Dolls and Big Eyed Girls

There are 14 posts filed in Dolls and Big Eyed Girls (this is page 1 of 2).

Toilet Roll Doll: Restore and Repurpose Dolls

Did Your Grandmother Have Dolls in her Bathroom?

I remember these from my Grandmother’s house, in the bathroom. She knitted her own from patterns that have disappeared along with most of her stuff after her death years ago. I don’t know how to knit (I learned to crochet on my own) but it would have been nice to have some of her old knitting patterns. Sometimes I see interesting or unusual patterns in the thrift store but I don’t buy them. I don’t knit after all.

The History of the Toilet Roll Dolly

There isn’t a lot of history to the dolls. In the 1960’s they began appearing in North America and likely various Common Wealth and European locations too. I can only vouch for those I saw in Canada, mainly Ontario.

I expect the idea came along when there was extra yarn, some time for a new project, maybe a broken doll and the idea was born. Pretty up your bathroom. In the 1960’s there were other home made fashions in the bathroom. I can think of toilet seat covers, something I haven’t seen a big return on with all the vintage and retro ideas. You could co-ordinate your doll’s dress with your pretty toilet seat cover, the bathroom floor rug and anything else already decorating the bathroom. Maybe that was how she really got started. Not only could you add more home made crafts, more colour and keep that broken doll around for a reason but you could … make it all shades of pink matching.

There was likely some idea about modestly hiding that unsightly naked toilet roll too.

Specifications for Making Your Own Toilet Roll Doll Cosie

I have yet to see a vintage pattern for those old toilet roll cover dolls. That’s how I started writing about them today. I’m seeing what I can turn up online.

I can find an endless supply of the little dolls at thrift stores. They are abandoned by children everywhere, so it would be a good way to recycle/ repurpose some of them. You can pick and choose from weird blue hair colour to a weird blue skin colour and the standard human shades of brown colours too.

The only thing that matters about the doll is her height and width. She can’t stand too tall and tip over inside the toilet roll. She also needs to be the right width to fit through the centre of the cardboard roll from about the waist down. Mainly her legs need to be inside the roll as the skirt of her dress covers the toilet paper roll – that leaves her above the roll from the waist up.

Free Toilet Roll Cosie Patterns

Toilet Paper Doll Cover: Crochetnmore.com
Toilet Paper Roll Cover and Kitschy Doily
My Kid Craft: Paper Toilet Roll Doll

The last pattern is an update on the vintage dolls. This one can be made with children, from paper and crayons. Simple and faster for those who don’t want to buy one.

\What do you Call your Toilet Roll Doll?

I guess you could properly call them toilet roll cosies, or toilet roll toppers too. I never found out what my Grandmother actually called hers. I always enjoyed seeing them though. She never made one for me, that I can remember. Maybe she just thought they weren’t really anything special. But, they were.

If you haven’t had enough toilet roll dolls yet…

YouTube – The Toilet Roll Dolls Perform Some Juggling

YouTube – The Toilet Roll Dolls Help Themselves to Chocolate

Big Eye (Eyed) Girl: Vintage Art

I was a child in the 70’s. I still like 70’s music more than any other. I remember my bedroom being decorated with huge flowers – the wallpaper and curtains matched. At the time it didn’t seem at all retro or vintage. It takes time for anything to look kitschy after all.

There were so many little things I had back then that are prized artifacts now. I wish I had been able to keep more of them. But, we moved a lot. Then I grew up and started moving a lot myself.

One thing I miss are the big eyed girls I used to have on my walls. I didn’t get them new, even back then. I had to wander into them at yard sales and thrift stores. That’s still the only way I seem to find them now. But, I hardly ever find them these days.

I used to have about half a dozen of those sloe eyed girls. I liked the ones in the jester outfits, the girls who didn’t look like children but could have been teenagers. I had a few in jester clothes and at least 2 others which were ballerinas. My little sister liked them too. She took a couple of mine and wouldn’t give them back. Sisters…

Anyway, these days I only have one big eyed girl print left. I don’t even have her up on a wall. I keep her packed away. I guess I either don’t want to lose my last one or I want to make sure she isn’t left out during the next move (whenever that will happen along).

Dolls in Cakes: Restore and Repurpose Dolls

I never thought about not liking the doll in a cake. I asked my Mom to make one when I was a kid but it didn’t happen. She made cakes from scratch and we would usually wrap up coins and buttons and cook them in the batter as a birthday game. But we never did do the doll in a cake. I think she just didn’t want to take on the challenge of decorating with icing. It wasn’t our strong point.

The first time I ever saw a doll in a cake was for another girl’s birthday. Later I saw one as an ice cream cake. The best one was in a magazine, not a home-made or store bought cake. Magazines always have the fanciest, elegant cakes. At the time I just thought people working at the magazines (or TV cooking shows) were just far more skilled than anyone else. Now, I realize they have the time to arrange and fix everything, down to the smallest detail.

I like the idea of the doll cake partly because I see so many discarded dolls in the thrift stores. Last time I was looking in the secondhand toys the big basket for Barbie-sized dolls was over flowing. But, you don’t have to buy a real, full doll to make the doll cake. Some baking supply stores will have the short cut doll. Just a doll topper with a spike to stick in the top of your cake.

Don’t think you can only make a pretty doll cake. Think ugly doll, think Halloween, think vintage costumes, think seasonal and cartoon character. You can add any type of doll to the cake, no need to stick to girl dolls or shapely Barbie-type dolls either. Play with the general idea and come up with your own unique version.

Making the Doll Cake

Recycle dolls from thrift stores or use something cheap from a dollar store. You can even spend the money and buy a new doll and give it as a present if you are making the doll cake for a child or someone who loves dolls.

First, any second hand doll needs to be well washed. You should be able to use your kitchen sink, add good soapy water and bleach. Let her soak a while, but not so long she gets water logged. Her hair may not handle being wet well so keep an eye on that.

Second, a doll from the thrift store may have a really bad hair day. Try brushing it out when it’s wet. Be very careful because hair may pull out when it is really tangled. You don’t want to end up with a bald doll. When the hair is dry (give it overnight to be very sure it is dry) tuck it up in a ponytail or roll it up in a bun. If the hair looks good after the wash and brush you might leave it down. But, I find doll hair is usually frizzy and tends to be hard to deal with (or maybe I’m just too impatient).

The top layer of your cake will need to be carved to give it the dome or bell look for the doll’s skirt. If your doll is too short give her an Empire waist gown. If the doll is too tall (but not so tall she is toppling over) give her gown a drop waist. Look at other doll cake ideas to see how they handle the cake design as far as creating the skirt. Some have unique ways to create the shape, beyond carving the top cake layer.

Before you put the doll in the cake you will wrap her up in plastic so she is not actually touching the cake. This is important because some people are very much put off from eating the cake if the doll has actually touched it. They probably assume the doll is just stuck in the cake.

You will also cut a whole through the layers of your cake (or use a Bundt cake pan) to slip the doll through easily, without cracking or other wise mangling you cake up. Once the doll is inside the cake begin to decorate her bodice and of course, her big wide skirt.

As an added touch, give the doll a crown, a fascinator or some kind of head wear. She could have a necklace or bracelet too if you have something small enough to add extra decoration to her.

Vintage Doll Found on the Shelf

Do you remember this doll? I spotted this poor girl in a GoodWill thrift store this week. She was not in great shape, some hair had caught on something and pulled loose from her updo. Her dress was torn and she was a little dirty. Not things I couldn’t fix but as nice as it was to revisit my girlhood, I did not want to take her home.

I had one very much like her, about 30 years ago. My girl wore purple instead of yellow. Next time I go to this store I will be tempted to check around the shelves and see if she is still hanging around.

But, do you know what the doll is called? That’s the big trivia question. I did not. I had to look for it online. Thank you to Dollkind.com. She has written a whole post about… Bradley Dolls. There are a lot of variety to them. Far more than the type above (which was the only type I had seen among my friends and in the stores at the time).

You could have ordered a Bradley doll from the catalogue, back in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I’m not going to repost the history and information from Dollkind, I strongly suggest you check there and read if you are interested. One thing I did like to find out – people were making clothes for these dolls themselves. I used to like sewing, still do but don’t get much done. I’m surprised I didn’t get into sewing fancy dresses for my Bradley doll. I still design lovely gowns in my own mind, they just don’t make it beyond that point.

I found two groups on Flickr for the Bradley dolls. One for Bradley dolls in general and the other for Bradley sitting dolls.