francie barbie cousin Archives - Barbie Treasure Chest

September 8, 2023September 8, 2023

Introducing the New Francie MOD Dress: A Nostalgic Fashion Revival

Introduction:

In the ever-evolving world of fashion, new designs and trends constantly emerge, captivating the hearts of fashion enthusiasts. The recent development of the new Francie MOD dress has ignited excitement among fashionistas. With its unique charm and undeniable potential, this dress is poised to make a lasting impression in the industry. In this article, we will delve into the success of its first design, reminisce about the iconic Shopping Spree collection from Mattel in the 1960s, and explore the definitive potential of the new Francie MOD dress. Let’s introduce the new Francie MOD dress and have a nostalgic fashion revival today.

The Success of the First Design:

The initial release of the Francie MOD dress was met with resounding success. Fashion lovers were captivated by its modern yet retro aesthetic, which seamlessly blended classic elements with contemporary style. The dress exuded a sense of sophistication, making it a versatile addition to any wardrobe. Its popularity quickly soared, establishing the Francie MOD dress as a must-have item for fashion-forward individuals.

A Nostalgic Reminder: Shopping Spree from Mattel in the 1960s:

The new Francie MOD dress evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of the beloved Shopping Spree outfit by Mattel in the 1960s. This ensemble was a fashion phenomenon, captivating the hearts of young girls and fashion enthusiasts alike. The Shopping Spree outift is an example for a chic and stylish outfit that exuded elegance and glamour. The new Francie MOD dress pays homage to this iconic outfit , incorporating elements that transport us back to a bygone era while still maintaining a contemporary edge.

The Pattern: A Personal Touch:

One of the most exciting aspects of the new Francie MOD dress is the availability of its pattern. As a fashion enthusiast myself, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to create this dress and infuse my personal style into it. The pattern allows individuals to unleash their creativity and customize the dress to suit their unique preferences. Whether it’s experimenting with different fabrics, colors, or embellishments, the pattern ensures that each dress becomes a personal masterpiece.

Definitive Potential:

The new Francie MOD dress undeniably possesses the potential to become a game-changer in the fashion industry. Its fusion of vintage charm and contemporary flair appeals to a wide range of tastes, making it a versatile choice for various occasions. Whether it’s a casual outing, a social gathering, or a special event, the Francie MOD dress effortlessly exudes confidence and style.

Conclusion:

The new Francie MOD dress is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of fashion. Its successful first design, reminiscent of the iconic Shopping Spree outfit from Mattel in the 1960s, adds a touch of nostalgia to its modern appeal. With the availability of the dress pattern, individuals can now personalize their Francie MOD dresses, adding their unique flair to an already remarkable design. As we embrace the definitive potential of this dress, we eagerly anticipate the impact it will make in the fashion world. Stay tuned for more exciting developments and fashion-forward trends from the Francie MOD dress collection. It’s never too late for a nostalgic fashion revival.

August 15, 2023August 30, 2023

The Evolution of Barbie and Her Family: A Nostalgic Journey Back to the 1960s

Introduction:

In the world of dolls, Barbie has undeniably left an indelible mark. Since her creation in 1959, Barbie has captivated the hearts of countless children and collectors alike. However, Barbie’s journey was not a solitary one. Throughout the 1960s, Barbie’s family grew, introducing a diverse cast of characters that added depth to her imaginative world. Let’s take a look back at the evolution of Barbie’s family during this iconic era and have a look at the evolution of Barbie and her family with a nostalgic journey back to the 1960s.

1959: Barbie, the Trailblazing Fashionista

Barbie made her debut in 1959, breaking the mold with her stylish fashion choices and glamorous lifestyle. Created by Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel, Barbie was named after Handler’s daughter, Barbara. With her chic attire and sophisticated demeanor, Barbie quickly became a role model for young girls everywhere.

1961: Ken, Barbie’s Dashing Companion

Two years after Barbie’s introduction, Ken stepped into the spotlight. Named after Handler’s son, Kenneth, Ken became Barbie’s dashing companion. With his charm and impeccable fashion sense, Ken perfectly complemented Barbie’s elegance. Together, they embarked on countless adventures, capturing the imagination of children across the globe. I wrote an article about the early Kens last year which you can read here http://barbie.final-memory.org/ken-ken-or-ken

1963: Midge, Barbie’s Best Friend

In 1963, Barbie welcomed her best friend, Midge, into her ever-growing circle. Midge was known for her vibrant personality and her infectious laughter. With her cheerful demeanor, Midge added an element of fun and camaraderie to Barbie’s world. The bond between Barbie and Midge showcased the importance of friendship and support.

1964: Skipper, Barbie’s Adorable Sister and Ken’s best friend Alan

The following year, Barbie’s family expanded further with the arrival of Skipper and Ken’s best friend Alan, who is also regarded as the boyfriend of Midge. As Barbie’s younger sister, Skipper brought a youthful energy to the mix. With her playful spirit and trendy outfits, Skipper became a beloved character among young Barbie enthusiasts. Together, Barbie and Skipper embarked on countless sisterly adventures, fostering the importance of sibling bonds.

Like Barbie, Skipper and Midge go out to the city, Alan and Ken also spend their free time together going hunting or for a Saturday night dance. Alan has the same size like Ken. They are designed to share their clothes. Alan is also the secret hero of Barbie – the movie, the one with his striped beach shirt that probably nobody outside the Barbie community can identify without problems. Alan is easy to identify by his red hair. After being introduced in 1963 he disappears in 1967 and re-appears in 1990 to marry Midge after a friendship of almost 30 years. Isn’t that incredible?

1965: Francie, Barbie’s Fashion-Forward Cousin

Barbie’s cousin, Francie, made her debut in 1965. Known for her impeccable fashion taste and avant-garde style, Francie pushed the boundaries of fashion and became an inspiration for young trendsetters. Her presence in Barbie’s world highlighted the importance of individuality and self-expression.

1966: Tutti, Barbie’s Cherished Baby Sister and her twin brother Todd

Barbie’s family was completed in 1966 with the arrival of Tutti and Todd, Barbie’s adorable baby sister and baby brother twins. With their innocent charm and tiny stature, Tutti and Todd captured the hearts of both children and adults alike. Tutti’s and Todd’s inclusion in Barbie’s world emphasized the importance of family and the joy that younger siblings bring.

Conclusion:

Barbie’s journey through the 1960s was not just a personal one. It was a journey of growth, friendship, and familial love. As Barbie’s family expanded, so did the opportunities for imaginative play and storytelling. Through the introduction of Ken, Midge, Skipper, Francie, and Tutti, Barbie’s world became more diverse and inclusive, reflecting the changing times of the 1960s. These iconic characters left an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of children, ensuring that Barbie’s legacy would endure for generations to come. In the late 60s the first black friends of Barbie were available. They are maybe worth another blog post since some friends are new in the Barbie world while others disappear again without any trace.

November 17, 2022November 17, 2022

A Halloween outfit for Francie?

Recently we had Halloween and I thought for a long time about doing an outfit for our little Francie doll or not. You know I’m not the biggest fan of Halloween and it’s not really celebrated here.

We rather celebrate St. Martin and do our own lanterns here in Europe and go to a lantern procession when we are little and come from the German speaking areas of Europe but hey, I try to satisfy all my viewers here. That’s where the idea with the outfit for Francie came from.

1/4 of the pattern for the Halloween skirt for Francie in a short version

As you all know I love sewing for little 15 year Francie doll, cousin of Barbie. She’s so cute and mine has only a few clothes I made for her. That’s why I do my own outfits, sew and improve my designing skills in pattern making.

In this case my idea was clear. A simple skirt and a easy but stylish top. Nothing complicated since a lot of you don’t have the biggest experience in sewing. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. That’s why you only get a twp piece outfit here. You only need one calculation and one drawing to do it. I think doing it easier is almost impossible. I imagined something like a witch skirt when doing it. I have a similar dress that I wore to the ball after graduation of High School. I love to be creative and that’s how the idea came into my mind. Don’t worry it’s still very easy.

1/4 of the pattern for the Halloween skirt for Francie in full length

You only need to measure once round her waist and then use the formula for the circumstance to get our radius. That’s the same thing you would do when designing a circle skirt but this skirt here had rectangles, almost a kind of square but with the waist part that we need cut out. That’s very easy, isn’t it?

After sewing all four parts together you already have the skirt. The amount of time you need to sew this is very limited. You can do it within one hour.

Francie doll, francie barbie doll, barbie cousin — Francie in Halloween outfit

You could also use it for Christmas when you do it in another color like red or green to make it very festive. You know I’m very flexible with my designs. Why not using them for another occasion?

September 3, 2022September 3, 2022

How to make a pair of shorts for a fashion doll

This was a topic I really wanted to work on for a long while but pattern making patterns is always time consuming. I already did a pattern for a pair of pants in the begin of the year but it was not perfect and I did not find the time to improve my skills immediately. In another way I never lost the interest in how to make a pair of shorts for a fashion doll. I saw a video where you could learn how to make a pair of short for your doll from a skirt pattern.

It sounded very easy since I already had a skirt pattern for my Francie and I simply continued to work on the fashion, simply did what I saw. Then I made a sample and tried to improve my own patterns here. That was literally everything I did.

With this pattern I tried to find my own mistakes from the beginning of the year. I knew my pattern was not perfect but I did not know where to start my improvements.

Francie doll, Francie Fairchild, Mod Francie, Barbie's cousin — Francie with different patterns in different lengths

My pattern fitted my Francie very well and so I decided to work on this pattern for my Supersize Barbie as well. The pattern on her also worked very well. So now at least I have created a basic for my future work of how to make a pair of shorts for your fashion doll.

A pair of pants made by Busy B from Germany

I think I got the basics now and I can make the length longer or shorter for the dolls I have here. I think that’s one of the most satisfying things you can see when you want to improve your abilities as a tailor.

If you want to learn how to do this very easy pattern transformation for your doll I can recommend you to watch the video below. It contains a step by step instruction how to do this yourself.

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022

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.

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.

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.

Francie’s First Formal after 12 hours in boost

May 13, 2022May 13, 2022

Fashions for Francie doll – here’s what she has now

Finally 1000 subscribers subscribed to Busy B from Germany and I thought for a while how to celebrate the event with fashions for Francie doll. At first I had no idea how to celebrate it. Suddenly an idea came into my mind. I’m not always showing you all the things I do behind the scenes in my workshop. I take this occasion as a chance to show you some of my ideas for dressing Francie,

You know I like Francie and I do my own designs now that I have learned what I already wanted to know 25 years ago. In my videos you have only seen a small amount of clothes I made instructions for. Behind the scenes I did a lot more, some things could be seen in my other videos but a big part was not. Not all of my designs are ready yet but I have some ideas how to do this and that even if my time to sew is very limited.

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead what you want to design next. Sometimes I need a year or more to complete my drafts. That’s at least for the more complicated designs true. Easy projects don’t need such a big amount of time. Nevertheless my designs inspired me to do a video with all fashions created until now. Fashions for Francie doll – here’s what she has now in her wardrobe.

Francie in self designed pants and JE dress top

For those of you trained in sewing for Barbie and the family it might be only a small amount but for me it’s a big progress. I have learned a lot since I found my own mistakes in making own designs.

You know it’s all about the correct measurements. I know I’m not perfect and I know that a lot of my designs is still in white but I hope you appreciate the idea to show you my designs as much as I do here.

I don’t want to create very complicated clothes here. We can do it later. Let’s start simple and let’s stay simple. When you have some basics you can put them together and create a new piece of clothing and play around with your own designs here.

I hope you like my ideas here and that you like the fashions for Francie doll that she has now in her wardrobe. You know I came across the idea for making all the fashions for Francie doll because her original fashions are so expensive. It’s easier to make own patterns than to buy what she has now. Why not use the problem for what you ever wanted to do in your life? Become a fashion designer! Read more about it here http://barbie.final-memory.org/how-to-make-a-pair-of-pants-for-barbie/

May 7, 2022May 7, 2022

How to change a fashion doll arm

I dedicate this article to the topic how to change a fashion doll arm. I have only Barbie family members so this is only valid for Vintage Barbie, Francie, Midge, Ken and Skipper. The joints were changed later so that this is not possible in the same way for later dolls.

What I can tell you about this topic is that it is not hard, like always when I talk about Barbie. It is simple when you know how to do it, what to use in the process and what to avoid.

One thing all of the above mentioned dolls have in common is the arm joint. It’s the same one for all dolls. That makes it easy to show it only once and you can use it for all dolls.

I refer to Barbie only here because I only have Barbie dolls. I don’t collect any other fashion dolls.

For reasons of easiness let’s start with what will expect you. Have a look at one of these arms. As you can see the construction itself is very simple. The arm and the joint are made from one piece. I think it was easy to design, easy to make a mass production of these arms and the were cost effective. More pieces per doll would be more expensive. The less pieces per doll you have to assembly the cheaper the production/ assembly costs.

I think it was not intended that doll docs would ever write about the topic in the future but this construction is also easy to repair. You can replace the arm with another arm. Of course you need one from the same doll type like Barbie – Barbie, Skipper – Skipper and so on. It would not work for different doll types simple because of the different size.

The lengths and joint sizes for the dolls are simply different. You would see it immediately when you replace a Francie arm with a Skipper arm. The lengths are simply different. I came across this topic because I recently bought Francie arms and in reality they are Skipper arms. The difference is very small but you would see it.

I hope it is clearer to you now how to change a fashion doll arm and you know what to look for and what to avoid. If you want to read more about my Francie project have a look in this article http://barbie.final-memory.org/francie-and-how-to-restore-her

April 30, 2022April 30, 2022

New dolls in my collection

I was recently asked about the new dolls in my collection by some viewers and that’s what this article is all about, new dolls in my collection.

As you probably know I don’t collect just for the reason of having a huge collection of dolls that are in bad condition. I’m specialized in Barbie dolls but I don’t collect every doll I find. I can’t do it because of lacking space. I try to buy only what I think is worth to be collected. Some of you may have another opinion. We don’t have any Goodwill here and we had no flea markets since the begin of Corona. Used toys are rather thrown away than being sold in a store. For used clothes it’s no problem but used toys are not common to be sold in any nationwide store chain. In big cities you sometimes have antique store but it is not the rule that you find anything there.

Sometimes you can find dolls on ebay but in most cases they are overpriced. Shopping is not the fun anymore it was when I started to buy there some 20 years ago. A lot has changed since then. The Francie you already saw in the last weeks here on my channel as a big restoration projects was indeed an ebay find. It was really a coincident to find one.

That’s the Francie I’m talking about her

Her had some traces of the last 50 years and I restored her. You can find the video under this link https://youtu.be/9B-YvDwIKU4

It’s a very popular video on my channel. It’s worth to be seen. Anyway you can learn a lot in restoring a Francie doll. Francie is the cousin of Barbie and at the moment I really like to do videos with her. You can see this doll in the next weeks on my channel again since she’s not completely finished now. She still has a cut in her arm and she will get a replacement arm. This video will follow in the next weeks. So stay tuned in.

Here’s one of the last steps in the last video. She had already gotten a repaint.

She was not the only doll I found. I also found 3 more dolls. In March I saw three male dolls for sale and purchased them. You know I’m a big fan of Ken but I only have a very few early pieces. That’s how these dolls came into my collection. I found #1 Ken, the very first one from 1961 and one edition from 1964/1965 I think. Both have straight legs, no knee joints. My Francie is also a straight leg doll. These dolls have the advantage that you don’t have any problems with green knees.

Free Moving Curtis from the early 1970s is the only doll with knee joints and a sphere for being super sporty where humans have their stomache. I had no Curtis before and that was my chance to buy my very first Curtis. They are offered very seldom in Germany.

The #1 Ken got my attention because his flocked hair is still perfect. I don’t know if any girl ever played with him. He’s still looking perfect.

The last Ken I found is the following one. He had also a perfect painted hair. No missing paint is also hard to find. That’s why he also hopped in my shopping bag. All my other Kens from the early years are not perfect. The offer was too good to reject it.

April 9, 2022April 9, 2022

A “Solo in the Spotlight” for Francie?

In the last weeks I came across the idea to create something new for my little Francie. I love to be a creative artist and I really enjoy designing own clothes for my famous fashion dolls. I could do it all day long but I hardly have the time to do it but I really love to do it and use the time for creativity. That’s how the idea a “Solo in the Spotlight” for Francie came into existence.

In the last year I created a lot of easy clothes for Francie, the cousin of Barbie. In January I had the idea to make something like a “Solo in the Spotlight” for Francie. It’s a night club gown. I don’t have this dress yet so I give you a link that you know what I’m talking about. https://www.fashion-doll-guide.com/Vintage-Barbie-Solo-In-The-Spotlight.html

I created a top for Francie last year when I did a kind of circle skirt-dress for her and I used it for this idea too because it fits quite well. Then last autumn I played around with designs for skirts. I tried to make a pencil skirt for her. That was not very hard. You can see how I did this here https://youtu.be/IilLSlJTXFE and here https://youtu.be/Allj1knKfLg

It’s basically the same pattern. Then I added a the pencil skirt, made it longer and added the circle to the bottom of the skirt. The idea for this circle came from the Barbie Fashion Designer program Mattel published in the 1990s for PCs. I know the fashions don’t really fit when you put them in fabric. You have to re-design them for fabric but it’s ok. You can work with them when you know how to modify them. Now they are almost a picture of their time. I mean the 90s are almost gone for 2 decades but I’m really happy to have lived on earth back then and I’m glad I have these old PCs programs running on my old PC. I also have an old printer for printing them.

The idea behind the dress was simply to test if my idea would work out in the way I wanted it too. I did some tests and I worked out in the way I wanted it to. I know I always use white or another simple color for my tests but for me it’s okay. In the next weeks I plan to do more of these simple pieces of clothes. You know when you have some basics you can play with them and can put them together in a very creative ways. That’s my idea at the moment. I just want to play around a little bit with the pieces I have at the moment and put them together in new creative ways so that you can get new pieces with low effort.

It was not important here to make a realistic piece of clothing from the 1960s. Some other collectors complained about that it would have been unrealistic but I think we are not in the 1960s anymore. It does not matter here. The idea behind this whole project is still if it is possible to create a “Solo in the Spotlight” for Francie, not the question if it is a realistic dress or not.

March 25, 2022March 25, 2022

Francie and how to restore her

I have not made much videos about Francie in the last two months. The reason was that I had problems to find a tlc Francie for this project. I came across a body without a head and then suddenly there was a perfect Francie offered, perfect for this project. The seller said she was tlc but even tlc is not for free. I bought her.

Francie before the reroot, some streaks are missing

Some days later she arrived in her parcel. I must say I expected her in a shape worser than you can imagine but this was not the case. In fact I see her potential. Yes, this doll is almost in her 60s but does it stop me to repair her? The answer is no. I sometimes really enjoy these bigger projects where you can use a lot of creativity to restore them.

As I already mentioned in my last repaint video I don’t recommend you to start without the correct material ( link http://barbie.final-memory.org/what-you-need-for-a-good-barbie-repaint/ ). Buy everything you need for the project in advance or simply have it at home when you plan your project. It’s good when you have a time schedule in advance. For making this video I needed at least 2 weeks. It’s not the pure time you need but you need to consider that things like hairs have to dry at least for 24 hours when you want them to be dry for your next step.

I also have a little endoscopic camera for my projects so you can think of buying one before you start ( if you want to work with one). Then arrange to have the hair at home. I know this may sound weird but I prefer to have a big box with hair at home before I do anything. This gives me a creative feeling. I need some positive vibes before I start. In my case this vibe is created when I can have a look into my hair storage or my acrylic paint storarge or my brush glas. I have all my brushes in one glas. I think it’s a handy dandy way to start. Have everything at home before you start.

Francie after re-root but before repaint still drying

Before I actually started with my video I made a plan how to start what to show, what to do at first, what to do next and so on. I wanted to have some logical steps in a plan before I started to film. So I could make sure that nothing was forgotten.

I my case I started with the head but as you can imagine I wanted to have a look into her head before I started to reroot her. This was a kind of safety insurance not to expect anything unexpected. I checked the pattern of hair in her head way before I started to reroot. When you see there is a destroyed pattern in the head you have to repair it before you can replace missing streaks. Then continue with the hair. After having inserted the new steaks you have to flatten the new streaks.

For this you need at least a day for the drying. Good. After that you can cut the hair. I recommend combing the hair before you cut it. Use a good pair of suitable scissors. I have a professional pair of scissors for cutting hair but it’s for right handers, not lefties. That’s why I use my pair of embroidery scissors here. Works.

After cutting you can curl if you want to. I did this in my case to have the hair out of the way for the repaint. So I used the hot and cold bath method for the curlers and started one day later with the repaint. Before doing the repaint I put my brushes and colors on my desk and prepared my wet palette. After finishing the repaint I waited 24 hours before I used my sealer. After another day I took her curlers out, finished the styling and prepared everything for the final scenes.

Francie after her repaint. No problem when you have the original colors.

You see it’s a lot of work. Being well prepared is never a mistake.

October 2023
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