McCalls 2123 View B: gathered waist dress, first version

View B is my favorite of this pattern: the bishop sleeves and the slightly raised waist of the dress are pretty elements from 60s fashion, and the jewel neckline is sweet and demure, letting the focus be on a slender waist.

That makes it Barbie's turn to shine.  There's so much fabric bunched up in the gathered waist--fabric that is human scale, not 1/6 doll scale--but she still looks petite. Instead of tiny, her waist just looks small.

Elsewhere the fit is problematic: there's a wrinkle stretching from neck to bust, pointing, as wrinkles always do, to the trouble spot--the bust that is just not quite accommodated by the fabric covering it.

But it's subtle enough that it probably wouldn't bother a young girl dressing her Barbie doll. And as usual, it doesn't pull when the other dolls wear it.

As it turned out, the elements I had liked in the sketch did not translate to the finished dress. The waist was lower than I expected, and the gathered skirt is fuller and sticks out more than I like for this look.

But the biggest problem was the sleeves. The pattern instructions want you to turn up 1/8 inch, then another 1/8, then top-stitch to form the casing, then slide 1/8 inch elastic inside. There's no way you're going to get 1/8 inch elastic into a casing that is six layers thick (counting the turnings), especially after top-stitching has further reduced the width. I considered using string elastic, but it wasn't stretchy enough. So I just zig-zagged the cut edge to prevent raveling, turned it up 1/4 inch, and fed the 1/8 inch elastic through that--and it wasn't any too easy even so!

Immediately I began plans for modifications to a second try at this dress. I will change the way the sleeve is gathered, reduce the bulk at the waist, maybe raise the waist a bit.

Collecting Barbie hair colors--a very good day at the sale!

I went to the Antique Fair today hoping to find a blonde Francie to complement my new brunette one. I've never seen a Francie there, and I couldn't even locate the dealer who usually has the most Mattel dolls for sale, but there she was at another booth, in very good shape and for a good price. Her hair is thick and her eyebrows all there, and her face color is very nice.

So here is the new girl looking all golden next to her rosy cousin.

Francie is so easy to dress, I'm looking forward to stitching up lots of things for her. 

I have the old McCalls pattern of designs for Francie, so that makes it extra easy to arrive at some basic slopers for her. The styles that are suitable for her just happen to be ones I especially love.

These poses are rather informal--hurried, even! I didn't want to keep them out in the sun too long.






Here are five different versions of Twist n Turn Barbie hair colors. From left to right they are: Chocolate Bon Bon, Summer Sand, Sun Kissed, Go Go Co Co, and Platinum. They are all vintage Barbies except the platinum one, who is a reproduction. Someday I will probably pick up the titian-haired repro, just to have the whole set.

Now I get to tell a funny story about how I acquired one today at the sale!

Last year at the sale I bought the doll in the swim suit. At the time I thought she was the ash blonde version. Today I saw the girl in the green polka-dot dress, and I loved her so much and she was such a good price that I bought her, even though I thought she was ash blonde too, and that I was going to have duplicate dolls.

After walking around the sale awhile, I saw a strawberry blonde Midge, and I wished that I had not spent my money on a duplicate doll when I could have bought this nice Midge in a hair color I don't have yet. I resolved not to be disappointed, but to find ways to enjoy having these twins.

Once I got her home, I put the two dolls together and was amazed to find out that their hair is not the same color at all! The new girl was definitely ash blonde, in comparison to which the other was clearly light brown. Some fast research was called for, and now I can identify all the colors and am thrilled to have all these five! Definitely not regretting that strawberry blonde Midge--she will wit for another day--along with brunette Midge!

The same dealer who had the Midge doll had some lovely vintage Skippers that I couldn't pass up. She made me a really good deal for both of them. I already had the pretty blonde doll, who is the anniversary repro version. So now I have a nice brunette, plus a titian-haired girl to replace an old one who had lost most of her nose and all her left thumb. Their hair is still nice and shiny and full.

Finally, here are all my girls out on the patio on this lovely golden summer afternoon. Well-not quite all! I still have more Barbies and Kens to bring out and photograph another day.