|
Post by QNPoohBear on May 3, 2006 18:25:58 GMT -5
This outfit is worn by Kirsten in the book Happy Birthday Kirsten. Released as Apron Dress & Daisy Wreath in 1987, later called Birthday Outfit, retired with archival in 2009.Fir Kirsten’s first American birthday she wore a summery dress checked in apple blossom pink and covered with a crisp white apron—a gift from Mama—buttons smartly in the back. Beige-and-white-striped socks complete the outfit. Best of all is the daisy wreath for you to place on Kirsten’s lovely long blond hair. It’s the crowning touch for a spring-time birthday girl.I love this dress even though I don't like pink! It's a soft shade of pink, very light and delicate cotton material. There are no grow stripes on the bottom. The sleeves are puffed and edged in scalloped ribbon and tied in a pretty bow. The apron is edged in the same scalloped trim and the first dress I had, which I got for my 10th birthday in 1988, had an apron which closed in back with a real button. The second one I got in the early 1990's has an apron which closes with velcro. The daisy wreath is made from heavy wire and fake silk type flowers. The ribbon is the same as Felicity's pon pon ribbon. The socks are cream and tan colored and very pretty for spring. This dress looks cute without the apron too. Negative: This dress wears out fast! If you are storing this dress, do as I say, not as I did, and stuff the sleeves with tissue paper to keep the puffy shape. I had to get a second dress because the sleeves lost their elastic and the dress was flat and worn looking. The second one is starting to loose the elastic in the sleeves too. Grade: A- for being too delicate to store.
|
|
|
Post by QNPoohBear on May 4, 2006 15:29:17 GMT -5
PM flowered wreath comparison I have two versions of this dress. The wreaths vary greatly. The first looks like floral wire twisted together with fabric flowers in between the vines. The second is a plastic frame covered with fake leaves and daisies on top. Comparison of wreaths 1990s left/top, 1980s right/bottom first edition looks wilted second edition is more tidy and holds up better
|
|
|
Post by supernonamegirl on Jan 19, 2008 1:37:56 GMT -5
I like the outfit, hate the dress. I know, I know, it's supposed to be worn with the Apron,but I would really like it if the dress looked nicer without the apron, just to have that option. As it stands, the plain-dress is downright fug to me. See? Gross. My biggest complaint is that neck. Just look it, standing there, all poorly done and odd. But, this? I do like this and the wreath is nice for fake flowers. And, the apron itself is kickin'. Just look at that scalloped edge. I also really like the socks, which aren't really clear in these pics, but are nice and thick, though they don't actually match anything, including this outfit. I like them anyway though. But still, I wish AG could have tried just a bit harder. Grade: B- overall, with a crappy looking dress D and an awesome apron A, but the dress is the foundation and all. mod edit to remove broken image links
|
|
|
Post by Megan on Feb 7, 2009 22:21:30 GMT -5
I have personally never had issues with storing this outfit. I love the color scheme and the details on the flower crown/wreath. I wish it came with shoes, but then again, most Kirsten outfits don't. I give this outfit an A because of wonderful quality but no shoes. -Megan
|
|
|
Post by Wickfield on Mar 10, 2009 17:23:36 GMT -5
This is a very pretty outfit and looks darling on Kirsten! The dress - The dress is made from very lightweight cotton, printed in a tiny pink and white plaid. It is cut fancier than Kirsten's usual dresses, with elastic puffed sleeves edged in rickrack and decorated with white shoelace-like ties. Oddly enough, it does not have a grow stripe - maybe Kirsten was about to grow out of it? The great thing about this dress is that it looks nice and complete on it's own, without the pinafore. Though we usually pair it with her two-tone boots, it also looks terrific with her black boots and probably with her red boots too. A The apron - a nice basic piece, made out of bright white cotton and edged in the same rickrack as the dress. A tiny strip of velcro fastens the waistband and there's a decorative button. It might look nice with other outfits, even her Baking Outfit, but we actually haven't tried that yet. Also I think muslin would have been more realistic than this "finer" cotton, but I still give it an A. The daisy wreath - Kirsten's daisy wreath is her "birthday crown" and is a great finishing touch. The daisies aren't as plentiful as some of the stock pictures show, but once they are spread out and the leaves are arranged it is a very nice effect. It fits well on Kirsten's head with or without her braids. My only question is wouldn't the satin ribbon be way too fancy? I don't know but I'll give it an A. The socks - these are more summery than her meet socks, with a lot more stretch. They're less woolly and feel like her winter socks, and they can go with other outfits too which is a plus. We got an extra set with her shoes and socks, but they aren't identical; the b-day socks are more tan, while the extra pair has a pinkish cast. They're just socks, but they are nice. A Here's a closeup of the socks and daisy wreath - I'll upload dress pics soon:
|
|
fdrsipin
Miss AG Bear
caitlyn25@innerstarU
Posts: 495
|
Post by fdrsipin on Oct 9, 2009 14:10:04 GMT -5
If you care for the wreath, then get this outfit. If not, the dress and apron are very simple to make yourself. I plan to make this my model though, and try to make some more dresses in this style using different fabrics... someday
|
|
|
Post by EofA on Oct 17, 2009 21:02:49 GMT -5
This has never been one of my favorite outfits. Although the books say that pink is Kirsten's favorite color, I don't think it best suits her personality. Still, this is one of the canon outfits from way back. I've had no problems at all with storage, although I suppose with age and play any elastic will stretch. I keep my Kirsten dresses hung. The wreath is darling and the apron, sweet. I love those details. I definitely agree that the dress itself leaves something to be desired in terms of design. The sleeves with their faux ribbon poof are cunning and promise much, but then the neckline is all plain and the darn thing lacks even a growth tuck. I think it's an easy outfit for little hands to play with for the most part, so it has that to its advantage. But overall grade is B for boring for me as an adult, although I suspect it is a popular dress for little girls. Some additional photos of Mia in this outfit. I think it is interesting how often collectors choose Mia to be a pioneer-era doll! Note that the dress sans apron is so sheer that you can see Mia's blue undies through the fabric.
|
|
Michele
Board Assistant
Sewing Swap Coordinator
I'm only a mod in Home Ec. Anywhere else I post I am posting as a regular member.
Posts: 2,414
Feedback: Link
|
Post by Michele on Oct 21, 2009 21:51:32 GMT -5
I love this outfit, just like I love every Kirsten thing. Hehe. I agree that it would be very easy to make at home though. My favorite part is the apron, as it really dresses the outfit up (and looks good with her school outfit too IMHO).
|
|
|
Post by agl ♥ on Oct 24, 2009 12:26:18 GMT -5
This dress is very cute! It is simple, yet very pretty, perfect for Kirsten! I love that it comes with the dress, apron, socks, and the wreath. A lot of items! Very beautiful dress, I really love it! The Dress: So cute! Very nice facric, it's on the thing side but feels summery. Simple, but that is one of the things I like about it. The Apron: Perfect, this is very cute. Versatile too. The Socks: Just that, socks. They are thick, and Kirsten needs more than just her meet socks! The Wreath: I think this is really pretty. Fits well. I give this outfit an A!
|
|
|
Post by Impy on Oct 26, 2009 16:33:27 GMT -5
I snagged Kirsten's birthday dress years ago. It was the only dress/outfit I bought for her until this year from her own collection and it's so pretty that I probably felt I had time to acquire the other things.
I'm obviously in the minority here, but I like the dress on it's own as well as with the apron, though I will admit it looks 100% better with the apron on. The wreath is pretty but I've never managed to take it off without messing up her hair, no matter how carefully I put it on to begin with. Since my Kirsten wore her hair straight for years, this didn't really surprise/bother me, but anyone who is keeping their Kirsten in stock braids will probably want to take a little extra care.
Yay for the socks that are infinitely prettier than her Meet Socks (and quite probably a big reason I bought the outfit back then) and the overall look of the outfit is gorgeous.
Sadly, I somehow managed to snag/pull the bow on one of the sleeves and once you do that, you've got to be handier at fixing things than I am. Poor Kirsten's bow is now a string and it annoys the heck out of me every time I try and fix it.
Pictures to be edited in whenever it stops raining/looking like it's going to rain.
Overall, A.
|
|
|
Post by pevensie on Nov 11, 2009 10:42:45 GMT -5
QnPoohBear's comments about the apron allowed me to notice that the faux button was introduced as early as 1989. I have a 1988 version with the real button clasp and a 1989 version with the faux, Velcro closure. Fun for 'picky' collectors to note!
|
|
|
Post by rosieangel on Nov 30, 2009 14:07:35 GMT -5
This is one of Kirsten's few dresses that I put off buying for her until the last minute because I felt ambivalent about it, to be honest. Pink dress on blonde dolly felt so cliche. But then I made up my mind that I wanted all of the dresses in her core books when it was announced that she'd be archived.
I actually ended up liking this dress a lot. I agree with the other reviewers that the dress itself is really ugly on its own, but with the apron added, it looks adorable! The fabric is airy and light, and the subtle checks, sleeve bows, and lack of growth strips make me think that this is, indeed, a special occasion party dress. I also love the apron! It's an adorable shape with sweet trimmings, and it buttons in the back all proper-like.
|
|
|
Post by samlizziesmom on Jun 7, 2010 23:37:54 GMT -5
My camera died so i have no pics, but I am one of the few who LOVE this dress without the apron! At first I was unsure about it from the other pictures, but once I put it on mine I just loved it! I don't have cream ribbons, but I do have her Saint Lucia ribbons which make a nice pop. I think i really lucked out as my Kirsten is a PM and the Dress is a Mattel, but it fit very nicely on my doll, unlike the Baking outfit, which I have to squeeze to fit.
I also have the socks for this outfit and they do make a nice spring/summer sock and look nice under the pink dress.
The apron has a Velcro closure, but I don't know about PM dresses. Probably the only negative thin about the whole thing; I would have liked to button the apron, but still if you are lucky enough to get an official AG dress, it's worth it! I do think this is my favorite Kirsten dress!
|
|
|
Post by Buckingham Alice on Mar 24, 2011 7:44:40 GMT -5
I love this one! The dress is cute on it's own, IMO, but not very special and looks odd next to other Kirsten pieces. With the apron, however, it's more pretty and feminine and yet somehow very prairie perfect. With the floral wreath, Kirsten looks like a little princess. The fabric is thin, but I assume that's for comfort rather than lack of quality. I have a Mattel set and a Mattel Kirsten, so the fit is just fine. I've tried it on a PM girl and it worked fine on her too. I'd give it a solid A, only withholding the plus because of the thin material. I don't have a pic of K in it at the moment, but this pic of my #26, Ashley, wearing it, is one of my faves. picasaweb.google.com/BuckinghamAlice57/AshleyAndWendyVisitThePrairie#5434103193905287778ETA: Here's Kirsten:
|
|
|
Post by Librarian4 on Mar 1, 2012 16:27:33 GMT -5
I just got this xoutfit (w/o the wreath) a couple of weeks ago for my Cécile. I wanted her to have an outfit to match Addy's plaid summer outfit to use as clothes the girls put on when they are playing together. I absolutely love it!
|
|
|
Post by Kirsten Collector on Jul 29, 2012 3:54:02 GMT -5
I got this outfit from a nice family off of Craigslist. The dress came to them from an older cousin so they though it might be mid or late 90s era. It's in lovely condition, as well as the apron. They didn't have the socks.
But the flower wreath was included and the flowers look kind of... dead. All shriveled, and it looks like the glue that holds the assembly of the flowers (like, holds the middle to the petals, and the petals to the green hips) has turned brown.
Has anyone else seen this before? Any idea what causes it or how I can clean it up a little? I might just try to wet the flowers down and reshape them, and use either some sort of solvent or whitener on the glue.
|
|
|
Post by historical on May 21, 2019 19:04:16 GMT -5
Can someone measure the length of the pink ribbon on the floral wreath? I just got one today without the ribbon. Also if the ends are cut at an angle or straight across?
|
|
mamared
Lead Review Moderator
Posts: 1,405
Feedback: Link
|
Post by mamared on May 25, 2019 11:42:55 GMT -5
Can someone measure the length of the pink ribbon on the floral wreath? I just got one today without the ribbon. Also if the ends are cut at an angle or straight across? I have two wreaths (both purchased on the secondary market), so I took the ribbon off the one that wasn’t tied in a bow and it measures 24 inches total length. The ends are cut at a 45 degree angle, so that means each side is a little shorter, even though the total length is 24 inches. I don’t know if you can tell in the picture, but the ribbon colors are very slightly different; one has an ever so slightly deeper tone, and the other is just a tiny bit paler. It’s not noticeable in person unless you look very closely.
|
|
|
Post by keeperofthepast on Jun 5, 2023 17:19:31 GMT -5
This outfit is very sweet with its gingham dress and cute apron. the daisy wreath is lovely and seems just what a country girl would wear on her birthday.
|
|