By T.K. Wilson Things have been jumping at Laterose Doll Clothes and Doll Repair. Lots of people have been downsizing their collections or building up new ones and I have been in the center of it all! From Strawberry Shortcake, to My Little Pony, to the queen, Barbie herself, I have dealt with everyone from single dads to experienced collectors searching for that perfect toy. My biggest selling items were, surprisingly, Barbie. Because of Barbie’s iconic status, much has been written about her, and much has been done to provide makers with the resources to make a dream wardrobe for her. So, without further ado, here’s some history and tips on how to make for Barbie! Barbie (introduced 1959) The world’s most iconic fashion doll debuted on June 9th, 1959 to wild sales and acclaim. Originally priced at $3 dollars in 1959, (equal to about $21 dollars in 2009, according to Forbes) the doll changed the toy world forever. In Barbie, little girls could envision themselves as grown-ups having any job they wanted, even ones that weren’t open to them at the time, like astronauts! Barbie has been put through the ringer of controversy and criticism over the years. From sexism to her unrealistic figure, Barbie’s biggest fans see her for what she is: a conduit for childhood fantasy. Have there been missteps? Oh, yeah, but on the whole, Barbie is and will remain an icon of innocence. Christie (introduced 1968) The first African American character in the Barbie world was Christie. Created in 1968, (with Julia coming the next year) she was a huge jump forward for African American girls everywhere. The first Christie had a stylish bubble-cut and could share all of Barbie’s fashions. Christie was not as fortunate as some of the other dolls, being taken in and out of the line for years. However, in the 80s and 90s, she became a well-known face in the line. At that time, each line focused on three girl dolls and at least one boy doll. Christie stuck in as one member of the Barbie/Teresa/Christie trio. Kira (AKA Miko, introduced 1980) Replaced by Lea ( introduced 2000) Kira was Barbie’s first Oriental friend. Kira’s name means “light” in Japanese, though she was said to be from Hong Kong. This doll proved to be hugely popular, with her pretty, pleasantly rounded face being used for several beautiful Dolls of the World dolls, including Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore, along with “Barbie and the Rockers” bass player Dana. Sometime in 2000, Kira was retired in favor of Lea, an Asian doll with a lighter skin tone and thinner face. This is the doll you will most often see identified as Asian today. Teresa (introduced 1988) Barbie’s best friend is Teresa, a Latina girl. Teresa was introduced in 1988 and would get her very own face mold in 1990. Teresa proved a huge hit, being marketed alongside Barbie and Christie throughout the 90s. In every line, you would find Barbie in pink, Christie in blue or green, and Teresa in orange, all equals. She followed her bestie to stardom, “starring” as the Fairy Queen in “Barbie of Swan Lake” and made an appearance in every movie after that, sometimes as helper, sometimes as sister, sometimes as friend. Teresa was my favorite Barbie character growing up. She was more interesting to me than the plain vanilla looks of Barbie. Who wanted to be the blonde, I would scoff, when you could have this glamorous dark/red hair? Now, we have some wonderful links to where you (yes, you!) can find vintage fashions for your period Barbie dolls.
From the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/crochetforbarbie0 https://archive.org/details/Family_Circle_Easy_Knitting_Fall_2001?q=subject%3A+Barbie+doll+crochet https://archive.org/details/KnitnStyle_116_2001?q=subject%3A+Barbie+doll+crochet And from designer Hilde Fuchs: https://freevintageknitting.com/patternbook/clothes-for-fashion-model-dolls-hilde99 This young lady has some very lovely patterns for MODERN Barbie https://www.rebeckahstreasures.com/blog/8-in-1-fashion-doll-brassieres-to-dresses-free-crochet-pattern
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