Butterick 4313 - Bonnie's Bundles - Big Eyed Girl Dolls in 2 Sizes

Butterick pattern #4313 is not dated, but the style of the envelope indicates it is probably from the late 1970s or early 1980s. It makes a girl doll is 17" and 21" sizes with large side-glancing or downward-glancing eyes and an old fashioned dress.

The dolls have fairly simple construction. The facial features are to be embroidered before assembly. The back of the head is made from two pieces to give it some shape. The hands are almost mitten shape, with just the suggestion of fingers, and their feet have a flat sole piece. They have long yarn hair in two slightly different styles.

The dolls wear similarly styled dresses with long sleeves, pinafores with pockets and felt boots. The larger doll has a bonnet and petticoat, while her smaller sister's shorter skirt shows the pantaloons underneath.

"Bonnie's Bundles" is the trade name of Vermont doll artist Bonnie Watters, who presumably designed this pattern, although she is not otherwise credited on it. Mrs. Watters is still in business and you can purchase a handmade doll just like these from her website. Butterick published other "Bonnie's Bundles" patterns including a white-haired Grandma doll, and a pair of baseball-head dolls with monograms for eyes.

Vogue Pattern #2036 - Peter 'n Polly dolls

Vogue pattern #2036 is not dated, but I would guess it to be from the early 1980s. Peter and Polly are 24" boy and girl dolls made from stretchable knit fabric. She is dressed in old fashioned style, while he wears more contemporary clothing. A transfer is included for their faces.

Both dolls are made from the same body pattern. They have flat faces with small round stuffed noses. The backs of their heads are made from four sections, like the segments of an orange. Their torsos are seamed at the centers and sides, and have some shape. They have mitten hands and front seamed legs with flat soles. Arms and legs and stuffed first, then attached to the torso. The dolls have appliqued felt eyes and embroidered noses and mouths; Polly has embroidered eyelashes and freckles. Their hairstyles are created by stitching rug yarn to twill tape, then stitching the tape to the heads, and gluing the hair in place.

Polly wears a simple long-sleeved dress with eyelet ruffle trim, apron, petticoat and bloomers. Peter wears a long sleeved shirt, pants with rolled up hems, and a jacket with front zipper and appliqued sailboat motif. The  instructions called for hammered on snaps, and a zipper for Peter's jacket, both of which are unusual in doll clothing construction. Vinyl, synthetic suede or leather are recommended for their shoes. They wear purchased 3 month size socks.

These are fairly simple dolls, but with some unusual details. If you have made this pattern, please leave a comment and tell us about your experience.

Little Women designed by Joan Russell for Women's Day, 1963

Four patterns to make dolls representing the characters from the classic novel, "Little Women," were issued by Women's Day magazine in November of 1963. The designer, Joan Russell, created many wonderful patterns for Women's Day in the '60s and '70s, but Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are among her best, in my opinion. What I love most about these dolls is that each doll is an individual, with her own body pattern. Most mass-produced dolls of the March family girls use the same body, and often the same face for all four sisters, despite the fact that the characters at the beginning of the book range in age from 12 to 16. The patterns are printed on oversized sheets of plain paper. The whole package cost fifty cents.

The finished dolls range in height from 17.5" to 20". Their heads and torsos are pieced in quarters, with seams at the front, back, and each side. The dolls have stuffed lower arms with stitching to indicate fingers; the upper arms are left unstuffed. They have embroidered features and synthetic hair.

Each doll has two outfits. Amy and Beth each have a day dress and a nightgown. Amy has a cape and Beth a coat. Jo and Meg each have a day dress and a suit outfit of jacket, skirt and blouse. There are instructions to make undergarments for each of them. Meg has slippers while her sisters wear boots. Instructions to make wardrobe trunks are also included.

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.