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Post by Rexphiles on Mar 1, 2012 20:31:56 GMT -5
I just got this set for Steampunk Addie andCécileand we're all thrilled. It's gorgeous, well made, and very sturdy. They can't wait to have coffee there.
I know a lot of people have complained about the paint finish. It doesn't bother me at all since I know how badly iron rusts and paint is one of the few ways to protect it. When I was in New Orleans all the iron I saw was painted. Some was black and some in colors. Some even had the detail work painted intricately.
According to a PDF from New Orleans, green and bronze were the historic colors to paint cast iron since it was more brittle and more likely to rust than wrought iron.
At least it's not pink!!!
I cam also attest it is sturdy. I dropped one of the chairs on the tiled kitchen floor and it didn't break. A couple of tiny paint chips but that's it.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jan 20, 2011 23:39:16 GMT -5
I got one of two today just for the broom which my Harry Potter is holding now. (Ginny's is on its way.) Yes, the broom is fake looking but so are the brooms in the movies which is why I got it. I like how it stands by itself and Harry can hold it.
The rest of the outfit is cute but I have no interest in it so I'll either give sell them or give them to my daughter or nieces. The boots are cute and I'd keep them if they had a hard sole.
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Post by Rexphiles on Dec 11, 2009 11:43:49 GMT -5
I'm sure there's a name for this kind of fabric but I don't know what it is. Sadly, this type of fur was very popular back then. Very young or even fetal Karakul lambs were prized for pelts. Newborn karakul sheep's pelts were called karakul (also spelled caracul), or astrakhan or krimmer in Russia. Newborn lambs have a tight, curly pattern of hair and must be under three days old when they are killed, or they will lose their black color and soft, tightly worn coils of fur. Dark colors are dominant and lambs often darken in color as they age. People used the lambs' pelts to create various clothing items, such as the karakul hat, or in haute couture.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 22, 2009 12:26:09 GMT -5
DD loves this outfit. I got it NWT for $25 and I'm now looking for the next size up since she loves it so much.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 18, 2009 15:12:24 GMT -5
I love Kit's Washset (and stove) but I wish the ironing board could fold flat and that the drying rack wasn't plastic.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 18, 2009 15:10:16 GMT -5
I love the stove (and washset) although I wish the firebox was empty (with some logs).
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 15, 2009 12:57:20 GMT -5
The teapot is real ceramic with gold paint detailing. It is very cute, but also very small in proportion to the samovar/other accessories. I also don't know much about tea making since I don't drink the stuff, but does one really need both the samovar and teapot? Still, I give it an (A): If the top of the samovar removes, try to place the teapot on top. This would be the traditional way to keep the teapot warm. It should nestle/fit on top if the proportions are correct.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 9, 2009 16:00:20 GMT -5
I got Rebecca's Sideboard today and love, love, love it! It's a bit small in scale but I can understand that. It's very heavy and sturdy and should hold up well to play. There is removable film on the mirror. Mine had a smear of paint or glue on the bottom but a replacement was sent. I love this piece and can't wait to use it.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 9, 2009 15:57:40 GMT -5
I got Rebecca's accessories today and love them. The hat is wonderful as is the pin. The shawl needs improvement. It's still and cheap feeling - at least it looks good.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jun 5, 2009 15:05:24 GMT -5
I got the set today (the first of my Rebecca items!) and I am very pleased with the set as a whole. I do wish there was a schoolbook included but I like the Kempie notebook, pencil, and sheet music. The flag is smaller than other PC or AG flags and is very polyester/rayonish. The schoolbag is wonderful. It's made of a cottony twill (and good weight!) and I love the working button. A-
The lunchbox and foods are the best parts. The black fabric-covered lunchbox is lined with red-and-white striped fabric (the edges aren't finished and might tend to fray) and contains the bagel (sliced with cheese on one half), the two attached pickles and the Rugalach. The napkin is a very nice heavy-weight cotton with lace. A+
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Post by Rexphiles on Mar 2, 2009 12:19:55 GMT -5
We have a red, white and blue BB Rocking Horse that we got used with a replacement "seatbelt." When DD broke the seatbelt I had a heck of a time figuring out how to replace it. DO NOT REMOVE all the visible screws! The "stirrup" pops off and there are two tiny phillips head screws there that need to be removed. I bought some half-inch ribbon for a replacement.
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Post by Rexphiles on Feb 5, 2009 13:58:44 GMT -5
Released in 200, retired in 2015.
Kit has a nose for news, so she always keeps this set handy. Your American girl can help Kit get the scoop on a big news story with this set: A flip-top journal and a fountain pen for taking notes; A fabric pouch for Kit to carry her supplies, A newspaper bundle; A pretend accordion-style camera and a Kodak® film box; 5 stickers—pretend photos that show a girl’s-eye view of the Great Depression. $28
Your American girl can help Kit get the scoop on a big news story with this set:
* A flip-top journal and a fountain pen for taking notes * A fabric pouch for Kit to carry her supplies * A newspaper bundle * A pretend accordion-style camera and a Kodak® film box * 5 stickers—pretend photos that show a girl’s-eye view of the Great Depression
I just got this (early!) and I'm very pleased with it.
The flip-top journal is tiny and very cute. The fountain pen is tiny (cap removes) and has Kit's name embossed on the side. The fabric pouch is cute but has a velcro closures and is very small. The pen fits in the tiny area on the front but I really had to work to get the notebook out and back in. The newspaper bundle is adorable and after peaking inside there's stuff printed on the inside pages, too!
The pretend accordion-style camera, Kodak® film box, and 5 stickers—pretend photos are the same but I'm glad to have backups since they're so delicate. The camera case is nearly the same but without the magnet closure. It now slips into a strap.
I'd say this set is not for young children due to the many tiny and frustrating parts.
Now I need to make her a visor and sleeve guards. Maybe a tiny brass pica pole, too.
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Post by Rexphiles on Nov 13, 2008 14:12:30 GMT -5
I just got this for DD and I'm very pleased with the outfit (and cookbook!) but wish, once again, that they'd give the BTs shoes not what I call crib shoes and DD calls slippers. At least the mock apron has real machine embroidery instead of a printed decal.
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Post by Rexphiles on Nov 13, 2008 14:10:08 GMT -5
I just got this for DD and I'm very pleased with the outfit (and cookbook!) but wish, once again, that they'd give the BTs shoes not what I call crib shoes and DD calls slippers.
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Post by Rexphiles on Nov 6, 2008 16:25:09 GMT -5
I got Amy this week and I am in love with her. Normally I prefer the open mouth BTs but the closed mouth suits her shy smile. I am so glad AG is finally doing ethnic Bitty Twins!
mod edit to remove dead image
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Post by Rexphiles on Oct 30, 2008 11:30:52 GMT -5
I got this yesterday (with the $10 off coupon) for DD's Christmas present and unpacked it to make sure everything was there. It's is very cute and I know DD will adore it but I'm a wee bit concerned how well the towel bar and the faucet will hold up. Other than that I can see it having lots of play value. DD loves to play with the Miele oven I have and has been begging for this since she spotted it in the catalog. I'll give it an A pending how it holds up under her tender mercies. April 28, 2009 update: So far so good - nothing has broken!
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Post by Rexphiles on Oct 24, 2008 11:07:57 GMT -5
I've got both the Sweet Treats Table and Chairs and bakery case and love them. So does my 5yo daughter! Both are well made and have lots of sentimental play value. DD has the OG table and chairs but broke the table so I had to glue it together - bleh.
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Post by Rexphiles on Oct 13, 2008 13:00:56 GMT -5
This aside to Nellie's spring tea party outfit is one of her best outfits. It is definatly nice for a victorian girlthe plaid during that time period is questionable however. The bow for me is impossible to put in her hair. So I bought a red ribbon at a craft store to put in her hair and it looks much better. Overall I give it an A. Plaid was very "in" back then. It's mentioned frequently in the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace which were based upon her own childhood. I just ordered it for my Betsy.
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Post by Rexphiles on Oct 3, 2008 13:02:49 GMT -5
I got the dress only yesterday and I am thrilled with it. It ranks with Addy's School Suit as my two favorite AG outfits. Wonderful and realistic fabric and incredible attention to detail. A+
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Post by Rexphiles on Sept 26, 2008 13:15:35 GMT -5
This is the only AG item we have two of since we like is to much. I got both used and I think the nicks and dings add to their historic accuracy.
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Post by Rexphiles on Sept 26, 2008 12:16:48 GMT -5
The head band is reversible cotton of the same two fabrics of the outfit. There is a tiny strip of elastic in the back that is meant to allow it to stretch over her head. However, we had to force it over her head and could just barely stretch it enough to pull it up in the proper head-band position. Cute, but extremely tight. Phew, I thought it was just our dolls! I had to force it on, too, and there is no way my daughter could get this on. DD has this outfit and likes it but insists it's pajamas due to the soft shoes that she thinks are slippers. Would it kill AG to make all the BT shoes real with soles?
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Post by Rexphiles on Sept 15, 2008 14:21:17 GMT -5
Shoes are plastic but the decal can peel off if you don't want that on the shoes.
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Post by Rexphiles on Sept 15, 2008 14:20:36 GMT -5
I just got this and love it, too. Nice heavy weight and made of materials other than plastic. The handle on one cookie cutter was loose so I tightened it before it could get lost. The only downside is the sifter handle turns but the bottom is solid metal with no screen so it's not a working sifter.
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Post by Rexphiles on Aug 1, 2008 13:35:52 GMT -5
I like it for one doll but it is hard for two dolls, especially for a young child trying to "pack" it.
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Post by Rexphiles on Aug 1, 2008 13:34:46 GMT -5
I got this for my daughter to match her doll and have been very pleased with it in terms of fit and wearability.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jul 31, 2008 11:31:22 GMT -5
The only downside is that it seems disproportionate to the dolls, but it's not perfect. It depends on the Mac. We had some monster Macs at the newspaper where I worked. I got this for sentimental reasons and love it.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jul 31, 2008 11:27:31 GMT -5
I just got this for my Deep Valley Crowd and I we love it. I'm having a hard time keeping my 5yo away from it so I think I'll order extra food for when the eventual lost food happens. : I was a bit disappointed that the faux-marble top is wood with a laminated marble-print wrapped around it (you can see the seams). I thought it would be marble-looking plastic which would be more durable in my opinion.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jul 8, 2008 14:34:53 GMT -5
Old Grace has a hard nose and new Grace has an embroidered nose.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jul 2, 2008 17:43:32 GMT -5
However....I am not sure how well this doll holds up to little girl play, given her springy curls. They're pretty durable, but if a child doesn't know to finger curl and spritz...I could imagine they'd get ratty pretty quickly. She's by far my favorite of the JLY dolls, but her hair does get a bit mess with young children. DD got her when she was four and a little more than a year later it's still curly but messy. I have to work on it periodically when DD can't see.
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Post by Rexphiles on Jul 2, 2008 16:58:56 GMT -5
I just got this today for my DD's new AA BT girl and I love it. The tights are a bit hard to get on and the shoes nearly had me swearing but the outfit and headband are to die for.
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