My Friend Dolls

I received a My Friend Mandy doll circa 1980.  I had some of the original Fisher Price outfits for her along with many outfits that my Great Aunt Sitty sewed for me.  The first pictures are all Fisher Price outfits.  The rest are labeled.
This is Mandy's original outfit minus her hat, which I think is in storage.

Ballerina outfit--tights, leotard, tutu, shoes, and crown               
Tennis outfit and shoes
Roller skating outfit and skates


Track suit
Orangey-red pants, cardigan, and hat
Rain coat, hat, and boots.  I like that this feels like waterproofed fabric.
Winter wear set--orange puffy vest, yellow knit pants, furry boots.
I could never figure out why this didn't come with a shirt of some type.
Embroidered overalls and red turtleneck.
Not sure where this came from; definitely a manufactured set, but unbranded.
Same red turtleneck paired with pants my aunt made.
Handmade yellow dress.  Aunt Sitty probably made this, but I don't remember.
Jumper and blouse.  Aunt Sitty made the rest of the pieces from here on unless otherwise noted. 

She made a lot of belts for the outfits with hand embroidered eyelets for the buckles.
With matching coat and hat.



Rose detail inside the jumper.
Wrap dress.

Brown dress.  I seem to remember that she had to dye part of this to get it the color she wanted.
It looks like it is a variation of the pattern used for the yellow and floral dress above.

Plaid dress; one of my favorites.
Mandy does have a slip to preserve her modesty, but after 30 years, the elastic has given way.
I always thought this one was really pretty and it has a beautiful button at the neck.
Voluminous dress that I love anyway.
I've noticed the fit isn't very consistent in the patterns.

Camp shirt and shorts.
I'm not sure if Sitty knitted this sweater or traded with someone she knew.
I think this is a Fisher Price pattern though.
Boots are by Fisher Price.

Blouse and skirt, another favorite of mine.
With corduroy pants.
And matching jacket and beanie. 

70s dress 
With long half slip, now very yellowed.
Pretty dress with scallops and flowered headpiece.


Long flowered nightgown and matching slippers.


And a matching robe with cute kitties in the pockets.

Mask and reversible leopard cape.
The red riding hood side.
Fisher Price tights.  The brown ones may be overdyed? 
Apron, half slip with stretched out elastic, and three little books.
Mom told me that Aunt Sitty would make the patterns and then she would write to Fisher Price to offer ideas on how to make variations of the outfits with simple pattern changes.  Regardless of the validity of that, she had some mad hand-sewing and alteration skills.  I wish I would have been old enough to learn from her before she died.  She lived a long ways (6 hours or so) from us, so we saw her rarely.  Oddly enough, for part of my adult life I lived close enough to her home that I could have visited with some regularity, but she died while I was still in college.

After my daughter was born, I thought maybe she would like to play with the dolls that I had such fun with as a child (she didn't). I bought some of the companion dolls and as many original outfits as I could find that I didn't previously own, along with as many original sewing patterns as I could that came with the outfits.  I also found a few major brand patterns too.  These are currently in storage while our basement is under construction.  I will update with more photos once I can access these extra pieces.

9 comments

  1. Such amazingly cute doll clothes!! Thank you for posting the photos!

    ReplyDelete
  2. How wonderful! I came across this trying to find out which robe went with the pink nightgown. I love that you kept all these! Your aunt's detailing is amazing, the kitties on the robe pocket are the best!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is just the cutest doll. I purchased a doll trunk for an American girl sized doll, and it was an online auction. The pictures showed a doll and clothes in the trunk and I wasn't interested in the contents. But after winner for only $23 and picking up I was so surprised at how cute she was. A little soap and water and she looks new. I have some of the same clothes as you. She is such a cute doll. I know my grand daughter will have fun playing with it until she is old enough to have her mother AG dolls.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My three daughters each had one of these Fischer Price Friend dolls and we got the little boy, Mikey, for my son. They were well loved. I saved them for my future grandchildren, but, sadly, I don't have any. Still, I have many memories of my girls playing with these. I made them some clothes, but certainly not as nice as your aunt made. My grandmother made clothes for my Barbies when I was a kid (I'm 70 now) and they were like what your aunt made-fully lined, with embroidery and tiny buttons. She even knit little sweaters and hats. I don't know how she did it. I still have all of it and can't make myself throw it away. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your aunt was an artist. These are beautiful. Not just hand sewn, but tailored.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing. Your aunt was amazing!! My daughters are in their teens and 20s now but they loved playing with my Mandy doll. She was their American Girl dolls little sister. I saved her and was able to purchase some of the other dolls that I am saving for my grandchilden.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love these. I wasn't a "dolly girl" but I did love my Mandy doll. I still have her and found a Becky with no clothes at a thrift store. I need to get sewing and make them some outfits.

    ReplyDelete