Unpicked about 10cm of a side seam and pulled out the stuffing.
Washed her in the washing machine and hung her on the line (Steph, I can hear your cries of fear from here!).
Soaked her head in a bowl of boiling hot water which smoothed out the lumps and bumps and gave her face a good scrub.
Restuffed her with lots of new polyfill stuffing.
It is amazing what a difference these few things made.
She is now slightly less creepy (honestly, who can be that happy all the time!) and I must admit it is kinda cool to see my kids playing with something I used to play with... especially now that she sits up properly to be fed.....
...although I think I need to let me boy know that she is not ready for solids just yet!
37 comments:
Sensational 000 effort!
She looks great & it's just super lovely that the kids are enjoying her just as you did.
A lovely restoration, continuing a toy tradition - love the photo with the grape! Nic
What a great restoration job!!
Thats a brave restoration job - it includes boiling water and a contortionist effort on the washing line - and she remains smiling through the whole ordeal. Yes, creepy. Definitely.
Awww.. Gold stars for you this week. I love a good restoration project!!! This is SENSATIONAL work!!
great restoration ... but she'll need a third reincarnation soon by the look of it! LOL
You've done a great job, she looks brand new! She did look a bit weird folded over the clothes line though.
Wow, what a transformation! But yes, still creepy...
Excellent job! She looks brand new, an amazing job. I love the grape photo!
Oh my goodness, the clothesline pictures just kill me. I can't stop looking at them. If I only I could do that with Jane Ann, but alas, she has a solid body.
Really, though, fabulous restoration, and so neat that old what's her name can have another chance at life.
LOL. I love the force feeding of the grape- "You WILL eat this!!". She looks amazing. What a great way to re-use something important from the past. xo m.
Clever you. She looks beautiful. I must say I wouldn't have had the courage to use the boiling water. Glad it was so successful.
I have this exact doll too! I also had grand visions of my 3 year old playing with my doll which was in very good condition (I played very carefully with my toys even though I loved them to death!). 2 days later my dolls torso was ripped and the stuffing was all over her bedroom floor. I may have to do a restoration job of my own.
wow what an extreme makeover! she looks fabulous and the last photo is priceless!!
I think you should open your very own little toy hospital so that we can all bring our broken dollies and teddies for a little bit of tender loving care and repair.
I can't believe you actually managed to re-shape her head. I would have thought that it was a lost cause.
LOve the inspiration 'before' and 'after' photos. Do you work on people too? I need a bit of my 'stuffing' removed!!! Hey- My Balck Cardigan is at the beach now, I hadn't noticed your new header, or whatever it's called. Great!
great work. just like new... some of busy's dolls give me the creeps - there is one in particular...
Mine was/is called Wibble Wobble, because that's what she'd do if you spun her around by her arms. I might have to try rejuvenating her for my boy some day!
Wow, you make a great doll restorer! Love the grape pic too. So sweet. I gave Cohen my doll like this the other day and he poked it in the eye and then put a bickie in it's mouth and fell asleep on it. :)
That is great! fantastic job!
You should be proud : o )
Oh she looks SO GOOD NOW! How great are you?
Pretty great... that's how great!
I am SO impressed right now... well done!
Brilliant job and brilliant photos! You must be well pleased!
I squealed like a little kid and was all excited then I squealed like a frightened kid when I made eye contact with What's her name.
You'll have to give her a proper name though, it's only fitting!! You are so funny and the line photos kill me.
Glad she has found her place in your loving family!!
Big Love Steph *squeal*
Paging Dr Nikki, paging Dr Nikki .... there's a job with your name on it at the Doll's Hospital!
You did a great job - she looks fantastic!!!
Now if I come round would you mind plunging my head in a bowl of boiling water and seeing if you could remove some of these wrinkles?
She looks like she is cheering. Arms up in the air, 'hooray for Nikki!' You did such a wonderful job, I'm sure many dolls have gone to the tip for lesser complaints. X
That picture with E sticking the grape in Dolly's face just caused a much-needed laugh out loud. Oh, ok, and soil myself, thanks for asking.
You are WONDERFUL. I have a few decrepit-looking toys who could do with a bit of R&R in Zone Two. As could I... sigh.
A lovely restoration job! And how special that the kids are playing with your doll now.
I often find bits of cracker and fruit stuffed in the mouths of dolls here.
Brilliant work!! I love the last pic. I re-stuffed a fave doll around here in a similar way. From then on she was known as "chubby baby". I'm frequently having to remove banana cake from her mouth.
How strange is it to think that your kids are playing with the doll you had when you were little! My girls actually wear clothes I had when I was their age. That's what happens when you have a mum who likes to keep stuff...lots of stuff...things you haven't seen for 20 years (well maybe a little more) suddenly appear!
THANK GOODNESS your kids are resilient types. What with all that somewhat creepy, overly skinny doll hung from washing line and boiled head bit. Seriously N, supreme job.
Wow, yep this is A TOP job Nikki!She looks soooo much better and happier!Do you think you could try on human...??!Maybe me in twenty something years if I start falling of my seat (hehe):)xx
get that grape in there, now!
fabulous post nikki. made my day. love the before/after shots. i think you should produce your own dolly version of amazing medical stories or even the operation that saved my life.
and btw i beg to differ if i was just sitting around being fed you wouldn't be able to wipe the smile of my face. have a good day
The over the line shot made me giggle - I almost expected to see her head slowly revolving towards me (yes even in a still pic!) I love seeing your little people playing - they remind me rather a lot of mine! (Although my son is more likely to be stuffing the grape into my mouth than the doll's)
Love the before & after pics.
You did a great job Nikki, perhaps I'll try to restore my old doll (although she needs new hair so not sure how I would do that bit).
Wow, that is an amazing rehab!
A lovely restoration, continuing a toy tradition - love the photo with the grape
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Nik, you did a wonderful job with Whats-her-name. She looks almost new. Wonder if the grape juice will mean her face needs more dunking in boiling water??
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