New Knitting Pattern

I have finished writing and posting a few free knitting patterns which are listed here. The last pattern being inspired by these 1920's nautical style day dresses.

The collar is separate from the dress, the band is also knitted separately and stitched on.

The dress closes at the back with seven small buttons. I have used this pattern with some personal adjustments for my other three girls and will show photos of them later when I have more time.

For Linda: Here is a Paola Reina Las Amigas in the dress, as you can see you would need to adjust the length of the sleeves, but otherwise the fit looks okay.

All Dressed

I had a visit the other day from Vicky, one of the team from Janette's Doll Studio. She lives nearby and dropped my order off as she was passing by. She also brought an outfit which I wanted to purchase for Eloi. 

As you can see, everything fits my Minouche dolls beautifully.

I also received those long awaited shoes from Russia and paid for them again! 

Now my RRFF girls can model their completed outfit No.1 ... Sara has had a hat change and Maya a different wig.

Sara

Maya

Stella

I'm still working on outfit No.2, most is done but I had to wait until I could find some white 4ply wool locally, which I did yesterday. So after I've checked your latest posts, it's back to the knitting needles for me.

Hope you are all well and enjoying some dolly time of your own!

Where Have All The Bloggers Gone?

It's been very quiet around here for such a long time, so many of the regular bloggers have ceased to post ~ haven't heard a word from Sharon, Rachael, Alejandra, Alasse or Phillis for months now. Even Niina and Lily have been quiet for a few weeks. I do hope everyone is okay and that they haven't given up blogging altogether.

I know Alasse has been busy with other things as I have had an email from her, and I'm sure she will share her news in time.

Most of my time has been spent listing dolls and other dolly related stuff on eBay, but as soon as I sell a few things, I replace them with new purchases, like these gorgeous Easter Bonnets for my Ruby Red girls.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Janette (I cropped them)

I had these made by Janette, a local girl who sells on Etsy . . . you can see her store here. I initially purchased the hat below (which was in stock) for another doll, but I loved the style so much I was inspired to make my girls new dresses to match the hat's I commissioned (which I will show later as they are not completed yet).

I sew and knit quite competently, but when it comes to crochet I am not so hot. I have always loved all types of millinery myself, so I guess it's only natural I should want my dolls to wear them too. Do you like hats on dolls? If you do, I can assure you Janette has various styles to suit most dolls, her prices are reasonable and she will ship overseas. She is also great to work with if you want something special. Pop on over when you get a chance.

My Girls

Well I finally found time to finish the last cardigan a few days ago, but I have been waiting for those darn boots which I ordered back on 18th January to arrive. At present there doesn't seem to be any sign of them, and all I am getting from the Russian Store on Etsy is, wait, wait, wait. I finally cracked it today and asked for a refund, I am still waiting for a reply. 

I understand there have been delays caused by the pandemic, but even so, I haven't had to wait for over two months for any of my parcels, no matter where they have been shipped from.

Out of sheer frustration I ended up putting some Paola Reina shoes on them, but they are far too wide and long, even with tights on they are loose. However, I have managed to take a photo of the three of them together at long last.

Still undecided about the wig on Maya, it's just a tad too big and I think something shorter would suit her better, but that's something I will play with later.

On a brighter note, we have no-one with Covid in Victoria and as from Friday we will no longer have to wear those dreadful masks when we are out and about. However, if one is using public transport (which I don't) and visiting hospitals (don't do this either), people will still need to wear them though.

I hope you are all doing well and looking forward to receiving your jabs!

P.S. I received a refund!

Stella's Arrival

Sorry I haven't been around much lately, but I have been busy listing dolls for sale on eBay. Sorting out who is staying and who is going, then taking photos, listing etc. all takes time and there just doesn't seem to be enough of it.

Well no photos to share yet, however, Stella arrived promptly on 11th March as predicted by RRT (9 business days). She's as pretty as the other dolls, but if anyone is looking to order her, please be aware she has staining from the black top under her arms.

It did work out cheaper ordering directly from Ruby Red Toys, shipping was less expensive and she didn't take as long to arrive as I had expected. So for those in Australia needing a basic Fashion Friend it's the best option.

Although her hair is very pretty, I'm not sure I love it. So whether she will stay or go is yet to be determined. I'm really not looking forward to trying to remove it, hence my hesitation about changing it.

I will get round to you all soon, in the meantime . . . keep on dolling! 😘

RRFF Stella

I would have preferred a blue eyed red head for my third basic Ruby Red Fashion Friend to finish my trio, but settled for a green eyed one instead. Stella has a very pretty face and two toned hair which I really like. At least I won't have to worry about trying to get that glued on wig off her little noggin'. 

I'm assuming her top and jeans will have Velcro, so I am thinking I'll probably end up putting all the RRFF clothes with Velcro up for sale down the track. Her replacement clothes are all ready for her, she just needs to arrive.

I'm not sure how long it will take for her to arrive as I ordered her directly from Ruby Red Toys this time. I did this purely to test the time from order to arrival and to compare the amounts paid for my two earlier purchases of the basic dolls.

So what are your thoughts on Stella? Do you think she'll compliment my first two?

RRFF Daisy

Thought this little gal might interest someone. Daisy features hazel green eyes, cute freckles and shoulder-length sandy blonde hair.

Her outfit consists of a short sleeved lavender dress with a pretty layer of sheer floral embroidered fabric and a purple sash with a silk flower; white lace leggings; silver and purple flats; and a straw Easter bonnet with purple ribbon and flower embellishments.

She is a pretty doll and a USA exclusive, limited to 175. Pre order now for March from Samantha's Dolls or Happily Ever After - US$149.99. 

I like her, but I'm not purchasing this time . . . aren't I a good girl? 

She's Arrived!

Eira was pre-ordered on 26th January, shipped from the UK on the 18th February, arriving today, just eight days later and ahead of schedule. Whereas my boots that I ordered for these gals on 17th January, which were promptly shipped from my supplier on the 18th, and finally departed Moscow on 28th, still haven't arrived . . . crazy slow postage, but I am allowing for Covid delays on this parcel.

The limited edition boxes are unlike the open editions, and look quite different to any that I have seen before. They are very substantial and much too nice to dispose. Inside I found her accessories taped (not stapled) to the side of the box, along with her Certificate of Authenticity (she is #91 of 150 dolls limited to the European market).

Her clothes are nicely made, although the top and pants had Velcro (which you know I hate). The jacket is gorgeous and fully lined, her accessories are also nicely finished and best of all, she is much better IRL than in her promo shots!

I haven't undone her hair yet and will probably leave it as it is, for now at least. 

I'm still finding the heavy eyeliner a bit difficult to deal with, but her blue eyes are so pretty. Initially I had plans for changes to be made to this doll, but that was  before I had received her, I am having second thoughts now.

I may just keep her as she is and buy another basic Fashion Friend to complete my trio. Of course that means I shall probably look for two more Limited Editions down the track so Eira has friends of her own. (Perhaps that is simply me thinking of another excuse to buy another couple of dolls? 🤣)

Have you seen the Siblies?

They are coming soon and you can see them here on YouTube! Kelsey, Bailey, Rory (a boy), Sydney and Callie are the new dolls from Ruby Red Fashion Friends.

PHOTO: Ruby Red Fashion Friends

The 12" Siblies are fully posable and can even stand on their own. With 9 points of articulation, luxurious hair and a vinyl body ~ they are ready for any adventure! 

Price US$69.99 with shipment expected around end of Mar/early Apr 2021.

My trio selection would most likely be:

BAILEY has dark teal eyes and long auburn hair.

KELSEY has light brown eyes and dark hair with purple streaks.

SYDNEY has deep brown eyes and a dark bob hairstyle.

Well that's all the news I have for you today. Is anyone else likely to purchase one of these dolls?

Another Friend is Coming Soon

Produced for the European market, this 36cm Ruby Red Fashion Friends doll called Eira is a special limited edition of 150. It once again uses a Dianna Effner sculpt. I pre-ordered her today and she should be despatched sometime in February, Eira will complete my FF trio.

PROMO PHOTO

I think a name change is definitely in order, along with a new wardrobe of clothes. The things I like most about her are her ice-blue eyes and her fair skin colour. I'm not sure if there will be further changes though, a lot depends on how she appears IRL, but I do wonder what she would look like with red curly hair and paler lips. :)

New Outfits for Little Darlings

It is a beautiful day here in Melbourne, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and we have had no local transmission of Covid for 15 days and I hope it continues this way. The only ones with the virus are those who have recently arrived from overseas and who are currently in hotel quarantine, which I hope is where they all stay until it's safe for them to be released (including the tennis players!).

I hope things are beginning to improve for those in the Northern Hemisphere now that the vaccinations are being done . . . until you get yours, take care & stay safe.

-oOo-

I took advantage of the good weather today to take a few photos of my Little Darlings in their new clothes. My #1 red haired little girl is Cassandra, and my #2 raven haired little girl has been renamed Anastasia.

It doesn't seem to make much difference how much I brush the hair out of their faces before a photo shoot, I always manage to find a stray in the wrong place when I crop my photos . . . it's so darn annoying!

And here are Sara and Maya with their new wigs. I love Sara in this short one especially. But I think both wigs make the dolls look younger, what do you think?

Well that's it for a now, I shall be taking a short break and I'll be back when I have some more dolly news to share, but in the meantime, I'll be keeping an eye on your blogs to see what you have to share. :)

Fashion Friends Have Arrived

The two little girls arrived together last week and I was impressed by how pretty they looked. However, I was a little disappointed with their jointing. Sara's legs are quite loose and seem to go everywhere except where you want them, Maya's are much better and stay in place.

Hair is very fine and flyaway on Sara and quite frizzy on Maya, so I have ordered new wigs for them both, not knowing exactly the right size, I have a two different sizes coming and several styles (luckily my local supplier was having a sale).

Their clothes had Velcro closures except for Maya's jacket, so the dolls were stripped naked and re-dressed in the clothes I'd made for them. The sneakers that came with them were not badly made, although Sara's pair were both for the right foot! It's so typical of the lack of care given by the Chinese doll manufacturers.

I had one pair of flats in my stash which fitted Sara quite well, and another pair that also was the correct size, but with a higher heel, so not quite right for Maya.

Not being completely satisfied with either pair, I went browsing and found these gorgeous leather boots in this Etsy store. The soft creamy yellow and dusty mauve-pink will go with the outfits I have already knitted and the pretty mint ones will be saved for another Fashion Friend to be purchased at a future date to complete a trio.

One can clearly see these boots are beautifully made, and really worth every penny I spent on them. However, they are shipping from Russia, which means I will be waiting for ages for them to arrive, even though the seller posted them the very next day. Maybe I'll have my third Fashion Friend by the time they arrive. :)

My little Patience received a new outfit (I made her several other coordinating pieces not shown here) . . . both her top and coat are reversible, the capris are unlined and are trimmed with matching buttons on the side at the knee.

I also received my #2 Little Darling yesterday and now both my Little Darlings have also been redressed, but more on those wee ones next time. I hope you are all staying safe indoors and enjoying some time with your dolls.