Between them, Eden and Learning Curve turned out some very nice dolls, pets, clothes, furniture and accessories for the 8" Madeline doll, based on the character who first came to life in a series of books by Ludwig Bemelmans. One of those was a horse and carriage for Madeline and a companion to go driving around the streets of Paris. I love carriages, and Madeline's seemed very nicely made, so after quite a while of looking on and off, I found one. Since Madeline is only 8" (20.3cm), I expected the carriage to be nice, but not exactly very large. Imagine my surprise when I found a box this size at my front door.
It was quite a handful to carry up to my bedroom. I was glad it was easy to get out of the box--four twist ties around the horse's legs, two around the carriage wheel, and a zip tie that can be seen where the dolls' feet would rest.
Clementine the horse's mane and tail were a huge mess; there were loose hairs stuck to tape in various places inside the box. It's not particularly soft. Also, as you can see in the picture of her in the box, her tail was flopped across her back. This left faint black stains on her short gray "fur." Her legs don't stand up straight, and there isn't much of an armature in there to fix them. She's like a basic stuffed animal, and doesn't really fit with the carriage.
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| She also looks extremely spooked. |
Clementine's best feature is that she whinnies or makes clip-clop noises when her stomach is squeezed. Both videos are now up!
Madeline looks well standing next to the carriage, and even our favorite 11 1/2" doll doesn't look too jarring.
Sadly for Barbie, her legs are too long for her to sit in the carriage. In the picture below, her legs are bent (as far as click-legs will) but she still has to have her feet up.
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| Just kicking back and relaxing while Ken runs into the general store. |
Even with the shorter J-Doll and her more articulated legs, she really doesn't sit right without some contortions.
It's frustrating that the reins often get made too short with these types of horse sets. Even if I tug from here, these reins don't go far enough back for Madeline to actually reach them.
I took a few pictures of Madeline with some of her similar-sized friends just as examples. While the J-Doll looks fine, she's actually not touching the seat, but the rest of the dolls look great.
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| Nora, above, and Stacie, below, look well seated because they can bend their legs |
I'm going to have to find some other horse for this carriage. Would anyone like a furry gray pony who whinnies and makes clip-clop noises?
I think Madeline is thinking, get those big dolls outta my carriage. But she looks cozy and happy with her smaller friends.
ReplyDeleteThe carriage looks neat - I love the realistic colors. As for the plushy pony, she was meant for hugging and whinnying, not lugging, lol. Maybe she can go in a petting zoo?
Good luck finding a replacement for Clementine.
That's the main reason I bought this set, for how realistic the carriage looks. It's also pretty sturdy.
DeleteI'm thinking maybe a Breyer horse instead of Clementine. ?
I think that Madeline was made for a younger child who might not notice what an adult collector would. The horse was probably made to take to bed at night while dreaming sweet dreams of Madeline stories. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe little girls look great, but I think they need an adult to be safe! lol
Yes, the Madeline stuff was definitely aimed at young girls. It's just that it also appeals to the collector because it was so well made. There was a horse only for Madeline to ride, that was probably made similar to this one.
DeleteI do have an adult doll that will fit. There was a Miss Clavel doll made; she runs the school Madeline and her eleven friends attend. I have to clean her up; I bought her loose with a whole pile of other stuff. Including all the Angelina Ballerina furniture!
I love how all the Madeline stuff looks so real, (and the Angelina Ballerina stuff too.) That's so much better than Barbie pink! There must be kids who prefer realism. There is surely a Breyer horse that will fit the carriage,or try Paradise horses. Rural King carries some really good animals, so maybe some horses.
ReplyDeleteHmm, that's a difference between Columbus and Cleveland; no farmer's stores up here. (I lived for several years in Columbus.) Unless you're talking Rural King online. Hadn't heard of Paradise horses in any case, so thank you.
DeleteHi Barb, the carriage looks great. The photo with the long haired J-Doll is lovely, it doesn't show that she doesn't touch the seat at all. I wish you a successful hunt for a new horse :-).
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda. Glad to see you back!
DeleteThat carriage is gorgeous! It'll look brilliant with a Breyer (or other realistic horse in that scale) in front of it.
ReplyDeleteAnd the expression on Clementine the horse's face is too funny - as if someone had whispered something shocking or inappropriate into her ear! ;)
Thank you, jSarie. Yeah, I don't think I'd let Clementine pull a carriage of children; she looks like she is about to flip out. :)
DeleteWhat an adorable carriage. I didn't even know they made a Madeline doll...I love those books! :)
ReplyDeleteI liked the Madeline books too, but I also like how well-made and realistic a lot of the stuff in this line was. It's a win-win.
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