Postings from Germany

Nostalgia

Actually, "old people's memories" might be a better title. 

I've been doing a bit of sewing for Christmas and thinking of doll clothes for Dylan's and Hannah's dolls. This brings back lots of pleasant memories, and reminds me of paper dolls.

Paper dolls.  Who reading this remembers Betsy McCall?  (I'll guess two. ) I see paper doll books in stores once in a while, but years and years ago it was a standard in the toy stores and 5&10 stores and drug stores and wherever coloring books were sold.  A part of that trend was Betsy McCall , a once-monthly feature in McCall's magazine, the same company that produced McCall's patterns (and of course touted their product along with the play-toy).  She was a cute little girl -10-ish I'd say -  and each month there was a different theme and paper cut-out clothes to go along with the theme.

I LOVED cutting out the dolls and the clothes.  I even designed clothes myself for these little paper dolls and made dolls of my own.  Naturally, this magazine did not show up monthly at our address - that was waaayyy too expensive.  It seems I saw more of them at Aunt Geraldine's in Tishomingo, Mississippi, during our summer vacations.   I don't remember if I only drooled over the cut outs there or if I sneaked them from the magazine or what.

Anyway, here is an example of the former Betsy McCall Paper Doll,one of the later versions. 

Read and sigh.