Thursday, November 12, 2009

A Few Vintage Dolls

As promised, for today I am going to talk about "Trudy" and the "Boudoir" doll of the 30' or 40's. Below is the actual Trudy doll, she was composition and the brain child of the many faces doll company. The examples I've seen also has a attached bonnet to the body, the idea is to always have 3 dolls in one while caring for only one. Trudy is very cute and she was a instant hit.


Very few, excellent conditioned Trudy's survive today. And frankly, it's something indescribable to see the head mold, it's seamed around all faces. I guess if you weren't a doll lover.....you could describe it.


I find the little tuffs of hair so adorable, they must be attached to inside the bonnet.


Cute.


Next, we see the classic boudoir doll, I found these to be called "keen eyed", I'm assuming it's because their eyelids are halfway shut. Notice how thin they are, one person described the limbs as like a sausage.

This is the boudoir doll that I would like to have, many of them adorned beautiful full gowns with puffy sleeve cuffs, others had straight shifts. I think the lounging pj's make the statement about what the doll represents.

Here is what I have, you can see Trudy is not the real Trudy but a porcelain image. She is quite large and heavy. I paid $3.00 for her and the hot pink body she was attached to. I removed it because not only was it a bad proportion, it was downright ugly.


I thought the boudoir doll head was a ornament because it had a silver tread with a Christmas hook at the turban part of her head. I was very pleased to find 4 holes in the neck that allowed me to run tread through them and attach it to the body.
I used pipe cleaners inside the stuffed limbs of my doll so she can be posed.


I tell ya, I printed the boudoir doll pattern from DIY, the doll is Jiliana, she is pretty but a @!#?! to stuff!


Help! I've lost my head!


Done.

Might be a grand stall on making the clothing, I paid for the pattern tonight,
does that count? C&G Design

11 comments:

Country Wings in Phoenix said...

Oh Dawn!
What a wonderful job you have done. I cannot wait to see the clothes that you add to the boudoir doll. She is just lovely. Her little face is so precious. I wish I had those skinny little legs of hers, and they look long too. I am a little short gal.

Love the Tudy doll. Really neat how they made the three faces, that you can turn and decide which one you want the doll to be. I love it.

Thanks for sharing. Stop by soon. Country hugs, Sherry

tina said...

Trudy is cute. Very endearing.

Nancy said...

I'm always fascinated! This is so interesting. Your doll adventures are like mini design projects for me who would have loved to design clothes.

I applaud your decision to change up the blog design. Also, thankfully, you have your holiday countdown. Yikes! 14 days to Thanksgiving. I have a child 2000 miles away with no plans yet.

Kathleen said...

I am quite drawn to the Boudoir doll. I grew up with Barbie, so I really like girly, glam, attractive, sexy type dolls. This one fills the bill. I am anxious to see what you will dress her in. I really like her. I haven't been crafting at all....needed a break I guess. I am going to start knitting dishcloths tonight, to give as Christmas gifts (all my family loves them!) Good to "talk" with you Dawn, have a super day, hugs, Kathleen

Jean Merriman said...

I just bet those long and so very skinny limbs were a #$&#*@ to stuff but you pulled if off very well, just like you will with the clothing.

Kathleen, I love the dishcloths also, they are the best but I crochet mine.

Skeeter said...

That poor baby in the box in the first picture reminded me of a baby in a coffin! Kind of freaked me out a bit! The fourth one smiling made me feel so much better. :) Now, the doll in the pink silky pj’s and heavy make-up looks like what I would imagine a Boudoir doll to be. The long sausage dolls remind me of pixies for some reason. Maybe even though long legged elves you see at Christmas. I bet they are a buggar to stuff…

I assume that head is the 3-faced doll? More on her please....

Debbie said...

How interesting all these dolls are! Gosh Dawn...I am learning from you ALL the time! To me...these projects look so hard, but for you it must be a breeze. You are so clever! I guess I had heard of the three faced doll but have never seen one before...how cool. The boudoir doll has a body like my kitchen angel doll...and by the way you did a fabulous job on the body of her! I am not kidding...stuffing that skinny little body could not have been easy!! Great work my friend and very, very interesting.:)

CC said...

First, I love your new look on your blog. *deep sighs..now I want a new look. :).
I love your dolls..and can only stand back and admire your work. I have a doll and body..and no idea how to do the hair nor face. I can make her some clothes, but I don't paint well enough to do a face. Your dolls are little works of art and I love them.
p.s. Ann and Andy, Suri the mouse,and Oscar the flying pig say hugs and hello

Protector of Vintage said...

Wow, I have learned so much about dolls from reading your blog. That Truy doll is really cute!

Lola said...

Wow, Dawn, what an informative post. I'm learning about dolls.

Leedra said...

Wow! You have done so good with the vintage doll.

I don't remember the spinning head doll, but I do remember a cloth doll that had a head where the bottom should be. The doll changed by moving the dress either up or down. Basically flipping the dress showed a different head. I was about 5 (so 52 yrs ago), a friend had it, and I so wanted one too.