Ooh La La, Bleuette...

Next year is Bleuette's 100th anniversary, and if you don't already know about Bleuette, you defintely will by next year. Bleuette is a doll offered to French girls as a premium for subsciption to a French girls' magazine, La Semaine de Suzette, from 1905 to the early 1960s. The magazine published patterns for the dolls, so Bleuette has published patterns spanning over 50 years. Now, you might ask what this has to do with my attendance at the National Doll Convention this week.

Well...Bleuette fever has swept the National Doll Convention. In the official UFDC sales room and at the National Doll Festival (Robears show) reproduction Bleuettes and Bleuette clothing, trunks, patterns and accessories are everywhere! I've already admittinbg succumbing to the cult of Bleuette and buying a darling reproduction doll earlier this week. Today, I picked up a darling hat and leather bag for her outfit.

Tonight, I attended the Bleuette gathering. Over 200 people attended--that is 10% of official convention goers! The get-together was great fun. My little, humble Bleuette was displayed with the others, and several people wanted to know who her artist was. Bleuette is such fun, and so popluar, because she inspires PLAY!

The entire day at convention was the usual whirlwind--morning at the National Doll Festival, back for a quick stop in the UFDC salesroom (really....I didn't buy a thing...) and then the Region 2-N meeting. I snuck in attendance at a quick program on Miss Nancy Ann, and then quick-changed for my dinner event, 19th Century Toys for Children of All Ages. The event favor was a lovely doll by Cathy Hansen, which will go well with the 4 other (well, maybe more like 6 or 7 other...) Cathy Hansen all-bisque dolls which I own.

The Bleuette meeting was after that, then I visited the Competitive Doll Exhibits with, in my opinion, an amazing number of special dolls to view this year. It is now time to drop into bed, exhausted yet again. On the schedule for tomorrow is a Brenda Starr luncheon, Competitive Exhibit highlight tours with the judges, and a Tonner get together. More fun; see you then!