Dolls! My Ballerina Dolls : 1950's and Later

I didn't set out to collect ballerina dolls, but have ended up with four. Sweet Sue is dressing up as a ballerina doll as she came to me in a horrible state and so I made a few new outfits for her, the ballerina dress being the latest.

The small doll on the right is a Madame Alexander, and I think she is the Margaret face. I would say this is her original outfit as it is very fragile. The net under skirt is just crumbling away and the overskirt is drab and floppy. I kind of like a doll in an old played with state though. She is not dirty, but just looks old and faded. The face colouring is excellent with just a small scratch on one cheek. The original flowers are still in her hair and on the dress. She is from the 1950's and the Madame Alexander label is still inside her dress.

The pretty pink doll on the left is also a Madame Alexander Elise Ballerina, and as far as I can tell from my Patricia Smith book Madame Alexander Dolls 1965-1990, she was a 1984 model. She still has her swing tag and the MA label is still inside her dress. The dress is just a bit too pink for my liking, although I am sure it would appeal to little girls. I do like the way the dress has a Monet French ballerina look and the care they have taken with the hair style. Her eyes are rather spooky though.

Of course I couldn't finish this post without another look at my latest makeover dress for Sweet Sue. She appears to have borrowed my Madame Alexander Cissy fashion doll's necklace.

The second smallest doll has made a couple of appearances on this blog; it is a Peggy Nisbet Nanette. The tiny little doll who is parading in her birthday suit while she waits for me to make her an outfit was a purchase I made at the Melbourne Doll Show.

Dolls! Ballerina Dress for a 1950's Sweet Sue Doll

Ta da! After much work and interruptions with colds and other things, I finally finished the ballerina dress for my Sweet Sue doll. I got the copper tulle from Tessuti fabrics in Melbourne. I think it just makes it look so old fashioned, and suits Sweet Sue's complexion. The skirt and bodice are made from a remnant of shot polyester satin that I got at the Clegs remnants sale at the start of the year. It is a beautiful quality, made in Taiwan and weighs 255 grams per square metre. Only the best for my dollies! Seriously though, the fabrics they used to dress these dolls in originally were very good quality, so it makes sense to try and use the same quality fabrics when replacing their outfits.

The spray of apple blossom flowers at her waist are vintage and were made in Japan. I have kept the labels on for authenticity.

A strapless bodice like a real grown up has!

Back view



The only change I made to the original pattern was to add a layer of stiff white netting underneath the skirt so it would stand out more. I also lined the skirt with lining fabric to get a neater finish on the hem.

I have not seen a Sweet Sue in a ballerina dress yet, but there is one on page 94 of Judith Izin's book American Character Dolls.

Now I am sewing for me. I am making a stretch cowl neck top out of a Vogue pattern, and hemming some jeans and work trousers. More about the Vogue top project soon.

Lizzie.

Dolls! 1950's Sweet Sue Doll's Ballerina Dress, Part 2

I have had the third cold in about three months, so my sewing has been slow. Here is my 1950's Sweet Sue doll modelling the ballerina dress that I am making her. I have just pinned it on her as I have not attached the skirt to the bodice yet. I love the effect of the 2 pieces of copper tulle over the satin skirt. I lined the bodice with a very soft tulle and had to understitch it to help the tulle stay on the inside.

This photo shows the bodice with the darts for shaping. Sweet Sue is holding a bunch of vintage flowers that I might use to decorate the bodice and the skirt. I got the pattern from DD's Doll Closet on Ebay.

This is the pattern that I have used. Like the dress, coat and hat, the fit has been excellent. The skirt on my version of the ballerina dress does not stick out as much as the one in the picture. I am considering attaching another piece of tulle underneath her satin skirt to puff it out a bit.

After I finish Sweet Sue's dress, I am thinking of making a winter and a summer top - for me!

Dolls! Melbourne Doll Show Find and Ballerina Business cont.

Mum, her friend Laurel and I piled into the car early on a Sunday morning and made the trip to Melbourne to the Melbourne Doll Show. I purchased this Sindy doll, which according to some research I did, was made in 1965 in New Zealand from a lot of spare parts, hence the funny short arms. Sindy dolls were the English version of Barbie and were made by the Pedigree company. If you look closely at her legs, they don't appear to match. I love the 'Mommy Made' dress (as the lovely Americans say), but you know me, I will eventually make something characteristic of the swinging sixties. An article I read in an old doll magazine said that Sindy was a more down to earth kind of doll and not as glamorous as Barbie, so her outfit will have to reflect that.

What I really like about this Sindy doll is the quality of the hair and the face paint. The hair is really thick after all these years, and the face paint is so sweet and natural. A very horsey English girl.

Here are some photos I took of 3 of the stands at the show.

This is Fran's stand. She is at a lot of these shows, and makes the most divine period style outfits in good quality silks and cottons. I bought one for my 12 inch Ruby Red Galleria Bleuette doll, which I will show you in another post.

Dolls for sale

Finally, here is my Sweet Sue doll trying on a toille of the skirt for her ballerina outfit. I thought the hole for the waist looked too small, so I cut it out of some lining fabric just to make sure. I ended up using this to line the satin of the outer skirt. I hope to do a bit more on this ballerina outfit this weekend.

I was very pleased when I looked at my blogg recently to see a new follower!!! Thankyou to ShelleyM. She is following some very interesting doll blogs which I will be following and adding them to my blogg roll when I get time.

Dolls! Pink and White Version of the 21 inch 1950's Sweet Sue Doll Dress & Ballerina Business

This is the pink and white version of the 1950's Sweet Sue doll dress.

Ribbon sash with paper flower trim. The flowers are not flimsy at all.

Matching lace trimmed unders.

The complete set. I gathered up over 1 1/2 meters of voile to make the flounce on the bottom of the dress, which I wanted to be full and puffy, fifties style. The dress is for sale on Etsy and ebay.

Finally, here is the Peggy Nisbet doll posing with the fabrics that I am going to use to make a ballerina outfit for my 21 inch Sweet Sue doll. The photo has not shown up the colour of the satin very well; it is a subtle oyster colour, which will go well with the tulle. I am waiting on delivery of some doll size vintage flowers to trim the ballerina dress, which is what they often did on 1950's doll clothes.

Happy Sewing!