Recreating the Past…
Author: paulawalton
My name is Paula Walton. I’m a working craftsperson. I’ve been self-employed since 1986, when I started selling the items that I make under the name A Sweet Remembrance. Among other things, I am a doll maker, a dressmaker that specializes in reproduction women’s and children’s clothing, maker of spun cotton ornaments and holiday figures, and a freelance designer. Upon occasion I write magazine articles and am a Craftsperson in Residence. I teach and do demonstrations quite frequently, plus I was previously the director and curator of a small museum in Connecticut.
Beth’s Custom Ordered Doll
I don’t get asked to make too many black reproduction Izannah Walker dolls, so it is always a pure pleasure when someone requests one. ❤ This is Beth’s doll. She is a black version of my Hannah, with a vintage Tibetan lambskin wig, and bare feet. I’m just finishing her shoes, which was fine with this little Hannah. She told me quite firmly that it was too hot to wear shoes today, and if they had been finished that she wouldn’t have put them on!!! She definitely has a mind of her own…
Custom made doll for Beth
- click on any of the photos to enlarge
- Photography is NOT my best skill & black dolls are often difficult to get good images of. She is so much prettier in person!
August 23rd ~ Third Thursday ~ 1 Doll + Dresses Available for Sale
Thank you so much for coming to this Third Thursday! Everything is now SOLD. Please come back next month, on September 25th, for my annual Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration, when there will be more dolls and clothing available for sale. ❤
Summer is drawing to a close and my Third Thursdays are resuming! No Third Thursday in September, as the dolls will all be busy getting ready to celebrate Izannah Walker’s 201st Birthday on September, 25th! So you will have to wait 4 extra days next month to see what new dolls are available for sale 🙂
18 inch Isabeau with Bare Feet – SOLD $1525.00 A sweet, timeworn reproduction of the original “Isabeau”, wearing a long sleeved dress made using a pattern from an original Izannah Walker doll dress. Her other clothing is comprised of a linen chemise & petticoat, cotton pantalettes, stockings, handmade leather shoes, and a cotton “coral” print apron. All of the fabrics and buttons in her wardrobe are antique.
Pink & Black Print Dress – SOLD $250.00 This dress is lavishly trimmed with rows of black velvet ribbon. It is made from antique mid-19th century fabric and closes in the back with drawstrings. Sized to fit 18 – 19 inch Izannah Walker dolls ~ either the antique originals or my reproductions of them ❤ Skirt length is 8 inches.
White Eyelet Dress – SOLD $200.00 Pure white vintage eyelet. A lovely party dress for these last hot days of the year! Sized to fit 16 inch Izannah Walker dolls ~ if you have one of my reproduction Annas or Lizzybits this dress will fit them. It would be a bit loose & long on Izzybelle. The dress would also fit an 18 inch doll, if you prefer shorter skirts. Skirt length a scant 7 inches.
All items sold on a “first come” basis. Email me at p.walton.asweetremembrance@gmail.com to purchase. Paypal, credit cards, checks or money orders accepted for payment. Free priority mail shipping & full insurance to any U.S address. International orders ~ exact postage + $10 handling fee to help off set the extra time required for international shipping. No handling fee for Canada.
❤ At the current time I am not accepting any more custom orders. Once I manage to work through my backlog, I’ll start taking orders again ❤ If you have a particular doll or dress on your “wish list”, comment below. I’ll take “wishes” into consideration when making items for future Third Thursdays!
Putting the Finishing Touches on Items for Tomorrow’s Third Thursday
I’m just sewing on the final buttons and putting the last stitches in items for tomorrow’s Third Thursday! I’ll be posting my offerings for sale at Noon Eastern time. ❤
Before anyone asks tomorrow, I’m currently completely booked up for custom made dolls, and I am not taking any more orders at this time. Once I’m caught up on outstanding orders, I’ll begin accepting new orders again. ❤ ❤ ❤
Third Thursday Sale Tomorrow at Noon <3
These past few months I’ve been so swamped with custom work that my “Third Thursday” sales have fallen by the wayside. Tomorrow Third Thursdays are resuming!!! Please stop by at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time for a small offering of items to relaunch my monthly releases of reproduction Izannah Walker dolls and clothing. ❤ ❤ ❤
A Very Special Doll for Delores <3
I’ve been working on an interesting project for the last few months. I was asked to make a reproduction Izannah Walker doll based on the wonderful circa 1857 doll named Ella, that was sold by Withington’s Auction in 2008. The first step was to determine which of the 16 different molds that I have of Izannah’s original dolls would most closely resemble Ella. My Ismay was made around the same time period that Ella was and has a similar, though slightly thinner face. Ismay has had many more active adventures in her life than Ella has, and is not in as pristine condition. So my second step was to make a plaster positive of Ismay’s head and carefully re-sculpt the most worn areas. Then I made new molds from the plaster head. For reference I used the stunning photos taken by Withington’s for their 2008 catalog. It’s been a lovely process and I have so enjoyed conferring with Delores about her new doll! She is not an exact copy of Ella, as she blends bits of Ella and Ismay together, but I think she has captured Ella’s spirit. ❤ Tomorrow she will be traveling to her new home. I’ll miss having her sweet company in my studio, but I’m thrilled that she is finally going to join her new doll family!
A very special custom made doll for Delores ❤
- you may click on any individual photo to enlarge it.
A New Doll for Anita
This little doll is turning into quite a traveler ❤ She just returned from the 2018 Early American Life Craftsman Directory photo shoot, and in the morning she is leaving for her new home… Safe travels ❤
Maude Rouse’s 1865 Izannah Walker Doll
On April 12th Withington Auction sold an amazing Izannah Walker doll. The doll was
purchased in 1865 by Eastwood Eastwood, for his adopted daughter, Maude Rouse, of Central Falls, RI. A note detailing the doll’s provenance was stitched to the hem of her petticoat. Eastwood Eastwood was briefly the mayor of Central Falls. RI, where Izannah Walker lived and worked.*
I had the privilege of attending the auction and seeing Maude Rouse’s doll in person. It was a wonderful experience which I’d like to share with you. I hope you enjoy seeing the photos of this outstanding doll, which now lives in a very loving home with her third owner ❤ I can not imagine a better place for her to be!
c. 1865 Izannah Walker doll sold at Withington Auction 4/12/18.
Photos from the Withington auction preview on 4/11/18.
You may read more about Eastwood Eastwood here : https://politicalstrangenames.blogspot.com/2013/06/eastwood-eastwood-1834-1900.html?spref=fb
Withington auction 4/12/18
* Sometime between 1850 – 1853 Izannah Walker moved from Somerset Village, MA to Central Falls, RI, where she lived until her death on February 15, 1888. She died of consumption, now known as pulmonary tuberculosis, and is buried, alongside her best friend Emeline Whipple, in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI, which is not far from her home in Central Falls.
Happy Easter!
Do you remember this photo from my Easter 2009 post? Nine years feel like they have flown by and the dolls and I are once again wishing you a very Happy Easter!
I’ve just finished posting directions for making dyed silhouette eggs, like the one Isabeau is holding in this photo, on another one of my blogs, Paula Walton’s 18th Century Home Journal. If you’d like to know how to make these sweet nostalgic eggs click on this link: https://paulawalton.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/happy-easter-crafting-silhouette-eggs/
1 Very Special Dress Available Just in Time for Easter SOLD
Getting a new dress for Easter was a consistent annual occurrence during my childhood. I occasionally received a new dress at Christmas time, but I always had one for Easter. My mother made many of my Easter dresses… which makes remembering them even sweeter. Following in that tradition I have one very special Easter dress available for sale, so that you and your favorite doll can relive Easter memories of your own ❤
Easter dress for sale ❤
Easter dress for sale
Easter dress for sale
Easter dress for sale
Made from mid-19th century fabric that one graced the back of a hand pieced quilt, this dress features extra fabric which creates a very full skirt. The skirt has two growth tucks and a double row of black velvet trim. The very short sleeves also have double tucks and a single velvet band. More velvet trims the waist, which closes with a sash of the most amazing wide antique velvet ribbon. The drawstring at the neck casing and ribbon sash make the size of this dress somewhat adjustable. The dress, which has an 8 inch skirt length, will fit my 18 – 19 inch reproduction Izannah Walker dolls. The ties also make this dress very suitable for dressing fragile antique dolls and are very accommodating if you display your doll using a doll stand. I have gently hand washed this dress, but because the fabric had never previously been washed, the fabric retains much of it’s original sizing, which gives it a great deal of body.
SOLD Only one dress available. Email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com if you are interested in buying this dress, or have questions about it. The purchase price is $250.00, which includes free shipping to any US address. Payment via Paypal, credit card, or lay-away. Sold on a first come basis.
Izannah Walker Journal 