A hump day on which I bought nothing for dolls! (my original Chatty Cathy)

Slowly, slowly I'm organizing my Chatty Cathy photos taken digitally over the years. I've had a digital camera since 2001, so that's a very long time. 17 years! So I'm dating them on the photo, and adding descriptions once I've added a frame.

Here is my original Chatty Cathy Canadian blonde bob doll with a soft face, peachy limbs, glassine eyes, original dress and shoes. Her panties and socks disappeared decades ago.

I found the original box yesterday after a long hunt in my closet. It's stained on the front. There isn't a coloured photo like the American boxes, just an outline, and the doll wasn't even wearing this dress, and she didn't have pigtails, but alas, this is the way in Canada...always the rejects of things. It's rather sad to say the least. 

The back of the box, where the coloured photo should have gone, which would make it the front. See how Canadians were cheated? A boring box.

One of the sides, with "Fabrique au Canada" on the side; the other side is in English.

The wonderful thing about my doll, though, is that due to collector demand, she is more valuable than plain old USA dolls; she is made by dee & cee, a Canadian company which produced the Chatty Cathy dolls for Mattel. It didn't last long though, only until 1965. I love the top of my box. It has the price tag from Simpson Sears, where my Mom bought the doll in 1964. I got her for Christmas, and I still remember opening the box by the green couch in my parent's living room, and seeing her blonde hair. I remember screaming in delight. Thanks to my Dad, I still have this box. He was a pack rat of the grandest order.

So although I went out today in the pouring rain, and looked at Our Generation dolls at The Bay, and resisted temptation and didn't buy anything, I'm pleased because I've been enjoying the dolls that I do have.

By Loretta Houben

Blue Chatty Cathy dresses.

I haven't posted on this blog in ages.

You can blame it on "life"!

My Dad has been quite ill with kidney stones, so I was distracted for a while with that process.

He's doing better now so it's back to the dolls!

In one of my Facebook groups for Chatty Cathy, there is a photo op for dolls in blue dresses. I found this one above from 2004, when I used to sew a lot for the dolls.

I made these two dresses. I sold them at a retreat I attended in El Paso, Texas that June.

Here is my original Chatty Cathy doll I got in 1964.

I still have her. She's the star of my collection!

She is wearing a robins egg blue Canadian dress, which I got from a guy at my Dad's work; his little girl gave away her toys when she was finished, so my Dad would bring home large boxes of stuff which we just loved.

I had this dress for a long time before I realized what exactly it was! It's actually quite valuable.

I don't have the Canadian apron though.

The stroller was a 5th birthday present in 1965.

All my toys are now antiques.

By Loretta Houben

Collecting Chatty Cathy dolls...and using them in scenes.

2004 was the year I began sewing for Chatty Cathy. 2003 was the year I began collecting her. I discovered vintage CC's on eBay and was thrilled. Interestingly, each Chatty doll is different; no two seem to be alike! So I have many of them in my closets and rooms. The one in these photos is a simple prototype with blue eyes and blond hair. I made her a Pilgrim outfit as my Mom is American, so I'm actually dual but never took out citizenship as I wish to remain 100% Canadian. I used a filter for the second shot so it looks vintage.

 This was the first time I used Chatty Cathy in a scene!

Our Canadian Thanksgiving Day is the second Monday in October, so that's only two weeks from now.

Every Pilgrim outfit which I ever made I sold, so I still don't own one for myself.

By Loretta Houben

Celebrating St. Paddy's Day!

I took this photo 10 years ago. This was one of my first Chatty dresses I made.

It's really hard to believe that it's been that long I've been sewing for Chatty Cathy!

I've always had success at selling my dresses.

Here is a 18" doll I recently bought at Michael's store; she is from the Springfield collection and I used a 50% off coupon to get her, so she was only $16 Cdn compared to $110 US for an American Girl doll. Now of course, she came without shoes, socks or underwear and her dress is very skimpy, but her face is really cute, her body is OK, and her limbs are great, so if you can't afford an AG doll for your little girl, you could certainly afford the Springfield dolls at Michael's!

Some of my 18" and 21" dolls in 2013.

Aren't they sweet?

By Loretta Houben

First post in 2011

I haven't posted here in years, so you now know that my mind is truly like a sieve!

I think I'll change this blog to my Chatty Cathy blog. They are feeling really left out of things since the Bleuettes came here to live. However, on Monday night I sat down and finished 2 little pairs of jeans for 2 dolls; here they are with cute Canucks tops from the Build a Bear shop.

We are all rooting for the Canucks in the season finale.