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
Izannah Walker Journal 