#josefina's collection

[desertdollranch]

Josefina and Tía Dolores are wearing their new skirts that I made for them, using historical reproduction print fabrics by @in-pleasant-company​‘s Spoonflower Shop. Josefina’s yellow skirt is based on the one seen in this picture:

I fell in love with this beautiful floral print when I first saw it. I love how well it integrates into the rest of her wardrobe. And it matches the embroidered camisa from her Festival Outfit

Tía Dolores’s skirt is based on not only a similar depiction of a real skirt, but it also makes in appearance in Josefina’s book illustrations!

(I realized too late that the flower print on my doll’s skirt is upside down. Oops.)

Please do check out her Spoonflower shop, because these are only two of 47 different historically accurate fabrics! 

I also recently found a piece of Josefina’s retired collection at a thrift store.

It’s her adobe horno (oven)! It was hiding in the housewares section, on a shelf with a bunch of old picture frames. 

I made a reproduction of this a few years ago for Josefina, but in most cases I do prefer having the real thing, and I like this more than my version. It didn’t come with any of its accessories, but I’ve already crafted my own. 

You can see the hot coals inside when Josefina puts bread into the oven.

Here are some of the other things I’ve made or bought for Josefina’s cocina collection. I’ve got a copper skillet, an iron olla (the black pot), a basket of red chiles, a mano y metate, a clay bowl, a gourd dipper, and a clay tray of tamales that I made with real cornhusks. 

#josefina montoya #josefina's collection #handmade doll clothes #doll crafts

[timetravelingcourtney]

Following up on my hanging thingie obsession…so far I have most of Molly’s clothes and the Sam’s clothes on hanging thingies.

Kirsten and Felicity’s clothes are doubled up on one hook. Not pictured is Josefina’s collection, also on a hanging thingie that lives on the same hook as Molly’s.

Most of the BeForever items that are in boxes are stored in Molly’s chifforobe (below the hanging thingie).

#american girl #pleasant company #clothes storage #samantha parkington #molly mcintire #felicity merriman #kirsten larson #josefina montoya #American girls collection

[raychleadele]

It’s my last day of winter break before heading back to school and it’s been a busy doll time!

I acquired Kaya yesterday! She appears to be a very early edition and is in stunning shape. I found her along with her entire series of 6 books for an absolute steal on Facebook yesterday. Kaya was the last historical character to be released before I lost interest in dolls as a child, and she’s the first whose books I didn’t read so I’m thrilled to get her books along with her! I’ve thought about adding her to my collection for a while, and I think it’s a tragedy she’s the only Native American doll they’ve ever produced. I’m happy to have her and excited to get to know her!

I have been on the lookout for Josefina’s original real leather moccasins since she joined my collection over a year ago, and this week I finally found them! I had to replace the laces but I don’t mind because they’re in great shape and the price was reasonable. They just arrived this afternoon and I changed Josefina from her Navidad dress to a cozy outfit to go with her new shoes.

This afternoon I finished making a new dress for Kirsten! I bought the shirt this fabric was taken from at a Goodwill months ago and have had the pieces cut out for nearly a year. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to put it together! I think the pattern of the fabric is lovely - it’s a blue, brown, and cream plaid with the occasional blue chevron stripe. I think it will pair well with some of the aprons and shawls I already have for her, so I’m excited to style her!

I’m expecting a couple more accessories for two other dolls to arrive over the next couple days, so the doll excitement isn’t over yet!

#American girl #kirsten Larson #josefina montoya #Kaya American girl #just realized this post contains all my canon historical characters now! #I’m not dying to expand my collection too much at this point but it would be so fun to have all the historicals from my childhood… #STOP RACHEL! REFRAIN!

[the-halfling-prince]

What do you mean buying another American Girl doll isn't therapy? Bullshit. Felt sad. Bought a PLEASANT COMPANY Josefina for 80 dollars. I'm winning here. Anxiety it temporary, my pleasant company Josefina is forever.

#My bank account is crying #Because in the past few weeks I've bought three American Girl dolls. #I don't have a problem #I have a collection #And autism #Pre-beforever Josefina is something that can be so personal #I've gone from having no pleasant company dolls to having One with a second one on the way #I'm living the dream homeboys #my posts

[maelwife]

I’m sorry it’ll never not be funny when American Girl collectors complain about the price

#like I get it in comparison with the quality decline but like. it’s American girl. the infamously expensive doll line. #no shade tho it’s an expensive hobby I’m trying to collect discontinued Josefina stuff and it’s all $100+ like. hell.

[alliluyevas]

☕️ american girl historicals hehe

trying to format an opinion that i haven't already shared on here. okay I'm going to talk a little bit about Claudie who I think is the most intriguing of the recently released historicals to me.

First off: I think Claudie's doll is adorable, I love her curls and I think her new face mold looks very sweet and friendly. I know the new dolls with painted-on eyelashes are controversial and I have mixed feelings overall but I think it looks cute on Claudie. I also think her meet outfit is cute, especially the dress, and it's not as Aggressively Modern as some of the Beforever and current meet outfits on the other girls.

I'm also a big fan of Claudie's PJ set (love the bunny slippers) and her jazz dress. I think they're very cute and fun and while I'm not an expert on 1920s fashion or the Harlem Renaissance they don't feel like...glaringly obviously not period like, for instance, all of Sam's Beforever collection. At this point, I am quite pleased with Claudie's outfits.

(Although, one thing I'd like to point out that is sort of a semi-critique. These feel quite flattering and glamorous to me, not quite enough to stretch credulity for a nine-year-old character, and the meet dress is def simpler, and since Claudie is interested in performing it makes sense for her to be drawn towards glitzy stuff, but I would like to see her have maybe like a simpler and more childish set available, like a play dress or something.)

My final critique is reserved for the Harlem's Fashion Row outfits. Positives: these are very beautiful and I like that AG did a collab with modern African-American high fashion designers. That being said, as a historical doll purist, these are DEFINITELY not what a nine year old girl in 1922 Harlem would have been wearing. Claudie is a fourth grader, not a showgirl, and while these are beautiful I do wish that there were more options for dressed-down or believably everyday choices.

I also wish Claudie had more lower price point accessories, she has the bakery set but it's huge and more than 200 dollars. I wish they started making the lunchboxes that used to go with the girls' school sets again, I love miniature food but again the bakery set is so wildly expensive.

I also would have to examine the clothing more closely in person to determine construction quality, which I feel like has been more of an issue in more recent AG collections, and I'm not a huge fan of switching to largely synthetic fabrics, so I think I'd like to take a look at these sets in person. However, aside from my previously mentioned complaint that Claudie's collection is very glam and not as historical/everyday, I overall really like her/her collection. If I was to purchase one of the historical dolls they currently produce, it would probably be her (though I also quite like Rebecca).

I also think they undermarketed Claudie--they didn't even release an AG catalogue with her on the cover, which I think is pretty standard for new released historicals, and I worry about her getting overshadowed by the 90s twin dolls. I hope they keep marketing her and release some more accessories and more everyday clothing!

#i like claudie but given my issues with the current AG trends i'm kind of like do i really want to spend the money on a new doll or would i #rather save my money for possibly getting secondhand clothes for my existing dolls and a fuller collection for them #or a vintage josefina i love josefina and she's my fave doll that i dont already have #but also claudie is so cute and i do want to support her so ag will stop cranking out interchangeable blonde white late 20th cent dolls

[cassiopeialake]

falling back into ag obsession...help...

#josefina montoya save me. save me josefina montoya #also claudie. not over claudie. #i know ag is kind of a gateway drug to doll collecting but i truly think i'd be happy with just those 2 #ok wait also maryellen's sledding outfit #and thats IT

[littlefluffbutt]

The girls the day after Christmas with their new dolls! (and all their dogs lol).

In their best dresses to greet the New Year!

#american girl #Springfield collection #Sam #Josefina #Samantha #Molly #Kit #dolls #collection

[dearest-darlingest-dolliest]

Nineteenth century babes in braids ✌️

#american girl dolls #doll collecting #josefina montoya #addy walker

[applecherry108]

This Saturday’s rabbit hole has been checking out the American Girl catalogue for the first time in years and being enamored with all the beautiful outfits and play sets. Unfortunately, I am not immune to Shiny Red Christmas things, which is 90% the appeal for me for looking at AG stuff. The other 10% is nostalgia from the early 2000s of looking at the shiny red Christmas AG stuff. XD

Anyways look at this beautiful doll.

She’s $300. That’s absurd. She’s so beautiful. I don’t want her. I want that outfit for myself. 😂

#ag dolls were something I was forced to have? I had 3 for some ungodly reason #my grandma got me Josefina when I was like. 7? and that was fine I liked her a lot #but then bc I also wanted to play with my grandma’s (display only) Samantha doll she got a Samantha doll for me which is like #I didn’t want her? I just wanted to play with my grandma’s Samantha I didn’t want my own Samantha #and then in middle school she got me Kit??? which I have no fucking idea why #I wasn’t even really playing with the other 2 anymore and I definitely never asked for Kit #you know. it wasn’t until this exact moment that I realized probably why my family got me Josefina specifically #and it probably had everything to do with my Princess Jasmine obsession. XDD which yes I know. totally different races #but it was the 90s so how many brown-skinned dolls were there really #apple talks #to the tune of spam #and here at the bottom of my tags I will add that holy fuck they have an hp collection and god it’s all so beautiful I’m so mad jkr is such #a piece of shit that train set is so cute 🥺🥺🥺

[nikibogwater]

Oh, to be thirteen again and braiding my American Girl doll's hair while listening to my mother read aloud...

#niki rambles #tag urself my favorite was Josefina Montoya #I still have the doll and most of her collection from the time

[timetravelingcourtney]

Google Sheets to Catalog Collections

Hey friends, over on Reddit I got a request to upload my sheets for cataloging my collection. Thought I would share it out here. I think I have every item for each doll. There's a check box and then a drop down menu for AG/PC/Rerelease etc. Feel free to make your own copies!

#american girl #pleasant company #kirsten larson #samantha parkington #courtney moore #molly mcintire #josefina montoya #american girl of today #felicity merriman #google sheets #collection #catalog

[desertdollranch]

Happy birthday, Josefina! And mini Josefina, who is dressed up for the special occasion. This year marks the bicentennial of Josefina's stories, which begin in 1824.

In fact, all my mini Josefina dolls are celebrating today! Lining them up shows how they've changed over the years. On the left is my oldest mini, a circa 1997 first edition Pleasant Company doll. Next to her is Christmas Josefina, a 25th anniversary edition released in 2011. Then there's BeForever Josefina from 2014. And birthday Josefina, who was released in 2016 for American Girl's 30th anniversary.

As a 10th birthday present, I gave Josefina this darling little treasure chest, which vaguely reminds me of the large trunk from her collection. I found it at a weird little thrift store in Roswell.

It's a bit too small to hold all of her clothing, but it's perfect for her accessories like shoes, socks, sashes, rebozos, and hair ribbons. There's a mirror under the lid, too.

#josefina montoya #happy birthday josefina #mini dolls

[jostoys]

Last but not least, here is Beth March. She is an American Girl CYO, purchased gently used on eBay. She looks exactly as I have always pictured Beth, who has always been my favorite of the March sisters. She is wearing a dress by Etsy seller Threads of Silk and is pictured alongside Josefina’s English square piano. Her kitten is from Kirsten’s collection, and her china head doll was purchased on eBay

#american girl dolls #dollblr #little women #Beth March #antique mini doll #Josefina #Kirsten

[changesforminnesota]

My Doll Closet

In the fall, I rolled up my lesbian sleeves and put on my DIY hat to make these shelves for my closet. This is like a weird hall closet by our stairs--I guess it's close to the front door, but not near the side door which we actually use so it's not useful for coats.

The top shelf (where Kirsten's trunk is) was already there, I added the two below. The top shelf hold Kirsten's trunk and her bed. In her trunk are (most of) her accessories. The next shelf down has my books, including my mini book collection, and my two mini dolls. I really want to make a mini bookshelf for the mini collection, any tips welcome.

On the third shelf is Josefina's trunk (has her stuff in bottom and Felicity's stuff on the tray) and Addy's trunk (Addy's stuff in bottom and Samantha's on the tray). That white Pleasant Company box is Molly's tea set.

In the big space at the bottom are my dolls and more storage. Felicity's clothes press holds Molly's collection. The box on top holds Kirsten's overflow collection. I just added Claudie in on the table today. My original idea was that this bottom section would be a "staging" area and I could make scenes, but honestly I don't have enough space. The lighting is also bad because the shelves block the closet light.

On the two sides are these gorgeous prints.

I'm pretty happy how much of my collection fits in here, although it's not all of it because I still have a giant tub with all my modern dolls things that just sits on the floor....

#my dolls

[omgthatdress]

Josefina’s release (followed of course by getting a Josefina doll) was probably the most thrilling moment of my childhood. She was the last doll to come out while I was still playing with dolls, and I loved her!

Josefina is wearing a style of outfit called a “China Poblana,” which is named for a possibly apocryphal woman who was brought to the city of Pueblo as a slave from China. She refused to adopt the Mexican garb of the day and proudly continued to wear her Asian garb. Today you mostly see it worn during festivals, so modern Chinas Poblanas tend to be very colorful and fancy.

(The RISD Museum)

(Museo Textil de Oaxaca)

The China Poblana is considered the national dress of Mexico, often appearing in nostalgic art and advertising:

A lot of Josefina’s collection seems to have been heavily inspired by the art of Jose Augustín Arrieta, and her Meet looks in particular seems to have been inspired by this painting:

(credit @in-pleasant-company​ for finding it)

Josefina’s BeForever Meet look actually isn’t terrible, but the rebozo goes from having a lovely diamond pattern to no pattern, a huge downgrade.

#1820s #Josefina #American Girl