Happy Halloween, Dawn!

Over the years, since I was 13 years old, I've been a Dawn Doll collector.  It seems strange to me that Topper introduced her in 1970 because I was a tween then and quickly losing my interest in dolls for boys.  Maybe I was 12 that year.  I was earning my own money cleaning my neighbor's home on Saturdays and ironing her husband's work uniforms.  (When I think of "starch", I remember starching those post office uniforms, and getting out every wrinkle.) And the money was just enough to buy the little things I wanted.  

The collecting didn't last long, but I remember loving my tiny Dawn with her fabulous wardrobe of mini dresses and let's just say it, sexy clothing. 

I had the tiny pink doll case with Peter Max inspired graphics.  I had to have Bikini Beach Bunny because that outfit was in the graphics on the case.  My Dawn owned Fabulous Fake, Skinny Mini, Silver-au-Go-Go and Glimmer Glamour - that I recall, at 

least.  It was a beautiful little collection, that went the way of storage and wouldn't be unearthed until my mother died and the rafters were being cleaned out.

The Dawn Doll case was stuffed inside my large Barbie trunk and the pink from the case had left a stain on Barbie's wedding gown. I was so surprised to find the case, much less the Barbie trunk that held it, and all of the gorgeous costumes I'd collected for Barbie and Casey.  I know I brought them home, but I never played with them again.  They were a piece of my history and a little bit of magic, so I stored them away in cool, dark closet.

Then I needed money for something I wanted to buy, and Dawn was sold on Ebay.  Years later, I would go absolutely nuts for Dawn and acquired a huge collection.  In 2001, Checkerboard Toys released the commemorative Dawn Doll line.  So, when I started this huge collection, I bought brand

new dolls and NIB clothing from the 70's.  I love to play, and I like brand new because it's exciting to open the packaging and be the first to play with the item.  I collected like crazy then decided to sell the entire collection to buy something else.  I knew I could always recollect if I wanted to.  

Then a few years ago, I got Dawn Doll fever again, and this time would be the last.  What I purchased was here to stay, and once again it was all NIB and the Checkerboard dolls.  Come to think of it, I had a Glori, too, when I was 12 or 13.  

I love my tiny Dawn, and I keep the play Dawn on my nightstand.  I dress her up for the seasons. Once in a while find that NIB collectible outfit from the 70's that is on my Dawn bucket list.  I have two Peter Max cases, and they are full.

The beautiful encyclopedia by Benita Schwartz is my "wish book".  I'd love to have Dawn's car someday.  I haven't room

for anything else, but wow...I think of what I could have collected if I'd been younger and hadn't lost interest in my tweens.  And I'm truly only interested in minty, or NIB accessories.  It's getting harder to collect Dawn these days as people are asking so much more for the items than they did even seven years ago.  Just another reason this collection is home for good with me.  

But one thing has bothered me every time Halloween comes around.  Dawn never got a Halloween costume.  Even though she's been referred to as a tiny Barbie, or rival of Barbie (back then), her wardrobe was primarily mod and model wear. 

So, this year, I decided to make her a Halloween costume.  I do have a tendency to torture myself.  

I used to be really good at miniatures.  Whether it's my eyes, or my patience, I find creating tiny very frustrating.  As well as 

sewing black on black.  It takes me longer if I really have the will, and I find excuses every time I sit down not to do the tiny or black project.  But, hey.  It's something to do, and I've said it before, I love a challenge.  Tell me I can't, and I'll do just that.  

I really had no idea what I wanted to make for her, but a witch is always a winner, and I've made plenty of witch costumes.  The question was, could I find a pair of black shoes for Dawn?  No.  No and no.  They did not make them.  EVER.  The boyfriend had black shoes, but not Dawn.  She did get black boots with one of her outfits though, so I bought a pair of those from Ebay.  It was a start. Reminds me of trying to find the black shoes for Tammy/Misty dolls for my Samantha Bewitched.  Boy, that was a lucky find!

I started with the boots and sorted through her little wardrobe to see what style might be easiest to stick under a sewing machine needle.

After a valiant attempt at making a pattern, I decided that maybe I should check Etsy and see if anyone was crazy enough to have made patterns for this 6 1/2" model body doll back in the day.  Yes, they had been.  I bought the PDF file and printed it out.  "Hurray!", I thought.  But the patterns were too big.  I couldn't figure out why this one bodice wasn't fitting with the teeny darts I had to make.  So, I reduced it to 90% and got a nice fit.  

The other problem was that I didn't like any of the patterns and there certainly wasn't a witch costume, so I had to use the bodice as a mockup and created my own pattern from there.  And no, I'm not doing this again.  Dawn has a bazillion lovely outfits out there and I do not need or want to sew for her.  Just a Halloween costume, thank you very much.

I love the combination of "witches brew green" and black.  I chose a fine silk dupioni for the dress and used a fine dotted Swiss tulle for the duster.  Dusters were popular in the 70's so this fit right in with 

the look I wanted to achieve.  Dawn is a tiny model from the 70's and I wasn't about to time walk her to the present.  I finished her mini dress with crystal sparkles on the bodice and made her a tiny broom to carry to her Halloween party.

Here's a photo of 12" Samantha next to Dawn for scale.  I'm pleased.  Dawn finally has a Halloween costume and can wear it every October now.  

That makes four costumes I've made this month and believe it or not, I just thought of a fifth I'd like to make.  But for what doll?  Maybe the idea will have to go into the hopper.  That's just the way I do things.  When I'm on a roll, I don't quit until I can't lift another pair of scissors.

I scanned some images from Benita's encyclopedia for you.  The first four are costumes I collected originally and recollected twice.  The last, Rain Check, is an ultra-rare outfit and I've never seen it NIB.  I did acquire it a couple of years ago and love it.  Perfect for the rainy season.  There's a photo of my Dawn in it a few pictures up, walking her black poodle in the puddles.

I'm over the moon delighted with the VDC's special offerings for Anne and Grace of Wednesday inspired outfits.  I dressed my girls last night and took this photo of them with Dawn just because.  The day I stop playing dolls is the day I'm no longer breathing.  

If the last idea for Halloween doesn't get made, I'll once again wish you the Happiest Halloween ever!

Melissa

 

Anne as Frozen's Anna

Last month when Anne was going back to school (with the subscription box), some little books were being sold as add-ons.  I'd purchased little books like this before, and while I bought those offered on the VDC, I also looked for a few more from my source.  I found one titled Frozen.  It looked cute.  Like the story a little girl would enjoy, so I bought it.  I flipped through the pages and became more curious, so I looked up the movie on the Internet.  It seemed like a very dark story, but then many fairytales are.  So, what did I do?  I rented it for $3.99 on Amazon Prime and watched it.

I'd been scrolling Pinterest images of Elsa and Anna and thought that making Anne an Elsa costume might be fun.  For Halloween, of course, or just because.  I'd purchase some sparkle tulle and had fully prepared for this.  Then I watched the movie and fell in love with the Anna (pronounced ah-nah), character, the moose, Sven, and Olaf the snowman with the big carrot nose.  Gotta love Disney!  No matter the frightening times our heroes and heroines 

face in a Disney movie, there is always the sweet comic relief, and the animals win out every time.  I still think about Mulan's red dragon played by Eddie Murphy.  Brilliant!

And so, I decided to create the Anna costume instead.  Naturally it would have to be more difficult and involved, but I'd made up my mind.  Just call me Crazy, because most of the time when I'm sewing for dolls, I choose the most difficult thing to do.

Frozen, the movie, came out in 2013.  Where was I at the time?  Who knows?  Of on some other adventure and wondering what the all the fuss was about.  I need to be reeled in at times and stay contemporary.  I'm working on it.  And yet, Frozen is still making money hand over fist.  American Girl just came out with their versions of Elsa and Anna, and they are gorgeous dolls.  You can't have one without the other, but at $310 a piece, it's an expensive commitment.

The Broadway musical would be underway in 2014, as well as a production of Frozen by Disney on Ice.  What a perfect venue for an ice themed story!  I'm told the Broadway musical was quite a feast for the eyes, especially when Elsa becomes the Snow Queen.  And here I sit in this little podunk town of Auburn, California, far away from the glittering lights of big city entertainment.  All the things I miss!  And perhaps this is just another reason why I sew and create my own entertainment.  

I don't think I'd enjoy city life as much as I once would have anyway.  Those days were spent in my 30's.  I used to have season tickets to the San Francisco Ballet and never missed a good musical or performance of The Nutcracker.  My ex and I even traded tickets once to see an opera.  But this is all history.  And I've become shier and more introverted as time has gone by.  I didn't mean to become this way, but age and experience can sometimes do that to a person.

And so, I ventured into Frozen land with an Anna outfit for Anne.

As usual, now, I hunted through my stash of fabrics to find the correct colors and weights of fabrics for this costume.  It took me a week to do this.  The only fabric I had that would do nicely for the skirt was this piece of thin cotton velveteen I'd used on one of Louise Godey's outfits eons ago.  The color was so gorgeous, and there was very little left of it.  I knew I'd be saving it for just the right project.  But was this the project?  I deliberated.  Then finally made a decision to use it.  As the story was given a Nordic setting, snow and ice the conditions, I couldn't see creating the costume entirely of silk.  Anna would freeze to death!  She was going to anyway after Elsa blasted her, but that silly thing about me, needing to be accurate, gave into using the velveteen.  The wools I had were simply too thick and there were the scallops to contend with.

The dress is one piece.  It is a costume.  An aqua silk, high collared blouse was sewn to the scalloped velveteen skirt with a lighter blue silk layer beneath.  The vest is fine black wool edged in this beautiful metallic gold braid I'd been saving for another costume.  I only have 

seven inches left of it and may not be able to find more.  

I'd been studying all the images of Anna's costume that I could find.  Even those created for 18" dolls by seamstresses on Etsy.  Each one is as unique as the person who designed it.  Even Disney changes up the costume up from time to time in the movie.  So, I selected two images to work from then did my own version.  This one was for Anne.

I borrowed a wig from another doll I own, to give her the red braids.  The wig could have been longer, but finding a red wig in size 4-5 is daunting to say the least.  We make do.  Braiding it took a lot of patience.  If Rachel ever offers us a long red wig for Anne, my other doll will get her hair back.  In the meantime, the wig will belong to Anne for her costume.  

When contemplating the embroidery and decoration for the skirt and black vest, I deliberated some more.  Just how much time and effort

did I want to put into this?  Also, you can't draw on velveteen easily, not with chalk, not with white charcoal pencils.  It doesn't mark or makes a mess and embroidery is delicate.  Most of this work by other people is done with machine embroidery.  I gave the tulip design a gentle free hand look and embellished with jewels.

Then there was the cape to create.  I used a similar velveteen from my stash in a raspberry color.  I've seen the pom pom trim done in both black and pink, and I chose black to pick up the color of the vest.  The outer shoulder cape could have been a bit smaller, but I didn't notice until the collar was sewn on, so this is how it shall be. The cape is lined in a deep brown silk with hints of raspberry red.

The silver clasp was of my own making using silver leather and gemstones.  Do they actually make them this small?  I doubt it.  And if they did, they'd come from China.  You could spend a year trying to make a costume like this, and Anne was already delighted with her costume as I created it for her.

She does have a pair of black boots.  They are made of wool and have true, flat soles, but I did not embellish the boots with gold embroidery.  They cannot be seen under the skirt, so Anne didn't mind.  To do that kind of work would be another free hand nightmare anyway.  Maybe someday when the crazies come back!

Next was her Trick-or-Treat bag.  I intended to make a bag of white wool felt in the shape of the snowman, Olaf.  I had it all planned out.  Actually, I'd thought of needle felting an Olaf, but just how much work did I want to put into this project?  It's a Halloween costume!  Not an art doll for the ages.  American Girl did that.  I'm still thinking about them.  $620!!!

As some of you might know, I've been posting my daily "national days" on my Facebook home page and gave each a Halloween theme this month. Too much fun finding Halloween themed images for them all!  I wondered if Frozen could possibly have Halloween themed images...

If one person thinks it, you can be sure others have!  And so, I found Olaf holding a Halloween pumpkin and a few more Frozen Halloween images.  I used the Olaf image for Anne's Trick-or-Treat bag.  

Earlier I'd made sure to look for any tiny Zuru Frozen dolls for Anne and found two.  One was a chubby child doll of Anna and the other, one of Elsa.

So, between the Trick-or-Treat bag, the book and the dolls, Anne was set to play Anna for the remainder of the month.  Or at least until her Wednesday Addams dress arrives in the VDC subscription box.  

I cannot tell you how much fun this month has been with the Halloween offerings from the VDC!  Rachel's hit her stride with these boxes and extra outfits for our dolls.  I'm so pleased with all of it.

And this weekend is the Tonner Fest Halloween party.  Just how many times I've contemplated going and didn't pursue it.  I have my reasons and none of them are good and all of them revolve around my husband.  What I can tell you, is that if Rachel feels it was a success and she enjoyed doing it, maybe she'll do it again next year.  Then I'll go since I won't be attending convention next year.  I won't hesitate. This year's event will be spectacular.  And because its being put on by the VDC, those tucked in at home will be able to enjoy it in some small part.

Anne with her Elsa doll.  

Beautiful little Anne as Anna.

This project was fun.  It was intense at times and always and ever challenging, but the final joy is in the completion, the accomplishment.

Olaf wishes you a Happy Halloween!

Below are a few of my favorite images from Frozen, and a few Halloween themed ones to enjoy.

Will I make Anne the Elsa costume?  Yes.  I'm sure I will, but not this month.  It might be fun for the winter months.  Anna had some beautiful costuming in the movie, and I'd love to make one of the green gowns some time, too.  There's always a new project on the horizon, and my next one starts today.  

We are midway through Halloween month, and it just keeps getting better!  Enjoy!

Melissa 

 

Agatha Primrose's Halloween

October the first swept in on tiny little breezes.  The heat of summer, the dryness that followed, left scatters of leaves in varying stages of decay, tucking themselves neatly into Agatha's herb garden.  Shin deep in gardening boots, her wide brimmed hat tucked tightly on her head, lest a pesky witch-wind came by to lift it away, Agatha was finishing up the last of the harvest.  

The recent rains helped some of the struggling plants, but many by now had gone dormant from the early setting of the sun and the cooling earth at night.

Her basket full for this season's last time, she headed back to her little stone house built by her great, great grandmother, still in the family and lovingly occupied and cared for by its current occupant.  As she approached the door under the large, covered porch, a little breeze blew a sheaf of paper, no, a white envelope down the steps, that had been tucked into the

metal scrollwork on the front door.  Agatha carefully placed her gathering basket down and took off after the envelope as it danced its way across the porch and down the walking path.  Having retrieved the now soiled delivery, she walked back inside to settle her gatherings and placed a copper kettle on the stove for a much-needed cup of chamomile tea.

Agatha's kitchen held a large fireplace in which a black kettle could be suspended above the freshly placed logs that would be lit for warmth or cooking.  Her shelves were lovingly filled with labeled jars and corked bottles of this, that and the other thing, and drying herbs were suspended from the rafter beams, tightly bound and awaiting their future purposes.  

Mug in hand, she fired up her computer to browse the latest on social media, and current potions and elixirs.

The small kitchen window was open to the autumn air, and the yellowed lace curtains ruffled ever so slightly as the sun began to set.  It had been a beautiful day filled with hope and the holiday spirit.  Rested and refreshed, Agatha picked up the envelope and carefully sliced it open with the ornate letter opener that had been passed down from mother to daughter over these many years.  As she did so, a tiny spark flew from the opening and a whisper of cedar and cinnamon rose from

the broken seal.  Unfolding the contents, she read, "Your presence is welcome at an All Souls Night Gathering on the 18th of October.  In other words, get your fanny to Denver, Colorado for the best Halloween party ever!".  It was signed, The Doll Coven.

The 18th?  Denver?  Agatha shook her head in dismay.  There was the great distance to travel, and her car was not travel worthy.  There was also very little time to conjure up a costume should she even be able to attend.  The invitation also noted that the incredible wizard, Tonner, would be in attendance bringing his special brand of magic with him.  She vowed to find a way to attend this gathering for this wizard's magic was powerful.  Agatha's class schedule was heavy, and homework was due in her biology class.  Attending appeared impossible.

She sat and stared out the window as the moon rose.  Autumn's little bats were dipping and spinning in the twilight when an idea came to her.  She rose and walked over to the shelves that lined the kitchen on all sides and pulled down the family grimoire that had been tucked among the many cookbooks and magical tomes with crumbling leather spines.  Certainly, she thought, there must be a spell to aid me in my quest.  After thumbing carefully through the pages yellowed with time, she came upon an enchantment that looked promising.  She gathered her mortar and pestle, a few candles, and lit a fire beneath a small iron pot on the old wooden table and began preparations.

Midnight arrived by the time she had a nice little pot of herbs bubbling in the pot.  As she stirred and sprinkled in the last ingredients, she chanted, 

"Moon that sails the night on fire, map the path to my desire.  Time is of the essence now, open the channels and show me how."  Twice more she spoke the words and with a flourish, dropped in the last ingredient.  A puff of smoke and terrible odor filled the little kitchen.  Agatha didn't recall this kind of result when she watched Grandmama work this spell.  What could have gone wrong?

Frustrated, she cleaned up and went to bed a bit despondent but ready to try the next night.  Twice more she tried.  Twice more she failed.  "Fiddlesticks!", she thought.  Just one wrong herb picked out of season could upset the spell.

Agatha was anything but a poor student.  Smart as a whip, she worked her studies, aced her biology exam, and only then did she come back to the issue

at hand of how to attend the All Souls Night party.  Even through her studies the question was never far from her thoughts, but Agatha, a very practical young lady, knew the answer would come if she'd just learn to relax, breathe and envision.  This was when the idea stuck her of asking her mentor, Goody Hillcomb, the witch who worked in the science department at University, for help.

Goody Hillcomb, also a very practical, very wise woman, then asked Agatha over for tea.  Shortly after, a desperate rapping came at Goody's door.  Agatha thanked her exuberantly for giving her audience with very little notice and began to describe her plight.  She reluctantly confessed to Goody, the failed attempts she'd already tried.  Goody nodded, listened carefully, and told Agatha that sometimes spells only worked in the absence of the obvious.

Wide-eyed, Agatha looked hopeful at Goody and asked what 

she meant by "obvious".  As Goody was a friend of the great wizard herself, she'd received the same invitation.  She knew that The Doll Coven was a virtual online group and everything to be enjoyed could be done magically online!  Such an obvious and simple solution.

Sometimes when we have priorities and constraints, there is yet a little bit of magic to make our desires come true.  The Virtual Doll Coven was brilliantly conceived for such a purpose to include everyone far and near.

So, Goody and Agatha made plans to attend the party together by computer.  They'd decorate Agatha's home for Halloween, magically carve many pumpkins and set them on the porch.  They'd light every candle in the house, and send the wizard and the coven of three, a special Samhain blessing.

Happy Halloween, Agatha!

This story is a small tribute to the wizards in Denver, Colorado, who continue to bring magic into our lives every day. 

 

Bewitched's Samantha!

The year was 1964 and on September the 17th, the pilot of one of America's most beloved fantasy sitcoms aired on national television.  The pilot introduced a beautiful witch named, Samantha, who falls in love with mortal man, Darrin, and marries him.  Unbeknownst to Darrin, his wife is a witch whose family disapproves of their union.  From there, the magic, mayhem and hijinks play out in every episode.  It was one of my favorite childhood programs, and I was seated on the living room floor to catch every moment of the opening animation, to the final seconds of each episode.  I was seven years old.

I can only imagine how my eyes must have lit up when the opening tune accompanied the wonderful animation of Samantha flying on her broomstick, to a cat jumping up into Darrin's arms, then turning into Samantha.  And how could anyone forget the lyrical twitch of Samantha's nose when she performed her magic?

Goodness knows why I wouldn't have wanted to dress up as Samantha for Halloween that year.  But I was a kid and tried never to ask for anything in fear of repercussions.  I know I dressed up as a witch one year, but do not recall which one.  We made our own costumes out of cast offs and whatever we could dig up.  If only I could go back to being seven, with my brain of today!  Well, I'm sure I'd be impossible to live with and sent to my room more often that I already was.

But the wonderful creativity of the show and the fantasy that anything was possible with the twitch of a nose had me sitting in front of the mirror at times seeing if I could make my nose go side to side.  

The show aired from September 17, 1964, through to March 25, 1972.  The house at 1164 Morning Glory Drive would be visited by viewers from all over the country, as we were introduced to the Samantha's incorrigible mother, Endora, her feisty sister

(played by Montgomery), Serena, and the unforgettable neighbor, Gladys Kravitz.  

And of course, we went to work with Darrin at the advertising agency, McMann and Tate.  They appeared to be the average upper-middle-class suburban family, but we all knew better!

In 1965, Ideal Toy Company introduced a wonderful Samantha doll for the Christmas season, who was modeled from their Misty doll, Tammy's sophisticated friend.

Since Tressy, the doll that grew hair, was introduced in 1963, I'm pretty sure '64 was the year I got the Tressy.  With no clothing to change into, I quickly grew bored of turning the key that wound her hair in and out of her skull.  But, Samantha!  Oh, Samantha!  She was one of my favorite Christmas gifts of all time.  

Christmas morning 1965, I flew her all over the house on her broomstick.  She was gorgeous in her beautifully curled hair, and flame red dress covered in sparkles.  I know I flew her around the house several times more, but Liddle Kiddles and troll dolls probably held more lasting appeal.

There was also something wrong with Samantha.  Wrong?  Yep.  Even to my "never skips a detail" child's mind, she wasn't dressed correctly.  The TV show never showed Samantha wearing this dress, this outfit, and I wasn't going to say anything.  Who would I tell?  My mother would have had a conniption fit if I had, so Samantha quietly got tucked away somewhere for many years.

It was after my mother died and we were going through boxes, that Samantha was found.  And she was perfect.  Still had her broom, her shoes, her hair was nice, really nice, and the costume's only issue if you can even call it one, was that one of the snaps could use new threads.  

Every Halloween, or Christmas since then, I've taken her out for a month, then put her back until next holiday season.  This year would be different.  For one thing, I discovered that she was made from the Misty mold, and last year I spent several months amassing my first Tammy collection, so I was familiar with seeing the Misty dolls.

I started doing a little reseach into Misty dolls, and thought, Why not make the animated Samantha outfit for a Misty doll?  For one, they're really expensive.  And two, they're not in very good condition.  And three, there has to be a three, Misty doesn't look like Samantha.  So I started looking for another Samantha doll to dress.  Repeat reasons one and two and I had to reconsider.

In the meantime, a lady named Peggy, who refashions Liddle Kiddle dolls share this photo of her recent Samanth and Endora creations on Facebook and I went nuts. Dummy me was 

"unaware" that these Kiddles were ever made, so I wrote to her.  This is how I found out that she refashions the dolls and these two would be up on Ebay shortly.  They now reside with my Halloween doll collection.  Her Endora is such a hoot!  The costuming is made from wool felt, so yes, I could do this, too.  I may make my own Jeannie of I Dream of Jeannie from a Kiddle sometime down the road.  But I digress.  The Kiddles are precious.

And my research continued until I started finding that they'd made Samantha paper dolls in the 1960s.  The show was so popular that TV Guide produced a Bewitched Fun and Activity Book!  Well, guess what?  Now I own a copy that's never been played with, drawn in.  And I'll be sharing some of it on Facebook in October for a fun treat.  I would have LOVED having the paper dolls and this activity book as a kid, but again, there was my mother.  She simply hid things from me, knowing that if I saw them, I'd want them, and bug her until I got them.

And this is how I collect.  When I'm really into a vintage doll, if there are books or toys or accessories of some kind that were related to the doll, I try to find them.  I may not have been able to enjoy them as a child, but maybe I get more out of owning them now!

As it turns out, I wasn't going to buy a very expensive doll in poor shape just to costume her, so I decided to actually play with my childhood Samantha.  But first, I needed black shoes.  Without the shoes, there's no point.  Just try finding a pair of those squishy black kitten heels that fit Tammy and Misty!  I looked for months last year with no luck whatsoever.  Then several days ago when I was once again looking, late in the wee hours of the morning, an actual pair was listed on Ebay.  I bought them.  Didn't think twice.

I was off to a good start.  Those magic, black kitten heeled shoes!

For the first time in 60 years, Samantha would be dressed as she should have been.  

I've never sewn for Barbie.  Never.  And sewing for this Misty body was very much like that only the Ideal body is a little less "sophisticated".  The bodies are more like a young teen's body.  I started looking for Tammy patterns to use as a mock up and found one digital set that I could only use the upper darts for.  Of course.  See?  That's why I make my own patterns.  What I want to sew, there isn't a pattern for!  So I launched my new project a couple of weeks ago and agonized for hours over it.

After this, I've pretty much taught myself how to make those long darts in the front and in the back, which sinch a dress to a more form fitting appearance.  Three tries.  Silk...muslin...silk again.  My confidence was flagging.  First of all, I'm not experienced with

making my own darts so there were many fittings, thread pulls, resewing etc.  But the worst problem and I hate to admit this, but I can no longer sew black and black.  I simply cannot see the thread going into the black fabric.  Close to giving up, I decided to just try using a thread I could see to sew with.  I used a dark gray.  That seemed to help a great deal, but it will forever bother me that I couldn't use black thread.  I can't even sew a tiny black button with black thread on a black dress.  I did, but I won't do it again.  I'm not going to analyze (yes, I will), why I can't do this any longer, but let's suffice to say, it has something to do with aging eyes.  

And now my beautiful Ideal Samantha doll is dressed the way I always wanted her to be dressed.  In that adorable outfit she wore in the opening animation of the show.  And by the way, the cape is secured to the bodice with loops on the edge of the cape and tiny buttons on the inside of the bodice so that the cape folds inside the edge of the bodice like the animated costume.  I discovered that Madame Alexander did this with their version, only the red was

green.  Go MA!

While doing my research, I watched both the first pilot episode of Bewitched on YouTube (go YouTube!), and will once again, this December, watch the first year's Christmas episode when Samantha takes an orphan boy, played by Billy Mummy, to meet Santa Claus at the North Pole.  If you get a chance, read this blog on that episode.  It's wonderful! Christmas TV History: Bewitched Christmas (1964)

I don't impress very easily, but sometimes I get a nice surprise.

When I was undressing my doll, I started to marvel at the condition she was in.  Even the pink underwear is in pristine condition.

No stains.

Perfect hair that is still soft and smooth, and get this! Still has the original pins in it!  Now I did do one thing to preserve her tresses.  I took out the old rubber band that was rotted and replaced it with similar colored cotton thread.  I've been doing this with old dolls with disintegrating rubber bands for years now.  Just thread a needle with thread to match the hair and go around and round the ponytail with the needle then tie it off.  You'll love the effect.

I took these photos for both myself for my archives and also so you could see what a doll like this in pristine condition should look like.  I'm not bragging.  I'm actually just amazed that she kept so well.  The vinyl isn't even marred or sticky.

She's just a really nice doll.

And here's the back of her red flame dress.  This fabric is sort of weird.  I don't know what to call it.  It's like a paper fabric.  Some kind of synthetic property.  The back panel is a stretch material.  I might also note that I made the new, black witch hat, roughly the same size as this red one.  In the animated cartoon image, it looks even smaller.  If only I had a nighttime back drop like the one with the city buildings and stars to pose my doll in front of!

Below are some examples of other Samantha dolls made over the years.  I'd considered getting a Barbie one, but they didn't make the cape correctly.  And while the Madame Alexander doll has the correct cape, Cissette does not look like Samantha, and she has a V neck dress instead of a square neck.  Details, details.  Picky, picky, picky.  LOL 

If you're a fan of Bewitched, you'll love the blog link I shared.  If you love Samantha dolls, these are but a few to browse sometime.  This has been a really fun project and journey for me.  And I actually got to really play with my childhood doll instead of flying her all over the living room on her broomstick.  

October is just a day away and Halloween month is going to be spectacular!

Sending you magical Halloween wishes, Melissa

Samantha Paper Doll

Tabitha Paper Doll

Tonner's Samantha

Tonner's Endora

Mattel 2001

Mattel 2001

Mattel 2010

Madame Alexander 2005

Santa's old friend, Samantha