How to make an American Girl quilt

American Girl

Momma and I are both Quite Pleased that American Girl is giving the BeForever girls some long overdue attention. Not only are new items being added, but old items are being freshened up.

In particular, my doppelgänger's Bed and Bedding.

Once Addy and her family move into the boarding house, she has a bed of her own for the very first time. It features:

• A sturdy wooden bedframe with an authentic “fly-specked” finish
• A checkered pillow trimmed in ruffles
• A muslin mattress that’s supported by woven rope instead of bedsprings, as was typical in Addy’s day
• A beautifully detailed quilt—inspired by a Civil War era design—with nine squares depicting Addy’s family album

 

They kept the quilt! They kept the rope bed! The pillow has been changed from the realistic plain muslin to one with ruffles, but I don't care.

 

They kept the quilt!

 

 

There's a place for us

Ooh, the excitement is palpable around here!

American Girl Scottsdale is scheduled to open in 44 days!

Momma and my Big Sister and I went by the new location earlier today, but sadly, there was nothing to see other than construction workers going about their business.

However, since the new store is only 20 minutes away, Momma and I shall go by weekly and keep you, My Faithful Subjects, well informed.

We were excited to see the Scottsdale store map online. I thoroughly approve of the layout so far.

American Girl Place Los Angeles has the books and Girl of the Year as the primary focus when you first walk in. You have to go upstairs and search for the historic (Be Forever) sections. American Girl Scottsdale will have the Be Forever section front and center!

I hope my doppelgänger Addy is the Very First One to see!

 

Praying frequencies open!

Please keep actress Nichelle Nichols, most famous as Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series, in your thoughts and prayers.

Her representative Zach McGinnis announced earlier today,

"Last night while at her home in L.A., Nichelle Nichols suffered from a mild stroke. She is currently undergoing testing to determine how severe the stroke was. Please keep her in your thoughts."

I'm sure my doppelgänger in Los Angeles is worried.

Finding Freedom

Well, BeForever launched last night and (I never thought I'd say this) I miss the original cinnamon pink dress My doppelgänger came with.

Courageous Addy Walker has deep-brown eyes that open and close, golden hoop earrings, and thick black hair. She comes in an authentic 1864 outfit:

• A royal-blue print dress trimmed with black ribbon, with black bows atop short bell sleeves
• Lacy white pantalettes
• White stockings
• Black boots
• Two blue ribbons for her hair

The 18" Addy doll has a huggable cloth body, and her movable head and limbs are made of smooth vinyl. Includes the paperback book Finding Freedom, the first novel-length volume of Addy’s classic series.

The new Addy is very pretty (I love her hair!) and I like the blue dress, but it does not look like the first dress a runaway would receive or wear.

 

The finishing touch

americangirl.com

When I heard new items for the Historicals had been released at American Girl, including my doppelgänger Addy, I raced to their website to take a gander.

While some of the new items are awesome, I was sadly disappointed by Addy's addition: Addy's Hairstyling Set.

Seriously? That's ALL?

For $22 "your girl can create a fancy hairstyle for Addy with this set! It includes:

• A snood that fits perfectly over her hair
• A pink cameo & bow
• A double-braid hairpiece for the finishing touch"

I think my snoods are better (Thanks Mama Lisa!) and so are my hose-clamp headbands.

americangirl.com

At least Betsy is excited. She hates her stick-straight hair and can't wait to get Rebecca's Hairstyling Set, which includes a pretend curling iron with a handle that opens and closes.

(You might recall in Betsy was a Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace that Betsy burned her bangs with a curling iron while getting ready for a dance.)

At least Rebecca got an costume, too.

 

No Tribble at all

It has taken way, way too long, but Steampunk Uhura is finally on her way to Nichelle Nichols!

In case you're late in joining this story already in progress, Momma took me and my dear friend Phoebe to Phoenix Comicon 13 last May to meet Nichelle Nichols - AKA Lieutenant Nyota Uhura of Star Trek: The Original Series fame. 

Ms. Nichols liked me so much she asked for one just like me! 

Swoon!

Well, we all know there is only one ME, but Momma worked hard to recreate a steampunk doppelgänger just for her.

Sadly, between the time it took to create Steampunk Uhura and Momma's bouts with pneumonia, Bell's Palsy, a hospitalization, etc., it took until today for Momma to send Steampunk Uhura on her way.

But Steampunk Uhura is really and truly headed to California to live with Momma Nichols.

I hope she likes her!

BTW, someone commented on Ms. Nichol's Twitter page about the lock and chain I was wearing.

I want to say that I wear the Master lock and chain as a symbol of my origins, but only I have the key.

Let's make a deal

It is now official.

Within a month or two beloved Star Trek: The Original Series actress Nichelle Nichols will have a cloned copy of Yours Truly.

We stopped by today while Nichols was signing autographs at Phoenix Comicon to see if she really, truly wanted an Uhura fangirl doll - and she did!

(We also asked which doll she wanted. While she loved Phoebe it was My Awesomeness that won her over.)

What a brilliant woman!

While we all know that I am An Original, Momma agreed to make a doppelgänger just for her.

Now Momma is off to scour the world for a doll that looks something like me - as well as try to recreate my Awesome Star Trek fangirl costume.

Stay Tuned!

Tag! You're it!

Dollygirl's Treasures created a virtual game of Dolly Tag! Carrot and Clair tagged me, so now I get to answer the 15 questions and tag 10 (!) blogs.

1. If you could create any American Girl doll, what would she look like, and what would her name be?

Why make another when perfection has already been achieved with either me or my doppelgänger Addy.

2. What American Girl dolls do you have?

Me? I "have" Clementine. Momma and my Big Sister have many more. Too many.

3. Do you have any non-AG 18 inch dolls?

I don't, Momma doesn't, but my Big Sister does.

4. What is your absolute favorite brand of dolls?

Hmm, old-fashioned Frozen Charlottes.

5. What is the next doll (AG or non-AG) that you want to get?

Tonner's steampunked Scarecrow: Not Afraid of Anything.

6. What is your favorite thing to do with your dolls?

Go on adventures!

7. Do you have a place for your dolls, like a corner of a room? Where's their beds and stuff?

Our stuff is here, there, and everywhere - including the æther.

8. Would you rather use the computer/watch TV/play on your phone of electronical device/play video games or play with your dolls?

Pshaw, play with my Vinyl American friends, of course.

9. If your parents told you that you could only have one doll, what would you do?

Evict all the others, of course!

10. Have you ever found an American Girl brand item (can be anything) at a second-hand store?

Momma found my dear friend Molly at Goodwill. She's also Pleasant Company.

11. Do your friends share your love for dolls?

Only the friends who matter.

12. What is your favorite non-AG doll brand?

Didn't I answer this in questions 4 and 5?

13. Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere!

14. Does anyone in your family share your love for dolls?

Momma and my Big Sister and her cousins!

15. Where did you get the idea to start a blog?

People liked me and my stories so much I thought I'd better put them somewhere safe for everyone to enjoy.

Tag 10 blogs:

1. Angry Words from Angry Jess (mature dolls only)
2. Bean Stalk's Blog
3. Black Doll Collecting  
4. Confessions of a Doll Collector's Daughter 
5. The Doll Diaries
6. Dolls Behaving Badly
7. Kirsten's Adventures
8. Pippaloo for Dolls
9. Super Inky!
10. The Tonner Blog

 

One in a million

I went off to find my friend Ivy after leaving the indignity of the restroom.

Harumph.

I found her hanging out with our friend Julie in 1974.

Ivy was greatly astonished to find several doppelgängers of herself standing around. I comforted her by saying there was an opportunity to be found in clones.

I demonstrated by taking her into the 1864 room (I think of AGPLA as one, giant TARDIS) and tried to waken my doppelgängers from their stasis.

Mwahaha. 

Dozens, nay hundreds, of Addys at my command!

Too bad it didn't work.

Momma said it took more than my half-dime to wake them from their slumber.

So now I am saving up. In the meantime, my Big Sister's Addy is amenable to my plans.

One down....