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!