October 6, 2025

The first dolls I dressed were Davy Fenstermacher, FKA Lori doll Sullivan, and Merryn, AKA all-vinyl mini Felicity.

Davy is wearing a space suit that I knitted from a really clever pattern by HazelRose.

Merryn is wearing a vintage Nancy Ann Storybook dress and a crown made from some fabric trim. She knows the dress has age spots, but says it’s fine for a costume. I was surprised at how close the dress comes to fitting Merryn. I have it pinned, but it comes really close to snapping in the back.

October 7, 2025

I’m having too much fun with these mini costumes. Stirling wanted to be Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood. He doesn’t really mind that the movie came out a couple of years after the time in Kit’s books. Mini Ivy says she is a Punky 80’s Witch.

Stirling made his own newspaper hat and cardboard and tinfoil sword. He’s wearing his regular blue shirt and knickers. His mom helped with the gaiters to make his shoes look like boots and his vest, both made from felt. Mini Ivy dug through the clothing boxes to find things that match the hat knitted from the linked pattern.

October 8, 2025

Kaori tells me that she is a Chinese Imperial princess. I tried to tell her that this dress is Mattel’s idea of colonial American clothing, but she was having none of that. Either way, I think it suits her. She’s worn it since last summer when I broke down and bought my all-vinyl mini Felicity who immediately became Merryn and never looked at the dress again.

Donna chose to dress as Sonja Henie. Donna is one of the Kittens from Nanea’s books. I think Hawaii is too warm for this outfit, but she insists she will be just as comfortable as Maryellen was in Florida in the dress. I crocheted her fluffy wrap from fur yarn. The yarn is so fluffy that it only took a single row. I bought the yarn to crochet AirPod covers for Grandsweetie #3. Before she requested them I had no idea there even was such a thing. The covers she wanted were over $30 on Etsy. Of course, I wasn’t paying that for something I could crochet myself. The project took many hours of research and pattern making since I didn’t actually have access to AirPods and wound up making a cardboard model of the things, but I did wind up with this lovely yarn left over.

Since she can’t actually wear the skates Donna is carrying them in lieu of a trick or treat bag. Donna based her costume on a Sonja Henie doll she is hoping to get for Christmas.

October 9, 2025

I was pretty sure I wanted a trick or treat scene, to display the dolls, but it occurred to me I could have a front porch with the costumed kids arrive and also an upstairs view of the party. I did a mock-up this morning. I was trying to figure out how I might show more dolls when I ran across a pic from Etsy that gave me an idea for the lay-out. I don’t want to put a lot of effort into it, more along the lines of what Froggy Stuff makes with cardboard, poster board, etc…

I will use the porch base that I mocked up as it is. I managed to cut it from the one small box I had that Hubby hadn’t taken out to dispose of yet. It’s pretty sturdy. I’m thinking about what color I want for the house wall, not white after seeing the photo I took to see how it looks in a pic. I think I need a porch rail too. No ideas for a quick and easy way to make one.

October 10, 2025

I’m up to 12 mini AGs or Lori dolls and four siblings in costume with ideas for more. This is going to be a big party at our house.

Almost everything from both Janie and Genevive’s costumes was already in the wardrobe boxes. I did have to make new pearls for the jazz outfit. The original ones seem to have disappeared. Janie noticed the cuff bracelet when I was looking for the pearls and claimed it for her costume. It’s an adjustable ear cuff. I had no idea such things existed, but I recognized it could be a bracelet right away.

October 11, 2025

Mini Julie would like everyone to know that this isn’t her Halloween costume. She is here Jack-’o-lantern skirt to support Mini Josefina in her pumpkin costume.

October 13, 2025

I finished a set of costumes today that I’m really pleased with . I’ll post more about them when I take pics and share the costumes.

The Addams Family was a favorite show back in the 60s. With all the hoopla around the AG Wednesday doll, this was the perfect time to make these costumes. I knew the minute I saw a Wednesday toddler costume on Pinterest that I had to try one. I crocheted Wednesday’s wig. I have crocheted lots of doll wigs, just never one for a doll who already has hair. I made a project page and wrote down most of the pattern except for the clusters for the bangs which I wrote from memory and may or may not be right.

October 14, 2025

I’ve had the duck costume and the build a bear mini cheer leader dress for at least fifteen years. Both came on little bears purchased at the thrift store for a quarter. Evelina consented to wear the silly duck costume if she could also wear her necklace. I added Mini Kirsten’s striped socks. Agnes makes an adorable cheer leader, doesn’t she? I like the addition of HazelRose’s Molly skirt and the ribbon sash better than the felt skirt I made to go under the top last time.

October 15, 2025

I was totally inspired by a Minnie Mouse costume I saw on Instagram. I already had everything but the headband, so I was mostly there. I made the headband from some nonraveling ribbon fabric. I was tickled to find the red and white polka dot ribbon. I did have to make another black turtleneck. Dressing a bunch of mini dolls in costumes, I had already used the ones I had.

Beverly Larkin has always wanted to dress like a princess, so I thought the Snow White dress was a good fit for her in more than one way. Beverly was sent to me by Lorraine. I have forgotten what kind of doll she is. I think the dress she’s wearing is from a Mattel Kelly doll. I’m sure it came from a thrift store.

October 16, 2025

I was wanting to use this bee costume that I’ve used before, but couldn’t imagine how I managed to get it on Mini Ruthie, because it certainly wouldn’t go on any of the dolls this year. I must have been really determined. I had the idea to take out the crotch seam and turn it into a dress. It worked! When I looked back at the photo of Mini Ruthie, I said to myself, “Wait a minute. There was a hat!” I found the hat, not in with the costumes, but in with the hats, because, why not? By then the morning light was gone and no way was I going to retake the photos. Mini Caroline said, “Wait, I can fix this with my magic wand. Presto, chango!” It was magic, but may have been the magic of technology that gave Mini Gabriela her antennae. I turned the hat into a headband because it never fit the dolls very well either.

October 18, 2025

Mini Maryellen’s friend, Karen King, FKA mini Tenney, joins the costume parade today. The only thing new in her costume are the tights. My dolls find that they can never have too many striped tights and leggings. I thought that the witch’s hat was too small for her, but I think it works with the headband. Karen is joined by Brad McIntire, AKA Tommy Mattel . He is wearing his own overalls and a hat and sweater that I knitted for my tiny rag dolls. The sweater is Wee Loveable. It’s a super bulky newborn size pattern that I knit in lace weight. I’m not sure what Brad’s costume is, but he’s happy with it. Maybe a little clown?

October 20, 2025

Mini Julie likes this use of her Christmas blouse a lot. I couldn’t find the printed pirate hat I used two years ago in my Mini Molly Halloween scene, so I went with the kerchief and eyepatch. While looking for the hat, I ran across these striped gauchos. Those needed to be pirate pants, so I decided to just print another hat. If anyone needs a mini doll pirate hat I’d be happy to email the printable. Landon is wearing one of the Lori boy shirts and the vest and belt from the fall capsule challenge.

October 21, 2025

When I saw Donna’s Lillie in her Winnie the Pooh costume, I knew I was totally going to have to try and make one for the My Mini Baby dolls. I finished it today.

My mom crocheted the Pooh bear.

October 22, 2025

I got the idea for Mini Mele’s costume this morning and of course it had to be made right then. I had forgotten how much I enjoy sewing with felt. I think Blossom makes an adorable prairie girl. She is a Lori dolls Samanda that I got last summer when Amazon had so many of them at half-price or less. I love that she has brown eyes. There are so few redheaded dolls with brown eyes.

After I dressed Mini Mele, I went on and put Bridgette O’Malley in Mae Lynne’s pink witch outfit and made her a black felt cape. Then I made one more little pirate, because I had found the lost pirate hat and why not? No pics of those yet.

Since I was still in the mood, I got it together and got my shelf scene with the porch set up. I love how it turned out, but what a mess. There was paper and cardboard everywhere. What I thought would take a couple of hours wound up taking most of the day. I’m pretty pleased with it though, so I guess it was worth it. I’ve had this idea of a porch scene with trick-or-treaters for at least forty years, from back in the days when I made and collected 1”-1’ dollhouse miniatures. It was an idea whose time finally came.

I’m wanting to change the decorations to match the season. Hubby will be happy about that. The last two Halloween scenes I did were set up well into December. Last year I did a witches’ tea party. He complained after a few weeks, so I took their witch hats off and said they were just ladies having a tea party. He wasn’t fooled, but he did stop complaining. The year before it was a scene from one of American Girl Molly’s books. I used the same two papers both years and have used them again this year, even to having the bricks and paper with the tree in the same position on the same shelf as the tea party. I like to think of it as conservation of effort. Now if I can just get a bright day so I can take some good photos or maybe even a video.

October 24, 2025

I finished the mask for one of the first costumes I put together this month. I made the other costume parts on the tenth. I’ve been wanting to copy this AG costume for the mini dolls pretty much since I first got them.

October 25, 2025

I made a video of the display today. It won’t win any Oscars, but for my first talkie, it’s not as bad as it could be. I look forward to sharing it.

October 27, 2025

I finished the photos for this costume and posted them. I’ve wanted to make a copy of the 1998 AG Kitty Cat costume since I first started making canon outfits for the mini dolls. I guess a fourteen year lead time isn’t too bad. I just love the little mouse. It was such a clever design from AG. I have had quite the tussle with this costume, but I was determined. I made most of the costume by Oct. 10. I had it on Blossom, a a Lori doll. Blossom was wearing black tights, but I decided to make black leggings instead. I decided that an AG needed to wear the costume, so I put it on Mini Saige. I was getting ready to take her photo in it when I realized she only had on one shoe. I hunted for the lost shoe and mulled over a solution for a few days. When I had made the shoes, the claws looked white on the photos I looked at. Later I realized they are actually gold. I was finally coming to terms with having to make another shoe and thinking maybe I would just remake both of them and do the gold stitching. After finishing the mask, which I decided the costume had to have after all, I grabbed a flashlight and looked for the lost shoe one more time under the hutch where I have the costume party and porch set up. There it was nearly touching the wall. I can’t imagine how it got that far back. It’s not like it could roll. Anyway, I took Mini Saige outside and got some pretty good photos considering how cloudy it was. That night I was looking at the earlier photos I had taken of Blossom in the costume. She had a tail! I had totally forgotten that fact. It must have gotten lost during the first photo shoot. Sheesh! I remade the tail, but now I needed to take pics again and we were having a couple of days of rain. As you can see we finally got a break in the rain and I got my pics. I am still amazed that we have lilacs at the end of October, so of course I got another pic with them. The sassiness of this shot reminds me of Cat Woman. My mom wore a costume very like this one in the late sixties. I remember thinking how cool she looked.

October 28, 2025

I posted my first two AGPT costume contest photos, the Addams for group costume and Mini Saige for traditional. So far there aren’t many entries. I hope it doesn’t wind up just me and a couple of others.

I also put together the Mega-mini Sonja Henie doll for Donna.

October 29, 2025

I did the party and porch pics for AGPT earlier today, but it just got a lot lighter in the house. I may try and retake them.

I also took the Donna and Mega-mini Sonja Henie pic.

October 30, 2025

I re-took the party and porch pic this morning and re-shot the video too. I got brave and posted it to YouTube. I’d love it if you check it out and let me know what you think.

2025 Mini Doll Costume Party Video

October 31, 2025

I put the pattern links in just now. I think it’s fun that there are fifteen of them, none of which I knitted specifically for this project. I had a good time digging in my clothing boxes for these costumes.