Finding Joy in Riley Blake Fabrics: A Journey of Persistence and Triumph

Introduction in finding joy in Riley Blake fabrics:

In the world of fabric enthusiasts, stumbling upon a breathtaking piece can feel like striking gold. The sheer excitement of discovering a fabric that captures your heart is unparalleled. Such was the case when I first laid my eyes on the incredible beauty of a Riley Blake fabric. However, as a resident of Germany, procuring this fabric seemed like an insurmountable challenge. This blog post narrates my quest to obtain the elusive Riley Blake fabric and the joy of finally finding it. This time I thought I would never find this fabric somewhere in Europe. One of my former fabric dealers sold his business during Corvid and I have not realized it until several months ago this wonderful Riley Blake fabric appeared in the Barbie community.

The Initial Obsession:

The moment I saw the Riley Blake fabric online, I was instantly captivated by its exquisite design and vibrant colors. It possessed a unique charm that made it stand out from the rest. However, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment when I realized the fabric was not easily accessible in Germany. The thought of giving up on this fabric was disheartening, but I was determined to find a way.

 
 
 
 
 
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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Cute Little Fabric Shop (@cutelittlefabricshop)

The American Dilemma:

Driven by my desire to acquire this fabric, I decided to explore the option of purchasing it directly from the USA. However, to my dismay, the shipping costs amounted to a staggering $60, not to mention the additional tax burden. This obstacle seemed insurmountable, and I began to question whether my dream of owning this fabric would remain unfulfilled.

A Glimmer of Hope:

Just when I was on the verge of abandoning my quest, a ray of hope emerged. Through diligent research, I stumbled upon a dealer in Germany who specialized in sourcing Riley Blake fabrics. The mere prospect of having this fabric delivered to my doorstep within the country filled me with renewed hope and excitement. Eagerly, I reached out to the dealer, hoping that this time my search would finally bear fruit.

The Triumph of finding the Riley Blake fabric in Germany:

To my delight, the dealer confirmed that they had the exact Riley Blake fabric I had been searching for. The feeling of joy that surged through me at that moment was indescribable. Finally, my persistence had paid off, and the fabric was within my grasp. The process of placing the order was smooth, and within a short span of time, the fabric arrived at my doorstep.

cream colored fabric with butterflies in pink, blue and yellow, right size for Barbie
Riley Blake Fabric Butterfly Blossom in cream

Conclusion:

The journey of obtaining the Riley Blake fabric from Germany was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. From the initial frustration of not finding it locally to the disappointment of exorbitant shipping costs from the USA, my determination to acquire this fabric never wavered. Thankfully, through my unwavering resolve and a stroke of luck, I discovered a dealer who could provide me with the fabric I yearned for. The happiness that fills my heart now, as I hold the fabric in my hands, is immeasurable. It serves as a reminder that persistence and determination can lead to triumph, even in the world of fabric hunting.I will keep you all updated in how finding joy in Riley Blake fabrics. Maybe I will go hunting for more Riley Blake fabrics via Amazon.

How to remove stains from Francie dress

In the last weeks you have not heard from me every week. I was busy on other channel, not just doing videos but I continued to repair stuff for you. Last year I found a Francie ” First Formal” from the 60s. It’s great to have this outfit but it has also a negative side to own old fashions. Within the years light fabric gets stains and this was also the case here on my First Formal. I got some advice from senior collectors to be careful when cleaning it because the pink bow. You know Mattel did not pre-wash all the fabrics. From what I have seen and learnt along my repair journey they did it not with every fabric. So be very careful when you want to clean things. You may be lucky but often the fabrics start to bleed until you think they are completely discolored. In fact they are not but you just pre-washed them. Congrats.

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Francie’s First Formal with stains

When you are in this situation you may think ” Great, I find a solution” or ” what the hell is happening here” or ” I wish I had never done this”. In the first part of the cleaning I literally thought “what the hell is happening” here. My idea to separate body and skirt was a total failure after my first attempts to clean the dress with soap, water and baking soda failed because of the delicacy of the fabric. After my first attempts it was clear to me that I did not get the success I wanted and I did not want to ruin the dress. Original Francie fashions are expensive in Europe. I decided to take the risk, remove the bow since it was the bleeding factor and I knew it before I started. I trashed all my plans in one moment and started to use Boost, a cleaner for old fabrics I bouth last year. It’s really good in getting stains out. I wasn’t sure if the upper blue top part would bleed but soon realized that it did not start to bleed. To my own surprise the luke warm water changed into a pee like color after not even two hours.

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Francie’s First Formal before the boost procedure

I let the Francie dress in there for at least 24 hours to remove all the stains and dirt from the last 5 decades. I used two bowls to get all the dirt out. After the stain removal the dress became completely white again. I thought it would have been designed as a cream tone. I did not expect it but it’s great. It’s great that all stains are gone now.

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Francie’s First Formal in boost
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Francie’s First Formal after 12 hours in boost

The great fashions of the 20th century barbie dolls

I know that I have never written about this series before here but I’m going to change it now. One of my favorite series of the early years of my collecting time are “ Great fashions of the 20th century“, a series started in 1998 and ended in 2001 with 7 wonderful dolls.

At the time this series came out my passion for fashions of past decades and centuries already existed. I think fashion has never changed that fast as it did in the 20th century. Modern production technology and updated methods made the production of clothes and fashion possible. A century earlier it would not have been possible and the costs have been much higher. Throw away fashion like it exists today would have been completely impossible 200 years ago due to production costs. High costs prevented to have a huge wardrobe full of fashion. Only rich people were able to buy huge amount of fabrics.

Nevertheless production technology made it possible to make trends and to wear what the riches wore even when you were not rich. Mass production made fashion possible. You can see it in every single day how much the fashions changed in the last century. In the 21rst century we don’t have such radical changes anymore. Defining a typical outfit from the 2010s would really be hard.

What would you define as such an outfit? At least we have defined decades from the 20th century and now let’s enjoy them in a short video.

The only disadvantage that I see in this series is that it suddenly stops in the 1970s. No 1980s and no 1990s Barbie doll was available. What do you think about the missing dolls?

After Five! Really after five?

It is said that in the time when this dress was made you dressed in a dress you wore after five when it was over five o’clock. Really? Sometimes I wonder how often the dressed and undressed themselves in the time. I know that I don’t have the time to dress and undress all the time because I’m at work usually and come home around 5 p.m. Anyway, I liked the Vintage After Five ensemble ever since I found out that it was made. Recently I got a my version but it’s not in the best condition. A button is missing and there are some holes in the dress but I’don’t want to complain. It has less holes than the Enchanted Evening I showed you last week. I plan to do my own copy this summer … I know a long time but I have another sewing project coming up but I’m still waiting for the fabric. So here’s the real After Five and stay tuned in for some new project in the future.

 

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Fashion Avenue dress

Fashion

Today I gonna open my treasure chest again because I have received a new fashion that I would like to show you.  The fashion is from 1996.  The item number is Asst. 14307.  It is a party dress for the evening with a lot of glamour. The dress is made of a bell-bottomed black skirt with valance and a silver sparkling strapless top.  Accompanied by a pink bolero and a pink purse reflects this outfit the taste of the mid 1990s.

My Shelly/Kelly fashion show

In the last weeks there weren’t much news to tell. I decided to show the fashions for the little Baby sister Kelly (in Europe and Canada known as Shelly) from Barbie that I collected in the first years when Shelly/Kelly was available. Most of them were sets with two fashions and accessoires and only one pair of shoes. In 1996 Mattel decided to offer fashion sets with two fashions in the same style, one for Barbie and a smaller one for Kelly/Shelly. Since I liked them I bought them back then. The little Kellys you see in the pictures are only two from a lot of Kelly dolls in my collection. Of course I stil have the accessoires for the outfits but to make it a bit easier I left them in the box where I store my dolls.The first Susie and the first Melody

Bath Fun Shelly/Kelly/Bade Spaß Shelly(1995)

A closer look at Bath Fun Shelly

The first two summer fashions ever released

The very first two party outfits

The second edition of party outfits

The first Susie and the first Melody

Shopping Fun Barbie & Kelly / Einkaufsspaß Barbie & Shelly (1997)

the second edition of summer outfits

The very first school outfits (although Shelly is 3 years old)

school ouftits

The very first holiday outfits

Holiday outfits

the first winter outfits

The very first night-fashion for Shelly (see the "K" for Kelly on her dressing gown)

The very first night-fashion

The first Susie and the first MelodyOutfit for a rainy day in autumn

The first Susie and the first Melody

The first Susie and the first Melody

2 from 4 Toys R Us fashions from 1996

The other two Toys R Us fashions

The other two fashions

2 fashions for Kelly from 2004

Shopping Fun Kelly shown in the first Becky outfit

Strollin' Fun Kelly

Potty Training Kelly/Geh aufs Töpfchen Shelly from 1997

The first Chelsie from 1996

Matchin’ Style Fashion Show – the first four fashions

In the last weeks I was searching for my Kelly/Shelly Fashion that I bought between 1995 and 1997. Here I want you to show the first four fashions with an outfit for Barbie and the same outfit in smaller size for Shelly. There were more outfits to buy in the following years but I didn’t know how much exactly. I think there were 12 outfits in general. Here are my first four fashions. My Models are the Shopping Fun Barbie and Shelly. Of course I still have the shoes but I lent them to other Barbies without shoes.

Shopping Fun together

Shopping Fun

Theater date

Theater date

Winter Fun/Jeans Fun

Winter Fun/Jeans Fun

Baseball Game

Baseball Game