July 1, 2019, Meeting

Members Elaine Jackson and Sylvia McDonald gave a program on rag dolls.  Rag dolls are the earliest type of doll, originally made out of leftover scraps of fabric.  These dolls are especially cuddly and easy for even young children to play with.  Some famous cloth doll makers began by making cloth dolls for their own families and friends, but when the dolls became popular, started making them commercially.  Cloth dolls can be dated by the style of their embroidered faces, the type of fabric, and whether they were made using a commercial pattern.

Elaine brought a number of examples of vintage homemade cloth dolls.

This Black doll dates around the mid-1930s.  Her body is a glass rubbing alcohol bottle.

These Black dolls are sisters.

This cutie with big button eyes dates around the 1920s.

This girl from the 1920s has embroidered features.

This petite pair of beautifully tailored and embroidered dolls was made by Jenny Comfort in Chicago, Illinois in 1935.

This little cowpoke was made from a commercial pattern around 1945.

Elaine brought a number of examples of cloth dolls made from patterns designed by Edith Flack Ackley, a writer and doll artist.  In the 1930s she published a book entitled "Dolls to Make for Fun and Profit," which included patterns for dolls and their clothing.  It was also possible to order patterns and kits through magazines.  Many dolls were made using her patterns in the 1930s and 40s.  

Elaine made this clown using an Ackley pattern.

Some examples of commercial patterns available for making cloth dolls.

Sylvia brought a wide variety of dolls made by her or other relatives.  This is a picture of her great aunt holding homemade cloth doll.

Some of the many heirloom dolls created by women in Sylvia's family.

Other members brought cloth dolls to share.  These two dolls belong to Jenell Howell.  The bride doll is from an Ackley pattern and the little girl in velvet has a painted face.

Jenelle also brought this all original hard plastic Nina ballerina by Madame Alexander.

Sallie Howard brought two cloth dolls.  This is Elizabeth, created by doll artist Judy Rankine.

This little girl was made in 1947 by German doll maker Käthe Kruse.

Jan Irsfeld created this creature to inspire her to sew when she returned from work in the evenings.  This unique oddity hangs in the garage so that she is the first thing that Jan sees when she comes home.

June 3, 2019, Meeting

The refreshment table was decorated in red, white, and blue to commemorate Juneteenth.  The holiday, its name a blend of "June" and "nineteenth," commemorates the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas.

Proudly waving a Juneteenth flag, these two little all-bisque girls celebrate under the watchful eye of an antique cast iron bank.  The taller girl is attributed to the German firm of Gebruder Kuhnlenz and her little sister in her crocheted original outfit and straw hat is a little French all-bisque doll called a Lilliputien.

Holding her Juneteenth flag in one hand and cradling her Lilliputien doll, this all-bisque girl is by the German firm of Simon and Halbig.  She wears her original bathing costume.

Member Brenda Kaye White did a program on Betsy McCall dolls.  She told the club that Betsy began as a paper doll published in McCall's magazine in 1951 as a promotional item.  Although other publications had included paper dolls among their pages, Brenda Kaye explained that Betsy was different as she not only represented a young girl, but each page included a story about Betsy's latest adventure.  Betsy was a huge hit and little girls clamored for their mothers to buy the newest edition of McCall's.  Many fashion designers competed for the honor of designing costumes for Betsy and subsequently patterns were published for recreating Betsy's wardrobe both in doll and child sizes.  Brenda Kaye explained that Betsy's look and fashions in McCall's evolved over the years and her stories became more elaborate with the addition of family members.

This is the magazine that introduced Betsy to the world.

Brenda Kaye said that from 1952 to 1953, Ideal produced the first Betsy as a three-dimensional doll.  The doll was enormously successful.

American Character produced the next generation of Betsy beginning in 1957.  The dolls were made in a wide variety of sizes, from eight inches to a 14-inch doll with flirty eyes to a child-sized 36-inch tall version.  

Brenda Kaye said that these 8-inch Betsy dolls are the type she played with as a child.

In 1964 Uneeda produced Betsy as an 11.5-inch tall teenage doll.  Horsman began producing a doll using the Betsy McCall name beginning in 1971, but the dolls were generic and lacked Betsy's character and features.  The Rothschild Doll Company in 1986 made limited edition Betsy dolls to celebrate her 35th anniversary dolls and today the Robert Tonner Doll Company has reintroduced Betsy.

A number of members brought Betsy dolls from their collections.  Ann Meier shared this Betsy bride doll she received for Christmas when she was around eight or nine years old.

Ann Countryman brought several examples of eight-inch tall vintage Betsy dolls.

Sylvia McDonald had this example of a Rothschild Betsy.  She said she fell in love with the doll's face.

Myrna Loesch said that this 14-inch tall Betsy belonged to another little girl in her hometown and that her mother had later purchased it at an estate sale.

This Betsy was Myrna's childhood doll.  Myrna described how she could purchase outfits for her doll on display cards at the toy store.

This Betsy doll was created for the 2007 Betsy McCall convention held in San Antonio.

Sallie Howard shared several Betsy dolls from her collection.  She said that the nurse is by American Character while the little girl in pink is a limited edition doll by Tonner.

This is an Ideal Betsy.

Tonner made this Irish Betsy with auburn curls and an elaborately embroidered outfit.

This Betsy doll belongs to Anne Campbell.

Beverly Howard brought a batch of Betsy dolls.

She explained that the doll in red and white is not a Betsy McCall, but Sandra Sue, who also fit the patterns made for the Betsy dolls.

Jan Irsfeld brought this Cissy doll she dressed to honor Jillian Mercado, a fashion model who, because of muscular dystrophy, uses a wheelchair use.  The wheelchair is from American Girl and the dress is a copy of one modeled by Jullian.