Summer Swimwear Paper Dolls

 

Welcome!

Summer weather is here.

The kids are out of school, and there’s nothing to do.

Let’s print and play with paper dolls.

Not just any, but ones with fanciful swimsuits.

dilhermando de Assis, Pinterest

These sets are fairly modern.

Here’s one that is very simplistic:

Supercoloring.com, personal use only

Paper dolls remain a favorite of mine. I still remember the ones I had when I was 4 years old. Those early ones had punch out clothes so my hands didn’t have to deal with precise scissor cutting.

Trina Robbins, Pinterest

Black and white color-your-own paper dolls are great for kids to improve their fine motor skills. Choosing your own colors encourages creativity and self-expression also.

Next is a reproduction of a July 1918 paper doll drawn by R. Lane Herron.

Love the bloomers!

Katy Keene was a comic book character. 

Katy Keene by Bill Woggon 

She had her own newspaper strip, and even her own tv show at one time. Bill Woggon was the artist. He relied heavily on readers’ submissions for costume ideas.

And what a plethora of ideas!

Katy Keene has appeared in Archie Comics since 1945. The publisher markets her as a singer/model/actress. She has also been known as “America’s Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashion”.

One thing I love about the Katy Keene paper dolls are all the different poses Bill Woggon draws her in. She is not always the standard straight on, arms down doll.

Readers were encouraged to send in their sketches and ideas not only for Katy’s fashions but also for cars, homes, rockets, boats and much more!

I have tried to tweak the images to be the clearest and brightest possible. As these are comic book prints, the quality can leave much to be desired.

She is also 80 some years old!

As part of the Archie comic series there are companion paper dolls to Katy. Here is one named “Bertha”.

Occasionally there were special editions. This next one celebrates 50 years of Katy Keene in the form of a fantasy Swimsuit Illustrated paper doll edition.

As you can see, swimsuit styles have always been very popular!

Vintage photo

Aren’t we glad styles and fabrics have changed since then?!

To get the most playtime with print yourself paper dolls, first print the doll out onto card stock. Next print the clothes out onto glossy paper if you have it. If not, a heavier typing/copy paper will work.

After cutting out the doll decide what kind of stand you want. Then trace around the doll onto the back of a cereal box. The cardboard is perfect to back paper dolls! Before cutting out, draw in your stand, then cut out. Use extra cereal box pieces as needed. Glue the doll onto the cereal cardboard. Cut slots as needed in the stand.

Here is one more Katy Keene set:

This next one is drawn by Sandy Vanderpool. I found it on Pinterest.

By Sandy Vanderpool

I hope you have some fun printing, cutting and playing with these ‘hot’ paper dolls. Have you tried drawing your own outfits for them yet?

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Kaleidoscope by KaleidoCam and inkspired

Winter Paper Dolls

 Welcome!

Vintage paper doll

It’s time for paper dolls!

We’ve been shoveling snow for a few days now. It’s time to break out the sweaters and gloves and thick, warm socks.

If we aren’t shoveling snow or drinking hot chocolate, what’s there to do?

Cut out and play with paper dolls of course!

 I haven’t shared paper dolls in awhile, so I have combined the two. Here are some paper dolls that all have a winter-themed outfit(s). Let it snow!

Vintage paper doll; PLAYMATE magazine

Betsy McCall was a featured paper doll for many years in the McCall’s magazines. As styles changed, so did she, with several different artist conceptions. The fun thing about Betsy is that all of her paper doll clothes were available as sewing patterns for you to purchase and make for your favorite little girl.
Here are a few:

Next are some unknown origin paper dolls that appear to be vintage. As always you can print out these crafts/games/paper dolls etc. for your own personal use.

They are not available for you to sell in any shape, way or form.

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Unknown 

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To get lots of playtime with paper dolls you print out, follow these directions:

*Rough cut the paper doll. Leave as much space as you can around the base, where the shoes are.

*Draw a half circle at the feet. This will be 1/2 of her stand.

*Glue doll only onto sturdy cardboard, such as the inside of a cereal box, or the shirt board that comes inside men’s dress shirts.

*Cut out carefully. Be sure to cut the base as one.

*Cut out clothes, printed on regular typing weight paper.

*Take some extra cardboard and cut a matching half circle to the one you drew on the base. Cut a slot in the middle, going 1/2 way through cut base only, from the top down. On the doll, cut a slit that matches the 1/2 circle one, cutting slot from bottom up.

*Slot together to form a cross. Now your doll can stand!

Add a half circle to the bottom of this doll so she will be able to stand.

Artist M. Emma Musselman

After a half circle is added to this doll, you won’t need the tabs on her outfit’s feet. Just snip those off.

Here are a few paper dolls you can color:

By Virginia Sargent, The Friend, Scandinavian magazine

Julie F. Young, Friend magazine, Dec 2021

The Montreal Beacon, 9/27/1940

By Shirley Simon

Katy Keene was a very popular paper doll published in the Katy Keene comic books. The artist was Bill Woggan, who drew outfits from suggestions by readers. Here is a wintry page for you.

Artist Bill Woggan

Another popular syndicated comic strip paper doll of the 30’s - 40’s and later was Jane Arden:

My next paper doll you color and cut out. Then fasten the pieces together with metal brads so her legs move. She is a perfect doll to glue onto light weight cardboard.

Artist Georgia Brown

Neva Schultz (artist for the Golden magazine, 1960’s) has drawn many charming paper dolls. I chose this set because their clothes look warm and cozy:

Here are a couple of more modern paper dolls, with warm Winter outfits:

From Virtualdollconvention.com

Artist Diana E. Vining

I know this next one is French. I suspect she is vintage and possibly from a magazine. Do you know anything else about her?

Unknown

The last one for today is a black and white cartoon boy with a few great snow outfits! That’s all I know about him.

Unknown

Stay warm!

Let the kids do the snow shoveling!

Build a snow family!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Kaleidoscope by inkspired

Apron Strings

 Welcome!

1911 song sheet cover

I have good memories of my Grandma McDowell cooking in our kitchen, always wearing an apron.

When I was older she gave me one of her aprons to wear. I always put it on when I was baking something.

Later, when I had a kitchen of my own, I kept that apron in my cupboard, ready to pull out whenever I needed it.

Somehow it kept my Grandma, mixing and baking, next to me.

Stitchthrutime.com

She taught me how to measure flour in a straight edge cup, carefully scraping the excess off with the flat end of the spoon. 

I was to always be careful to return any unused flour to the bag.

There was no waste in her kitchen.

Pinterest

Liquids went into the glass measuring cup. To measure properly I had to bend down to eye level with the countertop, checking the liquid level.

Bobby’s Girl, Pinterest

I was to never use a dry ingredients cup to measure liquid.

Good cooks just didn’t do that.

My mother made a couple of half aprons for me as Christmas presents. My favorite was a yellow gingham apron decorated with chicken scratch embroidery.

I kept it hanging on the kitchen wall for years. Not to be used that much though.

Half aprons are not for messy cooks!

‘Chicken scratch’ embroidery, Pinterest

Chicken Scratch gingham embroidery

J Orr, Pinterest 

No, for real cooking you need the full coverage apron! At least I did.

Those fancy half aprons were for looks only, not for doughy hands.

Pinterest

Calloocallay

A popular newspaper/magazine paper doll, showing off her fancy ‘company’ aprons:

Katy Keene, drawn by Bill Woggan; Found on Pinterest

My favorite apron is called a cobbler apron. It provides full front coverage and over the shoulder, and usually has a pocket also.

1920’s ad for apron patterns

This harkens back to when aprons were part of tradesmen uniforms. So a cobbler’s apron would have been typical for a shoemaker to wear. You need that front pocket to hold tools while you worked.

Aprons I have sewn Board, Pinterest

Tradesmen were called ‘apron men’!

Aprons were used to protect the clothing underneath, and to readily identify what trade the person worked.

An antique advertisement for a trades apron 

Aprons have been depicted since Medieval paintings from the 1300’s.

A laundress, illuminated manuscript c.1432

There started out with 4 basic types of aprons:

Pinafore- features a waist apron with a bib pinned to shoulders, later straps were added

Bungalow- woman’s at home style, evolved into a ‘lounger’ or ‘patio dress’ and worn alone

Clerical- a short cassock above the knee, worn by religious leaders

Half- from the waist down only

An example of a ‘bungalow’ type apron.

In the 1500’s women did take over the apron and started adding lace and embroidery to use as a fashion statement.

Antique paper doll with aprons

In the 1800’s aprons came to identify the position you held in a household, in a strictly layered society.

Please note all rights belong to Marna Jean Davis. You may purchase this apron pattern from her shop on Etsy.

Plain white, but still modish, aprons were worn by housemaids.

Antique apron pattern

A housewife would wear aprons made from silk and satin with beautiful embroidered motifs, lace and ribbons.

Fancy Apron examples, with paper dolls

Over time an apron became the symbol of motherhood.

Songs were written about ‘dear, old mom’ and her apron strings:

1891 song sheet cover

Later, greeting cards for Mothers became popular featuring aprons:

The bungalow and clerical style aprons are not really in use anymore.

Vintage paper doll with 2 half aprons

In the 1940-1950’s waist aprons became popular (also called half-aprons) as fashion accessories.

Wearing an apron was a symbol of domesticity - a professional housewife.

1946 pattern

Vintage half apron, Etsy

In the 1960’s the feminist movement caused aprons to fall out of favor in North America, although they remained popular elsewhere.

Carolyn Stich, Pinterest

In the mid 2000’s there was a surge of popularity for retro arts such as needlework, small farming, sewing and culinary arts.

The apron is back!

Aprons I have Sewn, Pinterest

 Only now it has a modern twist.

Aprons are now worn by both men and women. (Thank you Food Channel).

The butcher apron is the most popular unisex style:

MagicLinen

An apron, no matter what basic style you choose, is a perfect canvas for creative embellishments.

Retro embroidery designs are so sweet!

Oregon Patchworks Inc.

KyleLynn Preston

Vintage embroidery patterns

 

Vintage embroidery pattern

Karen Simons, Pinterest

ANPTmag, Pinterest

I think Grandma McDowell would approve. Aprons had always been an essential part of her kitchen, being used as a towel, a pot holder or an egg basket. I think she would enjoy teaching the modern-day girl the ‘right’ way to cook..

…and of course that would include an apron.

Stitchthrutime, Pinterest

‘Til next time,

inkspired