Jimi's Sandals

Introduced in 2012, Jimi Goin' Fishin' is part of the Riley's World Collection by Helen Kish

I recently photographed my Riley's World (friends) dolls by Helen Kish to prepare an installation in my virtual black doll museum. The installation has been written and is in draft form.

Jimi' Goin' Fishin' is one of the photographed dolls. He has never worn his sandals because I found it too difficult to tie them on his tiny feet. It was suggested by Helen (when this was mentioned to her years ago) to sling them over his arm, which I opted to do. 

Since his arrival in 2012, the strings of Jimi's sandals had been tied together and the strings draped around his left arm.  After he was photographed for the installation and placed back on display, I noticed the outer layer of his faux leather sandals was crumbling away. 

I took my usual steps to repair the sandals which are illustrated in photos and captions next.

Before the Repair

Several areas of faux leather had lifted or were missing before the repair commenced.

I wrapped the strings of both sandals around the insoles and the soles and used rubber bands to hold the strings in place during the repair.

The deterioration was unsightly.

The Repair Process

On-hand gold metallic paint was the closest paint color to match. I applied two layers. These photos illustrate the first layer of paint.

As illustrated in this photo, gold metallic paint was a close match to the original color.

Mod Podge to Seal

I used several layers of Mod Podge to seal the painted areas. This photo was taken after the first coat of Mod Podge which was still wet.

The shoe strings were released after the final layer of Mod Podge dried.

In this photo and the two preceding photos, the Mod Podge is dried, the shoe strings are released, and the paint is properly sealed.

Jimi Models His Shoes

Jimi no longer has to hold his sandals and the sandals are now preserved (for a few more years at least).

The sandals fit Jimi perfectly (but it did take a few minutes to tie the tiny strings around his tiny ankles).

Related Content

Kish's Jimi and the UFDC Jambalaya Jubilee

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted 

by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

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Restringing Ginny in Time for Christmas

Vogue Dress Me Ginnys from 1996, 2009, and 2002 fell apart in December 2023.

In December 2023, a trio of Ginny dolls fell apart. I placed them on my "to-do" list (learn how to restring these myself instead of relying on my husband to do it). For over nine months, the dolls lay on a doll bed in the doll room until I finally ordered restringing bands designed for Madame Alexander's 8-inch dolls (because I thought the bands would work for my Ginnys, too, after I viewed a YouTube instructional video).

Another before stringing photo shows the dolls with the 2002 Ginny's head just propped up on the neck.

After the bands arrived, I took one more photo of the dolls before removing their clothes only to discover that the bands would not work!

My Dress-Me Ginnys have zip ties in the arms and legs to attach the original rubber bands used for stringing together.

A zip tie, instead of a metal hook, is in each doll's arm and leg for attaching the original bands (as illustrated in the photo above). The zip tie forms a hole instead of a hook, so an elasticized string, not a rubber band, had to be used to restring these girls.

Fortunately, I had enough 1/8-inch (3 mm elasticized cord) to complete the task. I couldn't take photos of the restringing process because I had to use both hands (and a hemostat) to grasp the cord and pull it through the arms, legs, and heads.

Individual After Photos

2002 Dress-Me Ginny wears a separately-sold Christmas dress.

Vintage Dress-me Ginny from 2009 also wears a separately-sold Christmas dress.

This Vogue Christmas coat, hat, and boots keep this 1996 Dress-me Ginny warm.

As a Whole Group

The girls are whole again just in time to display in a couple of months in this year's Christmas decor as they have been displayed in past years. 

The trio is seen in this photo from the archives and two of the three are in the photo below with other Christmas-dressed dolls.

Christmas Dru, Gingerbread Dru, and a Ginny Boy joined two of the now restrung Ginnys in another photo from the archives.

Related Link

Stringing Ginny (video)

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

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Kissy's Romper

Kissy by Ideal Toy Corp. (dyed)

In 2023, I wrote about a doll-dyeing task that took 25 years to complete. For several years, I thought a black Ideal Kissy existed and later discovered a black version was never made. I still wanted a black version. During the late 1990s, I purchased an all-original white Kissy and attempted to dye it. The results were disastrous. I kept the doll unassembled in a closet for years. In the meantime, I sold the doll's original red and white gingham romper and red shoes. 

Dyed and reassembled Kissy wears an infant-size romper and shoes.

Last year, I completed the dyeing task and regretted selling the doll's original clothes and shoes. I had suitable infant-size clothes for Kissy to wear, but I still longed for her original romper.

Kissy's original romper is in a photo taken by the seller.

I found (without looking for it) the original romper listed in an auction simply as a "vintage doll's dress." I immediately knew it was Kissy's. I made an offer, the seller accepted, and now Kissy has her original romper. 

Ideal Kissy wears her original romper.

She still needs her original red shoes. I'll eventually find those or a suitable replacement pair. Until I do, she will wear white cloth Mary-Jane-style infant-size shoes.

She's so adorable!

Related Link:

Ideal's Kissy A Dye and Paint Job Redone

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

More Shoe Repairs

A pair of red loafers and beige Mary Jane shoes in need of repair

I noticed their deteriorating shoes before photographing two dolls released in 2001 and 2002. Both dolls were new when I purchased or received them. 

I repaired the shoes or forestalled further deterioration before taking updated photos of the dolls and installing each in my Virtual Black Doll Museum (VBDM).

Red Loafers Before (photographed from different angles)

They were in such an awful state of disrepair.

The color had faded with cracks and lifted and faded paint.

First, I applied two layers of red acrylic paint, allowing the first layer to dry before applying the second layer. 

Photos of the red loafers (from different angles after the first layer of paint):

Painting improved the appearance.

Next, I applied several layers of satin varnish and allowed that to dry before taking additional photos of the repaired shoes. 

Photos from different angles of the painted and sealed red loafers:

The red loafers look so much better... almost like new.

The first doll wears the repaired red loafers.

Beige Mary Janes (photographed from different angles):

As they were--cracked in some areas with missing or lifted surfaces in others.

The deterioration of these shoes was more advanced than that of the loafers. Initially, I skipped painting and chose to Mod Podge the shoes to stabilize the multiple flaked areas. 

The Mod Podge only stabilized the shoes as illustrated in this photo and the next two.

The cracks and lifted surfaces remained visible after two Mod Podge applications.

The Mod Podge stabilized the surface, but some visible cracks remained. Painting over the Mod Podged surface would conceal the cracks, but I plan to replace and discard these shoes eventually*. The Mod Podge serves as a quick fix for now.

Plan B: *As a moderate perfectionist (even though I plan to replace the beige Mary Janes), after viewing the last three photos above and seeing the unsightly cracks that remained, I painted the shoes and applied a final coat of Mod Podge as illustrated next.

The shoes (a slightly deeper color than before) look much better now.

The second doll wears the repaired Mary Janes.

I'm glad I exercised Plan B.

See both dolls in their separate VBDM installations at the links that follow.

Doll 1 in red Loafers

Doll 2 in beige Mary Janes

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Perfect in Pink

Perfectly Pink Barbie Fashions

Over several months, I purchased pink fashion-doll clothes to redress a few Barbies. I finally gathered four Barbies to begin the process. I'll add others later.

The chosen four

The chosen four are seen in their original or previously redressed clothes. All the clothes have pink or a hint of pink, but I wanted mostly pink for the redresses.

The ladies are seen redressed individually in the following photos.

A ca. 1980s-1990s Christie found at a thrift store several years ago wears a pink and white houndstooth dress, a wide-brimmed pink hat, pink high-heels, and pearl jewelry.

An articulated Barbie Fashionista Nikki from 2011 now wears a two-piece pink tweed suit, a shimmery dark-pink bandeau tank top, light-pink high heels, and gold stud earrings.

So-in-Style Trichelle wears a pink and white gingham sundress with pink high-heel sandals, silver stud earrings, and a silver cuff bracelet.

Barbie Fashionista #6 Party Glam from 2015 wears only the pink tunic from a four-piece ensemble.

I chose these four because the fashions fit regular-fashion doll bodies, and I needed dolls with high-heeled feet. So many of my newer Barbies have Curvy, Petite, or Tall Barbie bodies and flat feet. 

I am amazed at how much I love the look of pink on these ladies.

As a group, the chosen four display well in their perfectly pink ensembles. They had been stored in pockets of an over-the-door shoe organizer behind a bedroom door (as illustrated in a past Instagram post), but I will move them back to the doll room where I can see and enjoy them.

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Related Links

Thrift Store Christie's introduction

Fashionista Nikki's introduction

Fashionista #6's introduction

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here. 
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!