April 15th! Not a happy day…. No one likes paying taxes. To take a bit of the sting out of the 15th, I will deduct 15% off the price of anything you order today from A Sweet Remembrance. The sale starts at noon Eastern time today, April 15th, and runs through noon on Friday the 16th. Just enter the code tax day when you check out.
Category: Where to Shop
Sources for doll making supplies and materials.
Announcing Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll Class by Mail Pre-Order Offer
Greetings,
Are you as stunned as I am that Thanksgiving is on Thursday and that Christmas is only 33 days away? This year has just flown by. Last December, just after Christmas, I started this blog (www.izannahwalker.com) to give dollmakers additional information about using my Izannah Walker Doll clothes pattern and to chronicle my adventures while working on a set of patterns and instructions for a class on Izannah Walker Reproduction Dolls. It’s been a crazy year and I haven’t gotten as many blog posts up as I would have liked, but I have made quite a bit of progress on my pattern drafting and instructions. This is a project that has been in the planning stages for five years, so I am quite thrilled to be able to say that I am finally close to completion.
Normally I would just wait until the class was ready to go before putting out any type of announcement. However something happened last week that made me change my mind. I received several orders for Spun Cotton Ornament Classes that people happened to mention were Christmas presents. Every year, quite a few husbands buy the classes for their wives. I suddenly realized that maybe some of you, who have been waiting patiently for me to finish the class, might want to put it on your Christmas List this year.
So I am announcing the class now for February release and taking preorders. In order to stretch Santa’s shopping dollars a bit further, preorders placed before January 1st will receive a special 10% off deal. I’m sending out very special sweet certificates and vintage Izannah postcards (while my supply lasts) with each pre-January 1 early bird purchase, so that Santa has something to wrap or slip into your Christmas stocking. (Sorry, but this part of the offer has now expired.)
For those of you who aren’t dollmakers, I also have some wonderful new items about which you might want to drop hints to Santa. They will be up on my website in the next couple of weeks and will include new teddies, an adorable sock monkey, a C.W. Parker c. 1930 carousel horse and some very intriguing Victorian folk art wool balls.
Best wishes to all of you and yours for a truly bountiful and memorable Thanksgiving!
Please scroll down to read details about my Izannah Walker Dollmaking Class.
Paula
Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll Class by Mail Pre-Order Offer
To the best of my knowledge, this is the only comprehensive tutorial on how to make an authentic Izannah Walker reproduction doll and her clothing. I based this class on Izannah Walker’s original patent and drafted my doll and clothing patterns from two dolls I own that were made by Izannah Walker.
This is not a corner-cutting compromise approach, yet if you know how to sew, sculpt and paint and are willing to invest the time, you could end up with the best reproduction Izannah Walker doll in existence!
What is included in the class:
- Booklet full of step-by-step instructions with numerous detailed photographs
- Patterns for doll body and one complete set of clothing (dress, two petticoats, chemise, drawers)
- Detailed instructions for sculpting head and shoulder plate with accurate measurements taken from my antique Izannah Walker dolls
- Mold-making instructions
- Paint swatches and formulas to match colors from original Izannah Walker dolls
- Painting instructions
- Source list for all required materials
- Additional instructions for those wanting to take a short-cut approach
- Lifetime question and answer support at no additional charge
- Additional information provided via my Izannah Walker-themed blog, izannahwalker.com.
An optional material kit is also available at an additional charge. It includes historically-correct fabrics, antique notions (buttons and lace) and stuffing, enough to make one complete, fully-dressed doll. You will still need your own sculpting, mold-making and painting supplies.
Why this class is ideal for serious doll-makers
- With the detailed instruction booklet, you don’t have to be connected to the internet or be limited to working in front of your television screen.
- The open instruction book will lay flat on your work table
- You can make notes right in your booklet as a permanent record
- The instructions are infinitely reusable
Why should you buy from me?
Experience
- Dollmaker for 24 years
- Author of numerous magazine articles on dolls and doll-making
- Free-lance designer for national craft publications
- Restoration artist of antique dolls, bears and textiles
Izannah Walker doll owner
- Patterns are drafted and sculpting measurements directly taken from two original dolls plus extra original Izannah Walker clothing
Proven instructor
- Teaches at nationally-known arts and crafts schools including stints as artisan-in-residence
- Consistently highly-rated by students for knowledge, enthusiasm and encouragement
- Sold hundreds of patterns and Spun Cotton Ornament class kits via mail and supported these satisfied customers for many years
Historical expert
- Nationally-recognized historical artisan
- Early American Life top traditional craftsman 21 times in nine years, including clothing and accessories, textiles and needlework, toys and dolls categories
- Museum director and curator
Availability and pricing
To take this class in person, it would be a five-day session, with a cost of $700 for tuition and all materials, not to mention your travel expenses.
The regular price of this class will be $250. The optional material kit may be ordered for an additional $115. 75.
Take advantage of this special pre-order offer:
- Early ordering is now available at 10 percent off the regular prices above.
- Pay a deposit of 25 percent of the discounted price now with the balance due upon shipment. This deposit is non-refundable.
- Special pre-order certificate for gift-giving provided (see paper doll below)
- Free vintage Izannah postcard (while supplies last – see below)
(While orders are still being taken, the above special offer has now expired.)
The above offer will be good through January 1, 2010 only. After that date, pre-orders will still be taken, but will be at full price and may not ship on the initial release date of end of February.
In addition to the 10 percent savings, a benefit in buying now is that you will be assured of being in the first group to receive your class when they are ready. As with all my products, the Izannah Walker Doll Class by Mail includes free shipping.
All sales are final. Returns are not accepted. The doll pattern is not for sale separately, nor would it be possible to reproduce the doll without the rest of the class.
To place your order, go to the classes section of my website, asweetrembrance.com.
Another benefit for early-bird buyers
During 2010, I plan to offer additional clothing patterns drafted from items of original Izannah Walker doll clothing from my collection. Those who pre-order the class prior to January 1, 2010 will receive the same 10 percent off on every new Izannah Walker doll clothing pattern I release in this coming year during their first month of availability.
Watch for the announcements and your special limited-time ordering instructions!
For professional doll artists
Dollmakers who sell their works may sell a limited number of dolls made from the patterns included in this class as long as the dolls and advertising materials clearly credit Paula Walton/A Sweet Remembrance for the patterns and techniques used to make them.
Wilton Historical Society Fine American Craftsman Show
Next weekend on November 14 & 15 the Wilton Connecticut Historical Society is presenting it’s 24th annual Fine American Craftsman Show. I’ll be exhibiting at the show again this year and I’d like to invite you to visit the show and to stop by my booth for a chat.
I will have a good selection of some of the various things that I make. Currently I’m rushing against the clock to finish painting an antique Parker carousel horse. In between coats of paint I’m frantically gluing crepe paper and glitter on to spun cotton ornaments and stitching antique white mohair into teddy bears. I’m not going to be able to take along every that I make (for example I’m not taking patterns this year). So if there is something in particular that you want to buy, you can email me ahead of time and if I have one available I’ll bring it to the show and hold it there for you to pick-up.
For details about the show, please visit the Wilton Historical Society website at www.wiltonhistorical.org/craftsmanshow/index.html . I hope to see you there!
Pattern Sale
From now through Halloween all of my patterns, cross stitch charts and spun cotton ornament class by mail kits are on sale at 20% off. This includes my Izannah Walker Doll Clothes Pattern. Visit A Sweet Remembrance to shop the sale. The 20% discount is my Halloween “treat” to you.
Selecting the Appropriate Fabric for Your Doll’s Dress
I’m going to admit right up front that seeing an Izannah Walker style reproduction doll, or worse still, a re-dressed antique Izannah, wearing a dress made of fabric that does not fit the style and age of the doll is something that sets my teeth on edge. Ok, that means that I’m really, really picky. I find even the most beautifully made dress very distracting when the material used is obviously wrong. It takes my attention away from the doll itself. So I’m on a one-woman crusade to help doll makers find antique reproduction fabrics that will blend in with the style of their dolls and act as a perfect finishing touch to all of their hard work.
Finding a good selection of mid-1800’s reproduction print fabrics appropriate for dressing an Izannah Walker doll is very easy, due to the current popularity of quilting. Even better news for those of us interested in Izannah type doll making is that reproduction Civil War era quilts are very big with quilters right now, so there are a lot of different fabrics to choose from.
When looking at reproduction fabrics, remember you can always pick fabrics from an earlier time period than your doll, as people saved and re-worked the fabric from used garments. Doll clothing, like quilts, could easily have been made from someone’s stash of worn out clothing.
Locate a shop in your area that sells quilting fabrics and supplies. Give them a call to make sure that they have Civil War era fabrics, and then treat yourself to a field trip. Browse through the shop and enjoying imagining your dolls dressed in all of the interesting prints you will find.
If you prefer armchair shopping, I would like to suggest one of my favorite online sources for reproduction fabrics and one that you will find really easy to remember, www.reproductionfabrics.com . One of the best things about this site is that it is divided into time periods for you, which makes picking the right fabric a sure thing. Make sure to sign up for Margo’s newsletter. She shares very interesting textile tidbits and often has special sales for newsletter subscribers.
If you are looking for very fine white cottons, both plain and white on white, www.mini-magic.com is the place to go.
Some books on the subject that I find helpful are:
Dating Fabrics A Color Guide 1800-1960 by Eileen Jahnke Trestain
ISBN 0-89145-884-0
America’s Printed Fabrics 1770-1890 by Barbara Brackman
ISBN 1-57120-255-2
Two quilt books that have some great close-up photographs of antique fabric are:
American Folk Art Quilts by Maggi McCormick Gordon
ISBN 978-1-57076-400-4
American Quilts and Coverlets in The Metropolitan Museum of Art by Amelia Peck
ISBN 978-0-9797400-0-8
Laundry Day – Proper Washing Instructions for Antique Clothes
Today I am starting the first step in drafting patterns for my Izannah doll making class. Just like in any other type of pattern making, I have to first take accurate measurements before I can actually draw out the pattern. This means I need to start by undressing the doll.
Since I plan to measure both dolls and compare, then average their measurements, I’ll have to do everything twice. Being just like a child, and wanting to play with my new toy first, I’m starting with Izannah II. I really haven’t had the opportunity to actually sit down and spend a lot of time with her since she arrived here. Don’t think she’s been neglected; I’ve stared lovingly at her every time I pass by where she sits, so she doesn’t feel slighted.
Izannah II has only two garments, a chemise and a dress.After carefully removing both pieces of clothing from the doll, I decided to wash them prior to measuring.
These are the steps I use to launder antique textiles:
- First, and most importantly, I carefully look over the item I want to wash to make sure that I think it is sturdy enough to survive cleaning.I make sure that it isn’t colored with dyes that will run and bleed when wet and that the fabric itself retains its integrity and is not disintegrating.As a general rule, don’t wash antique silks and examine wools to make sure they have been washed previously before you wash them.Cottons and linens usually wash well.
- I wash all antique fabrics with distilled water and Orvus, which is a museum-quality washing paste. If I am washing white or light-colored cottons or linens that are stained or discolored, I bleach them using sodium perborate.Sodium perborate is heat-activated, so it’s necessary to heat the distilled water before using. Never use sodium perborate on wool or silk!.
If the item I’m washing is not too large, i.e. a piece of doll clothing, I usually wash it in an enamelware bowl. A plastic, glass, or other non-reactive bowl would also be fine to use. I place a small spoonful of Orvus in the bottom of the bowl, and then add several spoonfuls of sodium perborate, if I’m using bleach. Next I pour in the heated distilled water. The warmth of the water will dissolve the Orvus and make the sodium perborate start to work. If I want my wash water temperature to be a bit cooler, I add room temperature distilled water to the bowl, then stir and add the item I’m washing.- Soak laundry in the bowl for about an hour, then rinse with distilled water at least three times or until the rinse water remains clear. Occasionally whatever I am washing will be so dirty that I will need to repeat these steps and wash it a second time.
- After rinsing, gently lift the antique textile and place it on a clean white towel to dry flat. Use only previously laundered towels, not new ones. Make sure that you lay the textile out to dry in an area out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
- Because heat is an enemy of antique fabrics, try to keep ironing to a minimum. By carefully smoothing garments as I lay them out to dry, I can usually avoid ironing altogether.
Work day one is at an end, but I’ve gotten side tracked, and all I’ve managed to get done is the laundry! That has a very familiar ring to it. At least this laundry is a lot more fun than the run of the mill dirty t-shirts and jeans.
I generally buy my Orvus and sodium perborate from Mini-Magic. A friend of mine recently found sodium perborate for sale on eBay at a good price, so you might want to check there too. She also located some at The Chemistry Store.
Brown Polished Cotton Lining Fabric
Very often in the mid 1800’s woman and children’s dresses were lined with a medium brown polished cotton fabric, also known as glazed cotton, and cotton sateen. It was a very sturdy, neutral, long wearing choice of lining material.
My Izannah Walker doll without curls wears her original dress, which has a bodice lining and false hem made of this fabric. The pattern for her dress is the one that I sell labeled Izannah Walker Doll Clothes Pattern for 18-1/2″ Doll.
I currently have one source for this lining fabric. It is available online from the Fashion Fabrics Club located in St. Louis, MO. They are selling this 54-inch wide fabric for $6.95 per yard. I have ordered from them several times and always been quite pleased with their fabrics and service.
The Art of Pressing
I am not a big fan of ironing. In fact I will tumble clothes in the dryer over and over again to avoid ironing and one of my very favorite new products is Downy Wrinkle Releaser. Having made that perfectly clear, I would now like to state that there are sometimes when you just have to iron, and pressing seams is one of them.
Hand-sewn seams are most often not pressed open, because the seam will be stronger if the seam allowances are pressed together to one side.
Unless directed differently in your pattern instructions, machine-sewn seams should first be pressed to one side, just like hand-sewn seams, and then opened and pressed flat. This is probably an extra step that you aren’t used to taking, but trust me it will be worth your while to press your seams in this manner.
If you don’t already have one, you might consider getting a tiny quilting iron to use when pressing your doll clothes seams. They should be available at quilt and fabric stores in your local area, and they are certainly readily available online. This is a link to Connecting Threads, one of my favorite online sources for quilting supplies.
For all of you non-ironing fans, like me, cheer up. There is absolutely no reason at all for you to press seams when you are sewing your doll. You just need to iron her clothes.
“Button, button, who’s got the button?”
If you already own a copy of my Izannah Walker Doll Clothes Pattern for 18-1/2″ Doll then you know that the buttons called for in the pattern instructions are small white glass buttons with a painted rim. If you are searching for buttons like these, the best source is antique button dealers.
I buy quite a lot of old buttons and while my very favorite way to buy them is by the jar full, (for some reason old buttons are very often found inside of antique canning jars and sold by the jar) I very seldom find this particular type of button that way.
More often than not I buy individual buttons of this type from button dealers. Probably the most famous of all antique button shops in the U.S. is Tender Buttons. Located at 143 E 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065, (212) 758-7004. They are open weekdays 10:30 am – 6 pm; Saturday 10:30 am – 5:30 pm. Tender Buttons is a lot of fun to visit, but they aren’t the most cost effective place to buy your antique buttons. I’ve had the best luck and gotten the lowest prices buying buttons at Brimfield, the thrice-yearly outdoor antique extravaganza that takes over the town of Brimfield, MA. There are usually multiple button dealers that set up in Brimfield, many of whom congregate in the same location, making it easy to go from booth to booth.
I’ve also had whole huge cards of these buttons given to me by a friend. Obviously I have the BEST friends in the world! So spreading the word around and about that you are searching for glass buttons is also a good thing to do.
Izannah Walker Journal 