Needlework Kit & Lamp (retired)

[emsmombuysdolls]

Associated with Addy's Surprise. Released in 1993, retired in 2007. A significantly revised lamp was later sold with the Bedroom Accessories set.

Mrs. Ford gave Addy a needle book and hoop so she could help with the sewing. Addy’s first project was an apron on which she practiced making straight seams with tiny stitches. You can embroider the charming floral trim on the hem and bodice for Addy. A make-believe kerosene lamp to light their dark and drafty garret was a Christmas surprise for Addy and Momma—a glowing reminder to “let your little light shine” all year long.


This has to be one of the best AG investments. Not only is it adorable, but I love the idea that you actually embroider (sp?) it!

[PleasantMemories]

qnpoohbear said:

The correct name of this item is Addy's needlework kit and lamp. I want this set but the lamp looks plasticy so I'm hesitating.

B:
The Good:
I have this set and I love the little needle work kit. The apron looks substantial and the little packet with the thread looks so realistic. I do wish they would have given poor Addy a thimble to protect those little fingers.

The bad:
The little lamp that comes with the set is cheap and plasticy The frame is nice, but I wish that they used a glass shade instead of a plastic one. You can even see the seams on the plastic. Its not the quality that we have come to know and love from Pleasant Company/AG.

[Rexphiles]

pleasantmemories said:

The bad:
The little lamp that comes with the set is cheap and plasticy The frame is nice, but I wish that they used a glass shade instead of a plastic one. You can even see the seams on the plastic. Its not the quality that we have come to know and love from Pleasant Company/AG.

I got this last night and love it! Speaking from experience, I have several real lamps with glass chimneys and they break easily. I'm rather glad the toy one is plastic. The actual metal in the lamp makes up for it.

[EofA]

I agree with Rexphiles; the lamp just wouldn't be a toy if the shade were made of glass, and playability is what it's all about from my POV. That said, I do wish the plastic shade were better quality, without the seam. Even as is, it's a great set.

Except you know, the girl needs a thimble. Josefina got one, why not Addy? Fortunately, they were available as replacement parts for a while...so now my Addy has a thimble.

A- for lack of thimble and seamed plastic shade.

Some photos of the apron. Mine is unembroidered as I am saving it for my daughter when she gets older. There is printed pattern at the bib and hem:



Close-up of bib pattern:



The apron slips over the doll's shoulders and velcros at back:





Embroidery floss and paper needle book:



I forgot to take a photo of the embroidery hoop, but it is nice quality wood and is quite functional and to scale.

The lantern with its ugly seam; otherwise this is a nice piece:

[zeemeems]

I think this is generally a very cute set. I would give it an overall rating of B+.

The apron has light yellow lines where you can embroider a flower pattern. However, it's generally rather plain looking without embroidery. I suspect it would be plain even with the embroidery. I wished AG had added a fringe or had given it a cuter shape or made it a different color. B

The antique-looking needle book has four color choices that include, green, red, yellow, and purple. There certainly would be plenty of leftover thread. But it's not very interesting to me as a plaything because it's human-sized and I can get thread anywhere. B+

The doll-sized wooden hoop actually works and has a metal screw. A

The lamp is actually a substantial piece, with a decent amount of detail. It's made of real metal and you can lift the deflector (? that round sideway piece that looks like the top of a tin can) off its rod. You can also spin the deflector piece around the lamp. The wick inside is a piece of cloth that look kind of like a flat shoelace. There's a working screw on the side of the lamp that turns and lets you move the wick up and down. I'm not sure why they added this feature. I would have preferred a real candle, but perhaps they were trying to be historically accurate about something. Yes, there's no glass in the "bulb" part and there are two obvious seams on the plastic. But I think the "glass" looks realistic enough that I sometimes forget it's plastic unless I touch it or stare at it closely. I think it was a smart move on AG's part because it would have been annoying to ship and replace parts all the time. A-

So I give the set an overall rating of B+ because I think the apron is too plain and I wish there was a thimble too. Out of Addy's entire collection this is not one of my favorites, but I'm being very critical because I already adore everything about her collection. If you do find the lamp, however, I do highly recommend trying to get it.

_{*mod edit to remove dead image links*}

[skukla]

My set came from ebay with out the thread. I have seen 2 kinds of thread with this set: one where all the threads are fastened together in a whorl and one where the individual colors are separated into little bundles wrapped like miniature embroidery thread.
I think I would prefer the separated thread.
I embroidered the apron with my own design, loosely based on the stencil, and I love it! I used red, green, and black and it looks great with her Christmas dress.
I give this set a B+ for quality. Everything is an A except for the lamp "glass" and the paper needle book which also doesn't impress me. Why oh why is the needle book not fabric!

[FelicityFan85]

Can anyone take some photos of Addy's needlework apron? What does the back look like? Does it tie behind the neck?

I'd like to attempt to make my Addy an apron in that style (the embroidary? Well, I'll figure something out later and will have topractice on other things first).

Is the apron made of white cotton?

[EofA]

Yes, it is cotton. There's not much to it.



Back velcros at waist:


Velcro open:


The pattern (sorry, it's hard to see):

[jojo]

How big is the embroidery hoop? (Please bear with me, fellow AG fans...I really want one for Addy!)

[mamared]

I think this is a really sweet set. It includes an apron, hoop, embroidery thread, needle book with two needles, and oil lamp.

Here is how the set was presented in the old catalogues (this one is from 1998):



And here is the actual description (note that Addy is wearing the finished apron over her Christmas dress in the accompanying photo):



(Side note: I can’t believe this was only $16! I feel like I really missed that opportunity!)

The apron itself is pretty plain and made of white cotton. As previous posters noted, it has armholes for Addy and she closes it with Velcro behind her waist. There aren’t any ruffles, pockets, or other details, which I think helps keep the focus on the embroidery. Addy’s name is printed (in cursive) on the front, and the design that you’re supposed to embroider is also printed around her name and along the bottom. The print is hot yellow but it can still be difficult to see against the white.

This is how it starts out:





And this is how it’s supposed to look when finished (a close-up photo from the catalogue):



So pretty!

The wooden embroidery hoop measures about 3 inches across and is completely functional with a screw to tighten it up. My set has red, green, yellow, and light purple embroidery thread neatly looped into a paper Pleasant Company wrapper (which has unfortunately torn a little) and a pair of real needles tied up in a cute little paper needle book.



A close-up:



Both of those photos show the front of the needle book, so here’s one of the back:



The designs on the inside of the needle book are just exactly the same as the outside; in other words, the words “Needle Book” are written on the inside and outside of the front cover, and the little flower is on the inside and outside of the back cover. A cornflower blue ribbon ties the book closed.

And then there’s the oil lamp. I really like this piece. It’s about 5 1/2 inches tall and seems to be made mostly of metal, except for the plastic globe and the cloth wick that you can roll up and down by turning the knob on the side.



The lamp doesn’t actually light up but I still love the quality details and how it feels so substantial. I posted additional photos and descriptions of the oil lamp in the Bedroom Accessories section (and compared it with the BeForever version of the lamp offered as part of that set). I don’t agree with some other posters about the seam in the plastic globe being a problem, but maybe it’s just not as noticeable in mine.

I do agree that a thimble would have been a nice addition, both for Addy and for the child who is going to complete her apron.

Overall, this set gets an A- from me, especially if you’re into needlework. (It would have been an A at the original price, so I took a little off for value in the secondary market.)

[mamared]

I purchased an embroidered apron on the secondary market and wanted to share some more pictures to show how it looks once it’s finished. I don’t know who did the actual work on this piece (it wasn’t the seller), but I think it looks really nice!



The fit is a little loose on my BeForever Addy. The apron closes on the back with Velcro, and it seems like it would still fit well if the Velcro was moved over another centimeter or two. But I guess it’s better too loose than too tight, and with this sizing it should easily work with the bigger PC girls and/or over bulkier clothing.

Here are some more views from the back, side, and front: