12" Ruth Gibbs Doll

 If you look back two posts, you will see 
that I found a 12" Ruth Gibbs Doll
While thrifting with my bestie.
This Ruth Gibbs is from around 1946

I am making a leap and deciding she looks more
like the Marnie doll, from Little Women,
than one of the Elegant Ladies.

Here she is next to my 7" Ruth Gibbs doll.

They look like mother and daughter!

These two dolls are actually called 

"Godey Little Lady Dolls", but

collectors call them "Ruth Gibbs Dolls" 

as Ruth Gibbs  was their creator.

More about Ruth Gibbs Dolls

She has the painted gold necklace.

My recent find of doll pantalettes is already

paying off!

Sadly her slip is very tattered.

I may make her a new slip.

Her shoulder plate is not tacked on this side.

Also, her arms need to be tacked up.

I may end up removing her shoulder plate and

reattaching it more securely.

After gently soaking her dress and letting it air dry, 

I noticed the collar had been very inexpertly repaired. 

Whoever did this used a very heavy thread.

I removed this heavy thread and used "Fray Check"

all along this section of her collar.

When the Fray Check was dry I pressed a

fold in the collar and stitched a single thread

line to regather the collar.

Using a single thread, I hand-stitched the

collar back in place.

Next I removed her shoulder plate.

She had a torn spot on her back. Guess what's

next? Yes Fray check all around the tear.

Inside her top you can see the wires that

go down into her arms so she can be posed.

Little did I know, what troubles I had brought 

on myself when I removed her shoulder plate!

I realized quick quickly that the holes in her shoulder 

plate are not designed for normal sewing needles!

What now?

I no longer have a curved upholstery needle,

but I did have these very long needles.

I wound up stitching through her body from 

front to back and back to front.

Not as pretty as I'd hoped, but quite secure.

I pressed her dress with my mini iron.

When I was pressing her bonnet, I found more ungainly

stitching of her ribbon.  

Hmmm....

I removed the white ribbon and zig-zagged 

the inside seam to strengthen it.

Then I Fray Checked everything.

I wanted to embellish her bonnet a little.

I found some small ribbon in the right

color red.  I had this old spool of red

thread, probably from the same time period!

I had big plans to sew Marnie a new dress and bonnet.

It took me a lot longer to work on her existing dress,

so that will have to wait for a later time.

Want to see her now?

Here

She

IS!

As you can see I added some ribbons.

Every lady tied her bonnet under

her left ear you know!

A little ribbon and pearls on her bonnet.

Both my Ruth Gibbs together, 

Mother and Daughter.

Here are a couple Before and After photos.

Whew! I hope you enjoyed this

makeover as much as I did!

Just a note to "Anonymous"

 Recently, while off on vacation, some individual 
(or robot spammer according to my husband) 
left a comment "I want to die" written over 
and over about a hundred times.  

I deleted the comment, but felt I needed to
 respond even if it was a robot spammer.  

In case this is a real person I want you to know 
that there are people who care for you. 
Many of those caring people are readers of my blog. 
I, and my readers, will be holding you up 
in our prayers and thoughts. 

 I can only conjecture what would make someone 
come onto a doll blog and comment something like this, 
but whether this was a cry for help or 
an attempt to gain attention, I want you to know
that there are people who want to help you.
I am praying for you that you will 
find the help you need.

Any more comments of this kind will be 
deleted ASAP, since commenting here is not 
helpful, to you or anyone else.

However, If you truly want to talk with me, 
my email is:
thesavagedollblog@gmail.com

Why the image of the gloves?
As we all know, a glove is made in the image of a hand.
A glove is made for a purpose, but it is just 
an empty vessel without a hand inside it.
In the same way we are made in the image of God. 
We are empty and have no purpose
until we have God inside of us.  
You, my friend, are made in God's image, 
you are precious to Him and He is eagerly 
awaiting your request for His help.

Very sincerely,

Brenda

Thrift Store HAUL!!

 I spent the past week thrifting with my best friend.

We thrifted in California, then came out to Utah and thrifted some more!
I had the BEST doll haul of all time!
In one particular thrift store, someone had been thinning their
collection.  I found boxes and boxes of doll items!

I picked through everything and took all this.

Mostly bloomers, slips and stockings, but

a couple other cute items.

There is a blue pinafore, a Christmas 

hat and scarf, a pink gingham

playsuit and green 8" dress.

Lots of stockings, bloomers and slips.

Six pair of doll shoes and some more stockings.

I know bloomers and slips don't seem very exciting, 

but when you need some they are nice to have.

I also found this baby doll clothes pattern.

The playsuit fits Sally Ann

and the lace slip and collar fit

Charlotte.

There is a beautiful lace apron that fits

my 10.5" dolls.

And this green dress fits my 8" dolls

but not very well.

The blue pinafore doesn't fit anybody, yet.

I'll keep trying.

BUT!

BEST OF ALL...

I found ANOTHER Ruth Gibbs doll!

She is the 12" Mother doll.

She has the painted gold necklace

and her original dress and bonnet.

Here she is next to my 7" Ruth Gibbs.

Such sweet faces.  I will refreshing her original dress.

I also may be making her a new dress

that matches my smaller doll.

 SO!

I am actually leaving in the morning for

a vacation with my DH.

More when I return!

Daisy's Top

As I was continuing to unpack and

organize the Doll Room closet

The New Doll Room

I found the cutest set of 

Palazzo pants! I had forgotten

we even had them, but I had held on 

to them hoping someone 

could use them.

These Palazzo pants fit Daisy.

But, we could not find

a top that suited them.

Daisy, the fashionista, did not approve

of this boring white top.

(Daisy's words, not mine)

I looked for an older hanky that might work.

I found this partial hanky. 

It had all the right colors.

(Hmm, there's a hole right in front)

This hanky is Partial because it was used 

to make this little hanky dress for

My Patsyette, Helena.

I folded the remaining hanky in two

and cut it in half. One half is going

 to be the front of Daisy's new top.

The remaining fabric will become

some sort of sleeve.

Here is a photo of what I have come up with.

As usual, I am making this up as I go along.

I gathered a little in front, then pinned

the remaining fabric as sleeves.

(How can I fix that hole in front?)

This is how I fixed the hole.

I used Fray Check as a glue to

attach a small triangle of hanky fabric 

to the back side of the top. This works 

because of the lightweight fabric 

the hanky is made from.

The finished top is pretty simple.

I think it's kind of cute!

"Daisy let's try in your new top..."

"Now, Where is Daisy?"

"Daisy?"

"Daisy!!"

"OH! There you are..."

"Mommy, why does my tummy stick out?"

"Hmm, I don't know Daisy, 

but it sure is cute.

Let's try on your new top."

"OK!!"

"Oh Mommy!  I like it! But take my 

picture jumping on the bed!!"

"DAISY!!"

"What Mommy?"

"You shouldn't jump on the bed."

"Why?"

"Just because! Besides I need a 

picture of the back of your top."

"Oh Biscuit!"

"How does it look Mommy?"

"Pretty cute!"

"Can we please have just the pants wearers?"

"Aww, mommy Biscuit just wants

 his picture made too."

"Very nice ladies!"

"I'm not a lady momma, I'm just a girl!"

Daisy and Biscuit.

Daisy's Restoration