Big thank yous to both Alice Tessier and Laurie Gaboardi for the very nice article and lovely photos of our home and my studio that appear in the current issue of the Litchfield County Times magazine section.
If you’ve read the article and find a few things printed in it confusing, don’t worry, it isn’t your memory playing tricks on you! Take the article with a grain of salt & don’t believe everything you read. 🙂 No, I didn’t change my name, nor did I suddenly split into triplets, Paula, Pamela, & Paul! Early American Life did not suddenly scrub my name off of 25 of their Directories of the Top Traditional Craftsmen in America (I’ve been juried into the EAL directory 29 times, not 4). You cannot see photos of our home on Early American Life’s website, Facebook page or Twitter Account. You can see them on one of my blogs, Paula Walton’s 18th Century Home Journal. In spite of these errors and a few more wrong facts and misquotes, it is still an engaging write-up. If you would like to read the article and see the accompanying photos, follow this link.
I received my advance copy of Prims Winter 2014 issue right before Christmas. Today I finally found a few moments to sit down with a small friend and look over my article, while we shared a cup of tea and a slice of the wonderful nut roll that Mary sent me for Christmas.
You can read all about my portrait face New England rag dolls when this latest issue of Prims goes on sale January 1st. The dolls featured in the article are ones that I made for my Izannah Walker doll making class. They are variations on the class patterns, that allow class members to create additional types of cloth dolls. All told I made five different variations of my patterns for my students. Two of the dolls with painted cloth faces appear in the magazine. The patterns are free for class members and instructions for making the dolls are posted on the class site.
Work in progress. An early photo of one of the dolls shown in my Prims article.Another view of a doll from my Prims article.This is my second doll shown in Prims Winter 2014 issue.Another flat face variation made using my Izannah class patterns.Two more flat face portrait dolls that I made to inspire my students.Mary’s sweet yeast dough with a luscious nut filling is an indulgent treat. Mary’s grandmother taught her to bake the heirloom family recipe .
Our home is shown on the cover photo of EAL‘s December 2013 issue. You can see more of our house and my dolls in the article on pages 20-29.You can also see my full page ad on page 11 of Early American Life December 2013. I have to be the proud mom and say that my son Colin did an amazing job of creating this ad for me! 🙂
post script: Edyth, Thankful is in the ad on pg. 11. Patricia, your new doll is also in the ad, both dolls dressed in whites to go with the Christmas color theme. Charlotte, both of your dolls are in the top row of thumbnail photos in the ad. Evelyn, your doll is in the top row too. Mary’s doll is in the third row of thumbnails, along with Edyth’s and Patricia’s dolls again.
Susie, Suzy Belle is in the article on page 20, along with Charlotte’s Savannah and Kathy’s True Blue. Suzanne there are two photos of Charlcie on page 27.
p.p.s. – I forgot to say that the magazine is currently in the mail to subscribers and will be for sale in shops and on newsstands on 10/22/13…
Today marks the 196th anniversary of Izannah Walker’s birth. She was born in Bristol, Rhode Island on the 25th day of September in 1817. You may read more details about Izannah’s life in this post. I wish I could invite you all over to my house for cake and silly party games, but since I can’t, I’m doing the next best thing and having a SALE to celebrate the occasion and to say thank you for being such wonderful customers, students and friends. It is such a great pleasure to know other people who love Izannah’s dolls as much as I do!
From 9/25/13 – 9/29/13 all of my reproduction Izannah Walker dolls, additional custom made dresses and accessories for your Izzy, Izannah Walker doll clothes patterns and Izannah Walker Doll Making Classes are 10% off. This sale applies only to items ordered from September 25th through September 29th, 2013, the discount is not available on prior orders. As always, all items may be placed on lay-away with terms to fit your budget and shipping is free to any United States address. I generally just have two sales per year, my Izannah Walker Birthday Sale and my Christmas Sale 🙂 So don’t let this one pass you by.
Three Finished Dolls Available
I have three very special dolls available for this years Birthday Sale. One of them is created from a brand new mold that I made from my friend Mary’s Izannah Walker doll, Anna. Thank you Mary!!! Anna is 17 inches tall, so she is a smaller size than my other dolls and has the look of a younger, chubbier child. All three of these dolls have very aged appearances, befitting young ladies that were made early in Izannah’s doll making career. They each come with two elaborate dresses, full of wonderful little details to delight the heart of any dress maker, a chemise, pantalettes, petticoat and necklace.
Isabeau #1 SOLD – Thank you so much for stopping by to look at her! Please contact me if you would like to order a custom made doll similar to this one.
SOLD Isabeau #1 comes with a necklace made from hand strung pale pink bone beads.SOLD Her dress, made from antique pink and black print fabric is adorned with rows and rows of black velvet ribbon.SOLD Isabeau #1 wearing her winter white antique wool dress. I made this dress from an antique unfinished, so never worn, wool baby’s petticoat.A surprise sentiment hides inside the waist band of her dress, which fastens with hand carved bone buttons.Details showing the antique trims used on the sleeves of Isabeau’s embroidered wool dress.three ringletsSOLD Isabeau #1 Wardrobe
Isabeau #2 – SOLD Thank you!
SOLD Isabeau #2 shows off her hand strung real coral beads.SOLD Isabeau #2 is wearing a dress that I made for her from a mid-1800’s brown “coral” pattern print fabric. The dress has full gathered sleeves, two growth tucks in the skirt and a deep 3 inch hem.SOLD Isabeau #2 in her black party frock. The dress fabric dates to the late 1800’s. Rows of antique black velvet ribbon encircle the sleeves, waist and hem of the dress.
SOLD Isabeau #2 wardrobe
Anna #2 – NOW SOLD THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOOKING. Even though this one is sold you may order a custom made Anna style doll, and if you love these dresses I have enough fabric to make another set just like them.
SOLD Anna#2 wears a tiny golden thimble on a chain around her neck.SOLD Anna #2 is shown here wearing her dress made from a very early c. 1830-1840 cotton gauze paisley print. The green, red, brown and ivory fabric is perfect for late fall and the upcoming Christmas season. The sleeves and skirt of the dress have graduated growth tucks.SOLD Anna’s black dress is made from another very early cotton print fabric. The neckline of the dress is trimmed with antique ivory cotton ribbon, plus a row of antique silk velvet ribbon. Her chemise is trimmed in tiny waved braid (aka rick rack in modern terms).
SOLD Anna #2 WardrobeIsabeau #2 & SOLD Anna #2 show off a little Black Magic for All Hallows Eve. Black dresses are one of my favorites year around because they are a neutral accent in any room and the dark color will draw your eye to the doll and make her painted features “pop” and glow.
Are you wondering where Anna #1 is? In the very near future she is going to be living with Mary, her older sister Anna and all of her Walker cousins in Vermont. Members of my Izannah Walker Doll Making Class may read about my adventures in making Anna #1 in a continuing series of posts on the class member site.
To see photos of the original Miss Anna, follow these links:
I am a much better doll maker than I am a photographer. All of the girls look so much nicer in person. If you would like to see more photos of any of the dolls before placing an order, just ask. To purchase any of these dolls please visit my website ASweetRemembrance.com or alternately you may email paula@asweetremembrance.com or call 860-355-5709.
Time worn, well loved dolls are the ones that kindle the fiercest love in my heart, but I know that some of you dearly love newer, more pristine dolls. Don’t despair, I would be happy to make you the Izannah Walker doll that inhabits your dreams and has captured a place in your heart. Call or email me to place a custom order, 860-355-5709 ( 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time) or paula@asweetremembrance.com. I do have a bit of a waiting list for custom work, so the sooner you order the better.
Email (paula@asweetremembrance.com) or call me (860-355-5709) about prices and available fabrics for custom made doll clothing and accessories. Simple dresses made from antique fabric start at $200 apiece. More elaborate dresses with a greater number of tucks, fuller skirts, rows of ribbon or lace trim, embroidery or more costly antique fabrics run from $250 -$275 and may go upwards. Handmade leather shoes are $75. Any custom order is 10% off during the sale. Scroll up to see the new style of dress that I made for Anna #2. The fully lined dress has a slim cut bodice and sleeves, with a cartridge pleated skirt and velvet ribbon trim. The cost of an identical dress is $295, if the dress must be fully lined, or $275 for one with a lined bodice.
I don’t have a pattern available yet for smaller size clothing to fit Anna.
To read more about my Izannah Walker Doll Making Class by Mail follow this link to my website, where you may also order the class. The class comes with unlimited support, plus a class member only discussion site that features extra bonus material and patterns, including five different flat faced heads that work with the rest of your Izannah class patterns so that you can create a variety of different cloth dolls as friends for your Izzys! Sophie and Mae, two of my dolls that I made using the flat faced patterns will be featured in the Spring 2014 issue of Prims magazine.
Time For A Party
After trying on all their new clothes and posing for their photo shoot, the girls and I spent some time in the kitchen baking Izannah a birthday cake. We all agreed that it was the perfect treat to celebrate the birthday of our very favorite doll maker!
The recipe for the cake came from The Best of Shaker Cooking by Amy Bess Miller and Persis Fuller. I chose this recipe because it is one that would have been in use during Izannah’s lifetime and is filled with apples, the perfect seasonal fruit for an autumn birthday. I picked apples to use from our oldest apple tree. It is a very firm, late season cooking apple that I have never been able to positively identify. We grow our apples organically, so they are not picture perfect, but I’m sure apples just like these would have been a familiar site to Izannah.
Apple Cake
from Shirley Shaker Village
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 apples, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup currants or raisins
powdered sugar
ground cinnamon
Cream butter and gradually add 1/2 of the sugar, beating well. Beat egg with remaining sugar, add to first mixture. Sift in flour, salt and baking powder alternately with the m ilk. Flavor with vanilla. Add apples and currants or raisins. Beat well to mix and turn into a well-buttered 9 inch cake tin, square or round.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon, and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes. Makes 1 cake.
Read my latest article in the Summer 2013 issue of Prims magazine and look for my ads in Prims and Art Doll Quarterly.
I’m very pleased to announce that the Summer 2013 issue of Prims, which features an article about three of my bears, will be on sale tomorrow. If you would like to see more of my bears please visit my website, Paula Walton’s A Sweet Remembrance, or go to my blog, Paula Walton’s 18th Century Home Journal, for photos and tips on restoring antique and vintage teddy bears.
For all of you thinking about ordering a custom made Izannah Walker reproduction doll, I am now taking orders for dolls to be completed in the first and second quarters of 2013. I’m currently working on two special order dolls, two custom dresses and a pair of shoes for the recently sold Charlcie. New orders will be added to my schedule after these items are done. I’ve also started several new heads, which will become dolls at some point in the near future.
If you would like to discuss turning the doll of your dreams into a reality, or if you are curious about the new heads that have started on their journey towards becoming real dolls, please contact me, paula@asweetremembrance.com or 860-355-5709.
Charlcie gets her first look at the article about her and her sisters in Prims Winter 2013, while Savannah peeks over her shoulder.
Update, Charlcie has found her new home just in time for Christmas!
My first copy of the new Prims Winter 2013 issue arrived yesterday. Charlcie and Savannah couldn’t wait to open it and read all about themselves! The magazine is scheduled to be in stores on January 1st. Susie Belle has already moved to her new home in Virginia. Savannah is sold and on lay-away, so I get the pleasure of her company for a bit longer. Charlcie is very happy that her sisters have such wonderful new homes and hopes that she will find one of her own very soon!
Charlcie (SOLD), Savannah(SOLD), Susie Belle (SOLD) and True Blue after the Early American Life photo shoot at our house on Saturday.
12/12/12 NOTE: SUSIE BELLE IS SOLD. Wish her a safe and speedy journey on Santa’s sleigh, as he delivers her to her new home on Christmas Eve.
12/14/12 NOTE: SAVANNAH IS SOLD.
12/22/22 NOTE: CHARLCIE IS SOLD.
I have three new dolls that are available for sale, just in time for Christmas. All of them are featured in the upcoming Winter 2013 issue of Prims magazine. As many of you know, I don’t usually name my dolls, but I did name these three. You can read their story, along with a bit about how they were made and a some of my doll making tips in the magazine, which goes on sale January 1st.
Each of the dolls is fully dressed in clothing made from antique fabrics and lace. If you’ve been dreaming of a doll with her own antique trunk full of dresses sitting under your tree on Christmas morning, that can be arranged 🙂 I have an antique doll trunk for sale, which can be filled with gift certificates for custom made dresses. Charlcie, Savannah, or Susie Belle accompanied by the antique trunk and dress certificates would make a very memorable and touching Christmas gift. I am including a signed copy of Prims along with each doll. There is also a chance that these dolls will be appearing in Early American Life magazine next year. EAL was here on Saturday to shoot photos of our home for their 2013 Christmas issue. At this point I have no idea which photos they will choose to use in the magazine article 🙂
To purchase Charlcie, Savannah(SOLD), or Susie Belle(SOLD) please visit my website asweetremembrance.com. If you would like to add additional clothing, shoes or antique doll trunks to your order you may call me (860-355-5709) or email me (paula@asweetremembrance.com) I would be happy to talk to you at any time about my dolls, answer any questions you may have, or send you additional photos. As always, lay-away is an option on any purchase.
Charlcie, shown on the right, with my original antique Izannah, on the left, that her molds and pattern were taken from.Savannah (SOLD) has a red coral bead necklace and a chemise trimmed in red tatting.*SOLD* Susie Belle has delicate wispy hair and a dress made from an amazing early “cheddar” print cotton fabric.Charlcie, Savannah (SOLD) and Susie Belle (SOLD) are looking forward to adventures in their new homes during 2013.
12/11/12 Update. An article about three of my reproduction Izannah Walker dolls will be in the Winter 2013 issue of Prims. The article about my bears will appear in Prims Spring 2013.
Articles about several of my dolls and bears are going to appear in the upcoming Winter issue of Prims magazine, available on January 1st. I haven’t see the magazine yet, but it looks like it’s going to be a great issue with some really interesting work from a terrific group of artists. Stampington Company’s magazines are beautiful, but a bit pricey, so I thought I’d share this tip with you. If you pre-order the Winter 2013 issue of Prims by November 23rd you can save $2 and get free shipping 🙂
Izannah Walker Journal 