Handmade for Sasha

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I posted anything. A lot of things have been happening. More then two years ago the war in Ukraine started. It was and is terrible as every war is. It felt like nothing was important anymore. I am Ukrainian - I was born and lived there most of my adult life. My children were born there. My family is still there. It is hard, heartbreaking, and overwhelming to think about what is happening.

Adding to that, I also started my new job a one and a half year ago. That influenced my free time and everything else. The first few months on the job were quite stressful. I had been adapting to a lot of changes. I've only recently started looking at how to continue my hobbies and interests in dolls, knitting and other crafts.

I had been (meaning I didn't stop!) enjoying my dolls, and enjoyed reading other people posts, but I couldn't post anything myself, or concentrate on doing any projects. Everything seemed not important. I am not sure I am ready to start it again. However, I didn't stop loving dolls, and during the last two years I've been frequently adapting. :) They deserve to be posted about. I fell off of the wagon but I missed posting about dolls, and I missed making clothes for them and taking pictures.
It will be a bit of a long post. :)

In March 2022 my friend Rebecca, from the knitting club, wanted to cheer me up and brought me her childhood doll, Sasha Gregor. Rebecca kept him all these years in the box. She played with him when was a child, and he was well loved. She called him Sasha, but she decided that he would now better enjoy his time with other dolls on my shelf in my little Sasha corner. It also felt very special to be entrusted with someone's childhood doll!

He is a Gregor doll from the 70s. He has his original clothes but not shoes.

Coming home with me to meet his new family. I named him Ralf.

Here he is meeting his new friends for the first time.

We took a little bath to freshen up!

While checking him over, I found some marks from good playtimes of the past. Also, he had an issue that none of my other dolls had had before. When I examined him I saw a plug of hair missing. I ignored that, and washed his hair anyway. But it started falling out a lot. I checked the books and Sasha doll groups for information and found out that years of staying in the boxes could cause it. It also mostly happens to dark haired Sasha dolls.

So I don't know what I will do yet. Re-rooting seems a little complicated for the moment. I was thinking to buy him a wig. However, I haven't found anything that I would like to see on him yet. So I carefully dressed him and he is having a lovely time with my other dolls on the shelf for now, while he waits for me to figure it out.

In July 2022 I bought another doll from eBay. It was a bid that I won! I always wanted this doll and I love her dress a lot. She was dusty, but in great condition. Love her! I named her Stephanie. Now she lives in my house too :)

On August 2022 I was browsing Facebook and liked a doll on Facebook Marketplace. It was Blond Gregor #302. The owner bought him in London in the 70s for her little son. But the boy was not interested in the doll. So Gregor stayed in storage all this time. Also the owner said she choose this particular doll because he had character. I thought he deserved to get to play with the other dolls on my shelf, after waiting so long for a playmate. :)

In the same year, 2022, Rebecca (my friend from the knitting group!) surprised me again with another doll she brought to one of our meetings. Her adult son was clearing up his doll collection. Neither of them remember how he got this doll in the first place, but Rebecca knew of someone who would like the doll now. She was right. So this one was another gift from Rebecca! The doll was wearing parts of her original outfit, as well as a beautiful handmade dress. The body and hair was in a very good condition. I cleaned her up and she looks so very pretty. I named her Rebecca.

Two accidental friends; brother and sister, Ralf and Rebecca that didn't know that they were living under one roof. :) They have different personalities.

In 2023 our doll family increased again. In July I went to the local thrift shop and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a Gregor doll laying between many other toys on the bottom shelf. He has his original clothes, shoes, tag and bandana. And the cost was just $2.99! Very handsome boy. I cleaned him, restrung him and I love him! I named him Aidan.

I also bought a Black Gregor doll Caleb in 2023. He was in good condition but the torso was disfigured from being on the stand a lot. It wasn't difficult to fix. I boiled the torso in water and it reshaped itself. He is great again!

I later bought a white haired baby doll in 2023. I was intrigued by the eyes. When the baby doll arrived, I realized that I had this baby doll already. But they look a little different - Sasha dolls tend to have a uniqueness to them, setting themselves apart even from others of the same production type and year. Well, I decided I will have twins for a while. I called him Liam.

Liam on the left, Oliver on the right.

In February 2024 I bought a black Sasha baby doll from the doll group on Facebook. A women was selling her mother's dolls. I had wanted a black baby Sasha doll for long time, and here she is! She came with a note inside her diaper. The name was Shuley. The seller confirmed that the note was written by her mother.