An article about Hitty’s clothing was written by Patricia Fifer shortly after she and her husband, Bill, visited Hitty at the Stockbridge Library in 1996 (see Bill Fifer’s Gift). It was previously published in the Friends of Hitty Newsletter, Volume III, Issue 1, Spring 1997. The descriptions of Hitty’s underwear and the Library Dress are of interest to any Hitty admirer, but especially to those who want to recreate her clothing. Patricia’s article was one of my sources for “Hitty’s Wardrobe in the Stockbridge Library,” in the Fall 2024 issue of Doll News. The photos taken by Bill and Patricia are extra special because they show Hitty’s clothes before restoration.…
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Hitty’s First Dress
When Phoebe Preble wanted to play with her newly created doll, “Hitty,” Phoebe’s mother insisted that she needed a dress first. This dress, as described in the book, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, was made from “a buff calico strewn with small red flowers.” Six illustrations by Dorothy P. Lathrop in the book show Hitty wearing her very first dress of calico roses. When she was accidentally left behind at the Preble’s church, she spent a harrowing few days underneath a pew, frightened by a bat and hemmed in between a footstool and an illustrated Bible. I loved reading the part when she tried to get the attention of the…
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Tutorial: Cradle Quilt
With cooler weather on the way, Hitty doll collectors start thinking of cozy quilts. My Hexagon Quilt has been a popular design, but I have always wanted to make a quilt just like the one by Dorothy P. Lathrop from the book, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. It shows Hitty sleeping in her cradle at the Preble house, listening to the crickets chirping. Since it is a black and white illustration, I was free to interpret the design in my own way and experiment with color variations. The result is a new design on Spoonflower, called, “Cradle Quilt Sampler 21×18.” By purchasing one Fat Quarter, buyers will receive enough fabric…
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The Book Cover Dresses
A few months ago, I received a request to make a fabric design based on the Hitty book dust jacket. It took me a while, but I finally finished. There are two color variations based on different editions of the Hitty book. Both designs are now available in my Spoonflower shop. New Hitty Book Cover Designs on Spoonflower Hitty Book Cover Classic The first design is based on a jacket from the September 1946 Macmillan edition, which has a dark red background and greenish-gold crosses with off-white flowers in the middle. There is a also a faint white line along one edge of the crosses. Hitty Book Cover Bright The…
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Tutorial: Hitty’s Sunbonnet
This pattern was inspired by Ancestor Hitty’s antique sunbonnet in the Stockbridge Library Museum. I have created a replica of the fabric, but any lightweight cotton fabric will work. You can purchase Hitty’s Sunbonnet fabric in my Spoonflower store, Designs by Frendi, and an 8” swatch is large enough to make two bonnets. I recommend making a trial bonnet with practice fabric before you cut out the custom printed fabric. Click here to download Hitty’s Sunbonnet Pattern! The original bonnet was quilted. This pattern uses lightweight fusible interfacing instead, to get the stiffness in the brim without the extra bulk. Measure your Hitty’s head to see whether you need the…
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Tutorial: Tiny Crochet Lace
Those of us who sew for Hitty are aware of the difficulty of finding tiny trims and lace in the right scale. Purchased trim often looks too big and bulky. When we do find something tiny enough to use, there is rarely an option for any color other than white. This crocheted lace pattern makes great trim for doll clothing. It is very versatile: you can experiment with the hook and thread sizes for different results. Try making cute collars, as well as trim for dresses and petticoats. Download the Tiny Crochet Lace Pattern Here! Many thanks to the Hitty & Friends Facebook group members (Shelia B.W., Penny G., Sue…
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Hitty’s Library Dress
For the past few years, Ancestor Hitty has been displayed at the Stockbridge Library wearing a copy of her original sprig print dress. This dress, also known as the “daguerreotype dress,” was the one Hitty wore when she posed for her daguerreotype photo. The original daguerreotype dress has shredded in several places, and it has been stabilized and put on display next to Hitty. But where is her dark red dress with oval blossoms, often referred to by Hitty admirers as “the library dress?” When I contacted a curator at the Stockbridge Library, I was told that they could not locate the dress. Furthermore, their records did not contain an…
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Hitty Fabrics Part 1
UPDATE: July 2023 I can no longer find the website for My Fabric Designs! This is very concerning because I am not able to order any more fabric. When I find out what happened, I will post another update. I have disabled any links to their website as a precaution. I must admit that I have an obsession with fabrics: specifically, the fabrics used for Hitty’s dresses. Some of these dresses are fictional: they are described in the book Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field and appear in the illustrations by Dorothy Lathrop. Other dresses are real and belonged to the actual Hitty who now resides in the…
