Vintage Doll Repair
  • Why Doll Repair?
  • Alphabetical Index of Dolls
  • Dolls by Manufacturer
    • Advance Doll and Toy Company >
      • Tama
      • Walking Wanda
      • Walking Winnie
    • American Character Dolls >
      • Little Miss Echo
      • Petite Sally
      • Sweet Sue
      • Teenie Weenie Tiny Tears
    • Carlson Dolls
    • Celluloid Dolls >
      • Celluloid Doll 1 - Made in Japan
      • Celluloid Doll 2 - Schildkrot Reproduction
    • Deluxe Reading/Topper Toys >
      • Baby Boo
      • Baby Luv'N Care
      • Busy Baby - Baby Party
      • Busy-Baby Ride-a-Bike (aka Bikey, battery operated version)
      • Busy-Baby Ride-a-Bike (aka Bikey, non-battery operated version)
      • Li'l Miss Fussy
      • Nancy Nurse
      • Smarty Pants
      • Suzy Smart
    • Effanbee Dolls >
      • Dy-Dee
      • Melodie 1
      • Melodie 2
      • Noma
    • Hollywood Doll Mfg. Co. >
      • Queen For A Day
    • Horsman Dolls >
      • Cindy
      • Peggy Pen-Pal
    • Ideal Dolls >
      • Baby Giggles
      • Bizzie Lizzie
      • Giggles
      • Magic Lips
      • Patti Prays
      • Play'N Jane
      • Saucy Walker
      • Timmy Tumbles
      • Tubsy
    • Irwin Dolls >
      • Irwin Non-Inflam
      • Irwin Walker
    • Madame Alexander Dolls >
      • Chatterbox
      • Ireland
    • Mattel Dolls >
      • Baby First Step
      • Charmin' Chatty
      • Dancerina
      • Hi Dottie
      • Randi Reader
      • Tippee-Toes
    • Mego >
      • Baby Sez So
    • Minifon (unknown - made in Italy)
    • Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls, Inc. >
      • Colonial Dame
    • Remco Dolls >
      • Remco Company Background
      • Baby Grow-A-Tooth
      • Baby Know It All
      • Dune Buggy Baby
      • Jumpsy (1 and 2)
      • Mimi
      • Tumbling Tomboy
    • Schilling Dolls
    • Sun Rubber Company >
      • So-Wee
    • Uneeda >
      • Saranade
    • Unmarked Dolls >
      • 50's Walking Doll with Teeth
      • Ballerina with detached feet
      • Unidentified Stuffed Rubber
      • Unmarked 24" - "Stumpy"
      • Unmarked Oilcloth
      • Unmarked Wood & Bisque
    • Valentine Dolls
  • Interesting Accessories
  • Hard Plastic Disease (HPD)
  • Useful Tools
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Hair Care
  • Clothing
  • Doll Houses
    • Littles Dollhouse
  • Storage and Display Tips
  • Stories
    • Cars and Trucks
    • Creature and Whitey
    • Construction Toys
    • Foxy Grandpa
    • Grandma's House
    • Gumby and Pokey
    • Liddle Kiddles
    • Miscellaneous Toys
    • Playhouses
    • Puppets
    • Sock Monkeys
    • Toy Guns
    • Toy Trains
    • Trolls
    • Western Toys
  • Tips for Buying/Selling Dolls
  • Other Vintage Toys
    • Dial Master Telephone
    • Tricky Doodle Duck
    • Tricky Peter Penguin
  • References and Resources

Clothing

I don't know much about doll clothing, except what I have learned from my sister.  I know collectors prefer to find dolls that have their original outfits intact.  I can't help but reflect on all the love and care that mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and owners put into making replacement or supplementary clothing for the dolls of their cherished daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and sisters.  Some of those sewn, knitted, and crocheted outfits are far more beautiful, elegant, and meaningful than the mass produced pieces.  Of course, many are not - but they still reflect an investment of personal time and a commitment to a relationship that is lacking in the disposable toys of today.  I guess it boils down to a matter of provenance for the collector.  The handcrafted articles appear at flea markets, and online venues, devoid of dates, labels and stories.  Once the memories are disconnected from a homemade item all that remains is a faded and worn piece of fabric.  The collector, with an eye toward universal value, will strip away the untraceable past and return a doll to its baseline appearance.  When a doll is sold, the new owner can then drape the doll in a whole new set of memories or restore an old set of memories that were just lacking the doll itself.  I suspect that many collectors have their own personal trove of dolls, handmade accessories, and memories that gently guided them into the fascinating world of collecting, and preserving, dolls and clothing.

For some examples of homemade clothing see the page on my sister's Dy-Dee doll.

Under development...
  • documenting
  • cleaning
  • repair
  • designing
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