topic Spring Green for Toni in Community Chat

Spring Green for Toni

Enufstuff — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 01:33:19 GMT

Here is Toni in her Spring green dress.This dress is made of light green organza and lined with mint green cotton fabric. The neckline and puffed sleeves are trimmed with tiny lace.

The front and skirt are trimmed with pink satin ribbon and white lace.

This Toni doll is a newly rescued doll. She is a walking doll, made in 1954 and she has rare green colored eyes. I have only seen blue eyed Toni dolls. There were also rare brown eyed Toni dolls.

When she came to me, last month, her hair was so dirty that it was gray. I gave her a shampoo twice and "permed " her hair. It is now styled in the original Toni doll style.

With her green eyes, I decided that she needed a green dress and found this green organza to make a 1950's style party dress for my "Green

Eyed Girl".

She is wearing her original Toni doll walking shoes. They are made a little wider than other Toni doll shoes, to provide stability for the walking dolls.

Last month, I said that my First Communion

Toni would be posted next, but this rescue came my way and she needed a green dress to

match her eyes. So Spring green took priority.

I will post my First Communion Toni in May,

which is the month of First Communions.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

PARedbird — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 01:46:27 GMT

@Enufstuff - this Toni is absolutely gorgeous! I love always seeing you post your pics of your Toni dolls and the beautiful outfits! I'd love to have one of these dolls! So pretty!!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

on the bay — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 01:49:56 GMT

She is beautiful-her dress, her hair and pretty green eyes.

I can see why Toni was popular with children and adults too!

You do amazing work which I can see you also love.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

Happy2BHere — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 01:55:06 GMT

OOOOH she is beautiful and one of your very best! She is so lucky to have been rescued by you!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

Enufstuff — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:57:09 GMT

@PARedbird Thank you very much. This was the first dress that I have made after 15 years. It took a lot longer than when I sewed before, and was selling the dresses online.

With eye issues, it is harder to see and with arthritis, my fingers are not as flexible as they were 15 years ago. But I need to make dresses before things get worse. There are 12 dolls that need clothes.

If you want one, there are Toni dolls on ebay and Etsy, where I found this one. Some need TLC and are less expensive. You can find pristine Toni dolls in their original dresses and perfect hair, but the prices are high. This doll was only $30.

If you decide to purchase one, be sure to ask the seller questions about condition, like is there any hair missing, does the doll have any odors( they can get a deteriorating plastic smell), is the stringing on arms and legs loose and do eyes open and close. You can wash and restyle the hair.

There are people online who have videos or instructions how to restore these dolls. You can even find patterns for their clothes or find their dresses online. I like to dress them in the 1950's original styles.

My son made me some little doll size curlers from large drinking straws. They can be secured with bobby pins.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

SportyShorty07 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:10:45 GMT

@Enufstuff You did such an absolutely incredible job, my forum friend! I am so proud of you! I love the green eyes on your Toni doll and her hair is so beautiful. You really did an incredible job in shampooing and perming her hair- it is so glossy and blonde with beautiful soft waves adn curls that turn in perfectly . So cute!

The Spring green dress is the most beautiful pistachio green color and I love the 1950's organza dress for Toni the Green Eyed party girl! I love the fit and flare silhouette and the beautiful attention to detail in the tiny little lace detailing at the sleeves and neckline and bordering the white ribbon. I loved that you even lined the dress too with fabric- you have sucha great eye for details. This is truly beautiful- you are such a talented artist and I am amazed that you create the patterns yourself and sew these by hand! Happy Spring to you, your family, your lovely cat, and Toni . I'm looking forward to the First Communion Toni in May too! A++++ score to you and your beautiful work of art with your green eyed Toni, Enuffstuff!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

Enufstuff — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:10:42 GMT

@on the bay @Happy2BHere Thank you very much. I just had to get myself motivated to start sewing again. I have a large stash of fabrics, lace and trims.

I had decided not to buy any more dolls at this age, but I couldn't resist this rare green eyed girl.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

cheriere — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:12:19 GMT

@Enufstuff

I've so been looking forward to seeing this beautiful green eyed Toni.❤️. I remember you said how much love and help you had to give her in order for her to be saved!

She's a masterpiece! Her face is adorable and her hair looks perfect! The dress is so lovely, I can't imagine the time it took to carefully make it. Even down to her pink trimmed socks and shoes, WOW!💝🌸

I'm in awe of how beautiful you've helped her to become. She's the picture of SPRING!🌺

Thank you for letting us see her.🥰❤️

Re: Spring Green for Toni

on the bay — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:23:47 GMT

@Enufstuff,

I'm so glad you did go ahead and get her. She is one of my very favorites!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

San Antonio Gal — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:35:14 GMT

Wow @Enufstuff - you did such a great job fixing her up! Her hair looks brand new. I can't believe it was ever dirty! This mint green with pink trim is such a lovely spring color. What a perfect match for her eyes.

You are so darn talented. Can't wait to see the Communion Toni in May.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

Enufstuff — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 16:56:30 GMT

@SportyShorty07 @Cheriere Thank you so much for your compliments and encouragement. I finally got motivated to start sewing, but I could not whip this dress up in three days, like I used to do.

The organza was difficult to handle, with edges fraying and threads unraveling. Cotton is so much easier to sew.

She had such a pretty face and with the rare green eyes, I couldn't resist purchasing her. I was surprised how good her hair turned out, having been so dirty.

@SportyShorty07 I'll bet that shade of green would be beautiful on you, with your green eyes. Do you wear green to bring out your eye color?

The next dress will be a re- creation of a dress that I wore when I was six. I have all the materials and lace assembled .

I couldn't find taffeta for the skirt, but I found a vendor in China who had silk charmeuse with the same polka dot pattern as my dress had. I just hope that won't be difficult to work with. It is brown with pink polka dots. The top will be sheer pink nylon fabric.

When I post that dress, I may post the picture of me wearing it

and my Toni doll is in the picture too, sitting beside me.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

Enufstuff — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:52:08 GMT

@San Antonio Gal Thank you so much. The Dupont nylon wigs were amazing. That was the selling feature of these dolls.

It was the first doll that had hair that could be shampooed, "permed" and styled. By 1953, it was the biggest selling doll.

There were 3500 workers, in shifts working around the clock to manufacture these dolls. In 1950, the first year of production,

10,000,000 were sold.

I got my first two in 1953.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

DSD2 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 03:45:29 GMT

@Enufstuff What a beautiful doll.

I think this is the loveliest dress I've ever seen. The sublime meadow green with the pink ribbon and white lace is gorgeous.

You took such meticulous care to restore Toni to her original, shining glory.

You are so talented! I cannot wait to see your First Communion Toni next month.

Thank you for sharing your "Toni Treasures" with us!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

SportyShorty07 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 03:47:49 GMT

@Enufstuff You're very welcome, Enufstuff and it is an absolute joy to see your artwork and hear the stories behind your creative process and how you found the materials . You are determined and so gifted and are proof that arthritis and reading glasses cannot dampen the will to create beautiful artwork. What takes longer now is even more rewarding in the end! You sewed that organza with such amazing attention to detail and all of the lace and ribbon detailing- really wonderful job. You gave Toni such a great salon hair treatment and that is so sweet that your son made some mini curlers for Toni out of drinking straws- he's a real Macgyver with his inventiveness.

Toni has such lovely green eyes and such a sweet expression on her face and I love her rosy cheeks! Thank you for you compliments- I do love to wear green to bring out my green eyes and I have a few silk blouses in Green Eyed Toni's signature organza color! I love that you're going to replicate a dress you wore at 6 years old with a dress that Toni will wear in a photo next to Enuffstuff- that'll be so adorable!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

beach-mom — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 04:08:32 GMT

@Enufstuff - I always look forward to your beautiful pictures, and this one is truly special!

Looking at her, and hearing her story, she is a lucky little lady! All she needed was a mother's love to make her beautiful again. Her eyes are amazing, and actually her whole face is. Her eyebrows, cheeks, and lips accent her beautiful golden hair.

Her pretty green dress, with the pink touches, look just like spring. Thank you for sharing her and her story with us!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

On It — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:27:22 GMT

@Enufstuff Your rescued Toni is beautiful and the green dress is perfect. Reading your explanation of Toni jarred my memory. I think one of my cousins had a Toni doll. Your labor of love restoring this Toni restored some of my forgotten memories. Thank you.

Re: Spring Green for Toni

EastCoastGal — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 04:28:10 GMT

@Enufstuff ... Oh my! Your new "Green Eyed Girl" is a beauty!! I don't blame you for rescuing her! I'm sure you were thinking how you could bring out her beauty again and you did !! 💚

I love her beautiful dress! 👗 l can see why the Toni dresses are made with organza because they shine! I brought it up closer on my screen and she really shines!

The pink ribbon with the tiny white lace is so pretty! I really love green and pink together... and the white lace also adds to the beauty of those two colors! 💚 🩷

Her gorgeous blonde hair! 👱‍♀️ You did a lovely hair do using the rollers your son made! It looks so soft!

Enufstuff... You must be so proud of yourself for making this "Green Eyed Girl" beautiful again! 💚 Congratulations! Thank you for sharing her with us!

l can't wait to see the dress you are going to make after a dress you wore in 6th grade ( I think you said.) I do hope you include a picture of yourself wearing the dress! That would be so sweet to see!!

Re: Spring Green for Toni

meallen616 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:17:30 GMT

@Enufstuff,

She looks lovely in her spring green outfit! Thanks for posting,

Re: Spring Green for Toni

cheriere — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:53:00 GMT

@Enufstuff

You're so welcome.😊. I remember when we were talking about this particular Toni doll. I think you worked pretty fast getting both her and ths dress so nice. That's quite an accomplishment!

Its not me with the beautiful green eyes lol. Thats sportyshorty. Mine are just really dark brown. But, you're right, I'll bet she looks great in all shades of green.

I can't wait to see your Communion Toni. I know she'll be a masterpiece too!💝💕🌸

Re: Spring Green for Toni

haddon9 — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:10:18 GMT

@Enufstuff Toni and I are the same age!! LOL! Toni just looks a bit younger.

I love her rosy cheeks, hair and her dress is gorgeous! You do amazing detailed work!