Tuesday 18 June 2013

Floppity Jane ~ BFF

Thank you again for kind words on previous post and welcome to new followers - sorry again regarding tardiness in replying.  

Today I have selected this post from the hitherto unpublished back catalogue


Can you tell how much I loved Floppity Jane - here I am bursting with happiness because I have a doll that as far as I was concerned was practically the same size as myself!!!



 I remember very clearly getting Floppity Jane for Christmas.  All made by my mum of course: hand knitted cardigan, beautiful felt Mary Jane shoes, red tights, a blue brushed cotton dress with little hand embroidered flowers, cottton handmade knickers trimmed with lace and matching vest - topped with brown wool hair tied up with red ribbon.

I loved Floppity Jane.


I thought that she was made using a pattern from  Woman's Weekly but I spent a little (ahem!) time  searching the internet and found this pattern on ebay and then even better this one. I am a bit puzzled because these patterns are for sale in America and I would have no idea how my mum would have got hold of that - perhaps there were ads in the back of Woman's Weekly.  The doll looks very, very similar. The blurb says that the doll measures 32" - seems about right.  Though my mum made many, many soft dolls for all of her grandchildren and great nieces etc she never made another like Floppity Jane (it might have been because of the amount of Kapok used to fill her up!).

By the time I started school and mixing with other children I  found that there was a whole world of plastic toys.... I really, really, really would have liked a Tressy Doll...and  Tiny Tears - beyond my wildest....sadly never to be.




 Every year my mum would make a new outfit for Floppity Jane.  Of course these were usually from the same fabric that my own dresses were made from  - she managed to keep up with changing fashions pretty well. She was very well played with and then she fell out of favour and was discarded....

"Jenny please don't tell us the Floppity Jane ended up on the Bonfire of the Vanities" (message from Mildred in Tulsa) 

"Oh Mildred I could weep..poor old Floppity." (message from Agnetha in Stockholm.  Translated from the original 'Oh Mildred Jag kunde gråta .. stackars Floppity'.  Take it now or leave it....)

"She did not deserve this!" (message from Kevin in Kalgoorlie)

"I will have to write a letter...." (message from a Mrs Trellis in North Wales...)

"I'm sorry I haven't a clue...what this is about" (message from Kandy in Arkansas)

" La Cootard could not be so cruel" (message from Claude in Toulouse)


You are funny....

....of course she didn't!!!






A bit battle worn but still here



She still lives with us - I made a few outfits too over the years but here she is with different hair (she has had several changes including a real wig!) and an outfit that my mum would have made around 1975-8'ish - a little felt bolero jacket with embroidered flowers and white blouse with frilly lace and fashionable peasant style skirt popular around that time. I think that I will change her hair again and try and get it to be more like the original.

What was your first toy that you remember?



Good times


Tra la la
Fiddle de dee
Tatty bye for now
From Floppity Jane
and me....

PS: That should be all from me for a while as I am busy work wise ....and we have the builders in doing stuff ....and goodness me the house is dusty...if you see me lurking round here tell me to get back to work

PPS:  Now - "GET OUTTA HERE ~ YOU PESKY KIDS!"

PPPS: I measured Floppity Jane and she is................... 31 and half inches high...sadly shrunk with age...comes to us all...........

40 comments:

  1. Floppity Jane is lovely - how many conversations have you had with her...... Love her 70's outfit.
    We all with age............
    Julie xxxxx

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    1. We do indeed Julie - time is unstoppable...
      best wishes
      Jenny

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  2. How lovely Jenny, and I love how you've customised the photograph, what a brilliant idea! I love how your Mum made Floppity Jane a new outfit every year ... my favourite doll, Patricia, got a new outfit every year especially for 'take a toy to school' day ... I bathed her and washed her hair the night before too!

    Lovely reminiscent post, thanks for sharing!

    love Claire xxx

    PS, thanks for popping over to me, you're always welcome!

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    1. How lovely Patricia sounds Claire - I think that many a parent has made clothes for their children's toys.
      Thank you for calling in
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  3. I love a happy ending...and Floppity Jane lives on and thrives in cyberland.
    I wonder if she visits Pinterest when she's feeling naughty?
    EE xx

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    1. She would end up standing in the corner....
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  4. I nearly wept when I got to the happy ending of your story. Well, I did tear up to be honest. My mom made matching outfits for my twin Chatty Cathy and me. She also whipped up a pair of tights for Cathy while we waited for the schoolbus one morning, as I told her Cathy's legs would get cold without them. My mom was like you and could make anything at the drop of a hat. Thanks for sharing Floppity Jane.

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    1. We aim to please Kathleen
      Do you still have Chatty Cathy? What fun to have a twin made just for you. Dry your tears now...
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  5. I was sooo relieved to know Floppity Jane was still there. I have the doll my mum made- Looby Loo on our spare bed, as well as Raggedy Ann made by my aunt. I remember them as a child. My most vivid memory is of a plastic doll where you pull a cord and she says various things- 'please brush my hair' being one, and my goodness I still have her and she does need a bloomin good brush. I'm sorry to say that I did have a tiny tears too.

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    1. That's nostalgia for you!
      Looby Loo and Raggedy Ann! How lovely.
      I have tiny tear envy....
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  6. Thank goodness Floppity Jane is still with us I was getting a little worried ... we had ragdolls that my mom made from the Golden Hands pattern but not one survived they were all replaced with Sindy as we got older ... Such feckless children ... Sarah x

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    1. Ho ho Sarah - panic not!
      Ah yes I remember those Golden Hands patterns well...I might have one I will have a look.
      I much prefer Sindy to Barbie
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  7. Oh Jenny she is so very special, I love her pensive expression,
    My auntie Phyllis made me a rag doll that I adored, alas I lost her in the woods, but I have now made another from memory.( I wrote a post about her)
    My very first memory was a wind up penguin that my Daddy gave me for Christmas when I was 4yrs old..I thought he was magic until my big brother over wound him!
    Thea x

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    1. Dear Thea I will look up your post about your lost doll - sounds traumatic!
      I can imagine your delight at a wind up penguin
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  8. How lovely you still have her! I've kept all my dolls, sadly missing arms, eyes, yes even hair (well I didn't think it wouldn't grow back did I!) occasionally I get them out, when the children are misbehaving, they scare the living day lights out of them! My girls find it very hard to understand how I could love them! My mum used to knit outfits for them each Christmas, sadly I don't seem to have any :) x

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    1. ah yes Ada - most dolls get reduced to body parts! My children have had several eyeless, legless babies that look just awful!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  9. How fabulous Floppity Jane still looks. I still have my first doll, Gina, and my second, Susan and my doll in a wedding dress, Mary. I loved my dolls and my daughter had no interest in them whatsoever! xx

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    1. Gina, Susan and Mary - how lovely! I learnt long ago that I couldn't make my children like the same things as my good self sadly....
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  10. I love Floppity Jane. I used to have one or two of the plastic dolls - Tiny Tears and Sheena, the one with the hair that grew! My friend(!) was jealous of my Tiny Tears as didn't have one and poked one of her eyes out, I cried for days.
    June

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    1. Thank you June
      I am not familiar with Sheena but growing hair sounds just fab!
      I can imagine the upset with the poked eyes and all!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  11. What a great post. That doll was made with so much love and care - those outfits! I remember Sydney my favourite teddy bear very well, but then everything was eclipsed by Sindy and her house and the pure joy that came from arranging the furniture in the rooms of that little house... x

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    1. Do say that you still have Sydney and that dolls house! How lovely
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  12. Ah shes lovely.So precious and all the more so because of the love that went into making it for you.

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    1. Indeed Anne
      Thank you for calling in
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  13. Such a lovely post, I'm glad Floppity Jane has survived. My favourite two toys were Little Ted (still in my wardrobe!) and Tiny Tears who is long gone.

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    1. Tiny Tears envy of course...
      I am glad that Little Ted is still with you
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  14. What a great stories you tell to brighten my days! Mine was arabbit with floppy ears and a bright orange cord trouser suit he was sooo special, until the dog took it appart, much later on in life I was in my teeage years. But I still remember him with much fondness.

    Thankyou! Ruth

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    1. Thank you for calling in Ruth - I love the sound of that bright orange cord trouser suit (I would try and wear that myself!).
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  15. most delightful blog as ever hx

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    1. Thank you as always for your kind words
      Best wishes - blackbird less Jenny!

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  16. Lovely Floppity Jane and a super post as ever :)
    x

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    1. Thank you Barbara - I love Floppity!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  17. She's delightful ... and hardly a wrinkle, the years have been kind to her.

    My first toy memory ... Bonzo, the push along dog ... and yes I still have him, although he's travelled around the family a bit and was so threadbare he now has the canine equivalent of a wig.

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    1. Ah Bonzo ~ I can see him now and seem to vaguely remember something similar as a child.
      Floppity does have some wrinkle but I rub Pond's Cold Cream in most nights...
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  18. Your post brought back memories for me too. My Mom made me a large doll with braids for Christmas back in the 1950's. Somewhere there is a picture of me & my new friend, I shall have to start searching.

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    1. I shall keep an eye out for you doll - those are the best
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  19. I love your Floppity Jane and her story! One of my first toy memories was when I was 3 or 4 and it was Christmas eve and I remember waking up and it was still dark, but I had a new doll in the bed with me! I was so excited that Santa had left my doll in my bed.

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    1. I can imagine that excitement - I remember the year I got Floppity very well. How exciting for you
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  20. I have only just found your blog and have enjoyed reading some of your earlier posts! Beautiful embroidery and smashing colours and quite bonkers. How very refreshing! Do you really only have one pair of shoes? As I said to my chiropodist a few years ago, as she admired a bag I had with me - I've got no clothes, but masses of bags! I look forward to popping in again!

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    1. Welcome to you Jacky - I very enjoy that my blog comes across as bonkers!
      I do only have one pair of shoes - shopping generally but shoes shopping in particular fills me with great dread so it takes several years to summon up the courage to venture out. I too have one or two bags so fully understand that!
      Do call round again and next time I will put the kettle on
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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