Saturday, July 7, 2012

Dolly Folks Furnishings 1921

 May 22, 1921.  THE DOLLY FOLKS FURNISHINGS, No. 1. " For boys who like to make furniture and girls who like to keep house, we are going to run on this page a series of tiny furniture patterns that will be so cunning--such really good looking little furniture that your mother will wish she had some big sure enough things just like them.  If you make and save them each week there will be enough to furnish an entire doll house.  These drawings may be used either for patterns to trace around onto drawing paper, or, better still, you may use this very newspaper drawing, by pasting solidly onto a sheet of brown paper before cutting.  Otherwise they would not be stiff enough, and wobbly furniture could never be beautiful.  Always cut on the heavy black lines, and bend on all dotted ones.  Score the dotted lines by running over them with a knife back along a ruler.  This makes them bend easily.  A bit of paste or glue on the flaps after you are sure every bend is in the right direction, and you'll have a solid little piece of furniture.  First of all, for the living room we are getting one fine, comfortable chair--a wing chair all upholstered in gay cretonne or tapestry--sturdy, restful and inviting, as a living room chair should be.  Cut clear down to the front of the seat on the heavy black lines and that leaves the sides to stand up for arms.  The small odd chair is something on the Windsor type, only we can't cut a lot of slim little spindles in paper, and a Windsor chair always has these slim spindles and a curved back.  This little chair will have the curved back, but you must paste the flaps marked "A" under the seat before the ones on top the side sections.  The table is of the big roomy kind that serves for desk, too, and has plenty of drawer room to keep many things inside from the dust instead of scattered about on top.  Next week there will be a neat little rick of books in book ends to put on the table beside these other things for the living room."
 May 29, 1921.  THE DOLLY FOLKS FURNISHINGS, No 2. " Here is more furniture for that doll living room--the neat little block of books, just as was promised last Sunday--a rocker mate for last week's wing chair, a cunning little foot stool, and a great-grandfather clock that might have come over on the Mayflower.  There were grandfather clocks, wing chairs and wing settees along with sturdy chests, cupboards and dressers that came over with the Pilgrim Fathers to help make the new wilderness country a land of real homes.  Perhaps that is the reason we so love the Colonial furniture.  It is very beautiful besides--simple, dignified, strong, and of pleasing proportions.  Paste this whole group onto a smooth sheet of brown paper, using rather thin paste.  When dry, cut on all heavy black outside lines and fold on every dotted line.  Score the dotted lines by running them over with a knife back along a ruler.  Always paste the flaps under, and you will have right sturdy little furniture."
June 05, 1921.  THE DOLLY FOLKS FURNISHINGS, No. 3. " When girls and boys who have been making doll furniture will recognize the same pattern in the upholstery of the seat today that was used in the other things for that doll's living room.  This seat or couch would be pleasant against the back of the table if the table were out near the middle of a large room, or if some little girl made cushions on it, it might make a comfy window seat.  Sure good books belong in the room where we live, so here is a bookcase too, a plain, solid little one, with doors to keep the books from dust and a big roomy drawer at the bottom.  The other funny looking little thing cuts and folds into a consul or end table.  It is a handy bit of furniture either to place against the wall, perhaps between windows, where it might hold a beautiful vase--or as an end table by the arm of an easy chair or couch to hold a sewing basket or books.  Paste the whole group onto a smooth sheet of brown paper, using rather thin paste.  When dry, cut all have black outside lines and fold on every dotted line.  Score the dotted lines by running over them with a knife along a ruler.  Always paste the flaps under, and you will have sturdy little furniture."   RUBY SHORT McKIM was the artist of this newspaper series that ran over many months in 1921.

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