Mushroom Manor Revisted

This is a project I made back in 2013, which I put on Ipernity.  Since then, I've returned to Flickr, and the tutorial for this is no longer available in Ipernity.  I've been asked by a couple of folks what happened to it, so I've finally put the tutorial on Flickr.

It is primarily a picture tutorial, with no written instructions.  The crochet is done by fit, as you go along, but there are plenty of pictures to help you.  You can find the tutorial here:

Mushroom Manor

The Manor is sized for small dolls, about five inches tall.  It was originally made for my Forget-Me-Knot dolls, but Nancy Ann's and tiny BJD's will be quite at home here as well.

Some of the little embellishments are available on this blog under Crochet An Outdoor Setting; just scroll down the left sidebar until you find it.

Enjoy the crochet!

More dolls, more fun!

Jeanette is a hard plastic Nancy Ann with a painted face and jointed arms and legs.  I'm always amazed at how beautifully these dolls are constructed and painted.  All they need is a little cleaning, most times a new wig, and some pretty outfits to make them special indeed.

Jeanette's dress and hat are another outfit designed by Helga Kraft for Kelly dolls.  I end up adding two or three stitches to the waist line, to better fit Nancy Ann, and make the dresses a bit longer.  Otherwise, the fit is quite good.

Jeanette's shoes are from an Annie Potter Presents leaflet entitled Victorian Darlings.  I've used this leaflet for many outfits for these dolls.  I crochet the dresses using size 20 crochet cotton (or size 8 perle) and a size 9 hook.  However, for the shoes I crochet them with the thread and hook recommended.

Jeanette's raglan sweater is my own design, which I am happy to share!

Nancy Ann Raglan Knit Sweater

And remember, most of the outfits I designed for the Forget-Me-Knot kids, here on this blog, will fit Nancy Ann as well.

Nancy Ann projects in the wings include these three Nancy Ann's from the 50's, with hard plastic bodies and sleep eyes:

I've removed their wigs and cleaned and blushed them.  All ready for new wigs and outfits!

I hope you are enjoying the day.  Only 23 more days until White Friday!  Are you ready to knit, crochet, sew, or otherwise hand make someone a special gift for Christmas?  This is what White Friday is all about :-)

Happy Halloween!!

Minerva Wormwood is my latest Nancy Ann remake, one of the dear dolls sent to me by my good friend Tomi :-)  The time of the year just begged for a Halloween doll, so Minerva was born.

Minerva's outfit is a purchased pattern written for Mattel's Kelly doll (Barbie's very little sister), from Helga Kraft.  I tweaked it ever so slightly to fit a slightly taller and slightly pudgier doll.  However, I can share with you Minerva's Halloween mask, which should fit similarly sized dolls like small BJD's, Riley, and others.

Minerva's Halloween Mask

Have a frightfully fun Halloween!

Playing with dolls

For the last several weeks I have been engrossed in buying and re-making distressesd Nancy Ann dolls.  These are vintage dolls that were made from the late 1930's through the 1960's.  The earlier dolls were bisque; in 1948 production shifted to hard plastic dolls.  They are small and endearing, and a great way to play with dolls :-)

I also love, absolutely love, presentation boxes for dolls.  So I scrounged around in my work room for some cigar boxes I had purchased many moons ago, and they looked to be a nice size to present these dear dolls.  With scrap book papers I had on hand (for another project that never materialized), and cardboard that I save like it is going out of production, I made the little box above for one of my Nancy Ann's. 

The scrapbook paper was easy to work with...generally I am a mess when it comes to gluing anything!  I just sort of winged it with measurements, using the box mostly and creasing the paper to make the cutting lines. 

I cut two seperate pieces of cardboard to fit the top of the box, with the ribbon wrapped around it to hold various outfits for the doll, and for the bottom of the box, to thread the ribbon through to hold the doll in place.  These covered pieces of cardboard also make a nice finish to the box and hide the edges of the scrap book papers that line the outside and inside of the box.

Another great box to use for this purpose are the photo storage boxes that Michael's carries.  That will be my next project :-)

I am also still restoring Nancy Ann's.  This darling girl came to me from a dear friend, who rescued several disheveled dolls and sweetly thought to send them to me!  They have been so much fun to re-create.  This is Jane Ann, named not only for my cousin (of the same name) but for my friend and also myself.  Her outfit is crocheted in perle cotton 8 with a size 9 steel hook, from the Annie's Attic leaflet Victorian Darlings.  Except for the length of sleeve and skirt, the outfit was crocheted to the pattern, with the finer thread and smaller needle.

Three more dolls waiting to be!  A hard plastic, frozen leg bisque, and jointed bisque with legs borrowed from a headless doll.  We can't wait!

New life for distressed dolls

I've always been drawn to the old Nancy Ann Storybook dolls; several years ago I bought a plastic one and used her for a template to create the Forget-Me-Knot crochet dolls.  Produced in bisque from 1936 to 1948, and in plastic from 1948 to the 1960's, they are small (4 1/2 inches to 7 inches) and have simple and endearing faces.

But, I like making dolls more than buying them!  So here is the neat part: my friend Joyce started re-making distressed Nancy Ann's.  Dolls that had been loved very nearly to death, and looked it.  These are not collectibles, and can be found fairly inexpensively on Etsy or Ebay.  Joyce hooked me (literally!) into the world of re-make for these sweet dolls.

So above you have a 7 inch Nancy Ann, who came to me with a broken hip and competely unstrung.  I mended her hip with glue and fabric, and restrung her with stretchy beading cord, as below:

The idea to use glue-soaked fabric to strengthen the break at the hip came from another Flickr friend.  It appears to work quite well.

I removed what little hair she had left and crocheted her a wig cap from boucle mohair yarn, available here:

Weir Craft Boucle Yarn

And crocheted her undies with size 20 crochet cotton, size 8 perle cotton, and a size 9 steel hook.  The pattern is a slight modification to the undies pattern for the Forget-Me-Knot kids.

I now have nearly a dozen urchins waiting patiently for a new life, and a new opportunity to bring joy to someone special.

The two on the left are bisque, the three on the right are hard plastic, and all are charming.

Before leaving, let me introduce you to Charlotte, a very special Southern Belle made especially for me by Joyce :-)  I couldn't ask for a better friend, or a sweeter gift.  Joyce's crochet skills, and her imagination, are amazing!

Charlotte, by Joyce Yearsly

Tiny Trousseau

From a basic underwear pattern, you can make just about any outfit you like for your little Forget-Me-Knot or Nancy Ann doll.   Krystal, in the middle, is modeling the undies which are a simple camisole and panties. 

Nancy Ann on the left is wearing a pretty lavender dress based on the camisole, with a very full skirt and puff sleeves.  Cherry, on the right, is wearing deep red rompers with gold trim, a melding of the camisole and panties pattern.

All of the outfits are crocheted with size 8 perle thread and a size 9 steel hook.  All of them button up the back.

Basic Forget Me Knot Undies

Enjoy the crochet!

Six years on, Nancy Ann and the dolls she inspired

About six years ago, I was smitten by the little doll above.  She is a Nancy Ann Storybook doll.  These dolls were produced from the mid 1930's through the 1950's, and transitioned from all bisque to hard plastic in the 1948 time frame.  The little girl above is a hard plastic Nancy Ann, with move-able head and legs, and sleep eyes.  She is 5 1/2 inches tall, and free standing.

I purchased this book at the time; it is a wonderful reference book for the bisque Nancy Ann doll, and is chock full of pictures, especially comparison shots of the undressed dolls and their dimensions.  A dream book for a dollmaker :-)







The summer of 2007 found me making many, many little crochet cousins of this dear little doll.  I wrote down some rudimentary instructions, dressed them in international costumes, then walked away from them...for six years!

So, this post is more about inspiration than instructions, although I do have instructions for you to make your own little doll, that I call Forget Me Knot Kids

I'm afraid there are no instructions for the outfits above; sometimes it is just fun to sit down with thread and hook and create, without writing down every step of the way.  However, I did record a basic bodice and underwear; every outfit I ever make springs from these simple patterns.

Here is my updated doll, free standing and with a move-able head and leg joints:

And the pattern:  Forget-Me-Knot Kids.

A great source of costume inspiration is Dover Publications.  I used a paper doll sticker book for the International costumes above; I think this book is still in publications.  Paper doll books are inexpensive, colorful, and simply fun :-)

Coming soon: basic clothing patterns.  They can be the start of a creative journey; enjoy the crochet!