Sasha Festival 2011 - post 6

I finally found time to take pictures of all the official festival souvenirs. Hopefully I didn't miss anything; searching my bags and my memory, I came up with the following:

Registration -- tote bag, festival booklet, auction booklet, auction paddle, and nametag
Friday Workshops -- quilted pillow and fishing pole
Friday Luncheon: "An Afternoon at the Sangamon River" -- overalls and straw hat
Saturday Dinner: "An Edwardian Garden Party" -- dress, dress stand, and pinwheel
Sunday Brunch: "A Farewell to Springfield" -- gingham bag, Lincoln Logs, tights and shoes

Here are Desiree and Adeline wearing the outfits Boo and I received, which consist of a dress, white tights, and black shoes.

The dresses were on wooden stands, with a different fabric at each table and alternating colored ribbon sashes. Thus each dress was five-of-a-kind, with 18 different combinations. Boo and I sat side by side, so we have the same fabric but different sashes. The other 16 combinations are pictured below (click on a picture to see a larger version).

Here's a close-up of the bodice, showing the pintucks and buttons at the throat. I'm not sure if each button was different or if there were duplicates, but I saw a wide variety. I guess taking the buttons into account, that really makes each dress one-of-a-kind.

There were no table hostess gifts this year, but Boo and I did get a nice surprise from another mother/daughter pair: a floral headband for Boo, and Sasha notecards for me. I couldn't resist including them in this picture with the dresses and pinwheels, since they go so well with the "garden party" dinner theme.

We received overalls and a straw hat at our luncheon for the boys, and the fishing pole made at the workshops is the perfect accessory for an afternoon on the river.  Now that Gregor Hiker has found a new home in Switzerland(!) my lone "male" is Sigmund, who makes a perfect fishing lad. Boo and I made the pillows at the workshops too (fortunately they were  already pieced, though hand quilting was a challenge for both of us). The pastel boxes contained the shoes, while the gingham bags contained the tights and Lincoln Logs.

These tote bags are so large that they are tough to photograph. One side has a picture of a Gotz brunette in farm pants, while the other side is embroidered with "2011 Sasha Festival"; both sides are shown in this picture. Boo and I chose different fabric combinations so we wouldn't get our bags confused -- hers has the pink stripes.

And lastly, the paper goods from registration: the festival journal, auction catalog, auction paddle, and our nametags (there was also some Springfield literature which isn't pictured).

Summer Frocks

Since Adeline and Desiree are for sale at the festival this weekend, this may be my last chance to take pictures of them - and of the dresses I made for them. I love how they look in their new summer frocks, like a couple of schoolgirls headed to a party.

They're both "late 60's blondes", but they are far from identical. Adeline has a wider face than Desiree, and her eyes are smaller and a darker blue. Almost all the paint has rubbed off Adeline's lips leaving them nude, while Desiree's lip paint has whitened. Sisters, cousins, or just friends?

Sleeveless "Migros" Dress

I had some blue and yellow floral fabric that I thought would look nice on Desiree, so I decided to make her a new dress. I used the sleeveless version of the classic Migros dress pattern, which was challenging given my limited sewing skills. It's not perfect, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.

The skirt is very wide, just like the early cord dresses, which makes it easy for Desiree to lift it up and show off her matching pants.

This sweet 1969 girl is for sale, and will be available at my sales table at the upcoming Sasha Festival in Springfield.

Meet Desiree (after)

I've been meaning to write this post for almost a week, but have been busy because the kids are out of school for the summer. We've had rain for several days, but fortunately I took pictures of Desiree before the wet weather arrived.

Desiree was another grubby girl when I purchased her on eBay, plus she had several marks on her right leg and her stringing was very loose. All of that has been fixed now by Pat Pellerito, who did a great job restoring her. As I mentioned in my last post, my dolls returned from Florida "looking fresh and wholesome with ribbons in their hair". Desiree's hair is now pulled back at the sides in pale blue ribbons, which influenced my clothing decision for her. She arrived in a tattered brown cord dress, which I believe was her original clothing. I contemplated buying her a "new" brown cord outfit from Sasha Doll UK, but the hair ribbons were just perfect with the classic gingham dress.


This dress is from around the right period as it has snaps at the cuffs (It came with Hayley, who is also from 1969, and I believe the original owner purchased at about the same time as the doll). I have shoes that came with the dress, but they are currently being used by another doll while I figure out how to repair a broken snap.

Her bangs are a bit short, but they look like they were made that way and not chopped by a previous owner. And the pale blue really brings out the color of her eyes.


If anyone has knowledge or even suggestions about repairing/replacing snaps, I'd appreciate it. I have a pair of white ankle strap shoes that are missing the "male" half of one snap, and the dress shown above is missing the snap on one of the cuffs. Any help with fixing these would be greatly appreciated!

Meet Desiree (before)

Desiree is another eBay find. She wears a gold wrist tag, and from her stringing I believe she is from 1969. I'm pretty sure she's wearing her original brown cord dress (which is damaged at the hem), though her pants, socks, and shoes are long gone. She is too floppy to stand, or even hold her head up properly. Fortunately that will be fixed soon as she's currently traveling to Pat's Spa for restringing along with Hayley and Hester (who hasn't been introduced yet).


I still need to clean/style her hair and decide what to do about her clothes, but I can see the potential that she holds in her beautiful blue eyes and pink lips.


UPDATE: I don't need to worry about Desiree's hair, as Pat is going to wash it. I sent her three dolls, and in addition to restringing she's giving them her spa treatment (washing and drying their hair and washing their bodies inside and out) and removing some marks from their bodies. I can't wait to see them, as I'm sure she will do a fantastic job with their restoration. Look for future posts on all three dolls once they return from Florida.