Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!
Ok friends... Clearly I have a problem and need intervention. I just can't seem to stop adding dolls to the Doll House! It's not my fault! They find me and follow me home I swear!! I am like the Pied Piper of dolls! Teeheehee. Seriously though, they find me. Ok, maybe I am kidding... Maybe if I didn't intentionally put myself in their paths all the time on purpose they'd have less of a chance, eh? Case in point? Well, after church on Sunday my daughter said "Lets run by the flea market and check out the Toy Ladies Booth." So I said "Sure, maybe she'll have gotten in some 'new' doll clothes... Why not?" (I am a sucker for doll clothes when I can get them for $1-2 an item)
So in we go and immediately I see that The Toy Lady (that's what we call her, we should really find out her real name. I like her immensely, she's one of those who's polite but sort of reserved until she gets to know you a bit and warms up more... but I digress...) Anyway she had not one, not two, but five 18inch dolls. Uh oh. At first I only saw the two of them were Our Generation, very cute but I have loads of OG's and so not too tempting. One of them I thought "Oh, maybe she'd be worth buying for her fancy dress and shoes though...." Until the Toy Lady says "I have a couple I am working on cleaning up, do you want to see them?" Sure... Why not. Uh oh again...
And out she brought a doll who's been on my wish list on Amazon for, like, years. Uh oh. I don't need any more dolls! I just got a doll for my birthday that I adore!! But... Look at her!! So. Totally. Beautiful!! You can't touch her for less than $50 on Amazon and if you're luck enough to find her on eBay her hair is usually rather tattered and/or she's really expensive there too. The Toy Lady used to charge about $8 for her 18inch dolls but has recently marked them to $10. Which, to her credit, she cleans them up and puts them in nice outfits and they are worth that I am sure being as she had to buy them somewhere herself... Not like a thrift store where they can mark things cheaper because they are all donated. So, reasonable when you take all that into account.
This little ladies hair was actually in pretty good shape and she was perfect in every way... Except...
Her bottom half, where her body is stuffed, was very wibbly and wobbly and she couldn't stand up without being leaned against something and, well, if you look at the photos you can tell that around her hips, the stuffing seems almost totally missing. She must've just been stored improperly by her prior owner (kids and toys, they're not always gentle... It is what it is). My only pause before I bought her was "Can I fix her?"
I had performed surgery on a Madame Alexander doll with a wibby torso before though so I decided I'd bring her home and give it a try. Because she's just gorgeous and, well, someone needs to fix her!!
So home she came and I almost immediatlely set to work....
Side note, there is a reason I am always 'behind' on blog posts I want to do. Like the 'pet' posts or the post I want to do about the doll ponies and horses I've accumulated... They always get pushed back on the 'To Do' list by things that I find along the way. Haha. This girl needed emergency surgery though! Her back was broken! Priorities. Right? Never fear, all the blog posts in my mental 'to do' list are like splinters that have to work their way out eventually so I'll get them written someday. Haha.
So I opened her up and pulled out all her stuffing.. Figured she might as well get brand new polyfill fluff if I am going to open her up.
Then, I was shocked to find she has no armature at all?! Take a look at that other posting (link above or here's the link again). That doll had an armature hooking her arms to her legs. Not this doll!? What to do? Well... I thought I could try and make an armature...? But I know she didn't come with one and I assume she was once able to stand by herself.... So I simply stuffed her torso very tightly with the polyfill and hoped for the best.
Here she is, all stitched up after surgery. I am alwasy shocked at how few stitches the manufacturers of Madame Alexander dolls put in their doll's backs (I've opened up a couple now so I notice...) When I stitch them closed, I can't help but make more stitches. My Granny is watching from Heaven afterall and she taught me right.
She stands just fine now!! Isn't she lovely!? I put her in a new outfit I just got made by Creatology (sold at Michael's Craft Store) because I had a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my pocket. It looks perfect on her!
She was so excited to find out that not only was she going to get a whole new home, she'd have oodles of new friends and a great wardrobe!
I think she'll be very happy here. We are sure glad to have her! I've named her Bobbie Blue after a friend of mine from church. I love her!
Better run!
Till Next Time!
XXOO
XXOO
Heather
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