Lisa's Fantasy Sindy Dolls

"Sindy Helpline "

I often get asked questions about sindy and collecting her clothes 

so here is Sindys helpline -- any questions  you have about sindy please just email them to me through my contact me page and ill do my best to help you xx

 

Removing    ink     marks     off    sindy

Dear lisa,

Hope you don’t mind me asking you for some advice.

One of my treasured Sindy dolls  a 1967 side part sandy has marks on her leg caused by her red boots, she was perfect when I got her, and I dressed her in outdoor girl? or outward bound? outfit a year ago  with the red boots. When I took them off her they have left her with red marks on her legs and feet.

I am really upset by this and wondered if you could give me any advice on how to remove the marks.

Look forward to hearing from you, and many thanks for your time.

Best wishes,

Glenysx

Reply from Lisa

Hi  Glenys
 
nice to hear from you and yes of course im happy to help if i can --
 
so sorry to hear about the boots  -- yes this can be a problem on the older dolls and unfortunatley its not an easy fix -- although i do know something you could try
 
its Oxy spot cream  im sure you might have seen it mentioned on sindy sites before - its great for removing marks but you need to be careful as it can bleach out larger areas  so you only use a very small amount
 
its the spot cream containing  Benzoyl peroxide -- i think clearasil do a version too -- as long as it has that chemical in it -- it should work
its not cheap but a small tube goes a very very long way  - the one i get is in a  little red box and its called  oxy "on the spot" cream
 
you put the tiniest amount on the mark and leave it in the sun for the day - the next morning  wipe it off  re- apply each day until the stain is removed -- obviously if your doll is covered all over her feet it will take you a while to sort her out -- but the time and effort will be worth it  --  what it does is it actually bleaches out the stain -- so you must be very careful to put it on the mark only not the surrounding skin as it were  -  i usually apply it on a cotton bud it means you can dab it on easily just on the mark - your lucky its summer now  - as its the sun which does the work so try to get some ASAP to do it while we have the sunshine - it would take you weeks and weeks to try to do this in the winter but it will work eventually on most marks and stains
 
this is the only thing i think you could try as its dye transfer from the red boots - i have allways found red the hardest thing to remove but you can do it 
 
im allways very careful too if i use it on marks on their faces -- especially the older sideparts and centerparts as they are prone to fading and bleaching and having white spots -  so you need to apply sparingly and be very careful -  as its taking all the colour away - this includes her skin colour - so only use it as a last resort -

 so i would only attempt it on one of these dolls if it was absolutely necessary -- but im sure nothing drastic could happen on her legs --
 
Im sure if your a collector you have seen the later dolls which look like they are mouldy ?? on the legs and arms  -- well oxy gets all those marks off too - it is great stuff and well worth having in the cupboard  -- to save a doll who looks beyond help   :0)  a little  time and patience can work wonders
 
I hope this is of help to you  -- and let me know how you get on
 
as with anything i would try just a very small area first as  a tester  on the doll to make sure it works ok  - maybee under a foot or something which wouldnt show so you have the confidence to do it all over her calf and foot
 
Regards   Lisa ,  Fantasy sindy x

 

Daves Question about replacing sindy eyelashes

Hi Lisa.

My Wife is re-rooting several Sindy dolls at the moment and doing a fine job!

Some of the dolls however have poor or no eyelashes so we read your article on how to replace them.

Now, I looked on E-Bay but could not be sure if I found the ones you are talking about.

Could you possibly give us an item number of a current listing so we know what to look for?

I looked up the name Darice as a seller but did not find a match and also searched listings for the same.

As you've no doubt guessed by now I'm a clueless bloke trying to help the Wife!!

I'd be grateful for any help here,

Kindest regards,

Dave.

Reply from Lisa

Hi Dave
 
Im pleased to hear your wife is rerooting sindys  :0) and that my website has been helpful to her
 
now eyelashes !!!  well the ONLY dolls which have the darice - fibrecraft ( new make i found that are the same )   are the early  1968 side parts and centerparts long neck dolls   -- and the 1972/73   Trendy girls and gauntlet lovely livelys - these dolls have a slot above  the eye where you push the eyelash in 
 
all the other sindy dolls  have normal doll hair  sewn in to the eyes just like you do the hair on her head - the way to tell is look at the dolls eyes and squeeze the head slightly -- you will see that its full of little holes where each eyelash fits in  -
I will attach on the bottom of this email detailed instructions on how she does this for you ,  sometimes the eyelash slots are a bit broken  so what I do is glue the back of the eye carefully if its split - and then sew the new lashes in once its dry  -- you need to be very careful not to get any glue on the outside part of the eye when you do this - so use a water soluble glue to be safe which dries clear
 
I have managed to find some more slot in eyelashes from fibre craft - they are the same as the darice ones  and they would be listed something like -          self adhesive novelty eyelash  3/4 x 5"  (2 x 13.3 cm)   
so if you search ebay im sure you will find some -- i never ever find them in the UK  its normally USA sellers who have them so be sure to search   ebay.com  and you should find some for her --
these lashes do NOT fit the regular sindy dolls im afraid she will have to root them like the hair - just with a smaller needle  -- they are quite fiddly to do  but tell her to persevere and let the glue dry before she chops them down to size
 
I hope this helps her
Many regards and thanks for getting in touch

Lisa

 

Eyelashes

Replacing Sewn in Sindy eyelashes is just like rooting the hair - you need to use a very fine needle threaded with 4 to 5 strands of saran hair  of around 9 inches long. Double the hair over so effectively you have 10 (8) strands of hair in the eyelash. Tie a single knot and pull it back I pop small spot of glue on the knot to hold it in place as they can tend to receed into the head .

Trendy girls , Gauntlet and side part dolls have slots for push in eyelashes on a strip. They are often lost inside the head but replacements can be found on eBay or at doll supply shops - Heavier plastic eyelashes are better to use than mohair ones as they are too soft. Fit the eyelashes with flat tweezers from the front and slot them in using tweezers

 

Liah's  Question about Eyelashes

Hi Lisa
Hope you are well, maybe you can help me if you aren't too busy.I got a lovely Sidepart Sindy  with damaged eyelashes.I have bought some replacement eyelashes on ebay just now.I had a good look through a few sites and at your questions and answers section too, but I can't find any info on how to replace them. Do they stick in the eye or glue on ? Another query I have is does the dogtooth black & white Sixties cape for Sindy wash ok or should I leave to air instead (currently smells of mustiness).If you have any ideas on these queries let me know whenever you get time.
Thanks
Liah

reply from Lisa

Your sidepart eyelashes -- yes its very easy -- if you have bought the pack people sell on ebay -- these are the same ones i use myself -  plastic 3/4inch novelty lashes from Darice
 
what you will find when you get them they are plastic and have a bit of plastic backing where its sticky -- dont remove this
Just cut if off to the length you want about 3/4 cm is enough  and taper the corners of the thick base bit - so its narrower at the outside edge and thicker on the edge where the eyelashes are attached .
Get some tweezers and grip the eyelashes at the root - with the lashes pointing towards you inside the tweezers --
get the doll and you just poke the eyelashes into the eyelash slot
Fan them out across the eye lid and trim the lashes to your preferred length
I dont use glue -- it can bleed out on the eyes and make a terrible mess - I just rely on gravity
You will find after a time they can go back into the head - LOL - it allways happens if you dont use glue but its easy just to pull them back out - and i prefer this than messing up the eyes with glue
 
Im sure you will find it easy to do - i got a good pair of tweezers with a wider tip  from wilkinsons  for about 70p so have a look in there if you dont have any.
 
and the dog tooth cape  - well yes i have washed a few of them -- i only wash in hand warm water with liquid for silks and delicates - and air dry it -- they came up lovely so im sure you will be ok -- I only ever hand wash all the clothes - and i put all the problem ones i find on my washing list on my site so do check there if your unsure - never tumble dry any sindy  as they can shrink
 
Hope this helps you  and good luck with the eyelashes    Lisa xx

 

Sharons question about weekend outfit

Hi Lisa, great, fab website, I am currently trying to sort through stacks of genuine Sindy clothes. One is puzzling me, the same one that is puzzling you!! It is the red floral headband with two types of material. I have a skirt made of polyester / nylon, but can't find it catalogued anywhere, please could you shed any light on the matter. Many thanks, Sharon. Another Sindy mad fan!

reply from Lisa & Sindy

Hi Sharon -  Ill do my best to help you - I do have some more information on this outfit -- and ill attach a photo too of it complete

I am sure it is called weekender and i think the year is around 1978 but i am not 100% sure on that - maybee if anyone else knows differently they will let us know

the set comes in 2 colour variants -- it is a headband , skirt and cute bag with ric rac handle and a white blouse -  I have a complete set in dark bright colours and i have seen another set in a more faded colour - Im sure it was sold in both colour ways as i have had a skirt in the dark colourway but the waistband was in the lighter version - I hope this helps you in your search for this rather illusive outfit - I have seen it a few times on ebay so you might get lucky many regards Lisa xx

 

reroot and repair sindys from Julie

Hi I have a few old Sindys which I would love to learn how to re-root their hair and change their limbs, do people go on a course to learn this and if so do you know were I should be looking to find them. Many thanks Julie

reply from Lisa

I am now selling a rerooting guide with all the tools you need to completely restore your own sindys - see my rerooting sindy page for details
 
Hi Julie
Thanks for your email -  about restoring old sindys
well sorry I dont know of any courses that are around for doing this but I can certainly point you in the right direction -- There are a few websites which give some rerooting tips for people - so try these out  there are a few different ways to reroot -- I use the standard -"double knot method"  -- but you can poke the hair in and glue it inside and  you can also weave it too so there are a few ways to try
 
also  I have seen a good video on face book  - on how to reroot dolls so if you go to you tube and search "reroot doll" you should find it easily enough -  all it takes is a bit of time and endless patience when you start but it is so rewarding when she is all finished -- for beginners i allways recommend starting with 2gen1077x dolls they are usually easier to do than some other sindys
 
now body parts  -- im sure some of the sindy sites have info on how to replace body parts -- but ill tell you the basics quickly
to remove soft heads -- gently pull then off  the round neck knob holding onto the body tightly if it is an active doll with a moving neck joint hold onto the neck joint - dont pull this as the elastic might snap ,
 
to remove hard heads -- here you need to be careful  I warm the plastic of the head up in a bright sunny window  -- or if there is no sun i run her head under the hot tap and gently wiggle the head off --
 
arms -- basic doll arms -- its a case of warming the plastic again under a hot tap and twisting to pull the arm out
active arms -- these are attached together with some thick rubber -  the hook on the arm is placed through the loop on the elastic -- so pull the arm out to see the rubber  -- grip the rubber with some forcepts or needle nose plyers and holding the arm remove it from the band  -
 
legs -  open the doll out so she is doing the splits -- if you look at the top of the leg you can see a plastic cover - with a screw in it -- take out this screw and prise the cap off -- inside you will see a rubber band with a pin holding it in place -- pull out the pin with some forcepts or plyers and it will be detached from the body -- then replace the leg with a new one
 
dolls with fixed legs are more difficult to do and they are often very loose if you have to replace them -- warm up the plastic and wiggle the leg to get it off then replace it -- you will often see a sort of wire coming out of the top of the leg - you need to unhook this from the other leg to get the leg off -- and hook the new leg into the wire when you replace the leg
 
I hope these tips will help you     many regards lisa

Masquerade Perm and rooting Eyelashes  - from  Jan

Hi Sindy and Lisa,
 
I wonder if you could help with the following please? I noticed recently that you managed to re-do the hair on a Masquerade. I've been lucky enough to find a much needed brunette but her hair is brushed down. Could you please give any tips for re-styling eg spiral perm using rags or pipecleaners and permed with hair 'down' as opposed to tied back up first? Also if you don't mind another query please, would you have any idea how to replace the thick 'wodge' of eyelashes on an 80s doll? They look to have separated and disappeared back inside Sindys head. I have replaced TG eyelashes in the past and wondered if it were possible to do the same with an 80s doll?
Thank you in advance for any advice that Sindy may be able to give :-) Jan.x

Reply from Lisa

 Hi Jan

Yes im happy to help you
Re- perm a Masquerade with Pipe cleaners
 
You will need approximately 50 pipecleaners about 6 1/2 inches long - I cut standard ones in half that is plenty big enough
You also need Perming papers or cut up good quality plain white kitchen roll ( if it is patterned this ink can go onto your dolls face and stain it ) size of papers to use around 3 inch  x 1 1/2 inch
finally time and patience - it is not a quick job to do but the finished result makes all the hard work worthwhile
 
wash and condition her hair and gently comb out all the knots 
rinse out the conditioner and stand her in a jam jar - you need to work on her with wet hair
I start at the front and I brush down the front row of hair - on a masquerade she is rooted with lines of hair across her head so they are easy to section off
I get about 3 to 4 plugs of hair and  wrap the paper around the end -- you have to use papers when you perm or you will end up with hang tails on the ends which spoils the effect
then spiral the hair evenly around the pipecleaner - 
make sure all your spirals go the same way across the whole doll
I turn over the ends of the pipecleaner to hold the hair in place
continue over the whole doll working in small sections until all the hair is in pipeleaners
Now you need to plunge her into very very hot water  i use a bowl and dunk her hair in it - for about 3 minutes
then plunge her whole head into cold water and leave her there for about 5 minutes
Take her out and dab her hair dry with a tea towel
stand her back in to the jam jar and take out all the pipecleaners
GENTLY comb through the curls to separate them while the hair is wet i use an afro comb on this stage or a de-tangling comb
leave her to dry overnight hanging upside down -- i leave her in the jam jar at this stage bent over backwards  and she spends the evening on my kitchen windowsill drying slowly
when she is dry you must NOT brush the hair or it will start to fluff up -- just tease the curls out with your fingers and put a no snag elastic band in -- if you like a slightly softer look -- you can very lightly tease the hair with a wide afro comb - if you prefer the softer look
If she was a very fluffy haired doll I would often use a hair mousse on the hair just before I leave it to dry -- it helps to hold the curls together and define the look -- if you brush the hair afterwards the hair will go back t being fluffy so care is needed at final styling stage
Good luck  I hope this helps you
 
Rerooting sewn in eyelashes
 
You will need a nice thin needle i use size 26 cross stitch needles as the have a larger eye
Nylon hair
if you dont have any hair - look in pound shops and markets for hair extension pieces they are great to use and nice and  cheap to buy
 
you will need to cut the hair into lengths of around 7 to 8 inches
get aproximately 4 to 6 single strands of hair  and thread them through the needle - damp the hair down to make it easier
Pull the hair to half way so each side is aproximately 3 1/2  inches long
take the head off  your sindy and pull out any loose eyelashes or the bundle from the back - I use forceps for this but tweezers will work too , if you are removing all the old lashes pull them out from inside the head
If you now look closely you will see all the individual holes where the old lashes were
start in one corner
from the front thread the needle through the first hole and pull it out through the neck hole
you want to leave aproximately one inch of hair hanging out of the front of the eye
snip the hair on the fold and tie it into a tight knot
at this stage you an pop a little spot of fabric glue - on the knot -
pull the hair back out of the front of eye and you will know when to stop as you will hit the knot
continue doing the rest of the eyelashes until all the holes are filled
trim the hair from the front to leave it about 1 inch long  and leave it for a few hours for the glue to dry
then you just trim the eyelashes to your desired length - using very sharp scissors or a nail clipper which works well as you get a sharp straight line
 
I hope you can understand these instructions if your not sure of anything just email me again --
Ill be happy to help -  and have fun  :0)  Lisa

Dream Date Bracelet  -     from Pauline

Hi Lisa   can you help me with a dream date question    Do you have the bracelet with your outfit?  Is a rather large for her hand?  I was led to believe mine is the real thing but it so hard to tell.

Reply from Lisa & Sindy

Hi Pauline yes it is rather large for sindys hand I  do agree with you  thats proberly why they are so hard to find now as they got lost - I dont have one myself sadly but if you go along to Johnnys lovely site you can see it there to check if your one looks the same - just click this link     xx   Johnnys pedigree sindys

Washing Question from Kiki

Hi Lisa I have a 1963 summer days dress but its got some mould on it. I was just wondering if you knew how to get it off? Thanks kiki

Reply from Lisa & Sindy

 Hi Kiki       oh well I always just wash with my normal hand wash delicate liquid and this seems to help on dirty marks and smells   --  so i would try this first  -- if you have no joy try this

 
I googled a search  -- if it was me i would try lemon juice and salt first  as bleaching might fade the material  as its cotton --  its worth a try (and you should have the things at home to use)
 
if neither of these works the only option is to try bleach  -- I know you can get that Ace bleach , its supposed to be safe for colours but if it was me I would try my oxy stain remover (only because i have it already)   I do lots of things with it -- and it only bleaches slightly on strong colours and as im sure that dress is made from cotton it should be ok but its not guaranteed -- my theorie is if you treasure it and you dont want to chance ruining it - dont use a stain remover  or you might have a disaster and make it lok even worse,   I hope this helps --   Lisa x 
Here  is an interesting article I found on the net I hope it helps  

Removing mildew

Clothing and household fabrics
Remove mildew spots as soon as you discover them. Do not give the mold growth a chance to weaken or rot the material. Brush off any surface growth outdoors to prevent scattering the mildew spores in the house. Sun and air fabrics thoroughly. If any mildew spots remain, treat washable articles as described below. Dry clean nonwashable articles.

Wash mildew-stained articles at once with soap or detergent and water. Rinse well and dry in the sun. If any stain remains, use lemon juice and salt or another bleach. If you use a bleach, be sure to test colored fabrics for colorfastness.

  • Lemon juice and salt
    Moisten stain with a mixture of lemon juice and salt. Spread in the sun to bleach. Rinse thoroughly.
  • Peroxygen bleach
    Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of sodium perborate or a powdered bleach containing sodium perborate or potassium monopersulfate with 1 pint (0.47 liters) of water. Use hot water if it is safe for the fabric; otherwise, use lukewarm water. Sponge the stain or soak the stained area in the solution, or sprinkle the dry powder directly on the dampened stain. Let solution or powder remain on the stain 30 minutes or longer, then rinse thoroughly. If mildew stains have been on the fabric for some time, it may be necessary to soak the fabric in the bleach solution overnight. Applying sodium perborate solution at or near the boiling point may remove stubborn stains. Be sure this treatment is safe for the fabric.
  • Chlorine bleach
    Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid chlorine bleach with 1 quart (0.95 liters) of warm water. Sponge the stain or soak the stained area in the solution. Allow the bleach to remain on the fabric from 5 to 15 minutes, then rinse. An additional soaking in weak vinegar (2 tablespoons to a cup of water) will stop further bleach action. Never use a chlorine bleach on silk, wool or Spandex fabrics. Some fabrics with wash-and-wear or other special finishes may be damaged by chlorine bleaches. Articles with such finishes usually have a warning on the label or on a hang tag attached to the garment when     it is sold    .