothes in the new born size - look for labels that say 5 - 8 pounds:

Well, yes, the tops are a bit too long!

But just cut them off at the hips, which gives you enough room to hem the shirt (I don't even bother doing that!)

Just tuck them into the pants, add a hat, and you have a precious outfit that turns a naked doll into a tiny sweetheart!  Here, my new bitty baby is sitting with her "older sister" which is yet another doll I got at the estate sale and restrung, re-wigged, and added her to my growing collection.  They are sitting with a bear that my son gave me years ago, next to a pillow that was embroidered by a friend's mom.  It won 1st place in a fair!  Behind the dolls, you can just see the tips of a pair of pillowcases that my great aunt Nellie embroidered.  Obviously, I do not store things that are given to me - I put them out on display!

The shirt was $1.99, the pants were $.99, and the hat was $.59.  I cannot make clothes that cheaply!

Speaking of my son, here is the outfit that he wore when we brought him home from the hospital.  I've kept it all these years!  I think it's high time I find a doll that will fit into this.  Maybe even another bitty baby?  Jason was a premie by 6 weeks, weighing in at only 6lb.  Imagine how big he would have been had he been born 6 weeks later?  I still think the doctors were off on their calculations!  But this is one of those 5 - 8 pound outfits....so I'm off to hunt for the perfect doll!

Do you hunt your local thrift store?  Or are you more like Kerry who refuses to even consider going inside one of them?  Colleen and I just went to Colorado Springs yesterday and had a blast stopping by 4 thrift stores.  Sure wore me out....but I came home with loads of treasures!  I'll just bet my neighbors wonder how I fit all those shopping bags into this tiny little cottage!!!

Dear Hannah,

Didn't we have a fun day in your sewing class?  I just know all the adults are going to want to come take "your" class when they see what we made!  And, what?  We did it all in about 3 hours???

You know what we forgot to do?  Take photos of the kids clothes before we cut them up!!!  Oh well.....

Here's the photo of you with your doll.  We made the vest and skirt out of suede.  Now, I think we were just way too brave using fur lined suede for our first project!  Remember, we used a size 19 needle to get through that thick fabric.   The thicker the fabric, the bigger the needle size for your sewing machine!

Then we made this t-shirt and pants.  I think we were in a "pink" mood!!!  So with thinner fabric like this, we used a size 11 needle.

You learned how to position a pattern on a kids shirt to take advantage of the pre-existing embellishments, hem, and even a side seam.  That's how we made so many outfits in such a short time.....we let someone else do all the work!

The same thing happened with the jeans.  We used the embroidery from the bottom of a size 12 month old pants, used the hem and used the outside seams.  All we had to do was sew the inside seams and the waist.  I think we decided we made these pants in 30 mintues.  WOW!!  And aren't they just too cute?  Especially with that t-shirt!

While you and I were busy sewing up a storm, your sister (age 6) and your mom decorated this apron for her and then we stitched up an apron for her doll that she deocrated to match.  If you click on it, you can enlarge it and I think you can see the candy store she made on her apron!  Just too clever if you ask me!!!

Poor mom.....she had to help your sister while she was taking notes on what I was teaching you!  Did she go home and take a long nap???  Or did you all go bake cookies in the kitchen???

So, I have a surprise for you!  Remember I kept the scraps from that cute little suede jumper?  Well....I turned them into a pair of shoes for your doll!!!  And now, I'm working on a matching book bag for her to carry on her shoulder!  

I guess that means we definitely have to get together for another sewing class real soon!  Remember - you have to make 3 complete outfits on your own, then you can come back and I'll teach you how to set sleeves, and we'll learn the snap stitch!

I hope you had a great time.....but there's no way you had more fun than I did!  I really think you have the best dressed doll in the whole world!  

Love,

Miss Jen

American Girl Doll - Day 2 - more on making new clothes from old clothes

Dear Hannah,

Just this morning, I made my model a new t-shirt, hat and jeans.    So first.  The t-shirt was made from a size 3 month onsesie:

I really liked the flowers in the center of it. But guess what?  I thought I could get a tshirt and panties out of this.  Nope, not near enough fabric.  So, just the t-shirt.

The flowers were just perfect!

Next I took a baby knitted cap:

and cut it down to her size.  Then I added leftover flowers from yesterday's sweater.  So I totally love the hat and t-shirt!

and when you add the sweater.....just perfect!

Well, after all this, I decided she needed new jeans.  I took a pair of jeans for an 18 month old

I wanted to use the embroidery that was already on them

And here's the cool thing.  By using existing seams and hems, you actually cut your sewing time by more than half. So the key is how you lay the pattern on - and I'll be showing you just how to do that!

The jeans came out perfect!

and now....my thrift store American Girl doll is more stylin' than any doll and outfit from the American Girl store!!!

It's just.....she has no name!  Hannah! I need your help! What shall we call her?

Love,
Jen

American Girl Doll Sewing Classes

Dear Hannah,

I was 9 years old (pretty close to your age) when I first learned how to sew.  I remember that my mom had a whole cabinet filled with fabric...still on the bolt.  I didn't have to go to the store to find anything....she had it all right in our house.  I was pretty lucky.  But today, fabric is really expensive. And when you add all the pretty lace, trim and other things, it can get really expensive.  So I thought I'd show you how to buy old clothes at a thrift store and turn them into something wonderful for your American Girl Doll!!!

But first.....get mom or dad to take you to Hobby Lobby this week. All the American Girl doll patterns in the Simplicity catalog are on sale for just 99 cents!  Now, that's a great deal!!!

I bought this sweater today for $2.99 at a thrift store.  It's for an 18 month old girl.  You can see that it's a whole lot bigger than the pattern:

I laid out the pattern, and cut the sweater down to about 1/3 the size that it is.  That's one of the things I can teach you how to do when you come to class.  Then I sewed it all back together and just look at what a beautiful sweater it made for my American Girl model:

Not only is the fabric cheaper, but I could use the pretty embrodery that was already on it:

and just look at the beautiful border around the neck, down the front and around the bottom.  I couldn't buy that in a fabric store!

and I even kept the flower that was in middle of the back!  It only took me about an hour to make the whole thing!

And as you know,  I was so lucky because I found this American Girl doll at a thrift store for just $4.99.  But she needs a whole new wardrobe, so we are going to work on that this week.

 Next time I'm going to show you how to take a little girl's t-shirt and turn it into a t-shirt for your doll plus a matching pair of panties!!!

I can't wait til you come to class.  But you need to go find something at a thrift store that you can turn into a pretty outfit for your doll!!!  

One of the best things I ever did was to learn how to sew.  I hope you will love it as much as I do!

Love,

Jen

The Child in You

Some days, it's good to go off and find the child in you.  Just to play.  Like a kid.  Like you did when you were a kid. I have always loved dolls,  In about 1994, I puchased the American Girl Doll Samantha.  She was given away to a little girl in Greely, Colorado, about 1997.  I think that "little girl" is probably all grown up by now!  Then I purchased Kirsten, who was given away to another little girl.  Over the years, I have bought and given away about 8 American Girl Dolls.  And then I was lucky enough to have found 5 more at thrift stores that needed repair.  I've given them all away as well.  I know they've all been well cared for over the years!

In 1995, the Girls of Today line was introduced and in 1996 I had to buy a "hanukkah doll"!  I ordered her with black hair, brown eyes, fair skin and her Hanukkah outift.   She's been on a shelf ever since with her menorah and dredle.  She's just too precious to give away!!

This week, I happened to stop by a Goodwill store.  Much to my surprise, I found an American Girl table.  I had no idea what it was. but for $2.99.....it's now the center of a new "dust corner".  (if you don't know what a dust corner is - don't ask!!!)

I had the artist easel.....but I needed to make my Hanukkah girl look like an  artist.  So I made her a "lucy mcgoo" apron. You have to click on it to see how totally cute it is!!!   Lucy's motto has always been to "hug the child inside of you".  How appropriate!

remember the apron I made for the retreat here?



and no artist is complete without their bag of goodies:

Her paint set and color wheel, menorah and bear now sit on the new table (which I learned is really her sewing table)  And her other little toys are on the shelf below

added one of mom's wonderful watercolors and the vignette is complete.  And now we have an "artist" in my art studio!

So while I truly had a bit of a chuckle playing with dolls at my age, it reminded me that each of us truly needs to let the child play once in awhile.  Wonder what the grandkids will think when they find out GJ has her own American Girl Doll!!!

Come to my house for the superbowl game.....

and there will be a separate party in my studio! What else? Today, we'll be playing with Friendly Plastic and "chewing gum" wrappers! Yep, something for both adults and kids. So I made some samples. A take-off on Jana's fracture n fusion....this is inlaid work. The blanks are really big. About 2 1/2" so you can cut tiny strips of plastic and inlay them into the blank and have them melt. I find the plastic will shrink up inside these blanks. so this way is better for me.

My blogger friend, Shari, gifted me these blanks. I just love them. You can get them online at the Bally Bead Company. They are so cheap! Only $2 each! And check out the huge heart, rectangle and other blanks. Great little company - order tons!!!

This is a large K&Co finding. We have a lot of these, bracelets, and blanks from Patera and Amate to play with today. So I'm hoping we make loads of fun pendants!

Remember chewing gum wrapper chains? American Girl Doll has these kits at Michaels for only $6.99. Figured it was worth it - I don't have to cut tiny little strips of paper!

Such bright cheerful papers! And I've got butterfly charms the kids can tie onto theirs.

I'm going to guess that the mom's will be doing a lot of paper folding this afternoon! LOL! Well, we will be busy if nothing else!

And when we're all done with these, I have the cricut machine set up and we'll cut out cards and they can embellish cards with glitter. Figured I'd save that one for the very end of the day. Nothing better than falling asleep with your face and fingers covered in glitter!

Hope your superbowl Sunday is as much fun as mine. Sure beats the "old days" when all the men were in the living room watching the game and the women were in the kitchen cleaning out the pots and pans. I'm having everything catered! No cleaning here.....just a lot of playing in my "dining" room!!!

Oh what fun

it is to knit on a freezing winter night! (OK....sing along with me!!!)

Woke up this morning to no heat. Temp inside is down to 52 degrees inside and -18 degrees outside. Brrr....we are in the middle of the worst arctic snap in Denver's history! Go figure! Gas company is on it's way out now. No gas coming into the house. But we have loads of back up space heaters and kerosene heaters - good thing we go camping!!!

I'm drinking hot chocolate and writing today's blog early....just in case my fingers get too cold to type! LOL!

I have so much left over fibers from the scarves I've been knitting....that I decided to make little scarves for Kerry's granddaughters....and their American Girl Dolls. This is "my" doll - I keep her as a model and for when the girls come to play, but isn't this scarf just too cute?

I used 4 skeins on a 17 needle and 3 stitches across....took about 20 minutes to knit the whole thing!

The matching scarf for the 7 year old is 6 stitches wide, same fibers:

And I made one for the 2 year old - this one is 4 stitches wide and 3 skeins on a # 17 needle.  

I couldn't make for the kids and not their mom....her's is really quite gorgeous.  Lots of gold metallic fibers.  Almost 4' long (I am really liking extreme length in scarves these days!)

And I will give one that I've already posted to Kerry's daughter.  So everyone gets a new scarf!   And I just boxed up one for his sister and his neice.   That takes me back down to 2 scarves left for me....and I still haven't given a scarf to one of my sisters or my own sister-in-law and niece.  Guess I will just have to knit more this week!!!

I've still got loads of scraps - anyone need a scarf for an American Girl Doll?  I'll send you the fibers!  LOL!!!