Dolls! Mum Made Jacket for my Australian 1940's Emil Bear

Here is my Australian made Emil brand bear from the 1940's wearing a knitted jacket made by my Mum! He does not have a lot of fur, and I felt he needed a jacket. I found this pattern for a baby's jacket in one of my Australian Doll Bear and Collectables magazines. It is actually a jacket for a baby, but they used it in the magazine. This is their version:

If you want the details for the magazine and the issue it is in, click here.

And here he is showing the back view:

Good job Mum! I am not a very good knitter, and it would have taken a lot of teeth gnashing and probably a couple of years to get it done - Mum did it in about a week!

Finally, I have a new follower - Larchik from Russia (I think). Thankyou for signing up Larchik, your little bears that you make (I think you do because I can't read Russian) are very cute.

Dolls! 1995 Fashions for Barbie from Handmade Magazine

Fossicking in the op-shop last week, I came across a 1995 edition of the Australian Women's Weekly Handmade magazine, volume 11 number 4. Advertised on the front of the magazine was 'Barbie dazzler - complete teen-doll wardrobe to knit and sew'. With my 1960's Pedigree Sindy doll in mind, I paid the grand sum of 20 cents and the mag was mine.

It is an 8 page fashion spread of fashions to make:

I got this wool on sale at Lincraft to have a go at knitting the jumper. It is 4 ply and uses tiny needles. Goodness. The jumper has an 80's picture jumper look about it. That fashion might still have been going strong in the mid 90's, but I can't remember. The evening dress at the top of the above photo has a 1980's look to it, don't you think?

I will have to do some adapting because Barbie and Sindy have quite different body dimensions. Barbie is a slimmer doll with a smaller waist and large bust. Sindy looks bigger around the hips, with shorter arms. I have not done the actual measurements yet, but will before I start making the outfit.



Original Sindy doll



Reproduction 1960's Barbie



   

Dolls! All About 1950's Sweet Sue With the Flexible Foot

This is my 20 inch American Character Sweet Sue with the Flexible Foot, made from 1957 to 1958. She originally came with a plastic model's case that had extra shoes, ballet slippers (I think they are her ballet slippers that she is wearing) and a leotard. She is wearing her original outfit called Collegiate.

The quality of this doll is exceptional in my opinion. She is heavy (probably not that good for play though) and the attention to detail is amazing. Because I do dressmaking, the construction of the clothes for these 1950's dolls never ceases to amaze me. The cut, style and fit is as good as anything made for a real person.

According to Judith Izen's book American Character Dolls Identification and Value Guide, the vinyl used for these dolls heads was made with a creamy vinyl unique to American Character. The saran hair is full and of good quality.

She even has red tulle on her matching petticoat or crinoline:

And just because she can, here she is modelling a vintage red straw hat and a Sweet Sue walker's blue handbag.

When I purchased another doll recently, I got this little pamphlet for American Character dolls, with instructions on how to make their fashion dolls walk!

Sweet Sue With the Flexible Foot could wear flat shoes or high heels, simply by tilting her ankle. She also had a twist waist. I keep her in a pair of flat shoes as her ankles are a bit wobbly and I don't want to put pressure on them causing a crack or split in the plastic.