Each Wish Booklet is a compendium of fashions in the period which it covers. This includes patterns for the dolls and full size complete patterns for the dolls’ wardrobes. Presently there are 26 in the series. They are:
VOLUME 1. FASHIONS 1861-1865, the first of the Wish Booklets, gives you the pattern for a rag doll of the Civil War period and full size patterns and complete directions for making her extensive wardrobe. The doll is 10” tall. The clothes are suitable for antique China dolls and show fashions which could have been worn by the Little Women. 38 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 2. FASHIONS 1831-1835, gives a complete wardrobe for the Romantic Era. The lovely full skirted dresses and ribboned bonnets fit 10” wooden dolls. Directions for carving your own doll are included, as well as an excellent milliner’s model body pattern. 38 pages. $8.50 PPD .
VOLUME 3. FASHIONS 1871-1875, is a French Fashion Doll booklet. Was there ever a doll collector who did not wish for the elegant Empress of dolldom? Here are the patterns for beautiful Bustle dresses popular from 1871-75. A French fashion doll body is also included. All Wish Booklets give complete wardrobes – from boots to bonnets. 45 pages. $8.50 PPD .
VOLUME 5. FIRST LADY FASHIONS 1865-1969, is a continuation of the First Ladies pattern through Mrs. Nixon. It too contains a photo of four of the ladies costumed, along with many sketches and details of the intricate costumes. 48 pages. $11.50 PPD.
VOLUME 6. FASHIONS 1900, tells you how to create 12” manikins to wear the lovely turn-of-the-century costumes you can make with its full size patterns. The patterns will fit 10 – 12” dolls and are suitable for the antique Gibson Girl dolls or modern hand crafted dolls. Beading and embroidery instructions are included. 42 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 7. MINIATURE FASHIONS 1750-1770, is the first of two booklets which deal with miniatures, dolls and furniture. Complete instructions are included for creating doll house size dolls and full size patterns to make wardrobes for your doll house family, circa 1750-70. Patterns and instructions show how to make several pieces of furniture and ideas for doll house accessories. 1” = 1’ scale. 34 pages. $8.50PPD.
VOLUME 8. MINIATURE FASHIONS 1848-1880-1896, Completes the ideas commenced in Volume 7 with many additional full size patterns for your doll house dolls. It includes patterns for complete wardrobes for a family of four in each of the three periods, 1848, 1880 and 1896, as well as 13 full size furniture patterns in the same periods. Ideas for your mini dream house. 1” = 1’ scale. Republished with 50 pages. $11.50 PPD.
VOLUME 9. CHILDREN’S FASHIONS, tells how to make cloth dolls representing 19th Century children and completes a study of 100 years of children’s fashions at the same time. Complete instructions for 20 dolls which will appeal to collectors as well as needle artists. These little charmers are authentic in design and can become cherished heirlooms of the future. The dolls are all 10” high. The clothes patterns can also be used as a guide to dressing your antique dolls. These clothes fit the Millettes and similar reproduction molds. 46 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 10. WARDROBE FOR A LITTLE GIRL 1900-1910, tells how to dress a cloth doll with the charm and nostalgia of the early years of this century. Large hair bows, long waists and short skirts contribute to the winsome appeal of these garments. Included are full size patterns for underwear, nightclothes, dresses, coats, hats and shoes. There is also a pattern for a lucky 10” cloth doll to wear the clothes. They may be used for dressing the loved German Bisque doll of the period. These clothes fit the Millettes and similar reproduction molds. 42 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 11. LA PETITE BEBE 1883-1887, tells how to dress the most coveted dolls, the French child. Developed in the late 1870s, the child doll had become almost an art form by the mid ‘80s. Produced by such firms as Jumeau, Bru and others, this pampered darling had fine craftsmanship lavished on her creation. Her clothing was professionally made with all the finesse of the Parisien dressmaker. This Wish Booklet contains a complete wardrobe for this type of doll. Pattern for a 10” cloth doll is included. These clothes fit the Millettes and similar reproduction molds. 46 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 12, POTPOURRI, is a medley of Susan Sirkis’ best ideas for the doll lover. A collection of doll and miniature related items with 20th Century appeal, it is about inventive modern doll making and collecting at its best and most intriguing. This booklet includes instructions on decoupage, dressed dolls, three dimensional decoupage, miniatures, pin cushion dolls and ribbon decoupage. Includes breakaway box instructions. POTPOURRI, a pleasure for your library, a treasure for your imagination—contains more than 20 craft related doll ideas and complete directions for making them happen. 54 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 13. FASHIONS 1880-1885, ANSWERS THE QUESTION, “Have you ever wondered just how you could costume those dolls that date from the 1880s?” Many people call it the “Ugly Period”. Here at last are ten dresses designed in true Wish Booklet style—with grace and charm—for 10 – 12” dolls. This booklet includes authentic styles for a complete wardrobe including lingerie, shoes, bonnets and accessories. A cloth doll pattern is included. 44 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 14. 1776, is a do-it-yourself book about dolls, doll clothes and doll furniture of the Revolutionary era. It tells how to make dolls, how to completely costume them and how to make furniture for them. The two dolls (of cloth and wood) are 10 – 12” tall and the furniture is in a suitable 2” = 1’ scale. There are directions for making a 2” – 1’ scale room to display the dolls and furniture. In addition, there is an essay on fashions at the time of the American Revolution. 34 pages.$8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 15. FASHIONS 1806-1810, is about the charming and appealing fashions of the early 19th Century—the years of Jane Austen and Napoleon. The simplicity of the styles is frequently ignored by dressmakers. This booklet will help you enjoy the beauty of the Empire fashions. It has a pattern for a beguiling cloth doll—a 12” lady and her extensive wardrobe, including a court dress which might have been worn by Josephine. The cloth doll is most fetching and surprisingly simple to make. 46 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 16. FASHIONS 1820-1825, continues to show us fashions in the early years of the 19th century using the lovely cloth doll discovered in VOLUME 15. In this booklet, she takes us through the years 1820-25, past the conclusion of Napoleon’s career and through the years of the Regency in England. VOLUME 15 contains a pattern for the 12” cloth doll and her complete wardrobe of the third decade of the 19th Century. 38 pages.$8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 17. FASHIONS 1840-1845, tells about Queen Victoria who was the dominant personality of her Century. This Wish Booklet explores the very early years of her reign. It contains patterns for a cloth doll, a body pattern for papier mache dolls and a complete wardrobe for 10 – 12” dolls. Victoria’s appearance, ideas and way of life are examined, along with the fashions of her time. A pattern for her wedding dress is included. Learn a little bit more about a great Queen of England, who also created one of the most famous doll collections we read about today. 34 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 18. FASHIONS 1853-1858, describes the Empress Eugenie of France, a beautiful woman of great style and taste. During the years under consideration women followed fashions which were charming and graceful. Skirts were full and flounced, waists were small, shoulders were sloping and bosoms moderately covered. Patterns and directions for complete wardrobe to fit 10 – 12” dolls show the beauty of the mid 19th century fashions. 38 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 19. FASHIONS 1895-1896, presents a wardrobe for a 12 – 13” doll based on a paper doll series which appeared in 1895 and 1896 as supplements to the Boston Sunday Herald. The series contained paper doll costumes remarkable for their complete representation of contemporary fashions. Patterns for the extensive wardrobe, a cloth doll and a doll body are included. Discover the usefulness of antique paper dolls as an aid to the doll dressmaker. 42 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 20. MEN’S FASHIONS 1776-1850, now at last tells all about the husbands, brothers and lovers of the ladies in earlier Wish Booklets. This booklet, with patterns for a handsome 13” man and his complete outfits, traces the development of men’s fashions from the Revolutionary War period to the middle years of the 19th Century. The clothes patterns may be adapted for antique or reproduction dolls. Order this booklet and start planning the weddings. 58 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 21. MEN’S FASHIONS 1860-1970, features full size patterns showing men’s fashions during that period. Do you have a bride who needs a groom? A sister needing a brother? Or perhaps you need a President for your favorite First Lady? If so, VOLUME 21 fills the bill! As always, accessory suggestions are included. The patterns are suitable for the 13” cloth doll in VOLUME 20, or for antique or reproduction dolls. Order yours today so that all of the Jills in your doll cabinet can have their own Jacks. 50 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 22. FASHIONING MINIATURES, is the booklet that everybody has been waiting for. It combines simple construction methods, kits, ready-mades, fabrics and imagination to make eight rooms and 18 figures in 1” – 1’ scale. Most rooms have dolls living in them. The dolls are easily made and complete instructions are included. Wig making instructions are also included. The rooms are designed to be used as lovely gifts, door prizes, club projects and treasured keepsakes. Share in the wonderful fun of fashioning miniatures. 49 pages $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 23. FASHIONING MINIATURES…ONE MORE TIME…., contains among others, Cinderella’s Corner, Dinner for Two and the Bride’s Boutique. They are just three of the rooms in this sequel to VOLUME 22. Using the same easy construction techniques and finishing methods, this Wish Booklet investigates further the limitless possibilities when imagination stretches into minifinity. Each shadow box room has its min-figure occupants, from Clothilde and Gervaise, the Regency lovers, to Masters, the butler and Loveybelinda, the medieval princess. Full size patterns and scale diagrams show how to make nine rooms and 18 mini-figures in 1” – 1’ scale. 50 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 24. FASHIONS IN TRIM, is a comprehensive guide to the finishing touch for all of your doll and miniature projects. Choosing just the right decoration is all important. Luscious ribbons, crisp laces, smooth threads and brilliant paints are only some of the raw materials discussed. This booklet tells you what to use and how to make it. The booklet describes techniques of ruching, pleating, flower making and edging. It suggests simple methods to make a pleater and an H.D.B.T.M., a Handy Dandy Bow Tying Machine. The ideas and directions in the booklet may be used to decorate miniature doll clothes and bedding; in larger sizes, the trims can be used for antique and artists’ dolls. Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century designs have been adapted to the unique requirements of doll makers and miniaturists. 30 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 25. FLOSSIE THE FLAPPER, carries the series into the Twentieth Century as it explores fashions of the 1920s. The third decade of the century was one of tremendous change in clothing styles. This Wish Booklet explores the middle years when skirts were short and styles charming. This was the era of the Flapper—clothes were young in style and charming in aspect. The booklet contains a pattern for a 16” cloth doll and her wardrobe. It is printed in a new format with a color photograph on the cover and black and white photographs of each garment for which patterns are given. 28 pages. $8.50 PPD.
VOLUME 26. A CHILD OF THE TWENTIES, contains patterns to fit Bleuette. The booklet has 38 pages, a color cover and includes 16 pages in full color. The color pages are a copy of a booklet, published in 1924, entitled Dolly and Her dresses. The black and white pages include the normal patterns and instructions that you would expect in a Susan Sirkis book. $23.95. Add $4.00 for P&H
DISCOVER THE WISHLETS
A WISHLET is the best half of a WISH BOOKLET. In response to many requests received over the past few years, we have reduced some of the patterns in eight of our most popular WISH BOOKLETS to fit doll house dolls or miniature manikins. Directions have been rewritten to accommodate the new size. Best of all some of the designs from each booklet have been photographed in beautiful full color for the cover of each WISHLET. The WISHLET series delineates over 80 years of feminine fashions with patterns and instructions for wardrobes for nine decades of the Nineteenth Century. WISHLETS #1 through #8 are presently available.
WISHLET 1. THE EMPIRE PERIOD 1806-1810. 18 pages. $5.50 PPD.
WISHLET 2. 19TH CENTURY SENTIMENTALITY 1820-1825. 18 pages. $5.50 PPD.
WISHLET 3. THE ROMANTIC ERA 1831-1835. 18 pages. $5.50 PPD.
WISHLET 4. QUEEN VICTORIA 1840-1845. 18 pages. $5.50 PPD.
WISHLET 5. MID-CENTURY 1853-1858. 18 pages. $6.50 PPD .
WISHLET 6. THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD 1861-1865. 18 pages. $6.50 PPD.
WISHLET 7. THE ELEGANT BUSTLE 1871-1875. 18 pages. $6.50 PPD.
WISHLET 8. THE B-I-IG BUSTLE 1885. 18 pages. $6.50 PPD.
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124 John Browning, Williamsburg, VA 23185-8928
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Telephone: (757) 229-1896
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