making paper dolls

Posted on January 16 2009 by dan fone

Not too bad, for a quick jobbie with a cut-up cereal box! My little neighbour friend busily made clothing while I tried to get on with some work.

I recently discovered ten pages of rather atrociously dated paper doll outfits I made when I was a kid in the mid-’80s, tucked into a sketchbook I’d brought from America. I can spot a few Grace Kelly dresses mixed in there, and my obsession for anything to do with ancient Egypt. After my brief dream of becoming a fashion designer, I decided I was definitely going to be an archaeologist when I grew up, so I could race around cool-looking painted tombs while dodging Nazi looters.




48 Responses to making paper dolls

  1. dlasky says:

    i’m impressed, as usual

    You made your neighbor a really cute doll.

    And SHAZAM! You were a talented kid! Even if you grew up in a fashion-challenged decade! Thanks for sharing those!

    Reply
  2. dlasky says:

    i’m impressed, as usual

    You made your neighbor a really cute doll.

    And SHAZAM! You were a talented kid! Even if you grew up in a fashion-challenged decade! Thanks for sharing those!

    Reply
    • dan fone says:

      Re: i’m impressed, as usual

      Very fashion challenged, haha… I marvel when people talk about retro ’80s revival wear, those clothes should be allowed to die a quiet death.

      Reply
  5. dan fone says:

    Re: i’m impressed, as usual

    Very fashion challenged, haha… I marvel when people talk about retro ’80s revival wear, those clothes should be allowed to die a quiet death.

    Reply
        • dan fone says:

          Bunty’s fab, I wish we’d had it in the States. My mother bought a Bunty for my sister and me when we were ten and twelve, to keep us quiet in the car while we toured around Scotland. My sister and I both read it cover-to-cover, read every quiz to each other (I still remember some of the questions), and then went back to reading it over and over.

          My parents got really frustrated with us because we weren’t looking out the car windows at all the beautiful scenery, just obsessing over Bunty. I remember some of the strips felt so wonderfully old fashioned, and I’d never seen photo comics before.

          Reply
  20. dan fone says:

    Well, my other favourite thing was playing with Tonka trucks in the sandbox, so we’re even.

    Oh, and my Big Wheel bike. My Big Wheel rocked. I might have to do a comic about that at some point.

    Reply
  25. dan fone says:

    Bunty’s fab, I wish we’d had it in the States. My mother bought a Bunty for my sister and me when we were ten and twelve, to keep us quiet in the car while we toured around Scotland. My sister and I both read it cover-to-cover, read every quiz to each other (I still remember some of the questions), and then went back to reading it over and over.

    My parents got really frustrated with us because we weren’t looking out the car windows at all the beautiful scenery, just obsessing over Bunty. I remember some of the strips felt so wonderfully old fashioned, and I’d never seen photo comics before.

    Reply
  28. dan fone says:

    Haha, so was the neighbour kid! His mother had to buy him one because he was so jealous. And my house had an insanely steep driveway, so he spent lots of time with it over at ours.

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says:

    OMG you had the Indiana Jones dream too?

    We are soulmates!
    🙂
    I love the cut-out doll dresses – I used to do those too when I was a child, but not as good as yours.

    Reply
  33. Anonymous says:

    OMG you had the Indiana Jones dream too?

    We are soulmates!
    🙂
    I love the cut-out doll dresses – I used to do those too when I was a child, but not as good as yours.

    Reply
    • dan fone says:

      Re: OMG you had the Indiana Jones dream too?

      Hi, Leila! That’s so funny, I bet loads of kids did! Even when I knew archeology was nothing like Indiana Jones, I still think it lingered in the back of my mind. I partly chose my university because it had one of the best archaeology departments in the country, but when I sat in on a few classes, I changed my mind and switched to art history.

      How’s the writing going? I see you have a second Bathsheba book out, I’ll have to get a copy! Are you still in Brussels?

      Reply
  34. dan fone says:

    Re: OMG you had the Indiana Jones dream too?

    Hi, Leila! That’s so funny, I bet loads of kids did! Even when I knew archeology was nothing like Indiana Jones, I still think it lingered in the back of my mind. I partly chose my university because it had one of the best archaeology departments in the country, but when I sat in on a few classes, I changed my mind and switched to art history.

    How’s the writing going? I see you have a second Bathsheba book out, I’ll have to get a copy! Are you still in Brussels?

    Reply

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