What a Doll!

Perhaps you've heard that I'm working as "Consulting Editor" on a new project to adapt one of my favorite Oz books to comics. Spearheaded by long-time friend and previous OzCon guest Andy Mangels, and penciled by another long-time friend Anna-Maria Cool, I have high hopes for out little Kickstarter quilting-bee to produce a Patchwork treasure!  Please check it out and become a part of making this new adaptation possible. 

Click here to learn more about The Patchwork Girl of Oz Kickstarter 

As I mentioned, The Patchwork Girl of Oz is one of my favorite Baum Oz books. When I was ten I made a Patchwork Girl myself. I'd found some patchwork print fabric, my mom bought me several yards of the stuff, and knowing little of patterning I folded it in half, and asked my sister to lie down on it and I traced her! My dad sewed the two halves together. There's more to the story - but I've already blogged about that once. You can reread it by clicking here:

When I was a few years older, I learned from Dick Martin and David Greene's The Oz Scrapbook (1977) that there was a commercially produced Patchwork Girl doll manufactured in 1924. I had to have one! Well, it turned out those dolls were almost as scarce as Woozy hairs. But a couple years ago I finally got one.

Me and my 1924 Patchwork Girl toy.

They toy is in pretty good condition for being 99 years old. The Scraps toy is made of oilcloth printed front and back with a likeness of the Patchwork girl, the edges are serged together, and stuffed with kapok.

The doll was the brainchild of L. Frank Baum's eldest son, Frank Joslyn Baum. It was sold separately at first but the project flopped, and the younger Baum eventually sold some of them to Oz publisher Reilly & Lee where they were sold as part of a boxed set alongside a copy of the book.

The even rarer "Boxed set" of doll and book.

There were four dolls in all - Scraps, Jack Pumpkinhead, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman. So far, I only have Scraps. If anyone wants to help round out my collection drop me an email or leave a comment.

And don't forget to check out the Patchwork Girl of Oz Kickstarter!

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