Ginny Dolls

The second part of today's post is about my friend's hobby.  I'd never heard of Ginny Dolls until she stopped by the workroom one day asking if I knew where she could find some red velvet ribbon.
She collects- not Ginny dolls- but Ginny doll clothing; she hunts it down and buys it damaged or stained, and specializes in repairing and restoring it to pristine condition.
Ginny doll clothing is incredibly detailed, hand-made doll clothing.  My friend has her own original Ginny doll from the 1950s and even some of the her own clothing, but most of it she's found and bought over the years. There are many dozens- maybe hundreds?- of little dresses in her collection.
After we installed the shades, we went upstairs to take a look.  I was amazed at all the clothing, fabric, trims, notions, and other goodies in her bright, well-organized studio..... clothing she's working on..... and then TOTALLY blown away by the completed restored collection she keeps in an antique cabinet on little tiny clothes hangers with her little Ginny doll nearby.
And she has all the little accessories- shoes, boots, hats, you name it. 

It was astonishing and magical!  All those teeny tiny dresses,  with the most minute trims, buttons, ribbons, zippers. 
All these little garments were hand-sewn in the 1950s and 60s by housewives who did piece-work by mail.  A kit with all the components would be mailed to them, and they'd sew the clothing and send it back, signed.
And besides restoring Ginny doll clothing, she does her own upholstery, some of which is with her own hand-made needlepoint tapestry.