Yesterday, we were browsing in a store that sells antiques. At the very last minute, after the initial sale had already been completed, I spotted a doll that I really cheapest online pharmacy prices. It was one of those spur of the moment decisions, but she was tiny, and cute, and looked very old, with a china head that has black (ceramic) hair, and a dainty face with lovely features. Sure, she was a little soiled, but she was coming home with me!

Without further adieu, I brought her to the nice man behind the register who wrapped her in paper. It was not until I got home that I realized she was losing her stuffing…and the stuffing was powder-like flakes of sawdust. I had to investigate the matter further.

I took off her clothes and that was a complicated task. She was all trussed up with red, cheapest online pharmacy prices thread. Seems as though someone thought they needed to tie her head to her upper body. There is one metal-color snap at the top of the back of her Turkey Red dress. That was easy to undo. Negotiating the red threads wasn’t so easy, so I simply cut them, carefully, of course.

I am not sure of the cloth composition of her body, legs, and arms. I am unfamiliar with that stiff, brittle fabric. The main part of her (cloth) body was full of holes and that was the main culprit for the falling sawdust. What to do? I decided to follow a rule that I use when repairing old quilts – to not do anything that is not a reversible action. So, this is what I did:

I cut a piece of muslin and folded in all the raw edges. I wrapped this piece around the doll’s body, above the legs, and to the bottom of the china doll head, and sewed the edges of the muslin together with a hemming stitch, after overlapping them. Then, using a basting stitch, I “gathered” the bottom edge, and then did the same to the top edge. The result? No more falling filling.

My doll’s face was very dirty. I went to the kitchen and found a disposable plastic cup into which I added some Clear Ivory liquid detergent and mixed in some warm water. Then, using cotton swabs, I used the aqueous solution to whisk away the grime. You’d be amazed at how black those swabs became!

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I have to cover her arms. All the stuffing has fallen out of them, but the arms are still hanging there, in threads. Have not decided on the best way to stabilize them yet.

Her clothing consisted of pull-on, long underwear with lace around the bottom of each leg. This item had been safety-pinned to the back of the doll such a long time ago, I had to use a special tool to remove the safety pin, and it snapped off, in so doing = one, ancient safety pin.

Over the undies, she was wearing a double-layer “slip” made from flannel. That is so dirty, it is “beyond it.” I may just throw it away. I am recreating one like it, and shall baste it around the top and gather it and tie it, just like the old one.

The top layer is a solid color, Turkey Red dress which looks authentically old. I had thought about replacing it, but I rather like the original dress. It has a few minor pin holes in it. I’m just debating as to whether or not I will wash it. The verdict is not in on that decision, but I probably will do an Orvus/Ivory soak for a short time, and then air dry the dress.
Her hands are attached to the shreds of arms and they are just fine, but the ends of her feet have been broken off.

A doll restorer friend of mine suggested some places to check for new doll feet and my mailbox has been deluged with offers from quite a few very kind people who deal in such body parts. In the meantime, I have been thinking about the fragile material of those legs and how I don’t really want to “undo” them. I’d have to replace the legs altogether and that is more work than I planned on doing, and it would violate my own principle with which I began the project.

I am trying to come up with another solution to replacement, and think I may have hit on an idea to knit a tube-like sock covering for each foot with fine cotton crochet thread.

I don’t have to have “perfect” things, and the repairs I have done so far, could be reversed. In the end, I just want a clean doll that looks nice and isn’t losing her stuffing. Wish me luck as I continue on this quest. Photos will be forthcoming! Of course, at some point, she will need her own mini-quilt!

Pat

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007 at 12:51 am and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.