Laura Ingalls Doll by Alison Bushell (1985)

 

Laura Ingalls doll is 10 1/2" tall (27 cm) and was designed by Alison Bushell. The pattern was published in the Summer 1985 edition of National Doll World Omnibook magazine. Although the television series about Laura's life, Little House on the Prairie, was no longer being produced by the time this pattern appeared, the show was still being shown in syndication, and the books the series was based on were as popular as ever.

Laura is a baseball head style doll. The instructions call for her to be made from cotton fabric. The back of her neck is longer than the front for a slightly more natural appearance. She has mitten hands with stitched lines to suggest fingers. Her arms are sewn on with hand stitches at the shoulder. Her legs are sewn to the front of her torso, enabling her to sit.

Her facial features are very simple. The maker is instructed to sketch them on freehand and then stitch with embroidery floss. For her hair, the instructions call for the head to be covered with machine-knitting yarn in broad stitches, then a hank of yarn is sewn at the center part and braided. A few extra strands sewn to either side of the head give a more realistic look.

This pattern includes a wardrobe of old fashioned clothing including two dresses, an apron, petticoat and drawers, black stockings and side button boots, a sunbonnet, straw hat, fur cape, wool hood  and knitted mittens. Laura also has her own doll, a pancake style girl with floss hair who wears a dress and pantaloons.

This pattern looks like it would make a nice doll. Unfortunately the photos accompanying it are poor quality and black-and-white, making it difficult to see what she actually looks like. She has fairly complex construction for such a small size doll. The diagrams do help, but the details of the costume, coupled with the somewhat vague instructions mean this pattern would be best for an experienced, or at least confident, sewer. 

Baby Belinda by Linda Nanette Kelley (1984)

Baby Belinda is a baby doll about 12" tall. This pattern was designed by Linda Nanette Kelley, and published in the Summer 1985 issue of National Doll World Omnibook magazine. She is designed to be made from polyester double knit fabric with moderate stretch. The instructions specifically say not to use a very stretchy fabric. The maker is instructed to stuff her head and body section "VERY firmly."

Baby Belinda is a baseball-head style doll with head and torso in one piece, and separate arms and legs. A chin dart adds further shape to her head. She has mitten style hands. Her limbs are attached with large snaps, which is a very unusual way to join them. She has an applied nose and applied ears. Her facial features are drawn with a quilting pen and fine tipped markers. She has a few loops of yarn for hair.

Her outfit consists of a dress with eyelet trim and short puffed sleeves, matching bonnet, panties, and booties made of ribbing. She comes with instructions to make a simple patchwork quilt.

Although the steps to sew Belinda and her outfit are not illustrated, the instructions are easy to understand . Anyone with some sewing experience should be able to make her with no difficulty. Her very simple hair and drawn-on features make for a quick project.

Candy by Adelle Alexander (1985)

This pattern, published in the December 1985 issue of National Doll World magazine, makes a large baby doll with bent legs, meant to sit. No finished size is given, but she appears to be life-size, or nearly so.

Candy is a baseball-head doll, with curved seams to shape her head, but she has a few differences. The seams are widely spread apart and sharply curved, making her face more square than round. She also has a small round applied nose and applied ears. Her hands have individual fingers, rather than the usual mitten hands. Candy is pictured with embroidered features, and yarn hair.

She wears a very cute dress with a yoke and pleated skirt, short puffed sleeves and a sailor collar. The pattern also includes pieces for panties, shoes and socks.

The doll pattern is full size, while the outfit pattern is printed on a grid to be enlarged.

There appear to be some issues with this pattern. The instructions are very brief. There is no mention of how the arms and legs are to be attached to the torso. The very large head would almost certainly need some internal support to keep upright, but this is not addressed. The instructions for the facial features read only "Embroider face or cut features from felt and glue in place." The instructions for the hair describe curls, while the photo clearly shows straight hair. Candy might make a nice doll, but only in the hands of a very experienced dollmaker. Her outfit made as shown in red, white and blue, would make a cute summer time display.

Cloth Doll Patterns in 1960s Needlecraft Catalog

These cloth doll patterns were offered in an undated catalog named Needlecraft Patterns. This appears to be another incarnation of Reader Mail, Inc., a company that advertised all types of craft patterns in newspapers across the U.S. Because the catalog also offers knitting patterns for Barbie dolls, with photos of dolls from the early 1960s, that helps to date it. The 9" doll with wardrobe of clothes, the laundry bag doll and topsy turvy doll are both baseball head style. The Sleepytime Gal, 12" clown and Santa are sock dolls. The floppy cowboy doll is 44" tall.

Cloth Doll Patterns in 1940s Laura Wheeler Catalog

These pages are from an undated Laura Wheeler catalog. Judging by the hair and clothing styles, it is from the 1940s. Laura Wheeler was one of the names used by Reader Mail, Inc., which advertised patterns in newspapers throughout the U.S. The patterns are priced at 15 cents each. The cloth dolls are all baseball head style.

June Bride 15" Vintage Cloth Doll Pattern

June Bride is a 15" cloth doll from the booklet "Dolls Old and New," which includes several cloth doll patterns. There is no copyright date or publisher's name on the booklet, but it appears to have been printed circa 1970, though individual patterns may have been offered at an earlier date. This may be a publication of Reader Mail, Inc., the company responsible for Laura Wheeler, Marian Martin and Alice Brooks patterns, among others.

June Bride is a baseball-head doll with attached ears. Her arms and legs are sewn in place so she cannot sit. Her facial features are embroidered after stuffing. Her hair is worsted weight yarn. She has mitten hands and flat-soled feet.

June Bride's wedding gown is a very simple one, with the bodice and sleeves all of one piece. The bodice is trimmed with lace and buttons to give the illusion of a yoke. She has a veil, petticoat and bouquet, but no underpants or shoes.

June Bride would be a nice doll to display a miniature-sized version of your own wedding gown.

Baby Dolls by Joan Russell for Woman's Day (1964)

This set of patterns, designed by Joan Russell, makes a chubby baby doll which can be varied with different facial features and hair colors, plus a wardrobe of clothes. It was offered to readers of Woman's Day magazine in 1964.

The pattern is described as making five different dolls, but they all use the same pattern pieces. They are made in baseball head style, but unlike most dolls with this construction, the front face piece is wide enough so that the face is flat and the head more square than round. The baby's arms (with stubby, separated fingers) and legs are stuffed separately and then attached.By varying the embroidered facial features and colors of yarn hair and appliqued fabric eyes, the maker is instructed to make the characters of Sleepy Head, Angel, Red Head, Cry Baby and Cherub. No size is given for the dolls, but they look like they would make up about 16" tall.

The pattern includes a complete wardrobe of clothes to sew, including a smocked dress and bonnet with bloomers; coat and hat; underwear, bib and blankets; one-piece pajama and nightgown with drawstring bottom; bunting; christening outfit with eyelet gown, coat and bonnet; plus knitting instructions to make a sweater, bonnet and booties.

Joan Russell's dolls are fairly simple to make, and the outfits have some interesting details, like the smocked and knitted pieces. This is a classic '60s cloth doll pattern.

Design 936 - 9" Little Girl Doll with Wardrobe

This pattern has the same doll as Design 7143 and Alice Brooks #7368, but with a different wardrobe. As with that pattern, the doll pattern is a transfer, while the clothing pieces are meant to be cut out and used like a regular sewing pattern. It is not dated, but was likely sold in the 1950s.

The doll is a typical baseball head style with the head and torso shaped by means of curved vertical seams, and embroidered features. The arms and legs are constructed separately and attached with string. The doll has attached ears. Her hair, to be made of knitting worsted yarn, is stitched directly to her head, leaving 3" to extend at sides and back to dampen and set in pin curls.

Her wardrobe consists of a petticoat and panties, a dress with three variations, nightgown and shorty pajamas, coat and hat, socks and shoes.

If you have another 9" baseball head pattern, you can use this one to add to your doll's wardrobe.

Design 7339 - 32" Baseball Head Boy doll pattern

This mail order pattern came in its original Alice Brooks envelope. There is no copyright date on the pattern, or postmark date on the envelope, but the zip code used in the address indicates it was mailed sometime after zip codes were introduced in the mid-sixties. This is a transfer pattern; unfortunately the ink from the transfer has bled through to other sections where the pattern was folded.

The pattern makes a baseball-head style boy doll, 32" tall, with embroidered features and "straw yarn" for hair and eyelashes. Because of the large size of the doll, two entire sheets are required for all of his body parts to fit. No clothing pattern is provided; instructions call for "discarded or outgrown" size 2 clothes for him to wear.

He is a cute boy with freckles and applied ears. His hands have separated fingers with the exception of the third and fourth fingers which are joined together. The eyelashes are another unusual touch. The maker is instructed to stiffen them with clear nail polish, if desired. Depending on the stuffing used, this doll may be very heavy. A large upholstery or mattress needle is recommended, with heavy string or rug cotton, to join his arms and legs to his body.

There are many patterns to make both a boy and girl doll, but very few that make just a boy by himself. Of course, a pattern for a girl in this size was also available.

Popeye, Olive Oyl & Swee'Pea mail order patterns 1979

 

Popeye, Olive Oyl and Swee'Pea patterns were issued in 1979, on the 50th anniversary of Popeye's debut in the comic strip "Thimble Theater" by E.C. Segar. The dolls are 16", 18" and 12" tall respectively. They were advertised in newspapers and magazines.

These dolls have some unusual construction details to make them resemble the original comic characters. All three have baseball style heads, but Popeye has a large chin piece added on and stuffed separately. Olive Oyl's torso is a rectangle with long thin neck, arms and legs. Their legs are constructed like pants, joined at the top. Swee'Pea has curved legs under his sacque. All have applied noses and felt eyes. Their other features, including Popeye's tattoos, are embroidered. Olive has yarn hair. Instructions to make Popeye's pipe and spinach can are included.

The instructions call for peach-colored nylon fleece or double knit to make the dolls. Popeye's body may be made from woven fabric rather than knit. Their clothes are made to be removable.

These patterns seem to be fairly common and are widely available as photocopies, despite being technically still under copyright. The lack of a date on the pattern, or any copyright information, may lead some to think they are older than they are.

Dolls that I have seen made up from these patterns are a couple of inches taller than what the patterns indicate. Not sure if the patterns are sized incorrectly, or it's caused by the stretching of the knit fabrics used to make them. Also, the heads seem to come out elongated rather than round. The maker of these dolls did a great job. I love the fiberfill "smoke" coming out of Popeye's pipe. Doll photos courtesy of ebay seller peggylbyrne.

Design 7143 - 9" Baseball Head Girl Doll with Wardrobe

This pattern was also issued by Alice Brooks as #7368 under the name "Best Dressed Doll." She is 9" tall and has a complete wardrobe of clothes. This pattern is not dated, but the Alice Brooks version was sold in October of 1953. The pattern for the doll is a transfer; the clothing pattern pieces are meant to be cut out.

The doll is a typical baseball head style with head and torso shaped by means of curved vertical seams. The arms and legs are made separately and attached with heavy cord. She has embroidered features; this type of construction requires the features to be embroidered after the head is stuffed. The maker is instructed to make her hair from "straw yarn" and then dampen it with water and curl on curlers "like real hair."

Her wardrobe consists of a sundress with ties at the shoulders, petticoat and panties, half apron, playsuit, long nightgown, snowsuit and cap, socks and shoes.

This pattern is just one variation of a classic style which was made in different sizes, with different outfits and hairstyles, and sold over a thirty year period. This small size makes a nice play doll, easy for a little girl to handle.