topic Re: Tony Loves Cherries in Community Chat

Toni Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 23:52:19 GMT

It is cherry season and Toni is happy to once again, enjoy one of her favorite fruits.

Her mother made this cotton summer sundress for her with a vintage cherry print on tiny green checks.

The square neckline and hemline are trimmed with red rick rack in the popular 50's style with a little red cherry button added at the neckline on the square collar.

Tony is ready to play outside in the garden, catching the warm breeze with her little red pinwheel.

Then she will have her snack of fresh, sweet

cherries.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Kachina624 — Fri, 30 May 2025 14:55:41 GMT

Toni looks very perky today and ready for some warm weather as well as a handful of cherries.

Have fun Toni!

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Bonkers1 — Fri, 30 May 2025 14:58:10 GMT

@Enufstuff

How old is this doll?

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

We rescue cats — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:00:10 GMT

She is beautiful in her 'cherry-ful' dress! But don't eat too many (like I do!) or you will have tummy ache!

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:34:31 GMT

@Bonkers1 Toni dolls were created in 1949 by the Ideal Co. and were sold until 1956. They portrayed little girls

probably aged 5-10 years old. They came fashionably dressed in cotton dresses or nylon and lace trimmed party dresses.

These dolls were made in several sizes from 14" - 22" tall.

Their special nylon wigs were made by Dupont and came in many colors include three different shades of blonde, strawberry blonde, two shades of red, two different brunettes and black.

I received my first two Toni dolls in 1953, for Christmas.

I collected more as an adult and there are now 15 in my collection. These girls are more than 70 years old.

What made these dolls so popular and desired was that they

came with a perm kit to style their hair and give them a "perm".

The Toni doll perm kit was created by Gillette, when their Toni home permanents were popular. Tonette home permanents were sold for children.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

SportyShorty07 — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:49:03 GMT

@Enufstuff You and your Toni creations are such a treat! 🤗💗 I really enjoy your stories for each dress, the lovely photos and your designs! How are you doing? Are you enjoying the season and weather where you are? I hope you're having a great time!

I love Toni's hairdo that you gave her- soft and romantic waves that are perfectly set! The dress is absolutely adorable- perfect for fruit picking in the garden and picnic days for Toni. The cheerful red cherry print contrasts so nicely with the green gingham print. The charming and classic red rick rack adds visual movement to the dress and ties it all together. The square neckline and the fitted bodice with the full skirt- love that dress design! I like how you have signature design details in each dress- a special Enuffstuff touch to every dress that you design and create. Your gifts and talents are such a treasure. Thank you, Enuffstuff for sharing another A+++ Toni creation! This made my day! 🤗🙌💯💗

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

We rescue cats — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:55:19 GMT

Omigosh, Enufstuff! That is so interesting! She is so beautiful, the perm kit fascinates me! What a very clever way to promote the dolls, and (I'm sure) convince the little girl that she should get one as well! My mom always gave my poker straight hair perms, but I never got the doll!

Do you make her beautiful outfits? Maybe one day we will be treated to meet a few of her family!

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

on the bay — Fri, 30 May 2025 15:56:59 GMT

@Enufstuff,

I really love Tony's dress!

Gingham and rickrack

Does she have a bow in her hair?

I also like reading about the Tony doll history.

I can imagine a world of wonder for any child or adult seeing all your Tony dolls and fashions in person.

Thank you for sharing her with us.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

PamfromCT — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:49:35 GMT

@Enufstuff

Toni is such a fortunate little girl to always be dressed so beautifully for every season or activity. The arrival of cherry season is such a happy time. Toni's outfit is perfectly designed and sewn, as usual. How I admire your talents @Enufstuff!
I hope you are doing well and enjoying all the greenery and flowers! I do think of you, and trust your kitty is also doing well.
Pam

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Bonkers1 — Fri, 30 May 2025 16:55:27 GMT

@Enufstuff

OMG this doll is my age. I certainly don't look like her unfortunately. I think my mom gave me the Tonette perms. Thank you for all the information.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 20:09:24 GMT

@We rescue cats Like you, I have been "blessed" with stick

straight hair. I always wanted those ShirleyTemple curls. In the 70's I was so in style with my long straight hair.

I did make Toni's dresses. Fifteen years ago, I made and sold the dresses online to Toni doll collectors. Most of what you see, I no

longer have and sold years ago.

Only in the past year, I have started sewing again to dress my poor naked girls. When my three daughters were little , I made most of their dresses. I have enjoyed sewing since I was 12 years old.

For the past couple of years, I have been posting Toni in her frocks, here in Community Chat. I recently posted for Happy Mother's Day and Happy Easter.

If you would like to see other Toni pictures, just go to the top of this page and in the space "Search Forums & Blogs" type in the title of each Toni post and others will be listed below too.

One from last summer with Toni's Mom (me), is Toni and Mom in Aqua. Others are Toni's Poodle Skirt, Halloween Toni Girls, Toni's Farm Vacation, Toni's Vacation at The Shore, Toni's First Communion, Back To School Fashions for Toni, Toni Girls in Plaid, 4th of July Toni, Toni's Bermuda Vacation, Cherries for Toni, Toni's Christmas Dress,Toni at The Fair, Toni Goes Apple Picking. In Toni in Summer Theater, you can see Toni dressed as Shirley Temple.

There are others that I can't think of right now. There are also Toni in dresses with kitten and with puppy prints. (Toni's Puppy)

I think the kitten print was Happy Thanksgiving from Toni.

I hope that you enjoy seeing Toni with her sisters and cousin.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:39:42 GMT

@on the bay Thank you so much. I'm happy that you enjoy seeing Toni in her Cherry Dress and reading a little Toni history.

Most of the dresses that you have seen, I no longer have as I sold them online to Toni doll collectors. Only in the past year

have I begun to sew again and dress my poor naked girls.

@SportyShorty07 inspired me and helped me to get my creativity back and I'm grateful to her for that. She is such a sweet, caring young lady.

Last Spring I posted the first of my new creations in "Spring Green for Toni". Then I posted "Toni's Poodle Skirt". Next I made a kitten skirt and posted that in "Toni and Mom in Aqua".

In "Christmas in July" I replicated a Christmas skirt that my mother made for me. My favorite childhood dress was re-created in pink nylon trimmed with lace with a brown silk skirt with pink polka dots. The original skirt was make from taffeta.

I posted that one not too long ago "Strawberry Cream & Chocolate for Toni".

Then I made a chicken print dress for Toni's Farm Vacation.

I have a stockpile of fabrics and trims and a few more ideas.

I would love to re-create my favorite red Christmas dress.

Only four of my dolls are on display. I don't have a doll room,

even though I have more than 100 dolls including Ginny dolls,

Madame Alexanders and others. Most are packed away.

I don't want my husband to feel like he's living in a doll museum. ( I did have a doll room, until he started snoring and I had to make that room into his bedroom.

To answer your question. The Toni in this post has no hair bow. Many of my dolls do have bows.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Tori3569 — Fri, 30 May 2025 17:59:47 GMT

Oh @Enufstuff ! Toni looks absolutely adorable! I love the cherries and the ric rac! My mom used it on a lot of the dresses she made me and it reminds me of her and much happier times. Thanks for sharing as always. 🩷

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

beach-mom — Fri, 30 May 2025 18:14:51 GMT

@Enufstuff - Toni looks so pretty and summery! I love her cherry dress, and her cherry button adds the extra touch. Her pinwheel even matches her pretty wavy hair!

I hope you and Toni enjoy the breezes of early June, and I look forward to seeing her other summer outfits, especially what she choose for the Fourth of July!

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

DSD2 — Fri, 30 May 2025 19:22:46 GMT

Oh @Enufstuff Toni is just beautiful!

So sweet; she personifies spring in all its glory.

What pristine condition your dolls are in! You are so talented and the information you shared today was fascinating. Thank you for all your marvelous posts.

I hope you have a wonderful summer...

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 23:48:05 GMT

@SportyShorty07 Thank you so much. I'm glad that you enjoy seeing Toni in her fashions. You are so observant with all the design details. This dress was one that I sold years ago. I should make another one to keep.

We haven't talked in a while. I hope that you are well and have been enjoying the warmer weather.

I'm okay and we had a few warm days, but last week, would you believe that I even had the heat on? It went down to the 40's a few nights and only 50's during the day. We have had a lot of much needed rain too. That is our crazy New England weather.

Yesterday and today are 60's, but I have not taken the covers off my wicker porch furniture yet. There is still so much pollen.

Our 30 pine trees shed pollen until the second week in June, then I can uncover everything and enjoy the porch again.

Katie and I had our May birthdays. I can't believe that our baby is nine years old. It doesn't seem like we have had her that long. She is doing well and is still playful and enjoying watching all her birds, squirrels and chipmunks.

I have been getting out more, now that winter is over. In April it was all the doctor, dentist and hair appointments. In May it was lunches and dinners out with my girls, family and friends.

In June is my grand daughter's baby shower. She is expecting a baby girl in August. This will be my ninth great grand child.

Boy, I'm getting old!

I also have a lot of family birthdays in June, no parties, but a lot of gifts.

My husband has been busy with taking care of the lawns and planting flowers. I've been doing online shopping and on the internet listening to podcasts. I'm trying to get out more.

I have no great plans for the summer. Maybe just some lunches and dinners with my girls. I'm taking my cousin out for lunch for her birthday, on Monday.

She and I have been talking about maybe going to Maine for a

couple of days.

I haven't done any sewing, but I have ideas for a couple of doll dresses to make.

Have you been doing anything fun or creative? It is so nice to hear from you and I hope that you have a wonderful summer.

Love,

Donna

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 23:50:26 GMT

@PamfromCT

Hi Pam,

It is so nice to hear from you. I hope that you,

your husband and Sir Winston are doing well. Katie just had her 9th birthday last week and she is doing well, happily being spoiled. We, her faithful servants are also well.

I'm glad that you enjoyed seeing Toni in her Cherry Dress and I thank you for your compliments. That was one of the dresses that I sold years ago. I should make one for myself.

It is lovely to have everything green again and flowers in bloom, but I was surprised at how cold it got last week. Crazy New England Spring, with nights in the 40's and days in the 50's. One night, I even wore a flannel nightgown and socks to bed, in May! I had to turn the heat back on, it got so cold and damp from the much needed rain.

Yesterday and today are better in the 60's and I hope that it stays warm. Then I will be complaining about the humidity and extreme heat. That's what we do here, complain about the weather.

I hope that you have been staying warm and enjoying the Spring with the expectation of more warm, sunny days ahead.

Are you planning any trips for the summer?

My cousin and I have been talking about going up to Freeport, Maine for couple of days. We'll see if that happens.

At 78, she is still going on the train, into Boston and working every day. She has a lot of accumulated vacation time to use, before she retires, so maybe we will make a plan to get away for a couple of days. For years, she has been saying "I'll retire next year", but that never happens.

You could not pay me enough, to want to keep working at this age. I am two weeks older than she is and she seems to have more energy than I do.

I've become lazy and enjoy being home and not having to deal with the public, working at a school, like I did for 32 years.

" Dolce far niente", as the Italians say. The joy of doing nothing. I no longer feel the need to go out or to keep busy.

Of course, I have to take care of the house and still cook meals,

but I can enjoy doing nothing.

I feel that I deserve my downtime and to enjoy little indulgences, just for me. For more than 60 years, I have been the mother of five, wife of two ( not simultaneously) and did for everyone, no help.

It may sound selfish, but I don't think that it is. This is time for me, finally.

I hope that you also are taking time for yourself and can have

"Dolce far niente".

Love,

Donna

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Fri, 30 May 2025 23:51:44 GMT

@Tori3569 Thank you very much. I'm glad that seeing Toni in

her Cherry dress brought back some happy memories for you.

Re: Tony Loves Cherries

Enufstuff — Sat, 31 May 2025 03:18:08 GMT

@beach-mom

Thank you so much. I'm happy that you enjoy seeing Toni in her little outfits.

If I do post for July 4th, it will probably be one

of the red , white and blue dresses that had been previously posted .

Re: Toni Loves Cherries

AngelPuppy1 — Sat, 31 May 2025 11:41:36 GMT

@Enufstuff

How adorable and sweet is that dress and the doll! And how wonderful that you still treasure her! I have a little trunk full of doll clolthes that my mother gave to me on a Christmas when I was about 8 years old and she hand made every dress and bonnet for a doll that I had and treasured and I named her Bonnie! The doll was made of some kind of rubber and unfortunately rotted out and I was so sad that I eventually lost her! However, I still have the trunk and all of the clothes! I am almost 73. My dear mother passed away several years ago. I treasure these things so much and I get them out and look at them occasionally.

I think it's wonderful that you still treasure your dolls as well and make these lovely outfits and that you post this here for us to enjoy! Thank you!