Mad Celtic Midwife
Historical Dreamer
Best Set Design 2012 Best Actor 2011 Best Set Design 2011 Banned: Cross-Posting
Kit rules this roost!
Posts: 2,319
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Post by Mad Celtic Midwife on Sept 2, 2012 16:30:45 GMT -5
This set was released in 2012 and retired with archival in 2015.Caroline loves to fly across the frozen lake in wintertime! Help her glide gracefully with this set that features: Special ice skates that were made true to her time period, featuring metal "blades" and red straps to hold them securely in place. Sturdy canvas boots that fit perfectly into the skates. Thick knit mittens to keep her hands toasty warm while she plays outdoors.This is the neatest set, and I can't wait to put it on Caroline! The set consists of striped fabric boots, knit mittens, and metal skates. The boots are cute, and seem to be well made. The mittens are fairly thick, and well knit...I just wish they were made from a color that would match her blue winter coat and hat. I feel like the mittens and boots are very "work day" in nature, while her blue winter coat and hat are pretty elegant. So there seems to be some incongruity with the whole outfit together. The skates are wonderful! The straps feel like leather (but could be imitation, not sure), and the blades are metal. They feel pretty hefty in your hand. I give this set an A-
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Post by Normandiefr on Sept 6, 2012 20:46:16 GMT -5
Here's my PM Kirsten in her red boots (Mattel red boots, but my Kirsten has big feet) borrowing Caroline's skates. They fit!
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Post by Normandiefr on Sept 6, 2012 21:14:37 GMT -5
They are amazing and worth every penny. Very heavy, very old school Pleasant Company feel. If they actually buckled they'd be perfect (the closure is velcro) but I can live with it!
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Post by kgabor19 on Sept 7, 2012 9:25:19 GMT -5
I hope my response isn't too late, but I bought the skates for my Laura. Sorry, I do not own Kirsten. I love them and will be adding a second pair for Caroline when free shipping happens. I think they are worth every penny. Laura's Winter Ensemble by kgabor19, on Flickr Caroline's Ice Skates by kgabor19, on Flickr
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2012 20:57:44 GMT -5
Oh my goodness, GET these SKATES! They are so gracefully shaped, just like in the book illustrations, but have a nice weightiness to them that allows the wearer to actually stand up with them on. The boots were pretty easy to get on, and the skates just secure right over them with velcro straps. As soon as I opened these skates, I immediately felt a sense of nostalgia taking me back to the days of beautiful, detailed Pleasant Company merchandise. These would definitely be the thing I would circle in the catalog as a child and hope to see under the Christmas tree. It is easy to imagine that the skates were in fact made with the utmost care by Joseph and Hosea. I love the mittens, too. So soft, and they remind me of Addy's purple mittens. Doll mittens are the cutest. A++ for superior, heirloom quality! ETA: I remember a bunch of us wanting to know if the skates were compatible with other boots, and I know they were proven to fit Kirsten's red boots, but I personally asked about Addy's boots, so here's my findings: The top strap that goes around the ankle is a bit loose, but the strap around the toe part is snug, so the skates are snug regardless. These are PM Addy boots, by the way, in case there is a difference.
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Post by QNPoohBear on Dec 30, 2012 19:39:44 GMT -5
The skates are amazing! The blades are real metal. They have a nice patina to make them look old, though in the book they are made new. The skates are super heavy. I'm not sure anyone could actually skate with them on. The straps are not real leather and close with velcro instead of threading through the buckle. This makes them a tiny bit more difficult to strap on PM feet. They velcro in two places. They DO fit PM girls over PM boots. Susanna is wearing them over Kirsten's (c. 1988 or 89) boots. The foot piece is a tiny bit short on bigger fit but they can squeeze on OK. The biggest negative is the huge copyright stamp on the foot piece. Ick! Kirsten's have "Pleasant Company" engraved on the bottom. I hate to admit it, but these skates are MUCH nicer than Kirsten's! I have the mittens and boots but haven't tried them yet. A+ for the skates The skates on Susanna Skate close up Caroline's skates left, Kirsten's right Kirsten's skate top, Caroline's bottom Kirsten can stand on her own wearing these skates
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Post by Wickfield on Mar 18, 2013 15:38:03 GMT -5
I got these skates as part of the winter swap at the end of last year (even before I got Caroline) and this is really a very superior set, albeit with a few minor issues. The skates are very heavy and quality - another reviewer mentioned that the skates in the book were new, but those were made for Rhonda, and Caroline had had hers for awhile so they would probably be a bit worn like these are. The shape is just like ice skates in period drawings with the little swirl at the tip, and a doll can stand in them easily while wearing them. I think the blades are kind of oddly thick though and don't actually look like they'd cut into the ice, and I wish that the faux buckles had been a little more realistic and less plasticky, but they are still nice. The boots were really tiny and only fit on my Agnes Lydia over her thinnest stockings. I think they've stretched out a bit but they were tough to get on, even for me (and I usually don't have much problem with doll shoes). They are made of a nice material and I think Agnes Lydia is going to get them to go with her burgundy winter dress (Caroline isn't shown wearing these in her books). The mittens seem a little bit fragile. They look really nice on the doll (and their earth tone coloring seems realistic) but there is not much stretch to the cuff and no elastic, so I'm a bit nervous stretching them over the doll's hand. Like the shoes, though, they look very nice when they are finally on. I'd give this set an A and take off the plus simply because of the few tightness issues I noted. Still though, I would definitely buy it as it is a lovely piece for Caroline's collection!
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Post by avsmace on Dec 21, 2013 21:18:55 GMT -5
Another wonderful addition for Caroline's collection. I'm really impressed with the quality of the ice skates, they're really heavy and made of metal (I believe) and amazingly detailed. The straps are a little flimsy and easily rotate so they become backwards, so I had to be careful to fix them the right way. The faux buckles have velcro closure, again, not the best but I couldn't imagine being able to actually buckle something of that size. The boots are too cute but a little difficult to get on. I had to pull the shoe laces almost completely out to get them on her feet and after I pulled them I couldn't do a bow, I just had to gently knot them and tuck the ends inside her boot so they didn't hang. The mittens are adorable as well, however the fabric felt a little thin, I was afraid if I pulled too hard I'd rip a seam. I stretched them gently to get them on her hands and they look so cute on her. It's definitely an item to take a little care in putting on and taking off. Overall this set gets an A from me, it's definitely a must have to pair with Caroline's Winter Coat and Cap set!
ETA: I noticed one of her buckles I didn't push back over toward the velcro closure but it's there even if the pics didn't show it! Now I need to go fix it...LOL
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Post by JustMagicMaria on Oct 5, 2015 19:29:14 GMT -5
These are very nice. I'm a little worried about the plastic bar in the back. I would say these are almost as nice as Kirsten's skates.
Love the boots and mittens!
Grade: B (would probably get better if I didn't have Kirsten's to compare them to)
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Post by chernayakoshka on Feb 19, 2021 21:03:18 GMT -5
Boots: A+These are made of a thick cloth in a dark brown colour. They look and feel very practical, almost like work boots, which is maybe a clash with Caroline’s elegant coat, but it doesn’t bother me that much (I doubt most girls of the time had coats and boots that matched). The laces can be a tad difficult to unlace and then relace to get the boots on and off, but it’s not bad enough for me to ding them on it. Skates: A+I was SUPER impressed with these! When these skates were released, AG was going through a period of declining quality, so I was really surprised when I finally got these and they were as hefty as they are. The base and skate are a heavy metal while the straps are faux leather with Velcro securing them. It’s not hard to get a doll’s booted foot into them and the straps fit easily and hold the skates on. A doll can easily balance in them. They’re incredibly sturdy. The boots fit into the skates easily and are tightly secured with the straps. Balancing is a breeze! Good Value?AG sold this set (which also included mittens…which I don’t have) for $22, which I think is definitely worth it given the quality of the boots and skates alone. Like many of Caroline’s items, these don’t appear often on the secondary market, so you’ll have to expect to pay secondary market prices if you’re really looking for them (unless you’re lucky with finding deals…like I sometimes am). Really, though, this is a quality set and worth paying for. Overall: A+When I bought these from a BST group, I honestly wasn’t sure if I especially wanted them or if I just wanted to snag another piece of Caroline’s collection that I don’t often see. Either way, I figured that it would round out Caroline’s winter outfit…and I ended up being wholly impressed with this set. I really wish that I’d gotten it from AG when I had a chance, but alas. Seriously, great set, good quality, probably lots of play value. I highly recommend it. Caroline looks like she's off to a wobbly start, but at least she's got a sturdy pair
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Post by keeperofthepast on Jul 11, 2023 15:09:38 GMT -5
A friend has these and they are really sweet. they remind me a lot of Kirsten's ice skates which I do have. The boots are super cute and could be worn on their own. The mitten are adorable and look handmade.
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