26 March 2009

1969 Side Parts - II

The last time I posted about my 1969 side parts I had two of them. Now I have three, so I decided to take new pictures of them together. Fortunately I did this on the glorious day I took pictures of Dylan Danica, as we've had rain the past two days.


Here are Dagmar, Lilith, and Dylan Danica on the climbing frame in my backyard. Lilith and Dylan Danica both had a ribbon tied in their hair when I received them, but all three now sport small vintage barrettes.

23 March 2009

Meet Danica

It was a glorious day, so I decided to try taking pictures outside. Today's subject is Dylan Danica, a 1969 Blue Cord with her original clothing (and her original stringing). Her hair has streaks of several shades of blonde, very long bushy bangs, and a side part on top. Despite both being blonde side-parts from 1969, she looks quite different from Dagmar. I think they are equally beautiful, and love them both dearly.






UPDATE: I've decided that Dylan sounded too masculine, and have renamed her Danica.

16 March 2009

Meet Harlow

Harlow is my second Redhead Dungarees, also from 1969. She was purchased shortly after Hayley, and came to me in far better condition. Her hair was down, so I re-braided it and added dark green ribbons. Her clothes could do with a good cleaning, and her hair should probably be washed and conditioned as well. Still, I'm enamored with her just as she is.








I think I'm going to put blue ribbons on Hayley's braids so I can tell them apart. Perhaps I'll even get motivated and buy some alphabet beads to make them little ID bracelets.

15 March 2009

Bunny Slippers

Followers of the Sasha Street blog may have noticed some adorable bunny slippers in one of the winning entries of the Apron Wrap Dress challenge. I simply had to have a pair ... or six. I'll tell you more about the slippers and their creator in a future post, this is just a preview: Boo and Calla watching TV together in their bunny slippers.

08 March 2009

Dutch Scene Dress

I desperately wanted this dress from the moment I first saw it on eBay, and luckily I was the top bidder. It was made by Helena in Canada, AKA the eBay seller dolliepatch. The dress is beautiful in pictures, but even more stunning in person. Her description from the auction is spot on: "enchanting antique fabric ... extraordinarily delicate and soft, almost with a life of its own. And the antique hand embroidery is breathtaking ..."


So breathtaking in fact, that I decided to have Enid (my full-center part blonde from 1970) model it, rather than one of the 80's girls that I usually dress. She has such an innocent quality about her.


Here's a close-up of the embroidery at the hem "... marvelously tiny and dainty!"

02 March 2009

Meet Carmen #2

Last fall I noticed a Carmen for sale on eBay that looked quite different from the Carmen I own. Her hair had been styled into two braids, but I knew the difference was more than that. Her clothes were slightly different, and her eyes were different, especially the shape. I communicated with the seller (afewdolls, who I've purchased several dolls from in the past) who kindly sent me a couple of comparison photos of this Carmen with another that she had. Here is one of those photos (note that I am not the owner of either of these dolls):


Wow, what a difference! Since then, I've been looking closely at the Carmens for sale on eBay, and recently purchased a second Carmen for myself. In the long run I may not keep them both, but it will be hard to choose between them if I decide one must go. Here is Carmen #2:


As I mentioned in a previous post, Carmen is is a "Numbered Artist Design". This doll's certificate says she's #314 (while my first Carmen is #752). Thus Carmen #2 was earlier in the production than Carmen #1.

Now the fun part -- comparing my two Carmens. They have more subtle differences in their eyes than the dolls above. Carmen #1 (on the left) has pinprick pupils, while Carmen #2 has larger pupils, and larger eyes as well.


Here's a close-up of the eyes, which are slightly different colors:


Their outfits are made of different materials. Carmen #1 (on the left) has a lighter blue sweater with a finer knit, and a blue and white checked skirt. Carmen #2 has a heathered blue sweater with a coarser knit, and a plaid skirt.


Carmen #2 seems to have slightly thicker hair, though I may be fooled by her thicker braid (in this final picture they've switched places and Carmen #2 in on the left).