Last updated: 1/29/2016
PO Box 2135
Branson West, MO 65737
ATTENTION ASSOCIATION STAFF:
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Sandra Greene
phone: 417-272-8720
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Monika Alvarez
phone: 214-557-8811
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Wagon Train Dolls can provide you with American Made Rag Dolls, Doll Kits and Doll Stands. Our items have been successful in many stores across the United Stats. Give us a call or email for a wholesale brochure.
My name is Sandra Greene. I have been making these rag dolls since I was a little girl. My interest in dolls started in 1946. My mother helped me make a rag doll when I was six years old. My mother was a seamstress. It was from the scraps of discarded clothes from other people that she made my rag doll. Mother made dolls out of many different things. She would make a stuffed rag doll with yarn hair, also a tea towel doll and a trail side doll made from wood.
We didn't have a store bought doll, we couldn't afford them. So the rag dolls were very special to us. We didn't get a new one every year. Mother would start in about October. She would say "you know some people won't get anything for Christmas this year, so why don't you send your dolls to the brownies and have them make clothes for them?" She made me and my sister a matching outfit to go with the dolls' new clothes from discarded pattern dresses that once belonged to someone else. On Christmas Eve, our precious dolls would reappear.
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My Favorite Dolls
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Throughout United States history, by far the most popular handmade doll was the cloth or rag doll, especially during Colonial America dating as far back as 1630. The term "rag doll" is used to describe any doll made primarily from fabric, according to the Connecticut Doll Artists website.
Historically, rag dolls were handmade by a mother using scrap fabric and given to her child. These dolls played a major role in a young child's life. In addition to providing girls with something to play with, they were often used to help young girls learn sewing skills. Old rag dolls were made with cloth fabric for the body, dress and apron. Leftover lace, string and yarn were also used for the hair and trim pieces. The doll's faces were either painted, embroidered or just left plain.
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Wagon Train Rag Doll Kit
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Rag dolls were introduced during the American Colonial period. They were made with leftover or scrap cloth fabric for the body, dress and apron. Lace, string and yarn were also used for the trim or hair. Our rag dolls are made in the same manner, therefore they are all different. You may select a color scheme or style of fabric but all photos are representative, therefore the doll you receive may not be exactly as the photo.
Sandra has been writing books for years. Before she opened her store at Silver Dollar City she traveled as a story teller. "Mother used to make our clothes from feed sacks and when I was growing up we never got any of the check or plaid because that fabric was used for boy's shirts. I always wanted a check or plaid skirt. And when I entered my first year of high school my brother, Robert bought me a a red plaid skirt. Mother used to tell us stories while she sewed to keep us entertained. I was always right there listening to her and I thought every scrap that fell on the floor was mine. That's where my love of sewing and crafts came from. One day I decided I wanted to tell stories to children. So I started my career as a story teller. These are some of the books I have written for children. I hope you enjoy them."
These dolls are simple and old fashioned but they mean so
much more to little girls and there's nothing that compares to
their own handmade doll. Our website has been created
because we want to share this timeless doll with the world.
If you can't find that special doll you are looking for on our
website, feel free to email us for a custom request to match the theme of your store.
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is
provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as
to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc.
and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such
use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.