Just Finished and Available For Sale – Now Sold

March 10, 2011April 27, 2011 paulawalton5 Comments

This doll has been sold and will soon be leaving for her new home in upstate NY.

I stayed up late into the night sewing lace onto sheer white cotton because I dearly wanted to finish this doll. I was full of impatience to see what she would look like, once I finally dressed her in all of her frothy layers. It was well worth the effort, since I am very pleased with how she turned out and had sweet dreams of her while I slept.

Since I snapped these photos just before I stumbled up to bed, I had to use a flash. Her paint does not have as shiny a finish as the glare from the flash makes it appear. She looks so much more wonderful in person. Late night, sleep deprived photography is never my best.

The paint on this doll looks very old, you can see areas where the paint has worn through to show the underlying weave of her stockinette head. Her hands look like they have held countless cups of pretend tea, been clutched for comfort by a small owner, and generally loved for years on end.

The dressmaking details of her clothing include French seams to join the panels of her sheer white skirts, two rows of tucks at her dress and sleeve hems, three rows of tucks on the bottom of her pantalettes, and hand stitched lace flounces around the edges of her knee length chemise, pantalettes, and apron. All of the fabrics and laces that I used in making her clothing are antique, and she comes with an antique doll’s petticoat that I have cleaned and restored. I wish that I would have been able to add a few more rows of tucks to her dress, but I just did not have enough fabric.

The doll herself stands 18 inches tall. She has a pressed cloth head, oil painted head, shoulders and limbs, and is filled with organic cotton stuffing. Her body is covered in antique, glazed linen.

Even though it is overcast and rainy again today, I think this young lady needs a ruffled white sunbonnet to keep her shoulders from burning and ward away freckles. I do still have a few bits of fabric and lace left…

You can purchase this sweet girl for $1200, which will include her sunbonnet and free shipping if you live in the US. If you love her just the way she is and feel that you don’t want a bonnet, she would be a bit less. Please call me at 860-355-5709 or email paula@asweetremembrance.com if you are interested in buying her, or would like to ask questions.

Now that I have posted this, I suppose I really will have to break down and do all of the house cleaning that I’ve been putting off while I sewed. Especially since I have someone coming on Saturday for a private tutorial. 🙂 It would be nice if she could walk in the door and not be immediately buried in fabric and tripped up by stray threads! LOL

Doll Clothing · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll

Today’s Doll

March 6, 2011April 27, 2011 paulawalton2 Comments

Thank you for looking, this doll has been sold.

It’s a quiet rainy Sunday here. A sleepy day full of billowing white fog and the sound of raindrops bouncing along the roof. I’ve been sorting through my piles of antique fabrics and lace, pulling out lovely pieces of sheer woven white on whites, embroidered whites and wonderful soft laces. It may be that I’ve been influenced by the fog, or maybe I’m longing for forgotten summer days and the look of sheer white flounces on little girls dressed their Sunday best. What ever the reason, I feel inspired to sew layers and layers of ruffled and tucked white clothing.

A shy looking, sweet-faced Izannah with wavy curls is going to be the recipient of my indulgence in all white dress making. She is sitting patiently by my side as I sew, being good as gold while I measure again and again. Holding quite still as I drape first one fabric, then another around her.

I tell myself that I’m being quite virtuous by working all day, which is my justification for ignoring all of the cleaning and laundry that I should be doing. But in my heart of hearts I know that I am really taking a day to spend playing with my dolls. 🙂

Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Doll Clothing · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll

Chemises

February 14, 2011February 16, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

I’m sure that you can all call to mind an image of a classic Izannah Walker doll, wearing a charming print dress with a neckline that gently hugs her shoulders. Layered under her dress will be a chemise, petticoats and pantalettes.

When you are dressing your Izannah Walker doll it is important for her undergarments to have the proper fit. If your doll will be wearing a low cut dress then her chemise must be cut to match.

It has been speculated that Izannah Walker was making dolls as early as the mid 1840’s. Low shoulder baring gowns were fashionable for young children beginning in the late 18th century through the mid 1860’s. After the Civil War necklines on children’s dresses and chemises rose. The doll shown on the left, in the photo above, wears her original chemise that shows all of her shoulders, right up to the top of her arms. The hem line of this chemise falls below her knees. The doll on the right also wears her original chemise, but it’s neckline and hemline are both higher, with the bottom of the garment ending just below her hips (click here for another view). Both chemises are made of cotton sheeting.

The fit of the doll’s chemises are very true to life and match the fit of corresponding real chemises of the period.

Chem-back-600_5225 — c. 1860 calf length, machine stitched, cotton sheeting chemise with Turkey red embroidered eyelet and a single inital.

A chemise is the garment that was worn closest to the body. Stays/corsets were worn over the top of the chemise, followed by petticoats. Pantalettes, once they were introduced in the early 19th century, were worn under the chemise to cover the legs. If a chemise fits properly, even though the neckline is off the shoulder, it will easily stay in place without falling off.

Shirt-point-600_5236 — Machine stitched cotton sheeting chemise with fantastic hand embroidered yoke and sleeve trim.

Shirt-detail-400_5238 — Close up view of embroidered detail.

CH-shirt-600_5243 — Machine stitched linen chemise with tatted lace trim and red embroidered initals and number. Chemises, men's shirts and sheets were often embroidered with initals and numbered, to make sure that they were rotated evenly.

Sleeve-rt-600_5244 — Sleeve and gusset detail.

Shirt-front-600_5234 — Machine stitched cotton sheeting chemise with hand embroidered yoke and crochet lace.

If you would like a closer look at any of the small photos, you can enlarge them by clicking on the image.

Directions for making the Izannah era heart shaped pin cushion and emery that the dolls are holding are on my 18th Century Home Journal.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Doll Clothing · Drawings and Give Aways! · Izannah Reproduction Doll Class · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

A Year Full of Celebration, Contests, Surprises and Special Events!

January 29, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

This year is the 25th anniversary of my business, A Sweet Remembrance, which I began in June, 1986. To mark the occasion I am planning a year filled with fun, whimsical, interesting, informative and sometimes down right silly events, drawings, contests and classes!

Lace-600-4963 — This is the antique fabric and lace that I am giving away in the drawing. Can't you just picture it made up into the perfect summer dress for an Izannah Walker doll? All she would need to celebrate the 4th of July would be a tiny vintage flag!

The first drawing for all of my Reproduction Izannah Walker Doll Making students will be for a dress length of antique fabric and enough antique lace to trim a full set of underclothes for your doll. All of the details are posted on the class member site.

If you would like to take the class and have a chance at winning the fabric and lace, there is still plenty of time. The drawing will close on Memorial Day.

Doll Clothing · Restoration and Conservation

A Fortunate Find

January 27, 2011January 30, 2011 paulawalton2 Comments

During the holidays I had a chance to go rummage around some vintage clothing stores with my youngest son and his girlfriend. We unearthed several treasures, including this antique doll dress made of a ombre printed pink cotton. The dress is not quite right for any of my Izannahs, but it will be perfect on one of my antique German bisque dolls.

The first thing I did once I got the dress home was to wash it using Orvis and sodium perborate. If you would like to read more about how to do this, check out my previous post on the subject.

Dress antiq 400_4397 — This is what the dress looked like when I bought it.

An dress 400_4429 — A good washing made a huge difference to it's appearance and will help prolong the life of the fabric.

An dress close 400_4430 — A close-up look at the dress fabric.

Doll Clothing · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

My Latest Doll

January 15, 2011March 3, 2011 paulawalton2 Comments

Here are photos of the doll that I just finished. She is already spoken for, but if you are smitten with her, you may order a doll just like her. The fabrics that I used for her clothing are all antique, so they are one of a kind, with the exception of the striped linen in her petticoat, which I do have more of. I also have some similar double pink fabric, both antique and new, which would both make up wonderfully into dresses like this one.

If you would like to order a doll, please email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com or call 860-355-5709.

Doll Clothing

The Frugal Dressmaker

November 5, 2010November 5, 2010 paulawalton2 Comments

This week I followed in the steps of many dressmakers before me. I used the scraps leftover from a two piece reproduction c.1860’s woman’s dress to fashion a child’s gown from the same period for one of my dolls. Frugal seamstresses have been making dolls and their clothing from bits and pieces of fabric culled from other sewing projects for centuries. I thought you might enjoy seeing photos of both the dresses together.

Dresses 600_4087 — The doll and the dress are shown on an early Rhode Island press bed. The coverlet on the bed is a 19th century purple and white handwoven linsey woolsey with a center seam. To the right of the bed is one end of an antique Amish quilting frame.

The fabric is a plaid silk taffeta. Both gowns are lined in brown polished cotton and trimmed with black velvet. I cut the skirt of the doll’s dress on the bias and cartridge pleated it to the waistband.

The doll pictured here is sold. She’s on lay-away. The doll size plaid taffeta dress is available.

Doll Clothing · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

What to Wear???

November 2, 2010 paulawaltonLeave a comment

Hmmm… decisions, decisions. What to wear today??? Pink, brown or cheddar orange?

This doll is currently available with any one or all of the three dresses shown here.

For more details please see her full description on my website, or feel free to call 860-355-5709 or email me paula@asweetremembrance.com. I would also be happy to answer any questions you might have about placing a custom order, or be happy to chat if you’d just like to say “hi”.

Doll Clothing · Reference Materials

Inspiration!

October 24, 2010 paulawaltonLeave a comment

Looking for some fashionable ideas for your Izannah’s fall wardrobe? Antique paper dolls are a great window into the past when you are researching historically accurate clothing.

Doll Clothing · Izannah Reproduction Doll Class

Period Appropriate Dress Trim

August 23, 2010January 6, 2012 paulawaltonLeave a comment

In the mid-nineteenth century dressmakers applied many intricate trims to the garments they fashioned. One of my favorites is a very economical and ingenious trim, made by cutting apart striped fabric, turning under the edges and sewing it onto contrasting dress material.

I made this dress using the Izannah Walker Doll Clothes pattern that I sell, which is also included in my Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll Making Class. Instead of using brown polished cotton to face the hem, I used a red floral print. The trim was cut from alternating rows of striped fabric and applied around the skirt, cuffs and shaped waistband. I also used it for the band around the neckline.

Other alterations to the pattern include a shorter skirt length and additional fullness in the skirt, which I was able to add by making cartridge pleats rather than gathers.

I always enjoy making this type of trim, mainly because I think it’s such a neat idea. It doesn’t cost much money to do, which would have been an important consideration at the time. All you need is striped fabric, new or recycled, scissors, an iron and some time. I find that spray starch is also helpful, but it’s not a necessity.

Here are two more examples of the same type of trim. Both are reproduction children’s dresses that I have made. The photos show both the original dresses and the reproductions.