A Lee Middleton I am redoing for myself - FINISHED!

#1

So I bought these Middleton parts at a great deal to restore for myself.

When stuffed, the baby looked like this:

I took the long haired wig off (too much hair for my tastes) and removed the glue from the hairline with a dremmel and some acetone. I cleaned up the vinyl which is in very good shape except for a couple freckle specks on the top of one hand and the back of one leg. These are the type specks that look like pepper ingrained into the vinyl. No big deal. Beauty Marks! I took some oil pastels and blushed baby’s rolls, cheeks, ears, nose and forehead. Oil paints take several weeks to cure but since this baby is going to be staying here it doesn’t matter. I love the look you can get accentuating coloring with oil pastels for just a little extra hint of blush. I pinked up the lips and sealed them with gloss sealer as well as added nail tips and sealed them too. I darkened the nostrils for depth and used a little matte sealer in them to make them look moist. I also replaced the eyelashes because I melted one accidentally while using a heat set gun to dry some of the oil paint on the face enough to handle it. I added a poly pellet pack to the bum and stuffed the body with poly fill and attached the head. Now we are just waiting on a wig.

The face before:

NOW:

#2

Angie, is that the sweet lips face? I bought 4 of the Victoria Rose at $65 each, complete with costumes and gave one to my sister. I took the wig off one and finally learned how to remove the glue. I have oil pastels, I’ve never used them. Could we see some pictures of how she turned out. I’m so happy you are giving pointers on this.

#3

I see you have bent legs - did you get 4 - just kidding. I have straight legs myself.

#4

I just bought this in parts from a lady on DF. I don’t think the head originally went with the body. Yes, it is the sweet lips face. I have done all I am going to do to her/him except for putting a wig on it. I happen to love Lee Middleton dolls the way they are but this body pack had most of the paint stripped off it already so that was one of the reasons I decided to blush the baby. I have ordered a couple sizes/colors of wispy wigs and when I get one on the baby I will decide whether it looks like a girl or boy to me.

I have one other sweet lips Middleton and that is Sassy. Here is what she looks like:

I really prefer toddler dolls for my own collecting and am not just into reborn dolls. Here is a photo of some of my bigger dolls :

#5

I love those sweet faces and I love Lee Middleton. My whole idea of buying the Victoria Rose ‘Sweet Lips’ was to create a toddler (she is 24 inches) and that was before any of the reborning toddler kits came out. There is a Lee Middleton shop or museum in South East Ohio and I want to go there someday soon.

All her dolls come with tiny Bibles and that, in itself, was a risk she took and I applaud.

Angie, now I know why you were looking for a wispy baby wig and I may be looking for those too, although I did dream of rooting the Middletons, before I tried my first rooting job. It reminds me of one of my favorite songs “I Can Dream Can’t I”.

P.S. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lee Middleton’s dolls, she created sculpts of faces and they were sold in different outfits and those had marketing names. ‘Sweet Lips’ is the face sculpt and ‘Victoria Rose’ is a name that doll that was marketed with. The ‘Sweet Lips’ face and her costume made her ‘Victoria Rose’. There were many other ‘Sweet Lips’ faces with other costumes (20 others I would think). The dolls I bought for $65 each had a little purple or rose mark on one of the arms. They usually sell for much more. Lee Middleton died several years ago., while still a young woman.
Here is where to find out more: http://www.dollandgift.com/in_middleton_artists.htm

#6

S/he is ADORABLE!!! I also like Lee Middleton dolls. A few years ago my sister and I bought my grandma, who had Alzheimer’s, a LM doll. We named her Kalex. Grandma LOVED Kalex!!! She was ALWAYS holding her. There were MANY times when grandma was scared because she didnt know who we were or where she was, but she ALWAYS knew who Kalex was. When she would get upset, usually all we had to to to calm her down was to give her Kalex.
Grandma died almost 2 years ago. My sister and I have Kalex in a special place in our “nursery”. When we see her. we think about grandma.

#7

I love Lee Middleton dolls. Before I started reborning I collected them.
I have a room full of them. I have been looking for a sweet lips head
and was bidding on one last week. I’m glad, Angie, that I wasn’t bidding against you

#8

Angie, She is beautiful. You did a wonderful job with her. Sweet Lips is one of my favorite sculpts too and I have about 10 of them. I have redone 4 of mine.
I kept Victoria Rose original because I loved the outfit on her but I found that the outfit does stain the vinyl on the doll. My baby has a black mark on the one arm that I have to use the benzoyl creme on. I hate when some of those outfits bleed like that. Imperial Splendor’s outfit did the same thing.
I took my “Sassy” and made her a sitter, but I may put her back as a stander like she was because she just looked so cute and sassy with a little dress on.

#9

I too have always loved the middleton dolls, I think my favorite face is the mothers joy face. I have 2 middleton dolls that eventually I want to get around to reborning.
Linda

#10

The wigs came today. I spent a long time snipping and thinning until I got what I felt was the perfect little boy look to the hair! I am very pleased with him!

Now I just have to find him a cute outfit! I imagine him in a turtleneck and overalls but I have to find a set that will fit. Since he has the 3/4 limbed body, he is bigger than my other Middleton babies. His hips are wider and he measures 22" long.

I need a name for him too. Isn’t he just the most adorable face? Just makes you wanna give him a big smooch!

#11

He’s adorable! He looks like an Ian to me. Great job on him.

#12

Thank you ladies. I think I am going to call him Christopher after Christopher Robin because I love Winnie the Pooh! I guess I need to find him a Pooh outfit huh?

#13

He’s adorable and he would look so cute in a Pooh outfit!

#14

I love this face, I have reborn 2 Sweet Lips, and the little peanut sculpt, I don’t do the Lee Middleton dolls anymore but I did reborn her Maya kit. here are some pics of them…

Lee Middleton Little Peanut

Maya Kit

#15

bought her in an antique store. knew nothing about them . it was a stuffed
body. finally I got the right one and of course changed her wig. they are
so precious. this one was in an old baby dress and sweater. 2 sizes too
big. would love to find another . need to keep looking.

#16

he is very handsome; love his hair

#17

Thanks for sharing the info on Lee Middleton and her dolls. I found it very interesting as I have always loved her babies as well, but not very knowledgeable about her dolls and life.

#18

I just love how you did his hair. He is gorgeous. Fantastic job. I have my favorite LM, (JJ Todd) reborned by Jodi, and he is my favorite Middleton baby. I bought another one of Jodi’s, (his twin sister) for my sister of the heart, Sherry.
I have reborned a couple of Sweet Lips myself, also. In all I think I have about 10 of the Sweet Lips sculpt.
Here is JJ Todd on a recent outing, Stowe Vermont at the Trapp Family Singers home.

#19

Oh he is adorable!

#20

Oh Angie, I would love to come to your house & see your doll collection, it must be quite extensive!

I love the sweet Clara Bow lips on this sculpt…love the blond wig, & love the Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh theme.
Clever girl!

Luv…Marlene