American Girl Doll Felicity Makeover!!

Greetings and Salutations Doll Friends!

As you may recall if you read this blog regularly, In February I found a vintage American Girl Doll Felicity at a Thrift Store for a great price! She was in pretty good shape over all other than two things....

First off, she had a very loose neck string. Someone had cut the end strings, making it impossible to tighten them. So her head was very wibbly on her shoulders let me tell you. Secondly her wig was pretty dried out and didn't look very nice. Felicity has a hairstyle that is very 'time period appropriate' and pretty when she arrives out of the box but it's not very conducive to being played with in any real way. Especially by a child! Those loose curls around her face, once no longer curly, just look sort of 'ratty' in the front. It's one of the reasons Kirsten was my favorite of the originals over Felicity is because I knew her hair would be so much easier to manage. Still, I was stoked to have found her because she is a gorgeous doll. The question I had for myself? Do I keep her as Felicity Merriman or customize her? I felt a bit funny about customizing what I think might be an original Felicity if that makes sense at all. 

Still, for the most part, because of her small flaws, poor Felicity never really made it off the shelf into the Doll House photos. The last time she made an appearance was right after she came home in the Fashion Show clear back in February. She was still wearing the same dress from the show even. So yesterday I watched this video about Mommy and Gracie donating a bunch of dolls to a good cause and then another about Mommy deciding which American Girl Dolls to donate. Listening to her talk about how hard it is to clear out made me decide I need to either really love each doll in my collection or pass her on to be loved by someone else. So I went into my Doll Room with a critical eye... I am a lot like Mommy in the video and have a really hard time parting with dolls every single time. Is it silly that I feel guilty when I do so? Like "I spent money/time/space/effort on that dolly, I don't want to give them up!" or "Won't I hurt the dolls feelings by giving it away?!" or "What if the new owner doesn't take good care of them!?" or "Is it terrible to donate dolls stark naked because doll clothes aren't cheap?" (That last one makes me sound like a terrible Doll Mom for sure! I do try to send them off with some manner of clothing... Honest!) 

So for whatever reason, I felt emboldened to make Felicity into a doll I loved... First thing? Her neck string problem. I got a new string for her a while ago but have been too timid to put it in. So I watched a video on YouTube and set to fixing her. I should've probably tried to tighten her legs at same time but... I was too imtimidated to try it. Perhaps next time? Sadly, half way through the process, I got stuck! Literally! The way the person on the video went about stringing the string through the neck opening was to use a safety pin stuck into the string... However, when I tried this, despite my using the smallest safety pin I could find, I couldn't get it in!! Oh no!! I tried not to panic because I don't like to leave doll heads off their shoulders any longer than possible. The lady in the video mentioned that using a shoelace might work too since they have aglets at the end but I didn't have any new ones on hand!?! So I resigned to *gasp* using a zip tye for now. I was so bugged about it that I didn't even have the heart to show you an 'after' photo. I plan to buy some pretty new white shoe laces today and give it a do-over. I'll show you afterwards. Meanwhile... Her hair...

I went in wanting to make her over into her a blonde. With those eyes, I knew she'd be a great doppelganger doll of a life long friend of mine if she had blonde hair. However, being me, I wanted to try out all my options and so I tried whatever available wigs I had in my 'wig bag'. Yes, I have a wig bag. Haha. Can't tell who likes to customize dolls, eh? I buy them when I find them on good bargain on eBay sometimes... Oftentimes with no specific doll in mind. Goodness knows dolls find me! This is the first wig I tried and it was just a bit 'much'... 

When I tried this red one on it certainly gave me pause though because she looks gorgeous!! Of these first two, it was, hands down, the favorite of the people who offered opinions (I asked) about which was better in my Doll Group on Facebook. So... I considered making it permanent. 

Till I tried on this one... And just kept smiling. She looks so much like my friend I just couldn't take it back off. I love her this way. It's a short wig but my friend is was a career Army nurse and so has often had shorter hair-do's. I love her. Still... I didn't glue it down. 

I may change my mind and so I am leaving it un-glued for now but... I really like her this way.

She looks like a wholly different doll, doesn't she?

I think she's beautiful and now I really love her!

So I aim to go through my doll collection and find new homes for all the dolls I 'really like' but don't 'really love'... It'll be hard because I love all dolls really. But it's not fair for dolls to collect dust waiting to be played with either, is it? So glad to have seen that Mommy & Gracie video to spur my thinking in this direction. 

Is it hard for you to find new homes for dolls?

Better run! 

Till Next Time!
XXOO
Heather