~ Easter Charm ~ Straight from the ’50’s

Well, I guess we’ll see who guessed right on this dress… It’s for Eden, my stand in 50’s girl and she looks very pretty in the pale pink on white dress with her dark hair. I’ve gotten a lot done on the dress since you last saw it on Saturday, but you’d never know it… practically all the work is on the inside and doesn’t show, but it still had to be done. I was going to take the dress off and show you the insides, but Eden said, “Please don’t take my dress of of me again…you tied the bow so nicely in the back and I just want to stand in it all night!” So I didn’t. Maybe another time…

I have never had such a hard time matching buttons before. I probably have more buttons than any person I know and I didn’t have anything that matched or even slightly grabbed me. I had those hot pink ones I showed on the fabric, but when I got up on Saturday morning and looked at them in real light, they were much too bright. I had some little white pearl buttons but they didn’t show up enough and just sort of got lost in the fabric. I went to Joann’s on Saturday and picked up some that were the perfect color, but Rebecca talked me out of them, saying they were too big. So I went back to Joann’s today and looked again. There wasn’t anything new, but I picked up a blister pack of assorted pasted colored buttons. There was a pink button in there that I thought might work… I brought them home and I am NOT kidding you, I bet I spent 2 hours trying to get those 6 buttons sewn on straight… I had them on and then off and then off and on again. It was crazy. I measured and marked and finally thought they looked straight… BUT as I see them in the picture, the top button oh the left side needs to be moved in just a bit… Oh my goodness….

Okay.. enough talk.. how about some pictures…

If you click on the pictures, they will enlarge.

The sash ties into a bow in the back. I’ve also made some of my little “flower buttons” with a stem and some glass seed beads.

Eden’s dress stands out pretty well without as slip, but you know I’m going to make one….

I managed to get her sweet little socks made and she picked the pink shoes to wear with her dress…

You’ll have to wait for the rest of it… but I’ll try to work as fast as I can…

Oh, this is stupid, but I wanted to “gloat” if I might… I just hit 2000 transactions on Ebay yesterday… I’ve been seeing that number get closer and closer and yesterday it finally hit… so now I’m in the 2000’s! Silly, I know, but it’s a milestone…sort of… :o)

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

33 thoughts on “~ Easter Charm ~ Straight from the ’50’s”

  1. Charlotte Trayer

    Hi Jeanne! I haven’t been here much the last few days, as I was at the big Sewing Expo in Puyallup (WA) for three days, and of course yesterday afternoon I came home exhausted! Par for the course–I do it every year–but as I get older, it seems to take less time to get to that point!

    Congratulations on reaching 2000 transactions at ebay! I would say it’s a milestone, most definitely!!

    Eden’s dress is turning out beautifully….and I certainly do understand you about the buttons, and getting them exactly spaced. Some days they all seem to know where to sit while you’re sewing them on, and some days they just Don’t!! LOL

    I love the socks you made for her, and would like to suggest a tutorial on sock-making some time, if I’m not being too presumptuous! You could do both ankle socks and thigh-highs in one post, or perhaps it could be two separate posts. I can see your doing them ahead of time, and having them on hand for those days when you just don’t have time to sew and/or post.

    1. HI Charlotte,
      Well, I see we are an early riser today…or are you late night owl and have’t gone to bed yet?

      Thanks for the congrats on hitting 2000 sales (well, mostly sales… a few buys) on Ebay. I remember when I hit 1000 and thought how long it was going to take to get to the “2’s”
      but it finally came.

      Thanks for the compliments on Eden’s new Easter dress. It’s sort of pale and doesn’t show up in my pictures like I wish it did, but maybe you can tell… It is very dainty looking in person. Now to get the rest of the pieces ready for it.

      I will have to consider doing a sock tutorial… lots of people make and sell them and I don’t want to cut in on their sales… by giving away how they make them…
      Thanks Charlotte, Get some rest…
      Blessings, Jeanne

      1. Charlotte Trayer

        Hi Jeanne! I’m a night owl…and you also have to remember I’m in the Seattle area, so am either 2 or 3 hours behind you. If you are in the CST zone, that 4:33 would have been 2:33 a.m. out here; if you are on EST, it would have been 1:33! Still….I’m a night owl, and my father’s daughter, thru and thru! LOL

        As to the sock tutorial, I’ve never bought socks that people have made for dolls, just socks that are factory-made (China?) when there were doll shops that carried them, as I like to sew and prefer to make all my stuff for my dolls, or as much as I can and have time to do. I would imagine most sewers are like that, and the ones who don’t sew are the ones who would buy things that other people make. Don’t know if that will help you decide or not….but for what it’s worth!

        1. Thanks Charlotte,
          I don’t think I knew where you lived, but now I do.
          I just want to make sure I don’t give away any secrets or tricks about making socks and make anyone mad…who makes them on a regular basis.
          Thanks for your thoughts though…
          Blessings, Jeanne

  2. Congratulations on the 2,000 milestone, Jeanne! I’m sure everyone who works at the Carbondale post office knows you well!

    That’s a darling dress! Eden looks so pretty with her dark hair and the soft pink cabbage roses and lace on the dress! Those buttons are just the perfect shade of pink, and I had to look really hard to see what you meant by the one button over too far! Buttons and snaps are NOT my thing, and I get easily frustrated when having to sew them on. I don’t like sewing little things like that, but you do such a wonderful job, and it shows.

    Like Charlotte mentioned, her socks are really adorable, and it would be a good idea to show us how you do that.
    Have a good day, but watch out for more storms tonight! Oh no!

    1. HI Linda,
      Yes, I am recognized at my post office… last week one of the ladies was at the cancer place with her mother… so we chatted there. She was telling her mom about my sewing for dolls and so I pulled up the dress that Isabelle was wearing, the pink and red one with the straw hat and her mom saw the pictures on my phone. She asked all kinds of questions… :o)

      I’m glad you like Eden’s dress.. it looks good on Eden with her dark hair, but just wondering now, since Maryellen is the 50’s doll, how this will look on a red head…?? but then not everyone has Maryellen, so I stopped thinking about that.

      I don’t like this stormy weather… my “girls” don’t either…
      Thanks Linda,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. What an accomplishment: 2,000! Congratulations! When you’ve posted the pictures of the dresses, I’ve sometimes wondered how many you’ve made altogether. Now we know. The dress is beautiful.

    I’m as excited about the socks as much as the dress, believe it or not. I’ve always admired the socks and tights you’ve made. I would love to see a tutorial on making them. I think you mentioned buying little girls’ tights for the fabric. They look perfect! I’d love to be able to make them, so I second the requests above. Buttons, buttons, what a challenge. I’ve never tried to get six aligned. Always the last thing and very tedious. Thanks again for all you do for us in your posts.

    1. HI Susette,
      Thanks for the congrats on reaching 2000 on Ebay! Now I guess I’ll work on getting to 3000!

      I do buy little girls tights for my socks and thigh highs…as they have the perfect 4 way stretch usually!
      Yes, buttons… sometimes they go on just perfectly and other times, like this time… they give me grief! Oh well, just having to fix one button now doesn’t seem too daunting!
      Thanks Susette…
      Oh… love your new dress… I just got your email… it’s adorable!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  4. I’d be excited and wanna ‘gloat’ about reaching a 2K sales number too! congratulations!
    I love, love, love this dress….and, I did guess right on ‘who’ was coaching you on making it. 😉 I wish I would have time to sew this week….but, I have to finish getting things ready for the doll show on sunday…and finish knitting a little sweater for my new grandson. (His mom said all the newborn size things she got at showers were all short sleeved!) ….so… those are my 2 priorities for this week…. Have you done a tutorial on how you make your socks? I need to go ‘search’ and see…. I’ve never done that. Gotta be tricky.

    1. HI Mary,
      Somehow it seems like some much more to be the in the 2000’s than in the 1990+ somethings… silly, but I’m happy to have reached this goal.
      Yes, you were right… it’s for those 50’s girls out there and probably would work for the 60’s too, and if you didn’t mind it being too full, possibly for the 1940’s as well.

      I hope you get all of your dolly things finished and that little sweater finished for your grandson.. how fun to be able to create something for him because you can’t find anything for him. What a blessing you are to him and his mama.

      No, I haven’t done a tutorial on socks, but it looks like I might have to.
      Thanks Mary,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  5. Congrats on the milestone, Jeanne. I’m so glad for you.

    Eden’s dress is enchanting and your work is just so carefully done. It is a gift to be able to view you “at work”.

    Blessings.

    1. HI Becky,
      I was thinking about you this morning and had missed you the last few days. I decided if I hadn’t heard from you by today I was going to email you and see if you were okay…
      Glad to see you are here today…
      Thank you for your kind words on Eden’s dress. She does look pretty in the white with her dark hair. I”m glad you like it…
      Thanks Becky,
      Blessings, Jeanne

    1. Thank you Christine,
      I’m glad you like Eden’s new dress… she does too! And thanks for the congrats on hitting 2000! It just looks better to see a 2 at the front instead of a 1!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  6. Of course hitting 2000 transactions is a milestone! It’s great! Congratulations!
    Eden’s new dress is beautiful! The little pink buttons are a perfect color. The buttons on the back though are delightful! I never would have thought of using French knots to make a flower on the button. And your socks!! Like others have mentioned, your socks are too cute! I’m just overcome with cuteness!
    Hope you have a good day!
    Take care.

    1. HI Charlotte,
      Thanks for your congrats to me… and my new number!
      I think these buttons work the best of all the ones I tried. I was almost ready to go to the thrift store and see if I couldn’t find something that had little buttons on it in the right color, but I think these are okay now that I see them on the dress. They are pretty soft looking, which is what I was going for.
      Actually I didn’t use french knots on the buttons… those are tiny little glass seed beads… but I have used french knots before.
      I like your comment about being overcome with cuteness! That made my morning!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  7. Easter charm it is! So pretty and sweet to see. Eden looks very pleased.
    I certainly wish Joann’s had more buttons. Never seem to have the right size/color I need. We used to have a Beverly’s but it closed so the only choice is the first. Can’t imagine trying to buy online, but it may come to that some day.
    We actually had hail yesterday. So much that everyone was pulling over on the street. White everywhere but only for awhile before it melted. Rare for us. That much anyway as we are at only 20ft elevation. It was that storm that dropped snow on the Hawaiian mountains. Now it’s headed to the Sierra’s and beyond. Major highways over the summit were closed yesterday. Blizzard. Only hardy fools can ski.

      1. HI Joy,
        Eden IS very pleased and now that I have those buttons all sewn on, I am too… there is a Hancock’s store that has tons of buttons but it is about 45 miles away so I decided to pass and just go with what I could find here. Hobby Lobby didn’t have anything either… I’m just glad I found “something!”
        We had hail the other night and it was pretty big. We were praying that Rebecca’s car would be okay..and it was…
        I am SO ready for Spring… of course that’s when the bad weather is at its worst… so…
        Thanks Joy,
        Blessings, Jeanne

  8. Oh Jeanne, Eden’s dress is so pretty and delicate and sweet. I just love the collar and the front of the bodice. The buttons are perfect and I can’t believe how beautiful the buttons are on the back of the dress. It’s just a beautiful outfit.

    Congratulations on 2000 transactions!! That is something to be proud of. Good work.
    May you have many more!!

    1. Thank you Paula,
      Eden’s dress IS delicate and sweet. She looks so darling in it in person… it gets a little washed out looking in my pictures, but it’s very soft looking in person.
      I’m glad you like it and thanks for your congrats to me as well. Like I said to someone above… now to start working on 3000! :o)
      Thanks Paula,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  9. Eden’s pretty “Easter Charm” dress with the soft pink cabbage roses is dainty, demure and darling, just the way a little girl’s dress should be! The rose bouquet is perfectly placed on the bodice, and those little ruffled socks are so sweet! This recalls the dresses of my youth, and I love everything about it, from the lace-trimmed Peter Pan collar, to the banded puffed sleeves, to the wide gathered sash and bow. Although all your dresses are charming, Jeanne, I always gravitate to the “pretty little girl” dresses like this one, the kind you design like no one else. Emotional responses are arguably the purpose of artistic expression, and your little “works of art” achieve just that. Thank you for the wonderful childhood memories “Easter Charm” has evoked for me! Thanks, too, for sharing your 2KDD (2,000 dolly dresses) milestone! You have brought joy to thousands with your talent, and we, your readers, rejoice in your well-earned accomplishment. Congratulations, and best wishes for the next 2,000!

    1. Hi Anne
      When I started answering my comments, I glanced over them to see how many there were and noticed you were missing from them. But by the time I got to the bottom…there you were! Glad to have you join us today!
      Thank you for your sweet compliments on Eden’s dress. I too, remember wearing dresses in this same style… pretty little girls dresses are what I love making the most! That’s why I am seriously considering selling my Ellowyne dolls. As much as I love them and how they pose, they just aren’t little girls…

      Thanks for your sweet thoughts about my sewing and how it makes you feel! I’m glad to be able to do that!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  10. 2000 transactions! That’s impressive and still more impressive is the amount of work that it took to get to 2000. You should be very proud of all that work.
    Easter Charm is lovely — as usual it’s filled with subtle detail — the buttons in front were a pain to find, but the ones in back are so pretty that if they were mine, I would hate to use them. This is a dress I’d like to see on several dolls — Addy, for one. When I lived on Canyon, there was a small church across the street with a variety of lovely roses and an African-American congregation. The little girls wore pretty dresses and lace trimmed socks. I think the church may be an alternative school now, and the congregation took their roses with them. I was glad.
    I think the sock and thigh-high tutorial would be much appreciated, especially with information about where to find the fabrics that work best. Many of us would continue to buy rather than make, but it’s nice to see what goes into the finished product — once you know, you tend to appreciate more.

    1. HI Mariyn,
      I see you found your way to the post again today! Yay!
      Thank you for your congrats on hitting the 2000 mark on Ebay. It has been a long time coming so it sort of feels like a graduation or something like that.
      We had some very dear friends come to Carbondale from Zambia and their daughters, Precious and Natasha wore dresses and socks like that when they first arrived here. Unfortunately they didn’t stay in them too long as the styles were much different in school. I love to see little girls in “little girl” dresses and I guess I always will.

      I’ll have to plan on the sock tutorial as everyone seems to want to know how to make them. Thanks Marilyn,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  11. Aww Eden looks so sweet in her cabbage roses dress. I didn’t get to comment Saturday, but it looked look a 1950’s dress to me as well, and so it is. I love the big bow in the back., all little girl’s dresses need that. The edging on the collar and hem is a lovely touch.
    Congratulations on hitting 2000 transactions!! Just shows that people love and value your beautiful creations.

    1. HI Laura,
      Thanks for the compliments, Laura. You were right in your guess…and it could probably even be used as an early 60’s dress too.
      I have to now start working toward that next number… 3000! Whew… I have a long way to go… it may take me 10 years… :o)
      Thanks so much,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  12. That is such pretty fabric. I think the dress is going to be lovely. Finding the right buttons can sometimes be a real challenge, but I see you found some that work well. The buttons on the back are cute with the pink beads too. Congratulations on hitting the 2000 mark on eBay. That’s a great accomplishment.

    1. HI Carolyn,
      I think I’ll pick up some new pink buttons in the smaller sizes, whenever I see them next. You just can’t have too many pink buttons… I’m glad I found something that worked…finally!
      Those buttons on the back have been a favorite of mine for years… I’ll be really sad when they are all gone.
      Thanks for your congrats on my new number!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  13. Hi Jeanne,
    I love this pretty floral fabric you’ve used and the sweet dress you made well WOW! It’s a home run! Your attention to detail is very much appreciated and the proof is hitting that 2000 mark. Congratulations! So excited for you and may you hit the next milestone twice as fast!
    I didn’t get a chance to answer your question the other day about sisters for my new little girl. to answer Magalie is making me a little red head with tons of freckles and sweet eyebrows and eyelashes to match her hair. Danielle already has 3 sisters, a sculpt #1 painted by Pat Green, a sculpt #3 painted by Helen Skinner and a little Boneka sister in a sailor suit don’t remember but I think she’s a tuesdays child. I have promised myself no more dolls… just wigs, shoes and outfits! hehehe
    Hope Georges day at the “spa” goes well continued prayers
    Hugs
    Ingrid
    PS loving my new sweet little slip thanks again!

    1. Hi Ingrid,
      It’s so nice to hear how excited you are about the dolls you have and the ones to come.
      Oh by the way, just to let you know…sometimes those wigs , shoes, eyes can add up to anther doll…
      I’m so glad you are enjoying them and so glad to have your enthusiasm here on my blog…
      Blessings, Jeanne

  14. Love the darling pink dress. I think, 6 buttons on the front is too many, 4 would be enough.

    1. HI Cindy,
      Well, since I’ve finally gotten them all lined up I think I’ll leave them at 6, but I did consider 4. I wanted to keep it like the picture from the 50’s dress so I decided to go with 6. If they were any larger, 4 would probably have been better.
      Thanks so much for your thoughts.
      Blessings, Jeanne

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