If you’ve been thinking about taking my Izannah Reproduction Doll Making Class, this would be a good time to buy. My Mid-Summer Sale ends at midnight on 7/28. If you order the class before the end of the sale you can save $37.50, and as always, I ship within the US for free.
Category: Where to Shop
Sources for doll making supplies and materials.
Mid-Summer Sale
One of my favorite things about summer is that my best friends and I usually manage to work in at least a day or two to get together and work on something “crafty”. This summer it looks like we’ll be spending a day rug hooking and maybe another day experimenting with pink Rockford red heel socks, making “girly” sock monkeys. I’d also like to find time for us to get together to make plant markers out of vintage silverware and concrete “fairy houses” for our gardens.
So I thought that I’d run a mid-summer sale on my Spun Cotton Ornament Class by Mail and my Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll Class by Mail to make your summer crafting more affordable. Take advantage of this 15% off sale to learn something new, either with a group of friends or on your own. Visit http://www.asweetremembrance.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=40 to order my Spun Cotton Class and http://www.asweetremembrance.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=273 to order my Izannah Class on sale through July 28.
If you would like to be notified of future sales and other news, please sign up for my mailing list, the form is located at the bottom of my website home page.
Reproduction Izannah #2 SOLD
This is the reproduction Izannah that I’m currently working on. I thought you might enjoy seeing a sneak peak . As you can see she still needs ears, hair, arms and legs. Not to mention clothing.
Even though she’s not complete, she is now sold. I do have five more dolls started. I’ll be posting more photos as I get them finished, so please check back! 🙂 Or email me for details on available dolls – paula@asweetremembrance.com.
One New Izannah Available
I have one new, historically accurate, 18-1/2 inch tall Izannah Reproduction Doll available.
This is an all cloth doll. Her head is made from layers of pressed stockinette and cotton. She has bare feet with individually stitched toes, applied thumbs, and is painted with artist oils. This doll and her clothes are based on one of the original antique Izannah Walker dolls that I own.
She is wearing a chemise, pantalettes, and dress made from antique fabrics. Her petticoat is an antique, and does have some imperfections, but is still a beautiful garment. Her second skin is made from antique glazed linen. If you would prefer, you may choose the brown dress made from a reproduction print fabric instead.
Her photo album is below. Please feel free to call (860-355-5709) or email (paula@asweetremembrance.com) me if you are interested in purchasing this doll and have any questions that you’d like answered, or would like to see any additional photos. I’d also be happy to chat with you about other available dolls.
Treasure Hunting
Last Thursday my husband, Brian, and I went to Brimfield, MA for the day. We spent seven and a half hours walking through the fields that border the main street of the town, shopping for antiques.
We managed to unearth some fabulous ‘treasures”. Among our finds were a handful of the painted milk glass buttons that I use on my Izannah dresses. I was able to purchase both brown and purple rimmed buttons for $1 each, but I had to pay $2 for pink ones.
My other sewing and doll related goodies include a vintage velvet pincushion, two wonderful, very early, 19th century samplers, a sweet mid-19th century cloth doll, a small gray doll chair – just the right size for an Izannah , a mohair terrier, and a whole bag full of millinery flowers, ribbons and trims.
I rounded off my shopping by buying a tiny glass vase, a purple transferware plate, an extremely heavy concrete planter in the shape of a woman’s head, a surprise Christmas gift for a dear friend (no I can’t say what it is), and half a dozen vintage aprons.
Obviously if you have a chance you should go to one of Brimfield’s thrice annual antique sales, held in May, July and September each year. Some years I don’t buy much at all, and other times I fill up the van, but it is always enjoyable. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes!
April 15th One Day Sale
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.
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
Izannah Walker Journal 