I've been buying more AG stuff since the bug has really hit me. I also buy handmade items off e-bay and I sew but have only completed 1 sucessful outfit (a pumpking Halloween outfit). I have TONS of cut out stuff and a short attention span so that's why nothings put together yet. I also like and own a lot of Daisy Kingdom dolls (already made and panels to make up), sometimes I want my girls to look really dolly.
I am vastly more picky about design than I am who makes it, so I have all three. Some of my most cherished outfits are Molly's Aviator outfit and the AG Snowball outfit. I think that is what it was called as it is a eyelash fabric sweater with pink leggings.
My dolls have a huge supply of non-AG store-bought clothing, of which a very large percentage is surprisingly well crafted. While I have made a number of outfits for my dolls, a bunch of the ones I really like are ones that I commissioned someone else to make. For example, I ordered a copy of Molly's Birthday dress, but with short puffy sleeves instead of sleeveless, and I absolutely love it. I also got two of my dolls 1950s era gymsuits, something that will probably have some of the older members rolling their eyes. Just finding someone to make them was a chore.
Some of the best crafted outfits have been created by the gang of seamstresses who offer clothing for Chatty Cathy on eBay. They are pricier than clothing made for AGs, but are much closer in style to the era of my dolls.
With all of the clothing my dolls have, whatever the source, they never have a reason to stand around nekkid....
Taffy
I am almost finished with the two dresses I cut out yesterday. I got several chatty phone calls, and had to stop to make supper, or I would be done. I'll post pictures.
I still don't know if I'll keep them...I have issues. [img]confused.gif[/img]
Editing to add: When Molly and I first got into AG's in '93, I would always order one AG dress with each doll we got. Then, I would sew several special things for each new doll. I would add a few AG things as time went by, but we mostly had the things that I made. And Molly and I would get so excited about sewing new things.
I still remember getting my Addy, then picking out fabrics and making her first dress. I packed it away with Molly's things, and now I can't find it! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]
Now, I just can't get into my home made clothing. I wish I could!
<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ January 26, 2005 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Ponydreamer ]</font>
I have about half AG and half homemade. My grandmothers made a whole bunch of clothes for Molly right after I got her, and I'm slowly building up my AG collection of clothing. Molly, Nellie and Felicity can wear both, but I have yet to find anything handmade that I like for Josefina. I don't even like Dollies Dressmaker clothes for her and I adore Dollies Dressmaker stuff. Weird I know.
I am incredibly picky about getting handmade clothes though. I buy those mostly for Felicity since she currently has so few outfits. 95% of what I see for her on eBay and at craft shows I find absolutely terrible to look at and can't make myself spend money on it. I have fabric to make a couple of dresses for Felicity to get them just the way I want, but haven't done it yet.
I've been debating about this for months. [img]redface.gif[/img] I wish I could sew, and plan to learn how to make doll dresses some day. Currently, though, I can barely crochet. Everything I've bought for the past 10 years has been AG, except for one dress my grandma made me. However, I've recently been drooling over some of the ebay seamstress's work, and finally broke down and bought an outfit a few days ago. I haven't received it yet, but I'm actually excited about getting it. I agree that it's nice having stories to go with the outfits, but at the same time, there are outfits which were never made (like Felicity's brown church gown), and presumably the girls would own at least a little more clothing than is featured in their stories. I draw the line at replicas, though. If I am going to buy a handmade dress, I want it to be something unique, that I couldn't get/have gotten from AG.
- Becca
I am very picky about quality, so I mostly just have AG outfits. A lot of the non-AG outfits I've seen just don't have the same quality of fabric, sewing, and embellishments. That said, I do have two Dollies Dressmaker dresses for Samantha now and will buy more from her in the future. It's the most gorgeous, historically authentic, and well-made dresses I've seen. I actually like them better than AG clothes. The detail is exquisite and they aren't mass-produced. I haven't yet bought a OOAK vintage dress from her yet though, I just can't afford it, but I've seen lovely ones for Felicity.
I am working on making my own doll clothes. I just started learning last fall and have only made one dress so far for Felicity, but I really do love it. I love Felicity dresses that have some frills and aren't so plain.
I doubt I'll buy any other outfits outside AG except for Dollies Dressmaker. The others haven't been as high quality. I do like my Felicity work gown replica, but it isn't high quality- the fabric is thin and cheap feeling and there are mistakes in the sewing. I bought a town fair outfit replica and really don't like it. It's cheap material, has mistakes, and is too long for Lissie and doesn't allow her undergarments to fit under it. [img]frown.gif[/img]
So from here on out it's 1) AG or 2) handmade by me or 3) Dollies Dressmaker. I have seen stuff by Alisewn I liked too, but haven't been able to buy anything yet.
I drool over Alisewn too! She made me a pocket for Felicity and I just love it. Someday I will have an Alisewn original for Felicity.
I like original AG. I have bought nonAG off ebay, and have been satisfied, but I think the details and accessories that AG offers doesn't compare to other brands.
The coupon seems to come up in every thread, but I can't stop thinking about all the stuff I want to order! But I think nows the time to get as much as I can with $10 off. You can't beat the prices with that!!