Before and Afters - Share Yours!

[tackygoods]

Please post your before and afters on this thread.  Big or small, whole rehab or just a refreshing....and tell us how you did it!

I will start.  Here is Ideal 14" Sonja Henie doll before and after.  The crochet ensemble is "Bare Back Rider" by Mary Hoyer.....

Here is Before:

[me_merc60]

Thank you for your post on the Littlest Angel revamping. The difference in color vibrancy on her dress is really impressive - It all originally had a faded looking grayish color but it was all dirt! Proves that sometimes all it takes is a good washing. I am always so pleased to be able to use the original clothing, hairpins, etc. Now her little face seems to follow me around as if to say, "Aren't you going to work on me some more today?" The little ham appears to want some attention - LOL!

Thank you also for this post. I am familiar with this tubing and get the gist of what you've very thoroughly described - You're a wonderful teacher! My Cissy thanks you, as well!

[me_merc60]

I'd love to see some more Before & After photos - Please keep them coming!

Do bisques count? I just finished this one:

She's an Occupied Japan 6" - I used loose flower pedals, sewn together at the top on the sewing machine...made 2 layers and overlapped them to create fullness. The top was made from an old torn doily. I cut out the entire scalloped edge for the blouse (worked well for under arms) in a cape style, and again at the waist and hand stitched them in place The hat is made from one of the flowers removed from the same doily. I applied a spray of small flowers to the hat and at the waist with a small bead of Aleene's water soluble glue. I did create undies for her out of lace from the same doily.

And here are a couple of others previously done. The Nancy Ann is in the photo because I worked on her as well, that day. The larger doll just has a white piece of lace around her at this point (I can't stand a naked doll!). The little doll had a lopsided eye, which I repainted and yellow paint on her forehead and face, which I removed by carefully scraping while wet. I made the dress, undies and matching hat  from a tiny piece of vintage gingham and trimmed with lace (all on the sewing machine...don't ask me how...with tweezers!).

I decided to go red on the larger doll to accentuate her facial coloring. The red silk dress was completely hand stitched (while watching Law & Order SVU, of course).

Here's a Japan celluloid flapper I dressed in eyelet with a great vintage long bead trim I never could quite figure out what to do with! Who knew I was saving it for her! I finished her off in pearls and she's just hot to trot:

And speaking of celluloids and sewing tiny dresses on the sewing machine with tweezers, here is an 8" Petitcollin whose dress had been so exposed to sun (just look at that fading) that it literally disintegrated to dust when I touched it - Seriously, there were fibre particles in the air. It's a wonder she didn't explode! I used every part of the original dress I could to reconstruct her original outfit.  I also made the white eyelet dress on the 5" English celluloid doll on the far right, using the Nancy Ann Storybook dress style as a pattern...all on the sewing machine, with tweezers - Now that's some serious dedication!

I hope you enjoy viewing these as much as I've enjoyed sharing...and I'm all out of revamps, so I promise to leave future postings to others...for now.

[nieve]

Thanks for sharing so many pics, I'm having trouble getting back here to check, but when I do, I enjoy every post, even if I don';t have time to reply.    I remember sewing on the machine with long straight pins (with the big heads) to push the tiny fabric thru and keep it positioned.

[goldiegirl500]

I am learning so much about dolls I never knew anything about before now!    The bisques and celluloids are completely new to me and they look so much better after they are taken care of!

Goldie

[tackygoods]

Omg, omg, the little bisque and mini cellus are soooooooo cute!  I just adore the petal skirt!  Did you do that with a silf flower, or cut fabric!  She is adorrrrrrrabbbbbble!....terri

[me_merc60]

Just used prepackaged flower petals - Lined them up (overapping) on Scotch tape until I had a 6-inch wide row, then ran it through the sewing machine to permanently join them at the top edge & removed the tape. I made two of these, then overlapped them for fullness, joining these together on the sewing machine and hand-stitched in the back onto the doll.

Then I embellished with lace at the waist and neck (for her "blouse"), and finished off with the flowers. The flowers really should've been smaller, but I used what I had. She has a Carmen Miranda look going on there...LOL!!

[tackygoods]

Brilliant!....terri

[michelledelene]

Here is my before and after of my 23" SWEET SUE Doll  My husband bought this lovely doll for me for my birthday back in November. The doll  was lovely and in her original dress. However, her dress when cleaned up was a very faded gray. I just recently dyed her dress a darker purple, and add matching flowers to her headband that is stapled to her head, I did not remove any of the origingal flowers, I just tucked my dyed to match flowers under her headband. I think she is very happy with her makeover!!

[michelledelene]

Sorry here is my before picture!!

[goldiegirl500]

It bet your lovely Sweet Sue is thrilled with her makeover!

Goldie

[tackygoods]

All sooooo pretty!  Here is an Ideal Mayfair side glancing Mary Hoyer....before

[tackygoods]

And after

[nieve]

It just occurred to me that there may be an important piece of info that would make a difference.   When you say a bead of glue on the eyelashes/bristles, is there a glue that is the better choice, or just elmers?    I even notice different versions of elmers!

[chaplinssmile]

Oh yes!  Use only Tacky Glue or Elmers!  Crazy glue or any harsh glue will melt the eyes! Sorry!

[nieve]

thanks.   I used to avoid dolls with no eyelashes, but won't worry about that from now on 🙂