Having decided to do this in a two parter, because of so many pictures I took, I find myself wondering what else you might like to know about this rambling old story of mine?! I do recall at that same church sale or one very much like it, that my maternal grandmother sold off a number of her beautiful teacups and saucers. The church was always having these sales, usually for the building fund or some such thing. I hadn't known up to then that she even possessed such beautiful things. They were so delicate and were in so many different styles and colors, they took my childish breath away. They had all kinds of flowers, from roses to violets and daisies and one was white with green shamrocks on it. I thought them the most beautiful things I had ever seen. Now Grams was not someone easily approachable, so I never got to ask her about her lovely teacups or how she came to collect them? I don't even know how many she sold at that time? I just know I never saw any of them again after that.Time flies so swiftly and now all those folks I knew have gone on to their rest. I wish with all my heart I had been less fearful of her and had asked her more questions. I guess this is my attempt to keep the memory of these things alive and the folks who made them possible. It may seem like a small thing, but sometimes it's the small things in our lives that can make all the difference.
Look at this floral patterned, bright yellow and pink, soft flannel nightgown made by Mrs. Knight. It is so bright and cheerful and made very well. However it has always had issues. If you look at it closely you will see that it has a fitting problem. This was always the case from the time I got it as a child, which is why I seldom played with it. If I put the nightgown on with the opening in the front, the collar came up too high on her neck and swooped lower in the back, as you see here.
However, if I put the gown with the split in the back, it fit properly in the neck, but had this gaping habit like a nasty hospital gown. I decided after much debate with myself, to fix this problem once and for all. I do hate modifying another persons design but I couldn't help feeling that Mrs. Knight would understand and approve.
I did not want to use modern snaps on this gown. Fortunately I had some vintage ones true to the period in my sewing stash. They actually date from the 1940s or 1950s, and I like to think that Mrs. Knight would have used snaps of that period herself if she had, had them. Sewing on eight snaps might seem like overkill for a doll, but I like a sleek look with no gaping. Besides I loved snapping open and closed the snaps when I was a kid. It made such a satisfying sound.
I do love the orange and yellow rickrack she chose and the tiny white lace was also a perfect choice. Mrs. Knight was obviously a woman of taste and discernment. Interestingly the elastic in the sleeves of this gown are as good as the day I got it. I don't know if it was just better quality, or it stayed good because I didn't play with this as much?! The waistband elastics in the clothes simply died and were left with no stretch at all. They were easily replaced however, so no loss there.
See how much nicer this looks. The collar comes down properly and doesn't bunch up at the neck.
The back also lays right, and now she can be dressed without fear of her bottom showing. There is nothing worse than trying to fight gaping, even if she is only a doll. I chose not to put buttons down the back to cover up my stitching where the snaps were. I was careful to keep my stitches very neat and tidy, and felt the buttons wouldn't have added much, and I didn't want them tangling in her hair.
The ribbon around her waist I had to get from my stash, as the pale yellow ribbon she came with did not survive the ravages of time. The only other thing I might mention about my Kerry doll, is that both of her eyes are not blue. Her left eye is hazel green and her right eye is pale blue. I'm not even sure when I first noticed this, which makes me wonder if she always had eyes like this?! I don't remember her eyes being like this as a kid, but I also wonder if I would have noticed? It's enough to to drive me crazy wondering if they were always like this?
Many years ago I was given some lovely 100% cotton vintage 1970's fabric from my mother in-laws fabric stash. I had kept it in my stash for years and not used it, other than for making a couple project bags for a specialty yarn shop of a friend. The other day I remembered this fabric and thought it would make the perfect cloth for a set of doll clothes I had in mind to make for Kerry. I went on the hunt and happily came across it without too much searching. I was so delighted to find I had about a yard of it left. I didn't have a pattern, but it was a easy to just draw one up. Some dresses in the 1970's were very a-line and short. I had just two small buttons for the back that were vintage, so it came together perfectly. I hand stitched the neck and arm openings and the seams I did on my 1979 sewing machine. She may be heavy but she still sews like a dream. Everything turned out to be pretty quick and easy.
Once I had the dress on Kerry and had sent off pictures of her to my Mom, Sister and Brother in-law, the feedback I got back was positive. "Yes it is cute, but my weren't those dresses short!" I had to agree. So I did a think. While she looked cute, I too thought she could use a bit more coverage. Then I remembered that girls of that period also liked a style of layering their short dresses over bell-bottoms. Problem solved.
Here are the bell-bottoms I made, from a pattern I made from the bell-bottoms Mrs. Knight had made. Aren't they delicious?! The fabric pattern is simply wild! Not the easiest thing to match up either, but I did the best I could.
This project was so much fun! It brought back so many memories of my days as a kid, and the crazy wild patterned clothes we wore back then. To say nothing of those bell-bottom pants that got wider and wider in the bell as the 70's rolled on. I can't help smiling every time I look at this outfit. Now I wonder if I should make her a macrame belt out of some hemp string I have?! Wouldn't that be a laugh?! It might be the perfect accessory!
I hope I have made you all smile, and given you a little stroll down your own memory lanes. I loved the color of the sixties and early seventies and really hated it when it all went to harvest gold, avocado green, and chocolate brown in the late seventies. I thought the color palette awful and still do. Bring back the bright colors of the fifties and sixties I say! It would soon cheer everybody up!
Have a God blessed day everyone, and see you all next time!
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