These Sweet Little Dolls

So I've been looking and did find some yarn head doll parts. They can range in price from less than three dollars apiece up to twelve dollars for one set. You have to shop around. I got about eight of these for about three dollars apiece in two different sizes so far. I need some more larger heads for my patterns. 

That's about the right price for 1980's doll heads. The smaller ones went for about a buck and a half with the large ones at three to four dollars a set back in the day. 

I am enamored with these dolls. They have the sweetest faces but I think they all need new hair styles. I don't care for the mop look so I'm playing around with changing their hair and colors a little. 

It's not that hard to re-root the hair on these. I just cut the loop end half off of a large eyed needle and use it to push the yarn through the holes. Once I get the hair all set in, then I use a good flexible craft glue poured to the inside of the head and rolled around to catch the thread ends and then I let it dry. These dolls should never be washed in a machine or soaked in water, only surface and hand washed if needed.

These faces really are sweet and it's addictive to make these dolls. It's almost as addictive trying to find the right colors and sizes of parts to make them. I brought in last year making LCR dolls and I'll probably be making these for a while. It's a pretty good way to bring in a new year. 

 

Old Patterns & Christmas Surprises

So I went up in the attic to get some ornaments down for the tree and ran across a box of old patterns and yarn that belonged to my Mom. I also found an afghan and brought down some vintage dishes I also found. There were about a dozen or so skeins of yarn, an old copper bottom pan that needed cleaned up and a corelle ware gold butterfly patterned large serving bowl. I remember that pattern from the 70's. I used to have a set of dishes with that pattern.

I made one of the doll dress patterns and just crocheted the head and hands because they are vintage vinyl doll sets and you can hardly find them anymore unless you want to pay out the wazoo for them. They are rare and expensive. This pattern is called "Bubble Gum".

I remember back in the 80;s when she made those dolls. They were pretty popular dolls around the crochet crowd. You could say they had a following way back then.

It turned out cute but I still want the vinyl ones so if and/or when I get them, I will be swapping them out but until then, my doll has a face and hands. I want to make some more because the patterns go pretty fast but I need some head and hand sets. I even thought about sculpting a head and making a mold but that takes a lot of time. Maybe after Christmas. 

Oh, I did shine up that old pot and guess what? It's a 2 qt Revere Ware pot, stainless steel with copper clad bottom and those things last forever. 

I wish I had done a "before" and "after" picture cause I got it looking pretty good with salt and vinegar. And you can call it coincidence but I went to the thrift store a few days later and found another pot a little bigger and with a lid and brought it home for five bucks. I almost didn't get it because it was so grungy and blackened that I couldn't even make out the stamp on the bottom. But after I cleaned it up it was "Revere Ware" too. I did some research after that.

The one at the thrift store was older and worth a lot more than the one in the attic. So now I'm a Revere Ware collector too.

Those are just a few of my Christmas presents so far. Gee I miss my Mom. I can't help but think she wanted me to find this stuff this year. It's been in the attic for over 15 years. 

You never know where the blessings will come from.