I had a chat...

...with the lovely Jolly Molly about my dolly dilemma and as I knew she would, she came up with the ideal solution 😉  She suggested that since I was finding it so hard to decide which of the Rosebuds to let go, perhaps I should downsize the dolls in the plastic crate instead.  She reasoned that since they hadn't been out of said crate since we moved up here nearly three years ago, it would seem that I wasn't as attached to them as the Rosebuds.  See, I keep telling everyone how wise JM is.....but they just look at me as if I'm bonkers 😄   

So that's how I kept myself out of mischief yesterday afternoon.  I rearranged the Rosebuds so that my little collection of Tammy dolls can now stand on the top shelf of the dresser with Bridget and Misty; I've moved Dorelia up there too. 

Talking of Dorelia, she is an interesting little doll.  I've absolutely no idea how old she is or where she was produced.  She's about 10" tall and although she doesn't look too bad in this photo, she really could do with a session in the dolly spa.  She is made from fabric hence my prevarication, despite having had her for about 10 years!  She has been very firmly stuffed, possibly with sawdust, and her face has been given a coating of something that has made it feel rather like papier mache.

The Tammy dolls are from the early 1960s; I believe they were the inspiration for the British Sindy dolls who came out a year or two later.  These two are called Elspeth and Gwenda...

and here we have Georgina and Hester.

I think they are such pretty dolls; I'm glad that they are finally out of that plastic crate!

Of course, the Rosebuds all have names too 😉  Mabel and Agatha now spend their days in the bottom tier of the hanging basket.

On the middle shelf, starting behind the basket: Mildred (sorry, you can't actually see her in this photo LOL), Beatrice, Edith and Evelyn.  And then we have little Cora (sitting in the chair), Constance (with her pet sheep, Flump), Lillian, Gloria, Betsy, Grace and Frida.

Frida is a Violet Waters doll, part of the Gene Marshall fashion doll collection.  I have three more of these larger fashion dolls (one of which is also from the Gene Marshall line) which have, for now, gone back in the plastic crate.  I'm in two minds about whether to keep any of them or not; I'll make a final decision when I'm ready to put the other "crate" dolls on Ebay.

And finally we have Lillian, who is a Judy Littlechap doll.  At about 13 1/2" tall she is larger than the Tammys and also has a more statuesque build, hence me having to temporarily dress her in clothes actually meant for the more stockily-built male fashion dolls!  I don't think the line was as popular as the smaller, 12", fashion dolls and was apparently discontinued in 1963.  Lillian doesn't seem to have been played with that much as she is in pretty good condition.  Apart from her hair, that is!  Goodness knows what's gone on there but hopefully, when I get round to it, a little session in the dolly spa will result in a nicer coiffure 😉