Kitty is hosting a Christmas Party for her Kitty Friends. Sharleen, Olivia and Jordan are happy to accept her invitation. David is visiting his grandparents in Florida for Christmas, but he did send a photo of a recent trip to Universal Studios Orlando. He loves all the Jurassic Park rides, especially the newest roller coaster with a Velociraptor theme: the VelociCoaster. Olivia admires the “Merry Christmas” banner, and Sharleen likes the poinsettias. Jordan is more interested in the pile of presents in the corner! Kitty explains that she has planned a fun afternoon, and she will start by reading from two books by Charles Dickens. Naturally, A Christmas Carol needs…
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Tutorial: Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear
Jordan loves Christmas, and he always wears Holiday Sleepwear to celebrate the season. He loves his comfy Sleep Shirt and Sleep Pants. Cozy felt Slippers complete the outfit. He can hardly wait to wake up on Christmas Day and open his presents. Download Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear Pattern Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members. Jordan’s Holiday Sleepwear Instructions Materials Stretch knit fabrics for shirt and pantsFelt for shoesNeedle for hand-sewingSewing thread to match fabricStraight pinsCraft scissors for cutting out patternSmall embroidery scissors for…
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Tutorial: Olivia’s Holiday Outfit
Now that you have made your own Kitty Friend, you will want to dress her appropriately for the holidays. Olivia’s A-Line Dress, Tights and Shoes showcase her style brilliantly. I chose a festive print for the dress and a solid color for the tights. Her shoes have metallic braid accents. Download Olivia’s Holiday Outfit Pattern Here! I am looking forward to seeing all the Kitty Friends and outfits that you create. You can join the Kitty Friends Facebook Group and share your photos and stories with other group members. Olivia’s Holiday Outfit Instructions Materials: Cotton or cotton-blend fabric for dressStretch knit fabric for tightsFelt for shoesNeedle for hand-sewingSewing thread to…
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Tutorial: Felt Kitty Friend
If you would like a Hitty-size doll of your very own but don’t have the time or skills needed to carve one, why not give this simple to sew Felt Kitty Friend a try! The materials are inexpensive, and you can make as many as you like. You can vary the hairstyles and hair colors to make each doll unique. I am developing some clothing patterns which I will post soon. But you can get started making the dolls right now. If you want something a bit more challenging, try the tutorial for Flexible Kitty Friends. Download the Felt Kitty Friend Pattern Here! You can share photos of your finished…
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Tutorial: Mini Quill Pen and Inkwell
This is a fun and easy craft tutorial to make a quill pen and inkwell for a Hitty doll. You can use any kind of bird feather, as long as it is at least 2” long. You can buy them from craft stores or simply collect naturally shed feathers from birds in your area. Materials: Feathers, 2” long or largerSmall metal bead caps or round drum-shaped ceramic beads (about 8-12 mm high)ScissorsOne foam packing peanut Many types of bead caps or round ceramic beads can work for the inkwells. Use whatever you have available, or purchase new beads from a craft store. I got mine from Hobby Lobby. Take the…
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Kitty at the Book Fair
Fall is here, the season of school book fairs. Kitty attended one recently to promote A Tale of Two Hittys. Here are some photos from the event.
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The Dickens Dresses
A Tale of Two Hittys begins in the year 1868. During the era, little girls wore bloomers, petticoats, a chemise (loose cotton undershirt), stockings and boots with buttons or laces. Depending on the age of the child, she might have to wear a corset. The dresses were often elaborate with lots of trimmings. For outerwear a little girl needed a coat, and the coat of choice was a paletot (pronounced “pal-uh-toe”). The paletot was a woman’s or girl’s jacket, usually worn over a skirt with a crinoline or bustle. Now, if you remember in the book, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, Rachel Field describes Hitty’s Dickens outfit: “the watered-silk dress…
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Hitty in THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE
Founded by Bertha Mahony Miller in 1924 with a mission to inform the public about the best in children’s writing, The Horn Book Magazine is still in business nearly 100 years later. You can read articles about children’s literature and subscribe to the magazine on the Horn Book’s website. After Rachel Field won the Newbery Medal for Hitty: Her First Hundred Years in 1930, Hitty became an American celebrity. The Horn Book Magazine published three articles about Hitty in the February 1930 issue, which I will summarize in this post. You can read all of the articles mentioned on archive.org. How Hitty Happened By Rachel Fieldpp. 22-26 In 1928, Rachel…
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Who is Hitty?
I first read Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field when I was a teenager, and I still have the somewhat battered hardcover copy which I purchased used for $1. The edition was printed in October, 1943, and it had the colored frontispiece of Hitty sitting for her daguerreotype, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. I remember thinking at the time that it was a really good story, and as a young doll collector, I would have loved to have my own Hitty doll. But few people were making Hitty dolls at that time. Above: photo of the real Hitty in the Stockbridge Library Museum in 2024 (courtesy of Beth…
