Welcome to our birthday tea party in honor of Izannah Walker, an extraordinary doll maker, who was the first woman to receive a United States Patent for her doll making method!
The dolls and their guests have gathered in the front parlor, while I brew a pot of tea. This afternoon we will be serving a combination of Earl Grey, lavender and ground vanilla beans. I drink mine with a bit of sugar, Isabeau and Zanna prefer lavender honey in theirs and little Izzybelle likes her cup partially filled with warm milk and a heaping spoonful of sugar, then topped up with tea!
A large scoop of Earl Grey tea, lavender flowers and a pinch of ground vanilla beans… total bliss!“Welcome!” “We are so glad you could come!”“Have you met our dear friend Lily? She just moved from Toledo to Michigan and now she has come to pay us a visit.” ” Sharon’s doll is also visiting us. We are so happy she could stay for the party!”“Does everyone have a seat?” “I’m going to go get the tea. I’ll be right back!”“This is Sadie, one of our new kittens.” “Izzybelle, be careful! Don’t let Sadie knock you off of the piano stool!” “Don’t worry Isane, I’m holding on tight!”“Here comes Jack. He follows Sadie everywhere!”Jack very much wants to play with Billie’s doll, who is another one of our party guests.“Would you care for a Honey Tea Cake?”“No Jack, not you!” “Tea cakes aren’t good for kittens.”“Isane don’t let them get the cakes!”“That’s right Jack, go see Anna, she’ll pet you.” “Petting is much better than cake!”” Sadie, I’ll pet you too.”“Now that the kittens have settled down, would anyone like a cup of tea?”“Oh no! Lily did Jack knock your cup out of your hand?”“Don’t worry. Nothing broke and I have a clean cup right here for you.”Too much excitement! The kittens are all worn out and have gone off to take a nap…“I would really like that cup of tea now!” “And I’d like a bit of quiet, civilized conversation!” “Well I LIKE having the kittens come to tea! It makes everything so much more interesting!” “Hush Izzybelle…”“I know what we should do. Have you seen Joy Harrington’s article in Antique Doll Collector magazine? It’s all about the house she had made for her Izannah Walker dolls.” “You can tell Billie all about it when you go home to Kansas.” “I think next year we should ask for a house of our very own as a birthday present!”“Cake? “I don’t know anything about cake.” “Or falling teacups…” “You must be thinking about some other kitten.” “Yawnnnnnnnnn”
See? I told you that the girls loved Joy’s article about her doll house! If you would like to read the article too, it is in the August 2015 issue of Antique Doll Collector magazine on pages 43-48. Not only does it include wonderful pictures and descriptions of the doll house, but it also shows Joy’s fantastic collection of antique Izannah Walker dolls. It is such a treat!
The dolls, kittens and I have so enjoyed having you visit us this afternoon! We hope you will come back tomorrow and Sunday for new posts at 10:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. each day, as we party on!
And now, I don’t know about you, but I plan to brew another pot of tea, put my feet up and watch the dolls giggle and play on into the evening…
* Sharon’s and Billie’s dolls are custom orders, who will soon be traveling to their new homes. In the photos they are wearing borrowed finery. They will each be receiving their final dress fittings soon and will both have posts of their very own to show off their new wardrobes before they leave here.
** Lily is an antique Izannah Walker doll that is staying with me while she undergoes a bit of judicious restoration. She will also be featured in a series of upcoming posts that will chronicle her restoration adventures.
A small Izannah love token. I just have one of these, as it was a sample I made as a project idea for my Izannah Walker doll class members. $32 plus free shipping to any U.S. address. ❤
It was quite late last night, when I was writing up the first of this year’s birthday posts, so it totally slipped my mind that I was supposed to put these two items on the “what’s for sale this weekend” post. 🙂 Better late than never!
This is how I have the tiny hand displayed in my studio. The little white drawers are filled with buttons.A different version of love token, framed in a miniature 4 inch square grain painted shadow box. $44, plus free U.S. shipping. OOAKSOLD Other items newly posted for sale include this aged and beloved reproduction doll made from my Anna mold. She is such a wonderful doll! It doesn’t show up well in her photos, but her body is so fantastic. Her arms and legs hang just right! As if they had lived through countless years of play time and naps. She is $1250 and if you buy her this weekend she comes with a tiny miniature antique tintype photograph. Scroll down the page to see many more images of this Anna.NOW SOLD Hannah #1 is one of the dolls I am currently working on and is for sale. At this point you may choose all of her clothing options and her 2nd skin color. $1250 with free U.S. shipping. As a birthday special this weekend only she will include a reproduction quilt top and backing…Hannah #2 Is also for sale with all of the same features as Hannah #1. You may see more photos of the Hannahs in my 1st birthday party post from midnight last night 🙂Lily 2 is the third doll that I’m working on that is still available for sale. If you love early, worn and primitive then Lily may be just the reproduction Izannah you have been longing for… Scroll down for additional photographs and information.Zanna wants me to remind you that she and Izzybelle are still manning the tag sale and that all of the doll furniture will be 10% off through midnight on Sunday!And last, but not least… two Izannah Kits are finished and ready to ship. One with a painted head for $375 and another with a unfinished head for you to paint for $200.
If you have been dreaming about a special reproduction Izannah Walker doll, I would be very happy to help bring your dreams to life. I am currently booking custom order dolls for July 2016 and beyond. You may call or email with questions about custom orders and to discuss all the details. 860-355-5709 during east coast business hours, or paula@asweetremembrance.com anytime.
The dolls have taken over my kitchen to bake honey cakes for this afternoon’s birthday tea party. It’s time to get out the cookbook!
This is one of our favorite cookbooks. America Eats by William Woys Weaver. It is no longer in print, but if you search you may still be able to find a copy here or there…“Isabeau will you find the page with the honey cake while I get out the honey pitcher?”“Here it is, Honey Tea Cake.”
“Hannah, Isane and I will get out the ingredients, and you can measure them into the bowl.”“Alright, I can do that Isabeau” “Can you please hand me the flour?”“Zanna, do you think I should add some lavender to part of the batter?”“I think that is a wonderful idea Hannah!” “It will taste so good with the wild flower honey!”“Does this look like enough lavender?” “Or should I add just a smidgeon more?”“I love lavender! Let’s add more!!!”“Ismay, is the oven hot enough?” “I think the tea cakes are ready to bake.”“Yes it’s just the right temperature.”“These smell devine” “The first batch is ready to come out of the oven right now.”“Izzybelle, let the cake cool a bit so you don’t burn your mouth, and then you can be our official taster.”“Is it good?” “Oh yes! Everyone is going to love them. Maybe we should make more!”“Let’s hurry and get the last of these out of the oven. We still need to get the chairs set up in the parlor and change clothes before the guest start arriving…”
Please come back to join us at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time for tea. ❤
You’ve just received an invitation to a birthday party! What is the first thing that you think of??? “What am I going to wear?”
The dolls would like you to step back in time with them, as they show you what a little girl in the mid-1800’s would wear to a party. The dress they are showing off is one of my recent finds from the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market. It is the approximate equivalent of a modern girls size six.
Hannah and Isabeau carry the party dress out to the wash tub.
First Things First
Before you can go to the party, you have to make sure that your best dress is clean. Isabeau, Hannah, and Isane volunteered to do the laundry…
It was a hot day so the girls decided to do the wash in the shade of the apple tree.Zanna came along to pick up windfall apples for pies.“Hannah I think the water temperature is just right.”“Go ahead and put the dress in.”“Now we can let it soak, while we help Zanna pick up the rest of the apples.”“What a perfect day!’ “I hope we have time to sit outside with our quilting later.” “Maybe if we hurry and get finished here we can find a little time to sew before dark.”
It’s almost time for the party to start, so you’d better get dressed. The girls have laid your clothes out on the bed for you.
Here is your freshly washed chemise and dress.Fancy scallops on the sleeves ❤Every party dress needs lace!The dress fabric is a woven white on white cotton that has turned to a lovely pale ivory over time. All of the long seams are machine sewn, with the detail work, such as this tiny cartridge pleating done by hand.The back of the dress is fastened with large brass hooks and eyes.And what should little brother wear to the party? A blue linen jacket trimmed with black braid and brass buttons!A close up look at the hand sewn c. 1850’s boy’s jacket. ❤
SOLD Meet Anna. She is available for sale and would be thrilled to come join your doll family.
Welcome to my annual Izannah Walker birthday party! This year the dolls and I have a fun filled three day celebration planned. We are so pleased that you could come join us for the start of the party. I will be posting throughout the day today, with additional posts at 9:00 a.m., noon, and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Come back tomorrow and Sunday for new posts at 10:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.
1 Finished Doll For Sale – Now SOLD – Thank You so much for looking!
ANNA IS NOW SOLD. I have one doll made from my Anna mold available for sale. She is a very sweet, worn and well loved doll. Just the right size at 17 inches to be a little sister to other Izannahs in your collection. She has short wispy hair framing her face and tickling the nape of her neck. This Anna is dressed in an amazing antique red print fabric that I found in Brimfield in May. The fabric had never been washed until yesterday and even after one gentle washing still retains it’s crisp sizing. All three pieces of her undergarments are trimmed in tatting. Her short black scallop topped painted boots are embellished with a red scallop outline. As a birthday special she comes with a tiny antique tintype image of a young girl. When you imagine the story of Anna’s life, perhaps this little girl will become her original owner…
Anna can be yours for $1250.00, which includes free insured shipping to any U.S. address. Actual shipping charged to other countries. As always you may place Anna, or any of my dolls on lay-away. Call me at 860-355-5709 during normal business hours, or email me anytime at paula@asweetremembrance.com if you have any questions about this doll or would like to purchase her.
Introducing Two New Reproduction Izannah Walker Dolls
I am very happy to tell you that I now have two more molds! I made these molds, just like all of my others, directly from original antique Izannah Walker dolls. This means that I can offer you ten different authentic, all cloth, historically accurate reproduction Izannah Walker dolls!
Pictured below are the four dolls that I will be working on during the next three days as part of my Izannah celebration. After all what better way is there for a doll maker to mark the birthday of her very favorite doll maker than by paying homage to her by reproducing some of her amazing dolls! If you’d like to follow along with my progress you can check in at my facebook page to see the dolls coming to life. Click here to visit A Sweet Remembrance in facebook.
Lily
I am able to offer you reproductions of Lily due to the amazing generosity of my friend Susie, who owns the real Lily. I am currently in the midst of doing restoration on the original Lily and Susie very kindly told me that she wanted me to make a mold from her while she was here. I’ll be chronicling Lily’s restoration journey here in the upcoming weeks. Lily has a very classic Izannah head and at 17 inches is the middle stair step between my Isabeau and Izzybelle.
This first Lily will be going home with her older sister and namesake ❤
A Second Lily
This Lily will be available for sale for $1250.00 when she is completed. She will come with a full four piece wardrobe which includes a chemise, pantalettes, peticoat and a dress, with painted boots.
Lily 2 will be available for sale.Lily 2Lily 2
Hannah
Hannah recently came to join my Izannah family from the collection of another of my dear friends, Edyth. ❤ I’m honored that she has entrusted me with one of her treasures.
Hannah is 18 inches tall and has such a sweet expression. Just like Lily #2, both of these Hannahs will be for sale once I have finished them. Yes, they also cost $1250.00, have painted boots and come with a full set of clothing made from antique fabrics and notions. 🙂
If you have any questions about these dolls, or would like to purchase one of them, please call me (860-355-5709 during east coast business hours) or email me (paula@asweetremembrance.com anytime). As a special birthday treat Isabeau, Zanna, Ismay, Isane, Izzybelle and the original Hannah have been busy piecing together quilt tops to go along with the Lilys and Hannahs that are purchased during this three day weekend. More about their quilting party later on… Just one more reason to keep checking back in through out the next three days 🙂
Feeling Creative?
For anyone who has the urge to try making an Izzy of their own I currently have two of my Izannah Kits ready to go.
A full instruction book + patterns comes with each head. The unpainted head/kit is $200 and the painted head/kit is $375.
Notice all of the paint texture of the original antique doll is captured in this composition head.
Furniture Tag Sale
The girls were all very enamored of the article they read in Antique Doll Collector about an Izannah Doll House. So when I asked them what they would like to include in our birthday weekend they all resoundingly said “Let’s have a tag sale of all of the doll furniture, so other Izannahs can furnish a doll house too!” Consequently all of my antique doll furniture is on sale at 10% off from 9/25 – 9/27. The sale price does include free shipping to U.S. addresses. Click here to shop the furniture sale.
Zanna is in charge of setting up the tag sale & Izzybelle is helping tie on the price tags!
That’s All For Now…
Come back to see us at 9:00 a.m. eastern time for our continuing birthday party adventures.
Today I finished Carole’s special order “Ismay”. After popping Miss Ismay’s shoe laces in their dye baths, I hurried to take photos of her before dark. 🙂
Ismay shows off her antique linen second skin body covering.The linen that I used for Ismay’s second skin has a W cross stitched on it, which I placed on her left knee. Obviously this linen was meant to be part of this doll!!!Another view of Ismay’s knees ❤
Pintucks, ruffles, feather stitching & hemstiching… ❤Petticoats!Carole loved the clothing that I did for my doll that was pictured in Early American Life earlier this summer. Fortunately I had just enough fabric left to recreate her wardrobe for Ismay.
Ismay wishes everyone a very happy Labor Day!
In the morning Ismay’s shoe laces will be dry and I’ll teach her how to lace and tie her shoes!
Many thanks to all of you for your thoughtful notes and expressions of sympathy. I truly appreciate all of your kind words more than I can possibly say.
REMEMBRANCE IS THE SWEETEST FLOWER THAT IN THE GARDEN GROWS…
Laughter and tears are the lights and darks that make up the patchwork quilt of my life. These past few weeks have been filled with sunshine and shadows, but most of all love. Thank you for your friendship. Plus a huge additional thank you to all of you whose dolls I am working on, your kind understanding has taken a tremendous weight off of my shoulders.
BACK AT WORK
While I am not totally back up to my regular pace yet, I am back at work. So please feel free to call or email me with any questions about your doll orders and classes. New things have been continuing to happen in my studio. Yesterday Hannah joined my Izannah Walker doll family. I already have molds of her in progress, so in the not too distant future I will be making reproductions of her, which will bring the number of original antique Izannah Walker dolls that I can reproduce for you up to ten.
Due to a death in the family A Sweet Remembrance is closed until sometime next week. I will check email as I am able to and telephone messages when I return to work. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. ❤ Paula
* Sharon’s and Billie’s dolls are custom orders, who will soon be traveling to their new homes. In the photos they are wearing borrowed finery. They will each be receiving their final dress fittings soon and will both have posts of their very own to show off their new wardrobes before they leave here.
Izannah Walker Journal 