Marie Terese's New Dress

This post has been a long time in coming, as I purchased Marie Terese, one of my Grail dolls I have had on my list, this time last year in 2018. It has taken me over a year to find the time to finally finish one dress for her. 

Marie Terese is an Alice Leverett Ultimate Petite porcelain doll that was a convention exclusive for the 2010 UFDC convention. The attendees were also able to purchase a number of outfits for her and do a workshop to make her an outfit or two from what I understand. She also came with a box, which I do not have, and she did not come with when I purchased her on ebay. Prices ranged anywhere from $199-400 on ebay when I purchased her. I was able to get her within a price I could afford last year, as I was determined to have her before her price became too outrageous. 

I have missed several sewing challenges on my French Fashion group and it has saddened me because even though they give us plenty of time, months in fact, I can never seem to get my act together as far as getting the materials, fabric, etc. Sewing for me, I have to have perfect quiet, calm and cannot be distracted which is nearly impossible with all that goes on around me. I had purchased a number of patterns available in this past issue of Doll News that I made Marie Terese's gown from. 

There are more patterns in the book than I have shown, I am only showing the one I used and embellished/bashed. I used a blue heavy satin, and some beautiful lace I found at Hobby Lobby. The satin I have had for a long time and I hope I have enough left over to make Annabelle a skirt. 

Here is Marie Terese in her new little outfit having tea. 

It is extremely hard to find shoes to fit her, so I am going to measure her feet and see if I can make slippers/shoes to fit. The book mentions how to do that. I made her little lace cap by just sewing some of the lace free hand and adding some of the satin into ruffles onto it and pinning it into her hair. 

I am still working on their dollhouse home, the cottage. Finding suitable beds for their bedrooms is difficult- the beds are either too big for the rooms or too small for them. I want to do scenes with them in the beds and standing beside them as well, so I may have to settle for a bed where Annabelle will have to bunch her knees up a little bit. Or sit up a bit in bed. I also want their beds to look cozy, not overdone in an extravagant Manner so it doesn't look like anyone sleeps in the bed. 

All for now-Lisa

Vintage Finds...

It is a new year and I have written nothing about my new dolls. In December 2018 I attended an auction and had the chance to bid on a huge lot of Barbies with 2 cases, clothing and assorted dolls plus other items like vintage games and some other items; it was what we call in the auction estate sales as a table lot. I scored at $30 and have been sorting ever since. 

In the lot were Tuesday Taylors, a Kenner Dusty doll, some Mego Charlie's Angels dolls , a Dinah-Mite DOll with her clothing, and some wonderful Barbies and accessories and clothing. 

I found a Free Moving 1974 PJ, who I was able to get some help identifying and I cleaned up her hair and restored her ponytails. Though they are not as sleek as I would like, they are pretty. I found her tennis suit on ebay since it was not in the lot of clothing and finding her skirt is a little harder. 

There was also a very nice Malibu Ken, in good condition also. As well as a Francie, who had an issue with her foot. I cannot tell which Francie she is, still working on that but I decided to keep her and dress her. There were alot of Francie clothes in this lot. 

So here are my 'finds' all dressed up, and hanging out in my Town and Country foldup MOD dollhouse with my other vintage dolls. 

Here are Francie, dressed in Long in Leather, Free Moving PJ, and Malibu Ken. All are dressed in clothing from the estate lot. 

Free Moving PJ needed a spa treatment as her hair was a mess. Ken however, came exactly like he looks in the photo, all tan and dashing looking in his velour sweat pants outfit. 

My two Francies together. Malibu Francie I purchased at the doll show in November of last year nude, to complete my Malibu family to display with my country camper. Now I have Malibu Barbie, Ken, PJ, Skipper and Francie. I do not have the African American dolls in this Malibu set so I need to look for them to add them to display with my country camper . I am slowly looking things up in my reference books so I can figure out what dolls/ outfits I want to pursue collecting first and then go from there. 

Ken and Francie in the living room with my Walk Lively Barbie. One of my most treasured dolls from my childhood. She came with a stand that you moved /rolled across the surface and she 'walked' . I took very good care of her and rarely used the stand with her as a kid because I was afraid it would damage her legs. My mother I think impressed on me how much she cost and NOT to try to make her ride a HORSE! LOL. I had two Breyer horses my Grandfather had given me that resembled ponies and horses of the cabin down at the river he and my grandmother rented where I learned to ride from their landlord and I was always trying to make my dolls learn to ride the horses, hence, their legs were always breaking. I guess to this day that is why I love my articulated Fashion Royalty and poppy Parker dolls. 

In the kitchen...this is my favorite room of this particular dollhouse. I remember with my original house I spent hours making Barbie and PJ cook. I adored the table and chairs. I guess my frustration as a child is we didn't have REAL plates, forks knives and spoons, just paper renditions on the table and that was not good enough for me. My mother bought me teasets at the dime store for my dolls. I used acorns and a bunch of things that resembled food for my dolls until I got older and began making food for my dolls. Yes, the cookies and cake were made by me. lol. 

Skipper has been in my collection for a while now and so has Buffy. I love Buffy from Family Affair, it was one of my favorite shows. 

Hopefully I will have some more photos of more vintage for you soon. All for now. 
Lisa

Happy New Year 2019!

Welcome to 2019~ Happy New Year! 

My husband and I toasted the New Year in with strawberries, Sangria, Ghiradelli peppermint bark, and other chocolates by candlelight. 

If you have gorgeous china, crystal, drag it out. Celebrate. Live life like it's a party every day.  I do.  Don't let it gather dust. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful and happy New Year!
~Lisa