Super Flaggs!!! or...revamping Flagg dolls from the 1940s

This is a guest post from my friend Jamie in Wisconsin. Being an art major, she is willing to tackle any dollhouse reconstruction and has even branched out into repairing vintage dolls to live in her little houses. She emailed me after revamping her Flagg doll family and it was so full of fun and good information that I convinced her to let me share it with you.

Here is her Flagg family....they look brand new!

Here is the revamped Flagg Family that I picked up for pennies last summer at an estate sale. They were in very sad condition with most of their painted features gone and also hair. Some were dressed, or barely dressed since the felted clothes were in poor shape and dirty.

Had to use hobby enamel paints for trains and cars that come in those little glass jars....Testors. Found out it needed Japan Drier added in order to dry. Dolls were set over cans on top of my old fashion hot water radiator to dry. It took some days I might add! 

The granny doll used to be a mean looking redhead, so overnight she became a blushing beauty in grey to match her handsome mustached hubby. I made both sweaters out of remnants of real sweaters. Grand Dad traded in his moth eaten sports jacket for a more comfortable grey wool cardigan that fits a retired gentleman. Gran was made a pink real cashmere sweater with tiny gold bead buttons.

  Mom got her Easter dress with lace, along with daughters polka-dot spring outfit.

And Dad is sporting a new coat but has to go into surgery to correct his broken leg. Dr. Gorilla Glue says it's a quick fix. Dad's ailments mount as his arms unfortunately are inoperable and no longer go down to his sides. That wire in his right arm worked its’ way out over the years and he was told to just live with it. He just looks as if he is telling a fish story and showing how big his catch would have been.

 

Little brother is cozy in his wool sweater but is asking the lady who tailors to please make him a pair of jeans and perhaps a t-shirt to look more hip. The tailor apologizes for mistaking his taste.

 

Yours truly,

The Doll Doctor

PS:

• I did use their pants as a pattern because of its very unusual shape.
• The Dad’s jacket I traced off his body.
• Sweaters…I looked at Etsy and put in doll clothes patterns and looked at how they cut jackets.
• Grans blouse is pink lace wound on her upper body like I did restoring my Caco dolls. Super easy but the sweaters were more time consuming as I did a tiny blanket stitch around the edges so they wouldn't fray.
• I really just winged it mostly.

Here are the materials I used to bring back my Flagg family.

 

 

Please note: only a few drops of the Japan Drier are needed in a small amount of paint to do the job. The colors black and brown took the longest to dry so one just has to be patient.

 If you have any questions or need more hints, I will let Jamie answer you! 

....and she tells me this story is to be continued