Please meet the unflappable Miss Hope and share a part of her history. The first time I saw Hope was on facebook. Her owner lives in the UK and posted photos of her new Sasha find.  She said the original owner wanted a boy Sasha to play with and so…. snip, snip, snip….the long, blonde hair was removed and a new boy’s haircut emerged on this beautiful, early girl from 1966. I am certain the change must have been most dramatic. Hope was previously  named “Bobbie” during her brief facebook stay. Soon after, the owner offered to sell “Bobbie” to me and the journey across the pond delivered this delightful early Sasha to me. I named her “Hope” before her arrival and knew most definitely she would no longer be a boy or a “Bobbie” because I had “hope” for my new girl.

Hope was waiting on me when I returned from the Sasha Festival last July. I purchased a Monique blonde wig from Heidi Wheeler at the Festival. The wig tag is photographed if anyone is interested in the details of the wig. It says honey blonde but I think it is more of a platinum color.  Also, the wig fibers are baby fine and not the usual texture you find on our Sashas.

I immediately put the wig on Hope and took photos. These photos shows Hope in her new blonde wig. I was so excited about her possibilities!

Hope has her bear in this photo that kept her company while traveling to the US. I dressed her in this Ruth’s dolls outfit which is a favorite of mine.

Hope looks very different in this auburn wig with a bob cut. This wig was in my mother’s wig collection. At that time, last summer, I did not have an early girl with red hair and this wig gave me pause to question whether Hope should remain a blonde.  I also liked the length of the cut.

Dressed for play, Hope loves the water fountain and getting wet too!

Showing Hope without a wig and in a pretty pink corduroy outfit by Ruth’s dolls as she plays by the pumpkin patch in early August. It reminds me of the lovely summer days that seem far away today with the bitter cold outside. I wanted so much to make right choices for Hope to include a spa treatment and, now I began to consider a possible re-rooting.  You can see I added a pink headband to enhance her feminine charm.

In addition to the wigs, I brushed her hair and tried various clips, bows, hats, and hair bands to help me fully appreciate her short hair cut.  Here are a few photos of these attempts.

My, doesn’t Hope look sweet in her big pink bow? She is wearing a bright and cheery dungarees outfit made by Wilma Robards. I met Wilma at the Sasha Festival and she is a dear lady with a terrific sales table.

This full length photo allows us to see the super cool Birkenstocks made by Marti Murphy. I met the very nice Marti at the Festival and admired her handiwork with shoes and tea dresses.

Here, Hope is sporting a yellow hat made by Erica. Her dress was made by Millie Dingham and it has lovely smocking on the front and back of dress. I met  Millie at the Festival and  she is a very kind lady. I was able to buy this dress plus two outfits for the boys.

After spending time with Hope and playing with her hair, I eventually decided to have her re-rooted. I contacted Pat Pellerito and we shared emails and Pat agreed to help Hope. Pat sent hair samples and over time and several discussions, I decided that my Hope should remain a blonde. I boxed Hope up to go to the spa and, once again, she traveled by plane but stayed in the US this time. It was harder than I thought it would be to let go of Hope.   😦

Knowing the hearts of Sasha collectors, Pat kept me close to Hope. Hope sent regular letters to her Mom. Here is her first photo showing how relaxed she was in her spa robe.

Another photo provided by Pat of Hope during her treatment.

The final photo Pat sent was this beautiful image of Hope, nice and clean, re-strung, and a head full of long, gorgeous hair. I could see that Hope was very happy and confident with her new look. Perhaps she remembered her long hair from years ago. Pat placed a photo of Hope’s sister, Chloe, in the background to help Hope not feel homesick ;). I absolutely love Hope’s hair!!!

Hope was home with me in time for the Fall holidays and Christmas. I have taken more photos of her with her long hair and will share a few here.

Hope snuggled next to Chloe

Hope wearing a Vintage Sasha outfit and posing on Daddy’s Jeep!

Close up photo

Hope wearing dark green corduroy dress by Ruth’s dolls at Christmas.

This photo of Hope is most recent in a new corduroy teddy bear outfit by Lorraine–I love it!

This final photo is a close up of Hope who is a very happy girl and loves her Sasha family. I “hope” you enjoyed following her recent journeys.   Hope sends hugs to everyone and special greetings to wish you all a wonderful day. xx

Today, the snow is falling and I have the luxury of staying at home. My first thought was to post to the blog and that I must focus on my dear, sweet Gwennie.  Gwennie was my first Sasha and she is a studio doll.  Her body type is B, her face type is III, and she is an early girl from the 1940’s. She is not quite 20 inches in height.

When I first saw Gwennie, I was immediately drawn to her beautiful face and her lovely hair.  I can remember when my hair was this color and length and imagine that was certainly some of her appeal in that she felt familiar to me.  I purchased her from Marie Morgan and Gwennie made her journey across the pond in safety and in good time.

The next grouping of photos will show Gwennie in her one-piece under clothing with ric-rac trimming and close ups of her face and body. It has been my experience that these type of images are not often seen outside of the good Sasha books and, since most of us that love Sasha dolls are visual, I am hoping these photos will please the viewers. I should mention that Gwennie’s head and shoulder plate are made of gypsum which is a plaster reinforced with fiber. Her head is quite heavy and pivots easily. Her body is made of cloth with jointed arms and legs that move with ease. The type B bodies are not marked or signed. The stuffing is wood chips and is also called excelsior. You will observe that Gwennie was played with and has sewn repairs and thinning of her fabric in places. I can see the wood chips in one small hole. Wood produces a tannic acid which, over time, will wear down the fabric fibers. I think Gwennie’s fabric is worn by play, exposure to the air, and by her stuffing within.

These photos show more of Gwennie’s face, type III. You will notice both of her ears have suffered some dings and paint loss on the upper and outer lobes. Her wig is human hair and she is a redhead. I love her fluid eye painting and strong brows. I never tire of looking at her 🙂

Gwennie came to me wearing this lovely sage green smocked dress with pant, one-piece under clothing, knitted socks, and leather shoes. Her clothing is not tagged but it fits her very well. Her dress has faded over time and you can see her pants are darker in color. I am looking for a tagged, smocked Sasha dress for Gwennie and so far, I have not found one. I was very fortunate to find a fabulous duffle coat which looks so nice on Gwennie and fits her very well. Here are a few photos of her clothing and the tag on her coat.

Last year at the Sasha Festival, I met Dawn Law and we shared various Sasha doll stories. I showed her Gwennie’s photo and learned that Dawn had previously owned Gwennie. I was thrilled to learn this piece of Gwennie’s history.

One last short story about Gwennie happened at the cell phone store not long ago. I have Gwennie’s photo as my screen saver on the phone. I gave the young man working there my phone to see if he could help me with a glitch. He went to the back of the store and came out later to return my repaired cell phone. I thanked him and as I turned to leave, he said “Oh, your daughter is very pretty.” I said “Thank you” with a big smile–Gwennie is very pretty indeed 🙂

Chloe and Finn

Today, a quick post before going to work of Chloe and Finn wearing lovely outfits made by Janet Myhill Dabbs. I received them just after Christmas and Finn insisted on being first to wear the lederhosen. I think I would have chosen Drew with his dark features to wear them but I cannot resist dear Finn 🙂 Both outfits have such nice detail down to the tiny, silver heart advising “Hand made with Love”. When you hold these outfits in your hands, you can see the great care that was given in their creation. I hope you enjoy the photos. Have a wonderful day!!!

Chloe in Wool

Finn in Wool

Chloe

Finn

Chloe’s Heart

Fringe Row

Today is very snowy outside and cold, brrrrrr, so I stayed home and thought I’d post to the blog. I have three 1968 fringe girls that have made their way to Sasha Shangri-La in the last few years.

Faith, 1968 Fringe

The first fringe girl is the lovely Faith. She is wearing a pretty dress with pinny along with her socks and shoes all from Ruthsdolls.  I love Faith’s vivid blue eyes and her fringe has blended with her hair over time.  I have not tried to tease it out because I like it this way for now.  Faith was my first fringe girl and was made in early 1968. I love her expression which is unforgettable to me.

Fara, 1968 Fringe

The second fringe girl is Fara and she is different than Faith. Her eyes are smaller and her hair styling is wonderful with nice fringe. Also, her hair is full and bouncy and is cut in different layers. Fara is wearing a pretty smocked dress made by Ruthsdolls and pink suede shoes by Jean Jensen (JJ). I love Fara’s sweet expression.

Faye, 1968 Fringe

Last, but not least, is Faye who came to Sasha Shangri-La in September 2013 and so she is a newcomer. Faye’s eyes are delicate and beautiful. She has multi-stroke brows and I can imagine the artist used a very fine brush when painting her eyes. Faye has nice fringe and her hair is not as full as Fara’s but it is full enough. Faye is wearing a pretty smocked apple dress by Molly. It has wonderful crocheted trimming on the cuffs and even on the hem of her pants (she is too shy to show them ;). Her bone colored, leather shoes are from Cassie at Sashapotamus and they fit perfectly. Faye has a beautiful, sophisticated expression.

Baby Ginger and Fringe girls

The fringe girls with their teddy bears and Baby Ginger with her sock monkey. Baby wears a darling smocked dress made by Diane and it has a charming, playful scene. This dress was a nice surprise in a back-to-school swap held by Lorraine last Fall. Baby Ginger’s sock monkey was a Christmas gift from her Mommy and she wrapped her monkey in the wrapping ribbon and reindeer pin as a loving keepsake.