Jocelyn Curry

Art & Joie de Vivre

recent posts

about

As a retired lettering artist and illustrator, I still create a lot of visuals and have fun doing it. My website is a place I can post and share them from my Shoreline, Washington studio in my home.

Raggedy Ann Restored

November 23, 2025

Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

A very few toys from my childhood have survived the 6+ decades of my life. One of these is the Raggedy Ann made for me and my sister by our loving and skilled seamstress mother in the early 1950's. Yes, there was also a Raggedy Andy but none of us know what happened to him. I always loved peeking under Raggedy Ann's dress to see the heart embroidered with "I Love You." What child doesn't need to be reminded of this, often?

About 18 months ago Rick and I were helping my mother prepare to move out of her house when I came across our old Raggedy Ann. She was completely bald, her rusty orange hair having been shorn by moths, I assumed. Her soft blue button eyes were as wistful as ever, but her original bloomers, calico frock and crisp white apron were no longer on her faded pink body. Replacing them were a different dress and a wilted apron. Right then and there I decided to restore her. Before I did, I took this photo of her:

 

IMG_2679

Smiling, even in her naked state, Raggedy Ann rests against Mom's antique French clock in Berkeley, CA, July, 2016. I took her down there with me from Seattle so I could cut out new clothes for her while keeping Mom company in her new apartment at my sister's house.
IMG_2768

Raggedy Ann went on another trip in August of this year. Here is Ann in her new outfit which I completed while vacationing in Seaside, OR.

 

IMG_2990

Today, September 28, I completed Raggedy Ann's new acrylic yarn hair while waiting for my car to be serviced. I plunked her down on the desk and got the impression that she rather liked her updated appearance! She's been the ideal portable handwork project.

 

Posted in

Leave a comment