. . . I made a
doll outfit for the rag doll Ethel is making Shirley Jean. We had great fun
doing it and trying it onto Ethel’s old big doll who lives here.
Ina
Dobson to her sister Mabel Montgomery, December 1933
December
1936
Now
that everyone was nestled down for the night, Ina reviewed the events of the
day as she was falling asleep. The family had arrived mid-afternoon. The supper
of stewed chicken, biscuits and apple pie had been well-received. Afterwards Ina
and Jack were content to sit “before the blazing fire” listening to Ernest
converse. Now she looked forward to a private conversation with Ethel.
And
-- Ina had to admit to herself that she was unprepared for the change in
Shirley Jean, whose interests were no longer those of a little girl. Ina’s thoughts drifted back to
Christmas 1933 – just three years ago – when Shirley Jean was but 8 years old.
Ethel and Ernest couldn’t afford the store-bought doll that Shirley Jean wanted, so Ethel made a rag doll instead. Upon receiving the doll’s
dimensions, Ina and Shirley flew to the scrap box to search for fabric pieces
large enough for a doll dress. Ethel had left her childhood doll behind as
daughters do when they move away, and they had used that doll as a model for
the dress. It had been such fun! A happy memory.
No
doll clothes for Shirley Jean this Christmas, though. At 11 years of age, she
was now too old for dolls by her own admission. Ina was a practical person and readily
approved this decision. Still, she would miss having the little girl to do for,
and gifts for adolescents were always difficult.
[The
record doesn’t show what Ina gave Shirley Jean that Christmas.]
December
2012 (real time)
Some
things don’t change. Through the ages, mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts
have found a satisfying creative outlet through sewing for a little girl’s doll.
As
I announced earlier, this Christmas I am becoming a grandmother to an American
Girl doll. I feel a little guilty that the doll is someone else’s gift – like
I’m having fun on someone else’s dollar -- but since our daughter-in-law requested
that I make clothes, I know I’m not intruding on the gift. And of course, I’m
totally ready with patterns and fabric.
Making
doll clothes can be frustrating because of the narrow seam allowances and tight
corners, but if one gets used to it, it is “great fun,” as Ina puts it. I make
my fabric selections from remnant bins, not because it’s a savings (it’s not)
but because it narrows the fabric field and keeps my fabric buying in check. I love
to blend the fabrics to come up with combinations that are uniquely my own.
Once I get started the outfits are plain or embellished according to my whim.
Naturally,
my own American Girl “Kit,” whom I named “Shirley Anne, American Farm Girl,” was
pleased to model the new pajamas and crocheted Santa hat before they were
mailed off as Emmy’s Christmas gift. KW
Oh my. Such fun to have a little girl in the family at Christmas time. Having 2 younger brothers, a son and 2 grandsons, my doll life ended when I was a teenager. Literally. We moved from Missouri to Seattle when I was 15. Although I didn't play with my dolls any longer, they were still in my room. They were all sold when we moved. Not my decision, but that's life.
ReplyDeleteDolls are such a vital part of a little girl's life. Being asked to make doll clothes is an honor, Kathy. I know you had fun making the lovely clothes for Emmy's new doll. Her outfit is wonderful.
I had fun making the pjs and will do more after Christmas. I hope Emmy enjoys the doll. Her main interest to date seems to be paper and pencil.
ReplyDeleteYour comments, Leah, put me in mind of the experience of buying "Kit" on eBay. My family encouraged me to buy a new doll, but I just wanted a doll to dress. After winning the bid, I felt that something just wasn't right with the sale. Finally, the seller told me her 16-year-old daughter had lost interest in her dolls and she (the seller) was trying to convince the girl that she had her memories and no longer needed the doll. I was mortified! I offered to drop the sale if she would let the girl keep the doll, but the seller wouldn't hear of it. It really affected how I felt about the doll. Here I was an adult indulging a whim, buying a doll whose owner didn't want to part with her.
So sad that the girl couldn't keep her doll. I know exactly how that girl felt, because it happened to me. Every single doll I had was taken from me (without discussion). If you can keep the real doll/thing, it's much better than memories.
ReplyDeleteI think the backlash to that story is that the 16 yr old will grow up and allow her daughters to keep their dolls forever. When the 16 yr old is a mother & "cleans house" so to speak, she won't think of removing dolls from the house.
Oh, Shirley Anne is looking so cute in that outfit! Emmy will love it.
ReplyDeleteYou and stayed with dolls longer than most, but at the end the best part of the fun was sewing for them.
Leah, I'm sorry you lost your dolls. My mom lost all hers though family moves, so I bought her some new ones a few years ago, complete with wardrobes. It wasn't the same, but she loved them. Maybe you should buy yourself a doll, just for fun?
Oh Chris. How sweet to buy new dolls for your mom. I'm sure that the thought that her daughter wanted to give her happy memories was very meaningful. I'll think about a doll sometime in the future.
ReplyDelete