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Today I have selected this post from the hitherto unpublished back catalogue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