paper dolls , part 1

I thought I would share one of my paper doll sets with you.
Some time ago I discovered a bag full of mt old paper dolls from the 1960s .
Well, they belonged to my sister and me but she is happy for me to have them and as she is MRS DECLUTTERER I think they are safer with me.
I promised to share them with you long ago but until now I haven't taken then time to go through them.
I have only just begun and I will share more with you as I can.






I think these dolls date from 1966 so I would have been 6 or 7 when I got them, my sister would have been 3 or 4 so I'm guessing I didn't let her anywhere near them for quite a while.
The dolls and all their clothes had to be carefully cut out and I would think many winter's afternoons were taken doing all this time consuming but exciting cutting.







Some of the clothes are missing, they could be in with other doll sets.
I kept all their clothes in carefully labelled envelopes and I have also written on the back which clothes fit which doll even though they have colour coded tags.
Some clothes did fit more then one doll.







The tape on necks and ankles are running repairs as these were the most fragile parts of the doll and with play tended to weaken and make the doll flop.
Don't you think the boy doll looks a lot like Disney's Peter Pan?






Shary seems to have most of her clothes, she was a favourite.






I always loved that dressing gown






I had no idea until recently that these paper dolls were based on real dolls from the sixties.
If you look at Susannah's Dolly Darling set you can see the dolls and the full paper doll set of clothes.
I also found Cathy in her party dress for sale on etsy.

So , there's a little bit of vintage loveliness to enjoy with your morning coffee.

So my life has fallen into a happy rhythm of housework, garden, laundry, shopping , cooking , dolls and reading plus of course and always , my family ( and other animals).






The shockingly disorganised, unknown and complicated early weeks of the school year are over.
We all know what we are doing and when.
Deep sigh.


The trauma of Louis leaving has settled into a funny state of expecting him home for tea and he's not there and thinking of something to say to him and having to wait until we talk on the phone, he is missed at the dinner table , his voice of reason is missed when Andy and Stephen disagree. But he is happy at Uni, his classes are interesting and the boys seem to be coping OK in their student house.







Our bedroom is still in the throws of being painted and gussied up.
There have been long pauses as other things have taken precedence.
Bits and pieces that usually live in that room have settled all over the house - will they have find their real home again???







We have had a little rain but the garden is still dry.
The tomatoes are slow to ripen and always look thirsty.
Kate's rose blooms so beautifully and has truly settled into the garden even though the summer has been harsh.







I'm really into a good groove with my dollmaking.
I feel I can really concentrate on and relax into what I am doing now and don't feel torn between the items on the long list of should-be-doings for the start of the school year.
It's a good place to be.
I feel I'm here and no longer scattered.







This morning I had a wonderful "chat" with a true kindred spirit far away in the cold northern hemisphere, what a wonderful thing this internet business is, letting friendships begin that in years past would have been unthinkable and yet, when we had no internet on Monday the peace in the house when that possibility of contact was taken away was magical.



It's all about balance isn't it.
Breathing out and breathing in,
busy and slow,
thinking and dreaming,
activity and stillness,
connection and isolation,
so many possibilities, letting things happen in their own good time.







This little doll, only 8" tall was put in the shop today.
She has been waiting , patiently for the bloomers that go with her little dress and for her photo session.
She was barely in the shop an hour when sweet Becky bought her.
A perfect match I think.
A balance - I'm sorry to see her go, I'm happy she is going to a friend.

new dolly in the shop

Fiona is the new dolly in the shop,






chestnut brown organic baby undyed Alpaca yarn for her hair,
meltingly soft and delicious







cute little knitted baby doll top and polka dot summer trousers

FIONA HAS FOUND A HOME, THANK YOU.

We are having a bad case of " internet connection disappearus " around here so while I am able I will post these pictures of a few recent dollies.







There are more to come , as and when I can.







I also have dolls to put in the shop but they have been swallowed up into the ether a couple of times when the internet disappears so a shop update will happen when it happens.








All these little ones are on their way to their new homes.

( more pictures at my Flickr place)

Simple Sunday

little girls shoes ready to be packed away








parsley, oregano and sweet Alice







retro folding bed, used last night






perfect pumpkin flower







tiny doll in a silk knitted dress

red delicious apples

1953 Youngstown Kitchen

originally uploaded by American Vintage Home

Don't you just love this kitchen?

I saw it the other day when I was looking at American Vintage Home's Flickr pages and I have just seen it again at 1950 House, an off shoot of the Humble Labor blog.

dressmaker - interrupted

I had planned to do some dressmaking this afternoon.

Kate needs a few bits and pieces and so do I.

Instead I had to go into town to take some papers to Stephen and so I did some errands while I was there ; the usual - trip to the library, visit to the post office and a quick look in the fabric store for some denim for a pair of shorts for Kate.

She wants some shorts like these.
This pattern was one my mum used to make the trousers and halter top for my little sister back in the 70s.

Most of the shorts around for young girls like Kate are very short and also very low slung .
We should be able to make these so that she feels comfortable in them.

We are also revisiting this pattern
A couple of years ago Kate wanted this made for her birthday and then after I had bought the material she changed her mind.
I still have the fabric but the pattern may need to be altered a little.
She wants the white one with a lace overlay , it's a dress up really and she will probably only wear the once but it will be fun to make and what's more I already have everything I need .
This pattern was used by my Auntie to make a dress for my cousin Sue , she would have been 12 ( the pattern size) in 1966, the pattern price is in shillings and pence so it predates 1966.
So early 60s I guess.

I want to thank everyone who took part in A Day in My Life over the past 12 months.
It was a really enjoyable thing to do and I know from the many emails I have received that many people who didn't actually post their days still enjoyed reading all the marvellous posts that people wrote.
Everyone who did take part knows that it was a time consuming but worthwhile project to take note of all the small things that happen in the dailiness of our lives.
I haven't read back over my posts but I do intend to soon.
Some people are printing their journals to give to their children.
Many people have asked for the project to continue.
I think 12 months is enough - what do you think?

Where did the day go?

I meant to come back earlier to have a chat but I got too involved in other things.


This book arrived in the post today.
A little ebay purchase, a 1958 homemaking book.
It is mostly recipes and menu suggestions but there are also chapters on housekeeping and laundry, flower arranging and so on.
It was put out by an electrical appliance company I think but seems to be more than just an advertising book.
Marguerite Patten ( who amongst many other things was a consultant for the 1940s House) and Constance Spry are two of the authors.


Anyway I haven't had much time today to look it over - maybe tomorrow.






Do you realise for the first time since Louis finished school in November 2007 I am alone in the house?
There has been the odd week here and there but mostly since that time someone or other has been at home with me, either Louis when he was between jobs , Kate and Andy on school holidays,Stephen on holidays, various people sick or injured at various times ... always someone else at home, or so it seemed.







So I have been busy moving into a new rhythm, revelling in my new found freedom to organise my time any way I please, sometimes feeling just a little lonely but mostly content.



Don't you just love all these gorgeous illustrations on the cover of this book?

Humans - 1, duck -nil.


I'll be back later.

One More Day in My Life

So this is the last in the Day in My life series of posts, 14th of the month, every month since March last year.
For once I wasn't the first one up this morning.
Although Stephen didn't get home from Hobart until midnight last night he was up at the crack of dawn checking out all sorts of bits and pieces on the computer.


I made myself a cup of tea and for some reason started reading A Few Oranges and No Eggs once again.
I guess normally I would go on to the computer to look at my emails and check out a few blogs but it was very pleasant quietly reading instead.






Around 7.30 I woke Andy to get up and ready for cricket then headed down to feed and water the chooks.
It was already a gorgeous day , such a blue blue sky.


After breakfast and a shower, I made the bed, did the washing up and did a general tidy.
The vegie garden needed to be watered and I had to bring in the dry washing so that the sprinkler didn't wet it.
I collected up all the dirty clothes, school uniforms again after a couple of months vacation, and put a load of washing on.









Andy and Stephen had by now left for cricket and really although it was only 9.30 I was ready for another cup of tea.


We did a switch around of mattresses , Kate now has Louis' very good mattress on her bed and his vacant bed has the one with the poking springs .

I tidied around Louis' bed and covered it with his old quilt, put away all the papers and bits and pieces he had left lying around.
It is a long time since it has all looked so tidy.








I hung out the washing and checked out the strawberry patch.
Charlie the duck pilfers the ripe strawberries whenever she gets the chance, it's human against a very cunning bird.
The bird usually wins.



Stephen arrived home late morning to take Kate to her fortnightly horseriding lesson and I headed off with my grannie trolley to get a few groceries.


Home to lunch, a ham salad roll and some greengages.
Kate and Stephen arrived home too.
After lunch I was reading a little while I finished my drink when I had an over whelming urge to have a little nap.



I slept so soundly, I was exhausted, from the emotional and physical stresses of the week I guess.
All that running around looking for this and that for Louis and checking and double checking that we had done everything.
What a week.








Once I finally woke up I got myself organised and bottled the apricot jam I made earlier in the week.
I gave myself an energy boost with a sparkling glass of homemade ginger beer.
Ahhh!






Mum rang to see how we were all coping "sans Louis"

Washed up all my mess and started thinking about what I needed to do for dinner.
We had chicken with whatever I could find in the garden and in the vegetable drawer of the fridge all cooked together in the pan with a bit of this and a bit of that and served with noodles.


For dessert I made a free form tart filled with greengages and peaches from the garden and helped along by a big blob of whipped cream.


We all watched "New Tricks" then I rang Louis to say Hello.
We all had a chat , he seems just fine.
I have put the rooster in his box, brought in the last of the washing and now I'm chatting with you.



Kate is calling for a good night kiss so I'm off.
I'll catch up with everyone else's day later.

Leaving home and A Day in My Life list

My dear boy is on his way.






He has taken everything he could think of but no doubt something has been forgotten

He didn't forget the tin of choc chip biscuits I made for him this morning which is a nuisance because I really feel like one right now.






Tomorrow is the 14th so it is time for A Day in My Life, in fact it will be the last one as it is now 12 months since it all began.
If you want to join in just leave your name in the comments section of today's post and I'll add you to the list

Lisa

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Lucy

Sarah

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