We will have a very special hat making workshop this month. At the December luncheon, Betty Bezanson gave us a preview of what we will be doing. If you want to make a hat, you will need to buy a roll of crepe paper (available at any dollar store, or party supplies section). Before the meeting, prepare by cutting the crepe paper into thirds lengthwise (you don't need to do the entire roll!). If the paper tears, splice it together with glue. Braid the three sections of crepe paper together to form your hat braid. The length of the braid you will need depends on what size hat you want to make, but in most case, five or six yards should be enough.

A few months ago, I wrote about collecting character dolls - those dolls with unusual or realistic facial expressions that set them apart from the more common "dolly faces." In this issue, I will cover a different type of character doll - one based on a character from a book, movie, television show or comic strip.

Palmer Cox, the author/illustrator of the Brownies series that appeared in magazines and books beginning in the 1890s, was the first person to license his characters to be used for commercial purposes. He started a trend which remains today as one of the cornerstones of commerce. In addition to the many advertisements featuring the Brownies, there were numerous Brownie-related products in the early 20th century, including dolls, games, children's dishes and silverware, and the famous Kodak Brownie camera.

Once that ice had been broken, American doll manufacturers and distributors began selling dolls based on popular characters from comic strips, advertising and entertainment. The Campbell Kids were one of the early successes in this field for Horsman, about 1910. Rose O'Neill's Kewpies, who also gained fame in the pages of magazines, became hugely popular in doll form, first as German all-bisque dolls and figures beginning in 1912, and later in composition, hard plastic and vinyl.

The most popular dolls to spring from the pages of a book have without doubt been Raggedy Ann and Andy. These classic cloth dolls have been loved by children since they were first produced by Volland in 1915. Many variations of commercially produced Raggedies have been made, as well as Mommy-made versions from licensed patterns.

The Alexander Doll Company has been a major producer of dolls based on characters from children's literature, from the early days of the company in the 1920's through the present. They have made many versions of the characters from Little Women, and Alice in Wonderland has been another of their mainstays. Lesser known literary characters have also come from Alexander, including some from the pages of Charles Dickens' novels. They've also made dolls from nursery rhymes and fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Another company to capitalize on the popularity of these characters was Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls.

An article on characters would not be complete without a mention of the Walt Disney company. Their characters, first in cloth and composition, later in all types of plastic and vinyl, are hugely popular both with children and collectors. Early Disney dolls are highly sought after. The company continues today to license updated versions of old favorites such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, as well as the characters that debut with each new film. For collectors that specialize in Disney dolls, it can be a challenge to keep up with all the new releases.