Raggedy Ann and Andy were a big hit back in the day...
and my mom-in-law made a set for all the granddaughters in the mid-seventies.
She was always about 'being fair'...
and though we had no daughter at that time...
she thought our household should have a set as well.
And so my boys had a Raggedy Ann and Andy.
They were more room decor those first years...
and then our daughter arrived and she adopted Ann and Andy.
When she left home...they stayed on...
and so they still make their home with me!
Maelyn snuggled with them on the couch the other day.
There have been tea parties...
...and dramas.
All the grands have enjoyed them over the years.
After thirty-five years...
Ann and Andy are still going strong.
I still have the original pattern...
looking a little worse for the wear...
but all the pieces are there.
I'm not really planning on using the pattern though...
since I'm thinking Ann and Andy have matured gracefully...
and will still be smiling thirty-five years from now!
My mom-in-law has no idea how many smiles she has brought to her great-grandchildren...
six of whom she has never met.
All these years later...
her memory lives on in the many treasures she left behind.
Enjoy your day....and smile!
When I was little I too had a Ann and Andy, now my daughter enjoys them as well. What a wonderful thing to pass on from generation to generation!
ReplyDeleteKelli
xoxo
Love it! That is such a fun legacy.
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet post... My daughter received a Raggedy Ann and Andy upon her birth, but they have long since bitten the dust. As you know, I've been trying to cull the unnecessary things, but though the Noah's ark pillow and one lonely giraffe sit in the "cull pile," I doubt that they'll be leaving, especially after reading this post. (My mother made them years and years ago.)
ReplyDeleteMaelyn looks some cute between Ann and Andy.
What a sweet family heirloom.
ReplyDeleteI particularly liked the photos of the pair with R and the picnic.
I can still remember my Raggedy Ann and Andy pillow that my mom made for me - I'll have to dig in the attic to see if it's still around! I loved that thing!!!
ReplyDeleteOh wow this brings back memories. Same pattern same Ann ..and I made two of them. I made one in home ec (I think) and then I made one for my neice. I must have been in grade 10 or so. I saw the one I made for my neice at my sister in law's ..sitting there. .but do you think I can find mine?
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful treasures! A few years ago I won a set of Ann and Andy, about 4 feet tall! They graced the spare room for a while, as we thought about the possibility of grandchildren joining our family. But after a time they got relegated to storage - maybe someday (sigh!)
ReplyDeleteThey are so precious, Judy! What a nice memory to have of your mother-in-law!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was given a smaller set as a child and I still have them stored away in case she is ever blessed with children of her own one day. They were among her favorite "huggies" as a toddler.
Yes, Ann and Andy dolls were part of my kid's early years. My own Andy doll was store bought and not nearly as cute as the handmade ones.
ReplyDeleteI often comment that some days I feel like a Raggedy Ann doll in a Barbie doll world...
And the special part is that your mom made them... otherwise they probably would not have withstood the test of time... our $5 brand(or whatever is was) is long gone... I love the dramas and tea parties!
ReplyDeleteOld treasures like these are some of the best. I love seeing your granddaughter's smile as she sits with the two dolls. I like how your mother tried to keep it fair. Tough job to do sometimes...we know don't we?
ReplyDeleteI have the Raggedy Ann doll my daughter received for her first Christmas - oh, 28 years ago now. I think they are classics that will always be loved by differing generations.
ReplyDeleteI was given a home-made Raggedy Anne on the birth of my first daughter.
ReplyDeleteI have kept that doll.
Interesting how time moves along and we hang on to our favorites.
Hello Judy - I loved seeing your Ann and Andy. I used the same pattern and made them before my son was born 29 years ago. They made a colorful addition to the nursery. When my daughter came along a couple of years later I took the sweetest picture of her between the two "huge" dolls. I found some beautiful heavy A&A fabric and made a padded seat and back pad for the little sleigh. They're still waiting for new babies to play with - me too! Thanks for the memories...
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