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Sunday, July 11, 2021

A Little Compo Girl


I went back to the Antique Barn the other day.
I had seen a  little Compo girl on a shelf
and could not stop thinking about her.

Here she is! She was still there!

OH! But she was SO sad!

She was sad at the condition she was in.
She must have whispered to me the first time
I saw her, "Please take me home!"

She was wearing a funny fur collar, but
underneath was this adorable little dress!

Her feet had been painted brown!
It looks like she had extensive leg 
repairs in the past, but 
we all have scars, right?

This is her maker's mark.
This indicates she is 13" but I have not found
anymore information on her.
I believe her to be from the 1920s 
or early 30s.

She is missing her eyelashes on her right eye.
She has sweet little teeth.

I used wood filler to clean her body.
At this point I realized her head was immovable!
Someone has glued her head to her body.

I quickly and gently washed her hair.
This is her first brush out.

AHH! A sigh of relief.
This is my first attempt
to curl her unruly locks!

While her hair dried I repainted her lips and cheeks.
I always mix a skin tone with a melon color
  for cheeks.

I use a make-up sponge dipped and patted
nearly dry and tap onto cheeks.
I then use the melon color for lips.

She looks better with some fresh color!
As you can see, after the curlers failed
 I put her hair in tight pin curls.

She came wearing these clothes.
The dress just needs a little refresh and
her bloomers need new elastic.

I didn't like this ribbon, so
it had to go.

Here is her dress all cleaned and pressed!

Want to see her now!?


HERE


SHE


IS!!


She looks SO happy!

Yes, definitely happy.
BUT, every girl needs more than one outfit!

I found this playsuit ages ago.
It never suited any of my dolls til now.

It's like it was made for her.

This is a little dress I made for
my Mary Hoyers, but it looks sweet on her.

Such a bright happy face.

BEFORE  AND   AFTER

BEFORE  AND   AFTER

After a little research and a more magnified
 look at her neck mark, I found that this is a
 1937 McGuffey Ana doll by
Madame Alexander.

Welcome home Ana.

25 comments:

Zacisze Lenki said...

A beautiful metaorphosis, it is in good hands. Hugs.

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Zacisze,
I am so pleased with this little girl!
Hugs
Brenda

Janet said...

hi Brenda,


I am sooo happy you saw her beaautny uder he rough exterior. She truly is a shining star now!
You are a wizard with an iron - the dress is so smooth and crisp now it looks brand newQ And the romper is cute - perfect for playtime on a nice Summer day!
I love the soft old quilt you have used in the background, an inheritance or a another lucky find?

Janet

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Janet,
Me too!! I have fallen for this little girl. I agree the romper is perfect for a summer day in the sun. The pillow cover behind her is from a set I got about 10 years ago from Target! It is a twin set I bought for my daughter and now it stays in my doll room.
Hugs
Brenda

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Linda,
I must say I am pleased with how this little girl was transformed. She is really more adorable than I had anticipated. It is a great feeling to make dolls lovely again.
Hugs
Brenda

Jenny said...

Brenda,
As always, a spectacular result! She truly looks happy and herself again!
Hugs,
Jenny :-)

Anonymous said...

Brenda what a transformation. She is beautiful.
Marion

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on a wonderful job. This beauty is a work of wonder. Hard to believe she is the same girl you found. You are a wizard Brenda.
Marilyn

Anonymous said...

Thank you Brenda for sharing this terrific makeover. Your newest family member is a keeper.
Joan

Jennifer said...

Beautiful rescue! Wonderful to see 😊

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Jenny,
I am very happy with how she turned out. She looks so happy now.
Hugs
Brenda

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Marion,
She has turned out very well. I am so pleased.
Hugs
Brenda

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Marilyn,
I sometimes surprise myself! She came out so much better than I could have imagined.
Hugs
Brenda

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Joan,
I agree with you, she is definitely a keeper!
Hugs
Brenda

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Jennifer,
I am very pleased with this little girl.
Hugs
Brenda

Anna said...

Hi Brenda,
She looks lovely and cared for. It's funny how sometimes when you leave a doll behind, they stick in your mind and you have to go back for them. I always think if they are still there it was meant to be.
I am constantly amazed how you make the saddest dolls happy again.
Anna

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Anna,
I am so pleased with this little girl. It’s true how some dolls just stick with you. I knew when she was still there she was meant to come home with me. She does look happy, doesn’t she?
Hugs
Brenda

Maryn said...

She came out super-cute! Both her old dress (with the new bow) and her "new" clothes are adorable. Her pink shoes and hairbow really set off her new look.

Are you planning to do anything about the missing eyelashes? Not implying that you "need" to, but I'm so curious because I've seen some tutorials and known of several people who tried re-doing eyelashes, with mixed results.

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Maryn,
I am happy the little romper fit her. She turned out so much cuter than I had hoped.
I am planning a second post regarding her lashes and her legs and feet. I will try to have this ready next week.
Hugs
Brenda

Maryn said...

I'm excited to look forward to it! Also, please let us know how you fixed her eyes to open fully :-).

Brenda Savage said...

Thanks Maryn,
I’ll try to get the next segment done next week. Her eyes were actually fine, i just had her leaning back when I took those first photos.
Hugs
Brenda

Frieda said...

Beautiful transformation. I love learning how others fix composition dolls. Just a suggestion for her missing eyelashes. A paint brush of the similar color and texture makes a wonderful and easy replacement. Dip the end of the paint brush in some white school glue (it dries clear and is easy to clean off the eyes, just don't let it dry on the eyes) and insert it in the eyelash slot. Don't cut it off the brush handle until it dries a little. Propping up the brush with something helps at this point. When dry carefully cut as long as possible. Let completely dry ( I wait till the next day) then trim to match the other eye.
Frieda

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you Frieda,
That is actually very helpful. I have heard about using paintbrush bristles to replace lashes, but your description sounds much easier. I am still learning a lot about composition doll repair. I try to do as little as possible. I mostly try to do minor touch-ups. I purposely avoid compo dolls with a lot of loose paint and cracks. I almost passed on this doll, but on closer inspection her crazing was not too bad. Thanks for the tip!
Hugs
Brenda

Unknown said...

Not only did you do a fabulous job transforming this gem, you took the time to share with all us doll lovers..what a delight! Thanks so much!! I was inspired!!!

Brenda Savage said...

Thank you SO much!
I do love refreshing and restoring dolls. I always think, "this doll was really loved by someone, I can't let her dwindle into nothing!"
I feel like I am saving someone precious.
Hugs
Brenda