Christmas in July

 New Christmas tree, New doll.

We bought a new Christmas tree a few weeks ago and it arrived at the end of July. We opened the box to check if everything was alright and to see if we like it. It is beautiful and met all of my expectations. Also everyone else loves it!
It should be beautiful with ornaments. 

What is a Christmas tree without gifts?

Meet Emilia, or Emma. She is my new Gingham Sasha doll, just out of the box. The body and clothes are in pristine condition. I don't think she was played with at all. Also, the hair has yellowish streaks over the blond that haven't come out after washing.

After the bathing. She found my pajama set very comfortable. 

All cleaned up and ready to meet her new family.

She does not have her box. I don't know the exact year of production, but from looking at her stringing, neck ring, clothes, and shoes, she was made somewhere between 1979 and 1983.

Doll case, Clothes for Sasha, and a Mystery Doll.

Doll case, Clothes for Sasha, and a Mystery Doll.

One day on eBay I saw a listing for a lot labelled "Sasha Doll Case with Clothes," expiring soon. The description wasn't clear, but there was no time to ask more questions and I was curious. I bid on it and won the auction! At that point, I wasn't sure if the clothes actually belonged to or fit Sasha dolls or not.  There was a brunette Sasha doll in the pictures, but the owner said they liked her and that she was not for sale. There was also another doll in the pictures, but it wasn't specified who she was. 

I was very curious to see what I would receive!

Below are the pictures from the actual listing:

It shipped out promptly and soon I received my package.  

I did some research and it appears that the trunk could be by Worcester T & S and is possibly from the 50s or 60s.

It is in good vintage condition, when you take into consideration how old it is. I've never seen one in-person before. I like it, but I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with it. 

The clothes are in very good condition too. And to my surprise, all fit Sasha dolls. Some look like they were factory made, and others not so much - none of them have any tags though. They do all look very nice on Sashas! I wonder if someone out there maybe remembers some of these clothes.

A colorful tunic.

A white blouse and light turquoise blue overalls.

Brown corduroy pants.

A plush green dress. 

A lacy white dress.

And finally my favorite, a yellow sleeping set that includes shorts, a camisole and a gown. It is so adorable!

This doll was among the pictures from the listing but not for sale. I presume all of this beautiful clothing belonged to her. 

Also, the mystery doll turned out to be a 15" Doll Laurel (1984) by Jan Hagara, for Effanbee. I am not sure if I will keep her or not, but I already was lucky to find and buy a set of her original dress, shoes and bonnet. She is a beautiful doll!

 

Pink Overalls

Pink Overalls
I just finished another another pair of dungarees using the same pattern from the book The Doll Dressmaker by Venus A. Dodge.

  

Vera is modeling the new overalls with a t-shirt that I bought recently. I am not sure why, but this pair is a little tight in the hip area, even though the fabric is very similar. I am thinking that maybe while cutting the fabric, I cut a few millimeters less. I will have to remember to be careful next time if making another pair!

The girls look cute! It was a fun sewing project and worth trying. 

Trip to the Island

Trip to the Island

A small group of knitters planned a meeting on Governors Island. I like going to the Island - it is such a beautiful place! Usually I would go there at least once a summer, but that didn't work out last summer because of COVID. So I was happy to join the group. It is a short ferry trip across part of the Hudson River. The Island has a stunning view of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. 

The evening before, I made a pair of boys shorts and decided to take Thomas with me to enjoy the Island and take some pictures. Anthony got a model boat last Christmas, but unfortunately he couldn't go, since he desperately needs restringing.    

For the shorts that I sewed, I used a pants pattern and cropped the length, but I'm not sure I like how they fit. They looked better after ironing, but I will look for different pattern next time I want to make a pair. 

Checking the map

Thomas was happy to see a lot of ships and boats and was impressed with them. 

A very tall flower.

Thomas took his camera, but I didn't take mine.  

We discovered a beautiful new picnic area! 

I regretted not taking my camera with me. The pictures that I took with the phone are good, but they are not the same as with a camera.

Bike ride? no, another time.

Being curious about the ferry.

 On the way home. There will be a lot to tell Anthony about the trip!

Coming home on the train.

I love his face in this picture.