Winter Weather

Brrrrr its cold here. Fortunately not any snow though, so no snowmen ... except on these sweaters.

Aren't they the cutest! I bought several holiday/winter sweaters from Carol Marsh, who sells on ebay as user bjbcuddles (her storefront is called carolanns sewing room). Maybe I'll find time to post pictures of more of them before Christmas, but don't hold your breath. Fortunately dolls don't change size and thus I will be able to use (and photograph) these sweaters for years to come.

This is the first picture posted of Emma and Esme together. Can you see why I think they're a great pair?!

Happy Easter!

Adeline is all dressed up for Easter in an adorable rabbit outfit by Nikita (ebay seller eseascaper7) and shoes/socks by Ruthsdolls. I love the placement of the rabbit trio on the bodice and how it makes her blueberry eyes look almost blue-grey.

She has an Easter basket full of yummy treats from the Etsy shop USA Girl Dolls. I bought these last year, but due to a shipping snafu they didn't arrive until a few days after Easter. No worries - my Sashas didn't mind and the "candy" is still fresh for this year (and next year, and the year after that ...).

I think she looks rather sullen for a girl with such a large basket of yummy treats. Maybe its because she'd rather be eating candy than posing for pictures.

Happy Easter everyone!

Grocery Shopping

I purchased a Sasha-sized shopping cart for myself last year. Boo fell in love with it, but I didn't want to give it up. Instead, I bought a second cart and gave it to her for Christmas, filled with groceries (mostly from Lovvbugg on eBay). I also found her a couple of miniature shopping baskets (in the dollar section at Target - such a bargain!), one containing plastic fruits and the other containing plastic vegetables. This means she has plenty of supplies for her Sashas to go grocery shopping.

Boo with Rose and Calla, showing off some of their goodies:

Rose fills the cart while Calla pushes:

Rose and Calla are both wearing retro print dresses made by Fung Hicks, one with kittens and the other with Scottie dogs.

School Days

I'm not sure if Ziggy and Star are fraternal twins or simply siblings. Either way, I think they make a fetching duo. She looks different here with her hair pulled back by a headband.


They're wearing matching school clothes made by Helena in Canada (AKA eBay seller dolliepatch), complete with a satchel for her and a knapsack for him.


I left them in stocking feet because I couldn't find appropriate shoes in my huge stash (which is almost entirely girly shoes). I'm thinking they need new brown leather shoes: t-straps for her and oxfords for him, or boots for her and loafers for him? Decisions, decisions ...

Happy New Year

Muriel would like to join me in wishing everyone a Happy 2010! She's still wearing her Christmas outfit, a nifty Rudolph dress made by the very talented Helena in Canada (AKA eBay seller dolliepatch). Sometimes I see one of her creations and I just have to have it, as was the case with this dress. I think it's just perfect for Muriel, who tends to look best in "big girl" clothes.


I did not make any resolutions, though I did set some goals for the year. One of them is to continue blogging at least once a week. I have lots of ideas, it's time that I'm always short of (and good weather for taking photos). I have a dozen more dolls to introduce, lots of clothing to share, more props and display ideas, dolls and clothing for sale (check out my booth on bonanza), and perhaps even details of my own sewing attempts (another of my goals).

Merry (Belated) Christmas!

I was hoping to write a couple more posts before taking a break for Christmas, but my schedule just didn't allow it. There's so much going on this time of year, and the kids have two weeks off from school which pretty much eliminates my Sasha time.

There were lots of Sasha-related gifts at my house this year. Boo received several presents for Calla and Rose under the Christmas tree, including Magic Attic clothing and accessories, and gorgeous hand-painted furniture. I hope to share pictures and more information once life quiets down a bit. I purchased a new doll on eBay as a gift for myself, a 1969 Brunette Party (with "perfect" hair, that of course turned out to be very fragile). I also bought this cute white tree from Prilly Charmin (thanks to Kelly for the information), which Boo decided Calla and Rose would enjoy decorating. My 9-year old son made the star for the top.


Calla's gingerbread men dress was made by eBay seller specialdelivery2006, while Rose's gold star dress is from Nellie Rose.

Baby Clothes

Like many baby girls, Cleo has quite a wardrobe. Unlike a real baby though, she won't outgrow her clothes. It would take me weeks to find enough free time to photograph her in everything, so I'm going to start with just a few of my favorites.

This shiny red satin outfit is by Käthe Kruse, and fits perfectly. I think it's a nice change from all of Cleo's pastel-colored clothes, which make photography hard since they look washed out when I have enough light to see her features clearly. I found this wicker chair for her on eBay, and she usually sits in it when she's not having her picture taken (and sometimes when she is).


I bought this pink and white dress and lace-trimmed bonnet (and the unseen shoes and diaper she's wearing) at The Sasha Wardrobe, along with several other baby items. The dress was part of the 2009 Summer Collection. Cleo has four teddy bears, but I'm keeping my eyes open for other suitably-sized baby toys.


I couldn't resist these frilly baby pants from The Doll Works. My daughter Boo had several similar pairs when she was young. The doll quilt Cleo is sitting on is from my childhood.


This white smocked dress and matching bonnet is also from The Doll Works. It is so sweet, that I'm tempted to buy the pink version too. I bought these shoes there as well, though I had a hard time keeping them on her feet as you can see. Too bad they don't make those snap-on shoelace covers (you know, the ones with the bells on top) small enough for dolls.


This three piece layette is from eBay seller misspatau, who sells "Knits by Trish". The sock monkey is Boo's (a baby for the two full-sized sock monkeys my Mom made for the kids), but she let Cleo borrow it for a photo session.


UPDATE: I meant to include another photo when I created this post. Here's Cleo wearing a cute pink babygro from Ruths Dolls. My daughter wore very similar outfits when she was a baby (only much larger of course). Very sweet!


That's definitely all for now, but I'm sure I'll be taking pictures of more baby clothes sometime in the future.

Bavarian Outfit

I posted previously about two folk costumes I purchased off eBay. I have since purchased a third, this time a Bavarian style outfit. It was made by the very talented Susan Waite from Australia (eBay seller chirnside), who also made my Swedish folk outfit. She makes such high-quality outfits with an eye for detail, and is very friendly in her communications. I feel fortunate to own two of her creations.


Here's a closer look at the vintage trim on the cap. The rest of the colors coordinate so nicely with the copper and gold roses. It really pulls together all of the pieces in the outfit.


Here are the Bavarian and Swedish outfits together, being modeled by Muriel and Lucinda (my two Gotz no-navels). They both have a cap and an apron, but the colors and styles are very different -- and yet equally charming.

Tina Gross ... aka dollydetroit

I previewed this post last month when I showed Boo and Calla in their bunny slippers. Calla's were made by a very talented lady named Tina, who also sells Sasha clothing (and bunny slippers) on eBay as dollydetroit.


The slippers are adorable, and she is a marvelous person to communicate with. I emailed photos to her and she coordinated each doll's slippers to their pajamas, with each pair arriving in a tagged baggie indicating which doll they were intended for. Here are my five getting ready for a slumber party in their pajamas (all made by Patty at The Sasha Wardrobe) and their new slippers. [Boo is adamant that I need to put everyone back in their pajamas and slippers and take another picture that includes Calla, even though she had her own slipper picture earlier.]


Tina's talents don't stop at bunny slippers, as I discovered when I won her "Wicked-inspired" ensemble on eBay. I love the little details like the lollipop and hat, and especially the shoes! One of my dolls will be a cute Munchkin next year for Halloween. It is being modeled in this photo by Muriel (a 1970 no-navel), who I will introduce at some point in the future.


Tina also did me a huge favor and replaced the elastic in the waist of Danica's pants, which kept falling down around her ankles. What more can I say ... I'm thrilled to know her and am hoping this is the start of a long Sasha friendship.

UPDATE: Tina has a website now: Dollydetroit by Tina Gross.

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!"

Meet Rose

I bought a 1980's Blonde Gingham on eBay specifically for my daughter. Unfortunately when she arrived she smelled a bit smokey. I set her aside figuring I'd see what I could do, and gave Calla to Boo instead. Fortunately the smell wasn't too bad, and the doll was fine once I'd washed her hair and left her to air on the screened porch for a while. I knew Calla would need a friend eventually, especially once Boo started talking about wanting a doll named Rose. Well, she now has a doll named Rose (officially Ceres Rose, in keeping with the naming theme of the other 80's dolls).

The first thing Boo did was redress her, settling on this lovely pink "princess" dress, a Nellie-Rose creation from eBay seller maudie-mays. Bee-you-tee-ful!


Here's what I found in Boo's room the next morning: Princess Rose, still dressed in her finery, tucked into Calla's bed. I had Paul McCartney's "After the Ball" stuck in my head for the rest of the day...


UPDATE: I've discovered that Ceres was the Roman goddess of the harvest/agriculture (Demeter is the Greek equivalent). So perhaps I should be referring to her as Goddess Rose instead of Princes Rose. :-)

It's Pajama Time

I've been too busy to take Sasha pictures recently, but today I managed to find a free moment. Please pardon the cluttered background and bad lighting, but the dolls are in the family room and I didn't have time to move them to more photogenic surroundings. Boo received a bed for Calla for Christmas, and she's been hanging out there the past couple of weeks. I decided to put the girls into their pj's for a group photo with the new bed. Cindy, Cathy, Cybil, and Chloe are all wearing nightwear made by Patty at The Sasha Wardrobe. Calla is lounging in a pair of pajamas that Enid was wearing when I purchased her; they are tagged Nellie-Rose and were thus made by eBay seller maudie-mays. Everyone's hair is a bit mussed as there was no time for brushing hair either, but in this setting perhaps it can be construed as bedhead.

Merry Christmas!

My "playing" dolls are all dressed up for Christmas, and have been joined by a special new friend. I finally finished paying the layaway on my 1968 fringe girl! I will formally introduce Alison in a future post, but wanted her to share in the holiday fun.


Alison is at the far left wearing a red checked dress of unknown origin. She looks so petite compared to all these girls from the 1980's. Next to her, Cindy wears a smocked dress with a gingerbread men print from eBay seller specialdelivery2006. Then comes Calla in a Nellie-Rose gold star dress with matching bow from eBay seller maudie-mays. The Santa hats are also Nellie-Rose Doll Fashions. On the other side of the tree, Cathy, Cybil, and Chloe all wear festive dresses labeled "Hand Crafted By Molly". I purchased them second hand, but believe that eBay seller molly31_7 is the same Molly.

Folk Costumes

You may have seen these stunning ensembles on eBay recently. I consider them to be more works of art than doll clothing, as both have incredible attention to detail.

First is an outfit done in the style of many central European folk costumes. It looks very Polish to me, and the bright colors are just wonderful with Cybil's hair. It was made by the very talented eBay seller kmkdollshop.


Second is a Swedish folk outfit made by the equally talented eBay seller chirnside. I lost out on the bidding for a similar dress she auctioned previously, and was thrilled to win her second offering of this style.


Dressed like this, they remind me of larger versions of the "Dolls of the Nations" costume dolls that my mother used to collect when she was a girl. Perhaps one day I'll have a different country's outfit for each of my Sashas to wear.

A Tisket, A Tasket ...

... A Sasha in a Basket. Boo has taken to carrying her doll around in a wicker basket. I told her that as the official owner she could choose a new name if she wanted to. She's gone back and forth on names - from Calla to one of a wide variety of names then back to Calla - but I think she's finally settled on Pearl.

UPDATE: Pearl didn't last long as a name. As of 12/13 she's back to Calla, or occasionally Callie.


Calla usually wears a pony tail these days as her hair gets mighty tangled if it's down. She's currently wearing a cherry print dress I purchased long ago (which I believe was made by eBay seller *scarletrose*designs) and red Euro Girl shoes.

Treasured Trouseau

At first glance this might not seem like cool-weather clothing, but the outfit includes a coordinating cardigan. I took a picture with the dress alone to show off the funky pattern and the buttons on the gingham ribbon. I would like a dress like this for myself! It's from Treasured Trousseau, (eBay seller nameless). She does actually have a name, and seems like a very nice person from our email correspondence.


As one of Treasured Trousseau's first customers, she also sent me a gift -- a designer label shirt and shorts set. Very thoughtful and very cute. I'm looking forward to more auctions from this designer (and hopefully more winning bids).

Cool-Weather Clothing

I've been buying a bunch of fall/winter clothing for my dolls, most of it on eBay. When I saw this holiday folklore outfit from dfscarbrough, I knew it would be perfect for Cathy. Her short hair doesn't cover up any of the jacket's winter scene. I like how these trees are made of the same red calico fabric as the blouse.


Here's a view of the charming house on the back, complete with metallic stars in the sky.


I was hesitant to put this school girl outfit on Cybil at first (should redheads wear burgundy?), but think it looks marvelous. The turtleneck is actually a bodysuit which keeps it from bunching up (and also keeps people from seeing her panties -- very important if you ask Boo). It was made by eBay seller specialdelivery2006, who also made one of my lovely white with pink party dresses.

Meet Adeline (before)

Sweet Adeline,
My Adeline,
At night, dear heart,
For you I pine;
In all my dreams,
Your fair face beams.
You're the flower of my heart,
Sweet Adeline.

Adeline is an eBay find. She was a bargain (at least in my opinion) because she has been well-loved and is in need of a little TLC. I believe she is was produced in 1968. I call her my "Mystery" Blonde because I don't know how she was originally dressed: blue cord, brown cord, jeans, perhaps even gingham if she's from 1969 instead. She came to me wearing a cute dress from Dolliepatch which Boo is already begging to put on Calla. I'm going to dress her as a blue cord girl with an outfit I purchased from Sasha Doll UK -- a fabulous website for both shopping and dreaming.


After the Holidays I plan to send Adeline on a trip to the Sasha Spa. She has a nose ding and some scrapes on her face that will probably remain, but a few of her flaws can be easily fixed: she is a bit grubby, her arms no longer hold a pose, and several plugs of the first row of her bangs have been chopped.


On the plus side, her bangs are thick enough to conceal the chopped bit and her hair is quite nice overall. It's a bit dry at the ends, but nicely two-toned with a part on top. Her lip paint is basically non-existent, but her eyes are glorious.


I will post more pictures of Adeline after her R and R.

Clothing Shuffle

I'm "playing" with my "displaying" dolls but sometimes it's hard to resist, especially for those not in their original outfits.

A nice eBay seller (afewdolls I think) sent along a Gotz outfit with one of my doll purchases, the pink dress and full white panties from the Daniela dress set. Sofie and Daniela are from the same year, and both have similar blonde hairstyles. I also have a white vest and white sandals from a Sarah dress set (which I don't really need seeing as I have Sarah in her original clothing), so I decided to put them to use. Sofie now looks a lot like Daniela, minus her white straw hat.


The pink plaid dress that Sofie was wearing is now on Anika, and matches her pink shoes perfectly. With their pale skin and brown hair, Stella and Anika look like sisters in their matching dresses.


Marianne needed to cover her bare feet, so I've given her the white Bonika shoes that I bought for Sofie. They're not the style of shoe she would have worn originally, but they look nice none-the-less. Who knows, perhaps one day I'll find her the correct replacement footwear.

One Girl and Her Doll

I have decided that Calla should officially belong to Boo. She enjoys playing with her so much that I've given up worrying about what might happen. And as my husband rightly pointed out, I have a lot of other dolls.


Today we dressed Calla in some bright new Nellie-Rose Doll Fashions made by eBay seller maudie-mays (these are great for children as they're cute, colorful, and easy to get on). Then I helped Boo cut a fabric scrap to create a simple triangular headscarf and a sash, which she though was great fun. I'm planning to re-read the "Advice on child sewing for dolls" thread on Sasha_Mart, as I have a feeling that information will come in handy in the not-so-distant future. Once Calla was suitably dressed, they shared some tea and a few laughs in Boo's bedroom.