A Year Full of Celebration, Contests, Surprises and Special Events!

January 29, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

This year is the 25th anniversary of my business, A Sweet Remembrance, which I began in June, 1986. To mark the occasion I am planning a year filled with fun, whimsical, interesting, informative and sometimes down right silly events, drawings, contests and classes!

Lace-600-4963 — This is the antique fabric and lace that I am giving away in the drawing. Can't you just picture it made up into the perfect summer dress for an Izannah Walker doll? All she would need to celebrate the 4th of July would be a tiny vintage flag!

The first drawing for all of my Reproduction Izannah Walker Doll Making students will be for a dress length of antique fabric and enough antique lace to trim a full set of underclothes for your doll. All of the details are posted on the class member site.

If you would like to take the class and have a chance at winning the fabric and lace, there is still plenty of time. The drawing will close on Memorial Day.

Doll Clothing · Restoration and Conservation

A Fortunate Find

January 27, 2011January 30, 2011 paulawalton2 Comments

During the holidays I had a chance to go rummage around some vintage clothing stores with my youngest son and his girlfriend. We unearthed several treasures, including this antique doll dress made of a ombre printed pink cotton. The dress is not quite right for any of my Izannahs, but it will be perfect on one of my antique German bisque dolls.

The first thing I did once I got the dress home was to wash it using Orvis and sodium perborate. If you would like to read more about how to do this, check out my previous post on the subject.

Dress antiq 400_4397 — This is what the dress looked like when I bought it.

An dress 400_4429 — A good washing made a huge difference to it's appearance and will help prolong the life of the fabric.

An dress close 400_4430 — A close-up look at the dress fabric.

Doll Clothing · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

My Latest Doll

January 15, 2011March 3, 2011 paulawalton2 Comments

Here are photos of the doll that I just finished. She is already spoken for, but if you are smitten with her, you may order a doll just like her. The fabrics that I used for her clothing are all antique, so they are one of a kind, with the exception of the striped linen in her petticoat, which I do have more of. I also have some similar double pink fabric, both antique and new, which would both make up wonderfully into dresses like this one.

If you would like to order a doll, please email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com or call 860-355-5709.

Stray Comments

Help???

January 13, 2011January 13, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

My cat an I have differing opinions about what is helpful and what isn’t. Apparently he decided that today was “Help Your Person Sew Day”.

This cat is not as much of a doll lover as some of my cats have been. When I first started collecting dolls, I was soon forced to keep all of my antique bisque dolls safely locked behind glass doors. It turned out the Patience, the cat I had at that time, had a fetish for mohair wigs!

Later when I started making large child size cloth dolls, Quince, another of my cats, would curl up and sleep in the laps of any of the dolls seated in a chair. The only drawback to this cozy arrangement was that she chewed on their fingers before she went to sleep.

Ratbert isn’t at all sure that he even likes dolls. After all, doll making uses up a lot of time that could be better spent lavishing attention on a cat! As far as he is concerned the only good thing about doll making is all of the antique fabric. Now that is something a cat can really love!

Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

Finishing Touches

January 2, 2011January 30, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

Today I added the finishing touches to these two dolls.

I made a sunbonnet of antique double pink calico for the doll in the pink dress (the pink and white check is also an antique fabric). The bonnet is a doll sized version of an antique bonnet in my collection. The brim is stiffened with individually cut strips of cardboard.

For her sister I fashioned an apron out of scraps of an antique “cheddar” print fabric. I also made her a necklace of coral colored beads. Both girls have chemises, pantalets, antique petticoats, and wigs made from lambskin just like Izannah’s black dolls had. They are each holding handmade Valentine’s. Please call for additional details or to order. 860-355-5709 Paula@asweetremembrance.com.

Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

Three New Dolls

January 1, 2011January 30, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

The doll in the indigo blue dress is SOLD.

I have three finished dolls available at the moment. If you would like to know more about them, or to see additional photographs, please call me at 860-355-5709 or email Paula@asweetremembrance.com.

The doll on the left in the blue dress is SOLD.

Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Stray Comments

Happy New Year

January 1, 2011January 1, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

May you have a wonderful doll filled 2011!

Where to Shop

Sale Extended Through 1/3/11

December 31, 2010January 1, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

Earlier this week we had a post Christmas blizzard and accompanying power outage. Since the storm made it difficult to email or call me, I am extending my Christmas sale through Monday, January 3rd. My apologies to any of you that were unable to reach me with orders and questions.

Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Where to Shop

Several New Dolls Available

December 27, 2010January 30, 2011 paulawaltonLeave a comment

I have several new dolls that are almost finished and ready to journey to new homes in time to ring out the old year and ring in the new. I’ll be posting photos soon, but if you just can’t wait to make their acquaintance, email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com.