Doll Makeover * (long post)

 A $3.00 doll that I picked up at a yard sale.

I had already taken the dress off; so I laid it over the top

of the doll to snap a picture.

I saw this doll at a yard sale and it was so crowded with people

walking around that I only got a glimpse of what she looked like.

Her clothes looked tattered and torn but the dolls pretty face

and hands looked in good condition.  

I walked away from the doll.  But, that night I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I thought I will go back to the sale and see if she is still there.  We drove by

the sale early in the morning and they were not set up and open for sales yet.

We went to town to do our shopping.  I told my husband that when we head home

if we could stop by the yard sale again.  I had my $3.00 asking price in my hands.

If the doll was still there I would buy it.  The doll was there and I did buy her.

The woman at the sale was so busy with other customer

I wasn't able to ask any questions about the doll.  I paid and walked away.

As you can see the doll was missing a leg.

I showed it to my husband and asked if he could help me

to dismantle the doll so I could repair her.

We removed the head so I could start pulling out the stuffing; then

I could unsew the dolls body to recreate a new pattern.  This is what 

I had to work with.

I found some muslin fabric in my stash that I could use.

Below is my first attempt.  It looks good but I sewed

the dolls arms on wrong.

My second attempt.

Yes, this is how the doll was originally meant to be.

This didn't look right?

I knew I could do better.

I sewed the dolls arms on too low.

This looks much better!

I also found a little doll basket cradle 

from the doll room

that the doll fit in perfectly.  

Now to fix the dolls clothes.

They were in pretty bad shape.  All the lace was tattered and torn;

and missing fabric too.

The hemline lace was too far gone for repairs.

The neckline, and bodice and sleeves were

just as bad or worse.

You can see what the pieces looked like.

I wanted to keep the doll as original as possible.

But, the lace all needed to go and be replaced with new. 

I had to cut a small portion of the wrist area off and I attached a new

piece of fabric from my stash.  It was so close that you might not even notice

the difference.

I completely took the dress apart.

Then I started to add new lace.

These are all the pieces of the dress; with the some of the new lace sewed on.

I added some lace to the neckline.

I sewed the sleeves on and gave it a test fit on the baby.

I sewed all the dress parts together again.

Some close up pictures...

The hemline lace added.

The bodice section of the dress.

The doll dress completely refinished.

And the doll as she is today.

I'm happy with how everything turned out.

It was definitely a learning experience for me.

I appreciated the help from my husband.

He is always ready to lend me a helping hand.

~

Some special notes.

This is a

"A. Kendall Doll" reproduction

from the Studio of Kendall's.

It looks like it's dated 1979.

We can barely read the name

by Grace Storey Putnam

Original made in 

Germany early 1900's.