Pink Ponchos With White Fringe Mean "I Love You"

You might assume that, as the fifth of six children, I may not have always been the recipient of special attention from my parents. However, my experience was quite the opposite. My parents always did little things to make me feel special.  For example, they attended every single teachers conference, awards ceremony, choir concert, and piano recital that I ever participated in the entire time I was growing up. In fact, it wasn’t until I had children of my own and attended their special events, that I realized there were kids that didn’t have parents who attended. As a child, it never would have occurred to me that my parents wouldn’t be there for me. Somehow they managed to balance the needs of six children in such a way that I never felt like I came 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th . We were each equally important and they made the time to prove that. I have many memories of their support and their presence but I also possess actual, tangible evidence of their care tucked safely away inside a large box where my mother lovingly packed some of my favorite childhood dolls and the beautiful clothes that she made for them.

In particular, I had two dolls names Crissy and Velvet who were special to me. If you were a girl of the 70’s, I’m sure these dolls need no introduction. Crissy was a tall brunette with a ponytail that went all the way to the ground. With a knob on her back, you could wind her hair up into a cute little bob, or you could push her belly button, pull her ponytail, and her hair would be extended back to its full length.  Crissy also had a butterfly string in her back that you could pull and she would rotate back and forth at the waist. (I don’t know the specific purpose of this action but can share with you that it was the cause of a very serious nightmare for me one night when I was about 7 years old!)  Her younger sister, Velvet (at least I assumed they were sisters), was a short blonde but she possessed the same magical qualities of hair growth.  These were not baby dolls – Crissy and Velvet were “grown dolls” meaning they didn’t get swaddled in baby blankets, or come with baby bottles and rattles as accessories. They were intended to be my peers and I could comb their hair, curl it, and dress them in ways that I myself would have liked to dress. 


I can clearly remember sitting on the couch in our living room and pouring over the JC Penney’s Christmas Catalog - dreaming about these dolls. I would get out the measuring stick so I fully understood how tall they were. I would debate with myself whether or not Crissy or Velvet would be the better “Santa request”.  And I would wonder about all the amazing hairstyles and fashions I could create if I only had one of these dolls.  Whether I received them both at the same time or separate times, I don’t recall.  But I do remember two very important things….

1. It is simply not possible for a 7 year old to style a doll's hair in magnificent updos like they would show on the TV commercials or in the catalog, and,
2. My mother created a fashion wardrobe for Crissy and Velvet that nobody could ever rival.

My dolls came to me fully equipped with the most beautiful and exquisite clothes that were all hand-made by my mother. They had cotton “popcorn” pajama sets, floral flannel bathrobes with matching felt slippers, long sundresses, formal gowns, polyester leisure suits, and pink corduroy flare pants with a matching poncho and white fringe.  As a person who has attempted sewing and also failed at sewing, I can especially appreciate the love and care that went into making these clothes. It is one thing to create something of a “normal” size but to create an entire wardrobe of such miniscule proportion must have required much planning and much hard work. I don’t remember ever seeing my mom work on these clothes so I know that she must have done so either while I was at school, or at night after I had gone to bed. Keep in mind, that she had five other children for whom she was equally responsible and she was busy attending to their needs and creating things for them to treasure as well; whether it was making prom dresses for my older sisters or painting wooden giraffes and rocking horses for my little brother. She must have been tired at times and there must have been times when she wished she could do something for herself - but instead, she laid out the patterns, cut the cloth, and sewed wonderful doll clothes. When my mom made these clothes, it wasn't with the intention of providing evidence of her love for me. It was just something she did just as she did a million other little things for me every day.

Of course, as a child, I didn’t know to appreciate it. But I do now and I was reminded of her hard work every time I pulled out the box that still holds Crissy, Velvet and their fabulous clothes for my own children to play with. Someday soon, my grand-daughter may also want to play with them. She won't know...so I will have to tell her about the love that went into every stitch. Though these dolls may seem out of place today and their clothes are crafted in the styles of the 1970's, the craftsmanship and love they represent have certainly stood the test of time.

So my thanks and gratitude to my mom are quite seriously delayed, but I want to thank her now for allowing me to have both Crissy AND Velvet, for taking time to make them such wonderful clothes, and most importantly, for showing me through those actions, how much I was loved and cared for.