July 29, 2021
Things are catching up a bit around here, but not so you could really tell. It has been a lot of work, but I am still working on the dining room table. I don't know if I am blaming the slowness of my purging and organizing, or if I just like working downstairs where there is more life and sunlight. Perhaps a bit of both.
I would be
remiss before going forward on my projects if I didn’t talk a little about my
Ultimate Fashion Doll. I had named her
Molly after my grandmother Mary Lee. All
her life her nickname was Molly, and we the grandchildren were born, we called
her Grandmolly. Family quirks. As many use French girl’s names for their
French Fashion, my doll had arrived in the USA and Mary became Molly, and that
was it.
I had Molly for quite some years, she’s been in pictures on
the blog with her cousin Emilie Claire. One of her dresses was featured here in 2009, I think.
May I interject here, in spite of the levity which I write, I was devastated. My friend, Gillian, was quite dejected and
did not want to give me the bad news. I
was literally sick to my stomach, and for a little white depressed about the
whole thing. Gillian was to photograph
our “girls” together and then take my doll to an Alice Leverett workshop she
was attending to deliver her to Alice for a little tightening and refurbishment. The doll would be returned as Gillian got home.
The stars did not align. We set upon the process of making a claim for the doll. I had paid for an additional $1000.00 of insurance. After about 6 weeks, the claim was denied at the post office. I had according to instructions provided proof of value by suing several sold auctions in lieu of an original receipt. But they wanted the original. Alice worked diligently to get
the original receipt, as I had lost or misplaced mine, I mean three moves since
the purchase of the doll, and she produced one for me and even set aside a
replacement head at the same time. It took 3 months to file a claim, have the claim turned down, and then fight for it. Finally, 6 months later, I was rewarded with
about $695.00 on a thousand-dollar claim. But we were allowed to salvage the body, so all was not lost. Later, I received devastating
news. The replacement head was broken in
a small household accident and the doll was not to be produced any longer. I had a body and no head!
I explored the idea of joining Emilie Claire's head to Molly's body. Emilie's body was not well done (I made her). But Gillian had other ideas. Her friend Lynn would make me a new doll
head. The next hurdle, she only had a head for a doll face that was not a
particular favorite of mine. More months
passed while I pouted and thought. I was
convinced to examine it first and make a decision when I had compared the
heads. So this is what I did.
What I received was a beautiful face on a Smiling Bru
reproduction head. Emilie’s head was a
bit too large for the doll, so I grudgingly place the Smiling Bru on the UFD
body. May I say, after 2 years of hedging and grumbling
and fighting it, yea, two years, I now have a new and favorite doll. It was as if it was meant to be. I have considered naming her Eugenie after
the French Empress, Napoleon III’s wife, or name her after the two ladies whose
patience and persistence to replace the lost Molly. She remains nameless today,
three years later. One day I will
settle the doll name issue.
Until then I thought would introduce you to my newly refurbished French Fashion Ultimate Fashion Doll, body by Alice Leverett, head by Lynn S. (I did not ask permission to reveal her name.) But kudos to Lynn and Gillian. Thank you. She is just so beautiful.
More about her burgeoning wardrobe as we go along.
I am having fun!
Kathi
