Paula Walton’s doll-making notes
I’ve just finished a very special reproduction Izannah Walker doll for Pamela. I was fortunate enough to get to meet Pamela at the 2014 UFDC convention, where we had a great time chatting and planning all of the details for this doll. She is made from my mold of Anna, an adorable little antique Izannah Walker doll that belongs to my friend Mary.
More cloth dreams… My winter issue of Doll News arrived today and low and behold there is another article in it about the UFDC special exhibit on American cloth dolls at the 2015 convention! So while the winter winds blow and rattle all the old windows in my house, I plan to snuggle in my bed under a mound of hand pieced quilts and read more about all of these glorious cloth dolls and their makers. Sweet cloth dreams are sure to follow… Sleep tight!
American Women Dream in Cloth… don’t you just love that title? The January issue of Antique Doll Collector magazine contains this very intriguing article, about the special exhibit on cloth dolls that was at the UFDC convention last summer. It was the perfect reading for a cold and blustery winter’s day.
So while the baby napped, this American woman filled her head with daydreams of glorious cloth dolls, both past and future…
Sadie and I are both looking forward to next months issue so that we can continue our cloth dreams by reading the second half of the article. 🙂
All of the girl’s were thrilled to receive a letter from Hannah Grace! . She said that keeping busy helps when she is lonely for her friends and family in CT, so she has begun working on a few projects.
Hannah is trimming photos of her loved ones to fit in her locket. She is planning to go shopping for ribbon this weekend so she can wear the locket and keep the pictures close to her heart. Hannah wants to share her quilt top with Mr. Ginger and plans to finish quilting it later this winter.She also has a small embroidery project she wants to work on and is in the process of choosing colors.
What a busy young lady!!! Now all of the doll’s are clamoring about starting winter projects of their own…
I’ve just finished working on this reproduction of Isabeau for Susan. She is an 18-1/2 inch tall reproduction Izannah Walker doll. For Susan’s doll I reproduced the cracked and peeling paint surfaces on the original Isabeau that I made her mold from. The paint and layers of paste on her nose have been worn away, down to the underlying stockinette, just like on the original.
This doll has an antique pink linen second skin, like many of Izannah Walker’s earliest dolls did. Her dress is made from a wonderful thin white cotton, which has aged to a pale ecru. It has a skirt with four narrow tucks and a gathered ruffle of broderie anglaise, gathered sleeves banded with additional eyelet trim, an antique cotton tape drawstring at the neck of the dress, which is embellished with eyelet and tatting, and a wide waistband with eyelet and embroidered cotton ribbon. Her chemise is made from antique lace trimmed cotton and her pantalettes were originally part of a pair of women’s 19th century panteletts. She has two petticoats made from antique cotton and broderie anglaise. Her stockings were made from bits of antique cotton stockings and her shoes are handmade red leather.
This little Isabeau is so looking forward to beginning her travels, as she is longing to make the acquaintance of her new family ❤
Meet Hannah Grace, the first doll made from a mold that I created directly from Hannah, my most recently acquired antique Izannah Walker doll. Hannah Grace’s new mom, Janet, picked out all of her clothing fabrics and styles ❤
Hannah’s Warm Winter Wool Challis Dress
I made this dress out of a worn 19th century antique paisley shawl. The dress has many hand sewn details, including a cartridge pleated skirt and herringbone stitched seam finishes.
Hannah’s Summer Party Frock
For warm weather and fancy occasions Hannah Grace has a floral paisley dress made from antique gauze weight cotton. The dress has split sleeves with two different antique trims ❤
This summer dress is a bit shorter so that the eyelet tabs on her petticoat show 🙂
Still Haven’t Seen Enough?
If you would like to see EVEN MORE photographs of Janet’s Hannah Grace she has a photo album on my A Sweet Remembrance facebook page. Click here to visit it.
Thank you for stopping by to see us! We are so glad you came.
On this New Year’s Day my hope for each and every one of you is that 2016 will bring you a year full of peace, happiness, and well-being! May your days be filled with simple pleasures and quiet beauty.
My new year’s reflections upon the waning 2015 are filled with gratitude. I am so thankful that I am able to spend my days creating dolls and other works that I love. It brings me great happiness and quiet contentment to bring to life the Izannah dreams of such wonderful group of collectors and fellow Izannahphlies.
As a few of you know, this year has been a bit of a challenge for me. My father died during the summer and I have had Lyme disease for about 5 or 6 months. I am overwhelmingly grateful for the amazing graciousness, tolerance and understanding of everyone who has had a custom ordered doll or restoration work scheduled during 2015. You have been unfailingly kind and supportive when I have fallen behind on the scheduled completion dates for your dolls. Thank you!!! I am currently feeling better than I have for months and am so looking forward to this new year and being able to get caught back up on my work load. I love all of the dolls that are currently in my studio and I look forward to sharing them with you in the upcoming weeks and months! Happy New Year to all!!!
Wishing everyone a very special Christmas to remember & a bright and shiny new year!
Do you remember the first doll you ever made? My first doll was actually twins! Two identical dolls made for my oldest two son’s first and third birthdays. I made them in February and March of 1984, from a pattern that my mother gave me. She had purchased the pattern ten years or so earlier, when my little sister was small, but had never gotten around to actually making a doll from it.
At the time I made the dolls we had just moved 6 weeks earlier, from Nebraska to Minnesota. My husband was traveling a lot, and after I got everything unpacked I worked on the dolls during nap times and at night, after the boys were in bed. Since the dolls were the same, Blair got to open his two weeks early, on Ian’s birthday in mid-March.
Later that same year I made my very first teddy bear, as a Christmas gift for my then 20 month old son. I remember frantically sewing away, trying to get the bear done around midnight on Christmas Eve… Somethings never change! 🙂
Yesterday my friend Joy and I decided that we could squeeze in an impromptu trip to Pamela Dalton’s Christmas Open House. So we piled into the car and ventured north to the village of Harlemville. The drive flew by as we talked and admired all of the small towns we passed through!
We had a wonderful time looking at all of the amazing fine crafts that Pamela and her group of friends created. Then surprise!!! Who was there? My friend Peggy!!!
Peggy is a talented, creative doll maker, who lives in a charming old house by the sea. She has an enchanting blog that I love to read.
The afternoon came to a close with strolling carolers. It was a story book ending to a lovely Open House! Afterwards, Peggy and her dear friend Sandy invited us back to Sandy’s house for supper. It was so nice to finally meet Sandy in person! Peggy has told me so much about her and Pam had told me last month that she had a friend (Sandy) who loved dolls and that she was sure would like to meet me. Sandy is every bit as nice, creative, and charming as they both told me she is. 🙂 She is also another old house owner and the creative force behind Sandy Connors’ Honey Bee Press – old fashioned wood engraving and printing.
Sandy was the perfect hostess, welcoming us into her home, introducing us to her sweet pets, feeding us and showing us through her lovely c. 1830’s home.
Naturally I was quite delighted to make the acquaintance of the doll family that lives in Sandy’s home.
What an unexpected delight and a welcome interlude in the midst of a busy holiday season!!!
Today I had the fun of reliving yesterdays adventure, when I unpacked the treasures that I purchased at the Open House.
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Izannah Walker Journal 