When I was about 7 years old, money was very tight. My father had left my mother and she was trying to support herself and three daughters, the youngest still a todder with typing jobs. Needless to say, Christmas was lean, but she tried to make it very special with homemade gifts. For me, she decided to make a doll pattern she had saved from the 1965 November Woman's Day magazine. The doll she made, Annie, ended up being one of my most beloved toys (along with a special teddybear) and she holds a very special place in my heart.
I still have her, she is a bit grungy for the years, but she is almost 40 years old! Seeing her still makes me smile; I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder!
So yesterday I went to the fabric store and picked out a nice peach colored cotton fabric and started work on making a doll from the same pattern my mom used those many years back. Why? Well I have never made a doll before, and I have always wanted to try my hand at it, and I also thought it would be neat to make a 'sister' for Annie.
So I copied each pattern piece onto printer paper, adding a seam allowance. ( I hate when patterns make you do that, it is so tedious to add!)
Last night I pinned and cut out all the pieces and today I sewed the head and body and stuffed them.
So far, so good... It is going faster than I expected, but I suspect the clothing will not be quick!
Oh, and on the tea towel I made, I decided to add some gingham and rick rack to the bottom and I think it really finished it up nicely and added to the vintage look.
