From My Little Hole in the Wall: 2024

Welcome back and Merry Christmas! It has been a very long time, longer than I'd hoped, since I've written a journal posting on my blog. But here on the first day of winter I'm able to finally take a long, deep breath and sit down with a hot cup of tea and write. There are sweet potatoes baking and a favorite recipe for spiced pork tenderloin will follow in the oven within the hour. There is always something going on. Always.

Happy Winter Solstice! Merry Yule! This lovely image of Ellowyne was my tribute to the Yule season and was inspired by a member on the VDC, Sinead Cannon, when she dressed her doll in a yuletide gown. I'd been awake around 1am when the idea stuck as what I could do for her. I'd been pining that she didn't have a Christmas outfit, and she was still in her dark Copenhagen Cool outfit. Like any inspiration, when it strikes, one must take action. A trip to Michael's in the morning for candles and beads had me

working on her vignette by the afternoon. I was thrilled! Not only did she have an outfit to wear for the holidays, but at one of my favorite times of year, winter solstice. Since Ellowyne is traveling the world right now on the VDC, her back story for this costume was that she met some nice people from Norway on the train, and they invited her to their country for a Yuletide celebration. Her next stop would be in New York City to attend the ballet's Nutcracker, but the box was released too late to reach us for Christmas.

Since I last posted on October 28, I've been consumed by concerns and doctor appointments, but this is not the time to share such matters. It's only an explanation of why things took so long to get started and done. There were gifts to make, and these didn't really get started until the end of November. Nothing like pressure to get a body moving! But there were doll treats in the mix, and one of them was Ruby Red Fashion Friends' Noelle, designed by the extremely talented Martha Boers (pronounced "boors", I asked).

Noelle was the perfect Christmas doll dressed as one of Santa's elves. Very special. I may have to make an elf costume for Esme someday. (Just thought of that! No time left.)

And there was Mattel's Barbie 12 Days of Christmas. This was a total no-brainer. I adore the Twelve Days of Christmas story and when she arrived, I opened one drawer a day starting on the first of December and was able to enjoy a fun display on one of my doll tables. Apparently, there's one for Easter, and I can't recall if I ordered it, but if not, I will.

So, I had some festive doll reminders while I dug in and set to the task of Christmas and birthday gifts.

The first was Kitty Hudson's new outfit. I

purchased this fabric and some wildly expensive little buttons at convention last summer for this very purpose. While not a "Christmas" outfit, it is one that belongs to her story as a young flapper in the 1920's.

I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with this busy silk fabric, and it took me a couple of days to design the dress, but I did have a start. I'd intended to add pink poinsettias to the mix in a bouquet or something, but the dress took on a life of its own and told me it was a matinee dress. One to wear to the theater to see those glorious films.

There is so much to this collection and it all took so much time to do, but this was Kitty Hudson. And of course, there was much research to do. I could have devoted an entire blog to this costume and the early films of the 1920's, but the time has passed, I finished it, and I'm already onto my next inspiration.

The cloche hat is the focus this time. By accident, I assure you. But once again, I had no idea what I wanted to do. With only "the book" to go by, this turned out darling. I was studying the cloche hats for the 1470s for construction and came up with this design as a "between" the book and the ones made. The floral bow and exact placement took some time to figure out.

The buttons! Oh, these beautiful little MOP buttons! I'd intended on using the triangular cut buttons I'd purchased, but the square ones just looked better, stood out more. I almost called this dress, Studies in Geometry. It would have come with a couple of math books. LOL I didn't think Kitty's maman would be thrilled with that.

By this time, I knew this was a matinee dress and started looking for posters from this time. I came up with three perfect ones on Pinterest, that I think would appeal to both Kitty and her maman.

All movie attendees love to nibble while watching the film. Popcorn was popular and it got me to thinking of when Cracker Jack may have come out. It was actually 1896! So, I found a vintage Cracker Jack box and made one for Kitty.

She still needed more. Accessories are everything. They tell the story. Purses in the 20's were often made from crocodile. But lizard skin is a good size to replicate this look for a small doll. I had some purple on hand. Remember the time crunch? Holiday shipping times? Finding it? So, I used the purple and based the purse on a design in "the book".

Two vintage movie tickets and a pair of 1470 shoes complete the look.

Now it was time to focus on my friend, Betsy's, Christmas gift and birthday, which was the 15th of December. The tiny bear dressed as a clown didn't make the photos in the blog. Trying to add him in now would mess up the text. I've been down that road before. But he was a tiny bear that sat in a tiny bear chair that I found at convention. The chair was cut into a bear shape and painted with a clown costume, so I made the tiny bear a costume to match. Miniature work. It came out cute and was very difficult and time consuming. I thought he was sweet, and she loves bears.

Not in order, but the green silk dresses for the Iacono dolls was her Christmas gift. I met her when we both belonged to the Wendy Lawton yahoogroup. And this style was very popular on Wendy's 9" dolls. I found out that pink was not her favorite color after all. Green was, so I scrambled to find a nice green that would display well the year round. Execution of a project is one thing. It's the designing, planning and finding the materials to create it that often take just as much time.

The request was a new dress for her 16" play doll and one for the doll's doll, a little Esme.

A tiny doll doesn't always look best in the same style, and if you think about it, a child or mother would make the doll's dress from the scraps of the child's dress, so the design might be a little different.

What's nice about this dress is that the pink (got the pink in!), sash can be changed out for a yellow one for Easter, or a cream one for another occasion. You can even add a little silk ribbon around Esme's dress at the hips.

Little Esme's dress is a sweet version of this drop waist, with lace bordering the front in a mock panel fashion, with tiny peachy-pink buttons marching down the front.

But the first project I started with was Betsy's birthday gifts. She adores Hitty and has a fabulous collection. Last summer Rosemarie made blue Cinderella gowns for Hitty and I asked her to make a pink one just for Betsy. When it arrived, I wanted to make the accessories to go with it. A tiny crown that will tie around and under the head (hopefully!) I do not have a Hitty doll, so making a silk cape with front arm slashes, was designed based on the measurements of the dress.

Esme actually makes a good model for some of Hitty's measurements, but there is nothing like

having the doll to dress for a perfect fit.

The cape is embroidered with gold metallic thread to match the dress and can be worn with other fancy Hitty gowns. Embroidering with metallic thread on this silk was a nightmare as the thread kept breaking, and it's difficult to thread through a needle as well. But I persevered and got it done. If it had been less difficult to work with, I would have done a bit more embroidery work. As it is, it is edged and embroidered on the edges.

Sometime last spring I had purchased this Boneka

dirndl for Hitty, saving it for the holidays. Betsy had one, then had two. I couldn't find the one I bought her, so she'd gotten a second on her own. Then, I found it. I knew what she'd want me to do with it, so I did it. The original dress had the rose colored apron with burgundy lacing at the bodice. I had to deconstruct the bodice's attachment to the dress and remove all the lacing works. I was so scared I'd mess up but took my time and gave the dress a new apron, bodice lacing to match and a head scarf. I knew I'd get asked about the rose apron, so I finished it and gave it a matching

head scarf, too. It can go with solid colored under dresses. Some of the Boneka outfits have a solid-colored dress beneath a pinafore, so this is now an option for a different look. And believe me, after all that work, I needed a break and a long one. I got both boxes out in the mail on the 11th and crossed my fingers.

In the meantime, Anne got a pretty red Christmas dress with peppermint shoes. Sister, Grace, was given a companion dress. This set saved dressing these dolls for Christmas for me! I would have had to make Anne something and reuse something in Grace's collection. While I would normally add hair pieces or something to dress these up, I was tired, and I truly loved them on their own. I made Diana Vining's paper toys to go with the set. A little gingerbread house with cookie doll and gift boxes for Anne's shoes. I made the boxes in three sizes, and one tiny enough for Grace to hold an earring gift for Anne.

Then Christmas came virtually on YouTube with the reveals for Ellowyne and Grace's December boxes.

I'm still bowled over by the beauty of Ellowyne's Nutcracker ballet costume. Her December travels would take her to New York City to see the ballet and attend all the other city events for the holidays. The video was so well done and so artfully staged by Christopher that it bears watching again and again. A thing of dreams.

The lovely thing about this set is that the tulle skirt is separate, and the outfit comes with beautiful heels. Paired with a pretty top or jacket, Ellowyne can pull off a Carrie Bradshaw look. This is what I'll do when it arrives. I'm sure I've got something, some top that will work. Nice enough for New Year's Eve.

Just yesterday the reveal for Grace's Journey Through Time to Charles Dicken's time happened. Team VDC and Ruby Red Galleria did not disappoint. This is stunning.

I could tell while watching the video that Rachel and Christopher were wiped out. They've been working so hard and round the clock to get these three subscriptions out and from what I think I heard, Grace's box alone has 300 subscribers now.

I shake my head just thinking how quickly Rachel's business has grown, how many vendors and artists she has on board and all the designing, planning, product samples to try, new dolls being released, the business end of things, and so on that a crew of twenty might handle it at ease. But they are just the three of them, Rachel, Christopher and Paul. My head swims just thinking about this. If anyone deserves a break, a peaceful holiday, it is these three. In awe and grateful for all they do, I wish them all the very best of this holiday season.

Selecting photos for this posting was no small feat and I've written myself into a much-need break to the tune of a Hallmark Christmas movie and a huge mug of tea. Not all the photos made it, just a few but I hope they tell the story of my 2024 Christmas season. Some are by Mattel, others by the VDC. There's one of my latest Nutcracker ornaments by Kurt Adler Polonaise. Two of my Tonner NYC ballet dolls. One of three of my Poppy Parker dolls with a tinsel tree and tiny Shiny Brite ornaments. My 12 Days Barbie display after all the drawers were opened. Noelle with my two Ruby Red Fashion Friends play dolls in their gingerbread outfits. Just fun. Having these little Christmas displays around the house keeps me cheery and the beauty of Christmas shining.

As I mentioned earlier, inspiration has hit once again after a long break, and I have a very special Alice project in the works. Whenever I need a jump start, Alice always does the trick!

Merry Christmas, Happy Winter Solstice, Merry Yule! and best wishes for a wonderful New Year!, Melissa

Halloween week has arrived. Half my ceramic pumpkin bowl of trick-or-treat candy has already been enjoyed. While I do this for my husband mainly, I love a trick-or-treat bowl of candy in the house. Its only filled with the mini chocolate bars that were so coveted come Halloween night. Mini Baby Ruth, Butterfingers, Milky Ways...you know the ones I'm talking about. When we'd arrive home, I'd dump my candy loot on the floor and separate the candy out by type, saving the mini chocolate bars for last. Besides, they were minis! and I loved miniature things. Still do.

I had a very special trick-or-treat bag that I'm sure my mother tossed at some point. It was plastic and had a drawstring, and she probably picked it up for FREE at the gas station. Some reading on such bags told me that these plastic trick-or-treat bags were giveaways at certain places of business to retain good business.

The bag in question was magical. Some clever artist drew a witch flying in front of the moon over a rural landscape and she was carrying a trick-or treat bag with that very image on it. And so it followed inward in the drawing to the tiniest trick-or-treat bag on the tiniest witch flying in front of the moon. I knew it went on forever, and today I would call it an infinity bag. It fascinated me no end. Some years ago, I found a similar one on Ebay or Etsy and purchased it. It wasn't quite as detailed as the one I had, but its sentimental to me for the imagery.

I love vintage Halloween ephemera of all kinds, and books on Halloween. If I had the room, I'd have an entire cupboard or wall reserved just for Halloween dolls and ephemera.

In the past, as a true collector of everything I love, I have a nice little stash of Victorian postcards. Raphael Tuck, Ellen Clapsadle and others. But one of the images that intrigues me the most, and was at the time quite difficult to find (when I was doing that

collecting), were images with silly devils. They never felt spooky or scary to me, as they were drawn with joy, and more like naughty pixies or simply a natural part of the ghouls on parade. The Victorians were very superstitious and enjoyed the supernatural. This is why during the Golden Age of postcards you see so many goblins and witches and devils as themes. True, they loved the romance of tarot, mirrors and crystal balls to tell fortunes, but they delighted in their supernatural superstitions as well.

I've been a Halloween hound since I was a child. I've never, ever tired of it and honestly love the month of October more than that of December and Christmas. It's the 2nd 'ber, with plenty of celebrations still ahead to enjoy.

While writing my last journal posting on Dawn and her little witch costume, I'd been looking at "Halloween dolls" on Ebay, when I came across Madame Alexander's little devil dolls. I had to make a devil costume. Had to. I didn't know if I'd have time, and frankly, Peggy

Sue would have been the perfect doll to dress, with her red hair, her 13" size and all, but it occurred to me that I'd never sewn for Tiny Betsy before, and so the choice was made.

I undressed the Tiny Betsy from the Atlanta convention that was dressed her in caterpillar costume, and started work on a little devil costume for her.

Specifically, I wanted to make something that would have been done for the doll in the early 1960's. Something that would have been drawn in one of her paper doll magazine pages.

I fall in love with Tiny Betsy every autumn (and Easter), since I have all the trunk sets that Robert Tonner made for the seasons. Each has been added to nicely and so each one in turn comes out for the month or holiday they celebrate. Since so many precious outfits were made for this doll, it never occurred to me to sew for

her.

I started with a pair of red tights using the yellow ones from the caterpillar costume as a guide. She's such a tiny little thing that I needed to take the tights in twice.

Next came her dress. I could have made a body suit for her, but I'd done that for Peggy Sue's Wendy Witch costume, Casper the Friendly Ghost's friend. I wanted to do something different, and Madame Alexander was my inspiration. The dress with the rick rack sewn to the hem felt very vintage.

I made her a little cape with a high collar on it, but her lovely hair kind of hides it. The collar is a rectangular band sewn to the curve of the neckline and this creates that stand up collar devil cape look.

Her cotton sateen shoes have little pink rhinestones in their centers for a bit of bling. They are not perfect. Doubled cotton sateen does not make for good slippers, but I wanted them to match her costume.

While I used cotton sateen for the dress and slippers, the cape is lined in silk so that it wouldn't be too thick. The little devil horns are silk and were the devil to make! Sewn onto a band of red elastic, they stretch nicely over her head.

I learn a lot from studying how other doll costumers have constructed their costumes. I've never taken apart a costume before but it's been very tempting.

The back view.

Finally, Tiny Betsy had to have her pitchfork. This is a simple affair of wool felt and a painted wood dowel.

One of the images from the vintage trick-or-treat bags was used for her tiny one. Now I have a little devil in the mix of Tiny Betsy Halloween dolls. I wonder if Robert ever considered making one. Would it have looked similar? And I really do think Peggy Sue needs one next year.

It's been a lovely fall day, and the temperatures have finally dropped. The leaves are finally beginning to turn on our Liquid Amber trees and Silver Maple, and in two weeks' time, they'll be gorgeous. The season is very late this year, and it makes me wonder if we'll see rain here, or snow in the Sierras any time soon. Best just to enjoy the days for what they bring.

Below you'll find a delightful assortment of my favorite Halloween trick or treat bag images, and a few Victorian postcards sporting pixie devils. I've also included some of the devil dressed dolls I found, including a stock image of Gene Marshall's Halloween party with Trent as a devil (I have all those costumes), and Robet Tonner's Patsy in costume. I just may have to add that Annalee pixie doll to my Halloween ephemera collection!

Next stop, Christmas gifts. I won't be able to share them here until after the holidays, but if I don't get started on them, they won't get done. This is what November is for. So Happy Halloween once more and enjoy a few mini candy bars from the trick or treat bowl!

Love, Melissa