Little regressive activity

I once mentioned how I used to have a doll collection when I was younger. I have a very few dolls here with me (most are in storage at my parents'): a couple of Gene dolls, which I had fantastic plans of sewing fabulous outfits for (Gene was a fashion doll, meant to be a 1940s-era starlet. She was larger and more realistically proportioned and, IMHO, had a more interesting face, than Barbie did). And I have a little Betsy McCall doll (I was at the veriest tail end of the Betsy McCall paper dolls in McCall's when I was little). And a Ginny doll.

But recently, I added to that....I bought a Monster High doll. Yeah, the slightly feminist side of me feels a need to apologize, as does the side of me that loathes the sexualization of everything to do with childhood. (These dolls wear extremely high heels and short skirts. And they are extremely slim. Except, see, they are monsters, so they aren't actually human, and so that makes it kind of okay.)

The one I bought was one of the "multi feeling" ones - you press on their scalp and their eyes change, kind of like the old Blythe dolls (which are fiercely collected; I never had one). I liked the changing-eyes trope. And also, the doll came with CLOTHES! and there were more CLOTHES! available separately (along with another pair of shoes. I am guessing standard Barbie shoes will not fit these as their feet are bigger. I'd love to be able to buy just a package of shoes but Mattel doesn't do that).

And then I found that there are a few free patterns for knitwear on Ravelry. And I kept looking at my doll (whom I named Pandora Peahen, because she has a headpiece like a peacock's head feathers.

And I looked at her, in her little short-skirted haltery dress, and thought "Poor thing, she needs something warm for winter." And Ravelry has a few knitted patterns for these dolls on it (they are about as tall as, but are slimmer and less "developed" than Barbie, so Barbie clothes would not fit). And I have some scrap sockyarn set aside for one of the dresses when I get some time for some "selfish" knitting. And I bought a packet of patterns off of Etsy - I know, I probably could have designed my own but these were v. cute and had lots of dresses and even tights in them. And then I dug out my box of "doll clothes fabric" (which, yes, I moved down here) and found a few pieces that would work. When I get time. (These will have to be hand-sewn as they are so very small, but I don't mind).

There's a shift-type dress that I have a cute 1960s-esque pink print for, and a deep rose that might make a nice full-skirted dress (if I have enough). And a tiny dark blue check for a plain "school" dress. (I foresee that my handmade clothes will be a lot more modest than what she currently wears. I should probably draft up a petticoat pattern to go under the full skirt, and maybe a pair of skivvies, too - she has molded-on ones but that doesn't seem the same)

I miss that kind of thing. It's as close to "play" as I did as an adult. And I have to say, these little dolls are fun for the adult collector - they are jointed at the knees, hips, shoulders AND elbows and wrists, so you can really pose them in expressive ways. (Right now, she is standing with her head slightly cocked, and her hands demurely folded on her chest. And it is fun to pose her).

I'm even thinking of ordering another one, so she has a friend.