Sasha Comes Home!

No longer dangling like a loose-limbed marionette, Sasha is fresh from the doll hospital and good as new. Here she is in a little dress I made for her when I wanted to learn how to smock. It is a Peggy Trauger pattern especially for Sasha. You use the pin dots to space your stitches instead of marking them.

She is the 105 Silk Dress model with Honey hair and brown eyes, and she still has her complete original outfit and box. She was the last Sasha I bought--the last one I was looking for, and I looked for her a long time. I already had four other girls, a baby, and Prince Gregor, but just couldn't feel like my collection was complete without her.  Finally found her at a doll show, unfortunately AFTER they had been discontinued, so the price was higher than formerly, but still not horrible. 

Coming up: a look at some Sasha knitting and sewing patterns...

Sad Sad Sasha

This poor little gal is headed for the doll hospital tomorrow. I can re-string most dolls, but I've read that Sashas need expert handling. Looking her over, I can see how to do the legs and arms, but how to get the head on is a mystery. And it's not something people are posting on the Internet.

Fortunately my local doll hospital owner says that she can do it. For a long time, my plan was to take her to the New York Doll Hospital, but somehow I never got around to it--going to the city is always such a big important thing in my life I tend to forget about the small important things. And now I see that the Chief Surgeon at that doll hospital died in 2009! So that plan is out.

I hope to be posting an "after" picture of her soon. She is a special Sasha to me--I can't say "favorite" because I love all six of them (four girls, a boy, and a baby). But she is the one I waited longest for, looked hardest for, and paid the most for. She was even more expensive than Prince Gregor, because she's the only one I bought after they were discontinued, and the last one I intend to buy unless a really good deal presents itself. And she is so pretty, with her honey blonde hair and brown eyes. It will be so lovely to have her back with her sisters--I might have to make her a new dress!

Update 7/20/2014:  Sasha has been admitted to the doll hospital, and a lovely place it is! Patti has re-strung Sashas before--in fact there was a newly re-strung blonde blue-gingham Sasha on the work table waiting to be picked up! I'm sorely tempted to take a porcelain doll class there in the fall. I used to make them years ago, and have a kiln and my own molds, but my methods are all severely out of date. It would be nice to learn newer, safer procedures...

Ideal doll: 12" Betsy Wetsy

Here's the only other doll to survive my childhood, a sweet little Betsy Wetsy doll made by Ideal.  A few months ago I was lucky enough to find the molded hair version of Betsy Wetsy in the same size and in lovely condition--such beautiful coloring and no marks or scratches. I think of him as her twin brother. The little nightgown he's wearing is one of two matching ones I found at an antique store; the pattern on it is little tiny baby faces.

About twenty years ago I made Betsy a pretty yellow dotted swiss dress and bonnet to wear; finally this year she acquired some new hand knitted clothes. The booties and soakers I made from the Sasha Doll Clothing and Patterns book, but the sweater is special because it's the first one I've ever made with no pattern--just started it out top-down and kept trying it on her for fit.

She's been with me longer than anything else I own. It must have been Christmas of 1961 or '62 when I got her; we were at my grandfather's farm, and someone--probably my sister Mary--was taking pictures of our new toys. She posed me in our favorite "spinning and rocking" chair with my brunette doll, Jean's matching blonde one, and Mary's own 10 1/2 inch Little Miss Revlon. The babies are wearing red polka dot kimonos that my mother made; she made little diapers for them too. These must have been packed in the little round cases, though I don't remember that part very clearly. I do remember being posed for the picture.



One of the first things I did to that sweet little doll when I got her home was to scribble up and down her spine with a blue pen, in the sure belief that it would wash off with soap. I colored in her ears too. I was so sad when I found out it wouldn't wash off that I hid her in a drawer for a while--but not long. I still loved her. Happily, time and high-quality vinyl are forgiving and now the marks have all but disappeared. And she still even has that lovely "new doll" smell I love so much.

Wish List: another blonde haired 12" Tiny Tears like the one Jean had. I did have one, but I wanted to give her to Jean so that her granddaughters could play with her. These dolls aren't rare at all, so we both can easily own one. Also, I'd like a nice 16" baby doll, as I don't have one in that size but do have several nice contemporary patterns for it.

To Do List:  Use some of my vintage doll clothes patterns to make these two dolls some matching "brother-sister" outfits. Also make more outfits for Jean's dolls.

Lastly, here is a fascinating look at how Betsy Wetsy was developed and manufactured--from extruding the heads, through make-up and hair-rooting--and yes, peeing--right into clothing and packaging. So neat to see!