Thursday, April 28, 2011

Hankie Couture - and a Contest!!

I don`t know which I love more; Hankie Couture or having the chance to give you lovely friends and readers a chance to win something in a giveaway!  Luckily, I don’t have to choose!  Let me tell you about BOTH!


When I was in Connecticut during the first half of this month, Bruce and I stopped at a Barnes & Noble (long-time readers might remember that I used to work for B&N).  We love to have regular “coffee dates” there, whether we’re here at home or on the road.  Anyway, I wandered over to the Craft/Needle Arts section, and the most glorious, colorful book was on display and caught my eye IMMEDIATELY.  It was this delightful gem, and I bought it on the spot.




All my life I have collected and adored hankies.  All my life I have had and adored (and gave birth to a daughter who had and adored) fashion-sized (“Barbie”) dolls.  I sewed clothes for the dolls as a child, as a mother, and in between as a crafter before my daughter was born. 



But never had I seen or created anything so beautiful as Marsha Greenberg’s Hankie Couture!


I was smitten!   I read the book cover to cover, visited the Hankie Couture website, watched the video and visited her Ebay Boutique.  I ordered one of Marsha’s lovely dolls that she had custom made to her specifications, and it arrived so quickly I couldn’t believe it!!  The doll is of  high quality. And look at the beautiful face!  This is no cheap-looking doll; Marsha has created quality down to the roots of the doll’s lustrous hair!


My dear doll arrived naked, of course. For modesty’s sake (not that THAT is a big issue here) I have pictured her semi-clothed in a couple of the hankies that I will be giving away.  But I am getting ahead of myself. ..


 




So, I plan to make my doll a dress couture fashion using one of the patterns provided in Marsha’s Hankie Couture book. But as I began fondling drooling over carefully sorting my hankie collection for THE potential dress (which I have now narrowed it down to about four possibilities), I realized that my doll doesn’t have a name. The Rules state that Every Doll Needs A Name.  This is my blog, my world, and those are my rules.  So...... will you help me?!? I will clothe her if you will name her!


NAME THAT DOLL CONTEST!


To enter, just leave me a comment ON THIS POST with your suggestion(s) for a doll name.   That’s it!  Let`s limit it to 3 name suggestions per person.  Of course, while you’re at it, you can visit the links to Hankie Couture the website (or go directly to Amazon and buy the book, LOL!!) and let me know what you think about them!


Here is what I am offering to the commenter whose suggested name is chosen; eight vintage hankies from my collection, two of which have already been modeled for you by The Doll With No Name.




Let’s run this contest for a week, so please comment ON THIS POST by Friday, May 6, 2011.  The winner will be selected solely on the doll`s name I choose.  :-)   So you can tell your friends about it and it won’t affect your chances of winning, LOL!  


As far as names go, I would like something traditional or classic or old-fashioned, just not cutesy (like “Barbie” or “Tiffany”) .  


And here’s a heads-up.  Once this contest is over, there will be ANOTHER giveaway the following week. It will be a bit more involved than this one, but a SUPER prize awaits!   Marsha and I have struck up a friendship, and I have to tell you how delightful and sweet she is!  We have cooked up some fun for you! Stay tuned because you won’t want to miss it!  


Cathy maroon

34 comments:

  1. What a wonderful book. I'm not sure what she looks like but for some reason the name Camille pops into my head.

    And, just to cover my bases:)....how about Annette and Katherine.

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  2. Thanks so much for introducing your readers to this. BRILLIANT! I'm absolutely fascinated.

    My suggestion is "Ava".

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  3. Cathy,

    I have always liked my name, so I offer it with a minor spelling change as a potential choice - Teresa. I spell my name, Theresa.

    Theresa E.

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  4. How fun! I'm not sure I would want to turn a vintage hankie into a doll dress..parting with a hankie...difficult. When my grandma died, she had very little because she lived with my uncle and took care of my other uncle who suffered from MS. When they went through Grandma Laura's things to give each of us something of hers, I was bestowed her hankies. My Treasures.

    I'd name your girl Hannah Lynn.

    You're going to have great fun with these comments!!
    xx Carol

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  5. Hello
    This is such fun!!! I have a ton of hankies from my aunt when she passed away so if you ever need more just let me know.
    Although I don't want any more hankies I want to play and give name suggestions.
    Since you found the book while in CT I am thining a New England name. Here are my suggestions
    Abigail
    Evangeline
    Laurel (the CT flower) or Lorilie
    Good luck! I know you will have such fun with this.
    Maureen in MD

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  6. Pippa! Seems appropriate at this time and she is a brunette! Have fun.
    Smiles,
    Pat

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  7. What fun! Let's see, a name with history, timeless, not cutesy.....here's my three choices:
    1) Anna
    2) Katrina
    3) Elizabeth

    I love hankies!

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  8. There always has to be one smart aleck in the group. How about "Sniffles." Sorry!

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  9. The name that popped into my head is Brenda.

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  10. What a fun book. My DD still has a giant box of barbie clothes I crocheted and stitched for her when she was a wee on. I have a lot of old patterns from the 70s. Then someone gave me several patterns from the 50s. When the gds turned 3 they got a giant box of clothes from me but it's all velcro closures these days so I'm not stuck with "could you unhook (or unsnap) this every few minutes. Anyway...

    As far as names I will suggest names from my DHs family tree - can't remember right off if it was his Dutch or German line but one of his gggs whole name was Gesina Josephina Celestina. So those are my three names. Together they seem kind of musical/poetical to me.

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  11. When I first saw her my first thought was *Emma* and I am not sure why.
    Alternatively, *Lily* or *Rebecca* come to mind.

    I love vintage hankies but I only possess 1 which my grandmother gave to me many years ago. It was new then so I guess that it saying something in itself! lol.

    thanks for this post, contest, and your blog. I do enjoy reading it everyday.

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  12. Cathy
    I vote for Sabrina... Its my daughters name and is French... the home of Hankie "couture"
    XO Shirlee

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  13. Lovely book and gorgeous hankies. The first name that popped into my head was Ruth, then Abigail and Brenda

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  14. She looks like a Gwendolyn to me. I have never known anyone with that name but it popped into my head as soon as I saw her.
    JeanneZ

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  15. My name choices
    1. Whitney
    2. Evelyn
    3. Elizabeth

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  16. Hi Cathy! She looks liek a Samantha to me. Hey have you stopped by my site? brownginghamcreations.com I have a little twist to my vintage designs. Hope you can come soon!

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  17. What a fun contest, and I love the Hankies. I have some from my Grandmas.
    She looks like a Sofia to me. But I also like Ruth, and Charlotte.

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  18. I'm thinking Frances, both for France (she looks French to me) and so you can shorten it to Frankie. Frankie in her Hanky-dress.

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  19. Hi Cathy

    My choices are Stella, Rosalind and Lavender.

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  20. Hmm.. I would be terrified to damage the hankies, but the books looks great and that doll is just lovely!

    Evelyn (my mother's name) would be my first pick,

    Gwendolyn (have always loved this one)

    Isabelle (what I would have named a daughter)

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  21. Thanks for visiting my blog :)
    I think one of the following names would be nice:
    Katherine (she looks like her)
    which I see is already on the list
    Taylor
    Lauren
    How fun is this!
    Deb

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  22. Hmmm. Henrietta..Hennie or Hank!

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  23. She looks like a Stephanie to me. Or, you could dye her hair red and call her Rita Hayworth.

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  24. Hi Cathy, You have a beautiful Web Page. I have collected Vintage Hankies for years and am ready to make my first Hankie Quilt. Thank You so much for telling where You found this delightful book. My Names are: Hilary Joy and Jeanine Louise. You have so much here for me to read and learn. Thank You!
    ~Ellie Field~

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  25. I LOVE hankies! Marvelous little bits of beauty.

    How about Ziva (Hebrew for "light"), Elisabeth (French spelling to go with the couture theme), or Mimsy?

    Love your blog, Cathy!

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  26. My first thought was Hankie Hattie . . . I notice others picked "real" first names.

    Grovenore

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  27. This beautiful doll looks like Julieanna to me. The hankies are lovely.
    Gita

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  28. Well...I know I shouldn't ruin my chances by voting for someone else's but I love Frances, nickname "Frankie" - it's perfect.

    And it's a good thing that Maureen was so good to us last month or I'd have to vote her off the island for "Sniffles" ugh!!

    Here are my three:

    Nanette Achoo

    Charlene, the Hanky Queen

    Roxanne Martin

    And not really a contender...but since she is so well endowed...

    Beverly Hills

    Hannah Bandana

    OK...I've got to stop...you can disqualify me for not following the rules!!!

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  29. I choose "Emily Aguste" after my great grandmother. Also, "Helena Elise" (another great grandmother although I had to make up the middle name - I had the initial and Elise is my granddaughter's middle name) and "Aurelia Adelle" (Aurelia is pronounced or-ail-ia) and is my Grandma's middle name. Adelle is my other granddaughter's middle name. I really love the name Aurelia. I too thought of a smart alec response, like Maureen, but unlike Maureen, mine is too discusting to post! lol! Good luck in picking a name.

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  30. I have a friend from England and every time we saw someone that was well dressed she would call them "Lady Muck from Turd Hill"! We could drop the "Turd Hill" part and only call her "Lady Muck"!
    Deb

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  31. I LOVE these dolls - such vintage cuteness! My choice for names would be 1. Claire (my grandmother's middle name) 2. Lillian (just because it's sweet) 3. Ginger - she kinda looks like the Gilligan's Island movie star!

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  32. Hi Cathy, how lovely to see these Barbie's dressed in hankies. I still have my first Barbie, it is from 1962! My name suggestions:
    Audrey
    Coco
    or Wilhelmina (my birthname)

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  33. I love vintage hankies. They remind me of my grandma who had a bureau full of beautiful hankies. So my choice of name would be Estelle, after my grandma.

    Jan T.

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  34. Hi Cathy, all the good names have already been suggested, so I'm going to go with Kate in honour of the royal Bride!
    Did you get my email in response to your kind offer on my blog? I am waiting to hear if you wanted some lace and/or a paperweight!

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I appreciate your visit to my blog and love your comments!