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Celebrating Izannah Walker’s 208th Birthday with an Afternoon Tea Party Or The Tale of Ten Little Cloth Girls & Their Grand Birthday Celebration ~ Chapter 15
antique dolls · Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Celebrations · Doll Accessories · Izannah Walker birthday

Celebrating Izannah Walker’s 208th Birthday with an Afternoon Tea Party Or The Tale of Ten Little Cloth Girls & Their Grand Birthday Celebration ~ Chapter 15

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Once upon a time there were 10 well loved painted cloth dolls, who had all been brought to life by an amazing dollmaker named Izannah Walker. Because the little dolls had trouble remembering back, all those many years ago, to when they were very, very new they have all decided to treat their dearest Izannah’s birthday as their own. So every year they have a big, lovely birthday party to celebrate Izannah Walker’s birthday, as well as each others ❤

At the moment Zanna and Izzybelle are in the kitchen putting the last finishing touches on the refreshments. The dolls had quite a discussion about exactly what to serve today. Last year Isabeau and Sarah Alice were in charge of the kitchen and got a bit carried away! There was soooooooooooo much cake left over when the party ended! https://izannahwalker.com/2024/09/ After talking about it for quite some time, they finally decided to put the very sensible Zanna in charge of baking this year. Izzybelle insisted on being Zanna’s kitchen helper, even though the rest of the dolls were silently shaking their heads no.

Zanna proposed that each of them should name their most favorite birthday treats and then everyone would vote on them. After the votes were all counted Zanna announced that she would make the top two favorites, Joe Frogger cookies and vanilla ice cream! Charlcie and Eliza Jane were quite worried that there wouldn’t be enough ice left in their ice house from last winter to freeze ice cream, but somehow Zanna managed to come up with exactly enough.

“Izzybelle how many times have we told not to kneel in the kitchen chairs? Eliza Jane is going to have a fit if she sees you doing it again, and she’ll be sure to scold you about behaving like a proper young lady!” “But Zanna I can’t reach everything if I sit that way!” wailed Izzybelle.

“Alright, but just this once, and only because we need to hurry!” “We still have to put the candles in the Joe Frogger cake and the candle sticks”

“OH IZZYBELLE!” “What have you done now?” exclaimed Zanna with a huge sigh. “Carefully carry the platter of cookies upstairs please, without any more tasting like a good girl, while I scoop the ice cream.”

Such a great deal of excited chatter greeted Zanna in the parlor, with all the little cloth girls talking at once! “Oh my goodness Zanna, you and Izzybelle out did yourselves!” “Look at the ice cream!” “What a magnificent tower of birthday cookies” “Which one of us should blow out the candle?” “Tilly Lamb you blow out the candle while the rest of us make wishes ❤ ” “Remember Izzybelle don’t tell anyone your wish or it won’t come true!” “Are you sure we shouldn’t open presents first?” No Izzybelle, tea and treats first, then presents. You know that’s the way that we always do it.”

“NOW is it time for presents?” asked Izzybelle squirming with excitement. “Yes!” chorused all of her sisters!

(So THIS is what they have all been planning!)

(The dolls aren’t the only ones keeping birthday secrets…)

“Izzybelle you can go ahead and start opening presents now!” “I’m going to start with the one that has my name on it!” she declared. “Now the one I made for all of you!!! ” “It’s seeds for our garden!” “Are you surprised?” asked Izzybelle. All of her sisters tried to hide their smiles as she proudly announced “Look! I saved lots and lots of seeds from my runaway tomatoes!”

After Izzybelle made a start in unwrapping the birthday gifts, some of the other dolls joined in. Ismay gave her sisters a lovely hand cut silhouette. The lovely blue indigo wrapped parcel contained peppermint, apple mint, & lemon balm teas from Charlcie and Eliza Jane. Isabeau opened the framed flowers that Tilly Lamb and Sarah Alice gathered from the garden and pressed. (Which explains why there was a brick on top of the books!) When it was Ismay’s turn she unwrapped a sewing sampler book, made from hand made paper, that Isabeau and Zanna started to keep all of the sister’s needlework examples in. The very last birthday was the one from Cloe and me. I think Hannah was quite surprised to untie the twine and find a somewhat tattered schoolbook!

Once the dolls looked inside, they could see that the little book was actually a scrapbook full of verses, essays, and pretty lithographed paper “scraps”.

“This has been the best day” murmured a tired, but happy Izzybelle. To which all of her sisters agreed…

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

We hope you have enjoyed attending the doll’s birthday tea party. If you’d like to read a bit more about the behind the scenes activities necessary to set up all of the party scenes, as well as a more detailed description of how their birthday gifts were made (including Izzybelle’s seed packets ~ which were inspired by a lovely gift from our dearest, most talented friend Sandy Connors of Honey Bee Press ) please join us here tomorrow for our “After Party” post.

hmmm… There have been a lot of odd things going on this week. I think that the dolls may be plotting & planning…
Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Celebrations · Izannah Walker birthday

hmmm… There have been a lot of odd things going on this week. I think that the dolls may be plotting & planning…

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I’ve been noticing a few out of the ordinary little things for several days now. For example the parlor door, which is never closed, is mysteriously shut at odd times through out the day.

When I peeked through a crack in the door, I spied the little cloth girls whispering excitedly to each other…

… and then there are all the little out of place bits and pieces that keep mysteriously appearing and disappearing in their very tall house.

First it was tiny baskets of herbs in the kitchen, with little bits dropped on the floor, as if someone had hurriedly just left the room.

Next I noticed tiny bits of paper on the parlor table, at the same time as Ismay was scurrying out of the room on silent stocking feet.

After Ismay departed I saw that there were sewing implements inexplicably tucked under the shawl draped over the parlor bench!

Even odder sights awaited me upstairs in the bedroom. A trail of pansies and leaves led me to a stack of books, with a BRICK on top, that had been hastily shoved under the bed??? There was yet another book protruding from beneath the mattress of the adjoining bed! It looks to me as if the sisters are keeping birthday secrets. Won’t they be surprised when they find that I have a birthday secret of my own!

Please join us here tomorrow September 25th at 5 p.m. Eastern Time for a grand birthday tea party in honor of Izannah Walker’s 208th birthday.

This is my latest Newsletter that just went out to everyone on my New Dolls Mailing List
Celebrations · Doll for Sale · Izannah Walker birthday · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Studio News · Where to Shop · Work in Progress

This is my latest Newsletter that just went out to everyone on my New Dolls Mailing List

paulawaltonLeave a comment

This is my latest newsletter that went out last night to everyone on my “New Dolls” mailing list.

Mid September 2025 Newsletter

2 Weeks Until My Annual Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration and My Latest Reproduction Dolls

Hello!

This is a brief note to let you all know what is currently happening in my studios. As many of you know, I live in a late 18th century farmhouse that is surrounded by barns and is situated on the 9+ acres that remain of the original 18th century farmstead. For over a year there have been workmen here helping to ensure that the house will hopefully withstand many more New England winters. You may remember that last year I had to postpone my annual September release of new dolls because the plumbing in my upstairs bathroom suddenly failed and water started pouring through my kitchen ceiling! Nothing quite that dramatic has happened since, but there have been workmen here for over a year replacing rotted wood, painting, building wooden storm windows, and a host of other necessary projects. I have historic masons who have promised to get here before snow falls to rebuild my chimney that is in danger of toppling over, and a work crew that is supposed to arrive at any time to repave half of the driveway…

I’ve wound up being more of a site coordinator and project manager during the past year than a dollmaker! During the past few weeks I have managed to sneak out to my studios and actually spend time working on dolls. I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful that has been!!! Earlier in the summer I began trying to work on a large group of Charlcies. They are going to be beautiful dolls, but I realized that if I was going to have dolls available in time for Izannah Walker’s 208th birthday that I would need to set the more complicated and complex Charlcies aside and concentrate on making some of her smaller sisters. At the moment I have 6 reproduction Izannah Walker dolls on my painting table, and piles of a dozen arms and legs sitting in front of me! I’m not sure exactly how many I’ll have available for sale by the 25th, I’m going to try to finish all of them by then. Any that I can’t quite finish will be offered for sale asap after the 25th.

I’ll be sending out another mailing as Izannah’s birthday gets closer with more details. You can also follow along with my progress and preparations on my Izannah Walker Journal https://izannahwalker.com/…/the-countdown-continues-14…/

My Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ASweetRemembrance/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/asweetremembrance/

Thank you so very much for your interest in my handmade, historically accurate, reproduction Izannah Walker dolls

Paula

www.asweetremembrance.com

www.izannahwalker.com

The Countdown Continues 14 Days Until Izannah Walker’s 208th Birthday
Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Celebrations · Doll for Sale · Izannah Walker birthday · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · newsletter · Studio News · Work in Progress

The Countdown Continues 14 Days Until Izannah Walker’s 208th Birthday

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Just 14 days until Izannah Walker’s 208th birthday and my annual celebration. I’ve been spending quite a lot of time tucked away in both studios, and in my office (aka my late night sewing lair!) working on a variety of my reproduction Izannahs. I have to admit that I’ve been falling in love with these new little cloth girls a bit more every day ❤

I’ve temporarily set aside the large group of Charlcies in hopes of having some birthday dolls available! Reproducing Charlcie is a more lengthy and complicated process, which I will go right back to after bringing some of her smaller sisters to life. I’m still not entirely sure how many of the six dolls that you can see on my painting table will be finished by the 25th. I’m hoping that none of the remaining construction projects start in the next two weeks, but they are all subject to when the various tradespeople are available…

Regardless of any chaos and interruptions, all the dolls and I are greatly looking forward to their big birthday party and we hope you are too! We’d also like to take a moment to thank you all for your lovely messages and support. The proceeds from my dollmaking help fund the care, repair, and restoration of my 18th century home, barns, and the surrounding remnants of original farm land.

Naturally the party preparation involves cleaning house… and just as it is in every house the kitchen is the by far the messiest room!!!

Counting the Days…
Celebrations · Doll for Sale · Izannah Walker birthday · Studio News · Work in Progress

Counting the Days…

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The 1st of September.

24 days until Izannah Walker’s 208th birthday.

1 very old house, partially ready to face it’s 235th winter.

25 little cloth girls sitting in my studio, waiting to be brought to life…

2 outrageously messy studios!

1 very tired dollmaker.

Welcome September! Mild, mellow sunlit days, cooler temperatures, and busy days full of dollmaking.

It’s been a noisy, crazy, chaotic atmosphere here, as there has been non-stop work for over a year to get my c.1790 house ready for yet another winter. There is still much more to do before first snowfall, but at the moment there is a very welcome lull, as the exterior painters finish the last little details before part of the driveway is re-paved, and before the skilled masons come to re-build the chimney which is in danger of toppling at any time.

I’ve thankfully been able to slip out into my studio to work on dolls at long last! I can’t begin to describe how absolutely wonderful it has felt to be making new pressed cloth heads… in fact it has been so very good that I now have 25 sweet faces waiting for me to make them into real live dolls. ❤ I’m sure that not all of them will actually become dolls, as I am very particular and often have to start over into order make sure that my reproduction Izannahs truly represent the feel of the original antique Izannah Walker dolls that they represent.

I don’t know exactly how many dolls I will be able to complete and offer for sale at my Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration this year, but I can say that there will be some dolls available for sale, and all of their new sisters will be offered in the coming months as I get them finished. Undoubtedly life will get in the way of my preferred dollmaking schedule, as it always does. So please keep your fingers crossed for me and wish me luck as I turn these sweet little faces into finished dolls! I will be posting many more updates about the doll’s annual Izannah Birthday Party, and my new dolls release, as the month continues ❤ ❤ ❤

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Cut & Stitch Fabric Doll Panels · Holidays · SALE · Where to Shop

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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VALENTINE UPDATE ON CUT & STITCH DOLL PANELS ❤

PLUS A SPECIAL VALENTINE WEEKEND CUT & STITCH SALE❤❤❤

NEW 14.5 Inch CUT & STITCH DOLL PANELS ON SALE 2/14 – 2/17 for $20 per PAIR OF MIRROR IMAGES – LIMITED TO CURRENT STOCK ONHAND – DOLL DESIGNS AVAILABLE ARE ISABEAU LEGS TOGHTHER, ISABEAU LEGS APART, ZANNAH LEGS TOGETHER, and ISANE LEGS TOGETHER. Email Paula@ASweetRemembrance.com to purchase. Please include your email address associated with your PayPal account so that I can invoice you, or indicate if you would prefer to pay by check. Free continental U.S. shipping. Actual shipping costs plus $10 fee for orders shipped to other countries to cover currency conversion fees and the time involved in filling out customs forms.

Today Isabeau, Tilly Lamb, Ismay, and Hannah volunteered to help me work on some of the Cut and Stitch doll samples that I am making. We had a lovely morning in my office sewing and coming up with new ideas. The sisters are especially excited about the magnetized “paper doll” we made. They are already busy thinking of ideas for all sorts of little flat paper and fabric dresses.

My original Cut & Stitch dolls are 8.5 inches tall, which is just the right size for a dolls doll, and was inspired by a turn of the 20th century original little cut and sew doll printed by Art Fabric Mills.

Due to popular request I have recently done a small edition of four larger 14.5 inch tall Cut & Stitch Doll Panels.

In between working on new reproduction Izannah Walker dolls I have been testing out the large Cut & Stitch fabric, plus working on comprehensive instructions for different ways of constructing and making both sizes of Cut & Stitch dolls. I love the new organic cotton sateen fabric that the larger Flat Izzys are printed on and I already have the one important method you need to use when sewing with this new fabric identified. So I’m ready to offer them for sale!

Each doll panel that you buy includes two mirrored doll images, so that you can sew them together back to back, or use them separately with a plain fabric backing, or for applique work. The dolls are printed on high quality 100% cotton fabric and are completely washable. There is extra fabric surrounding each doll that will allow for a ¼ inch seam allowance. The dolls may be sewn with right sides together, turned and stuffed, machine or hand stitched from the front side, trimmed and stuffed, or appliqued onto other projects. They may also be cut out and used for journaling and other multi-media projects. Add bits of fabric, lace, crepe paper and Dresden trims to create doll clothing.

Some project ideas include:

– Sew back to back for Christmas ornaments, so the “front” side is always on view. (8.5 inch size)

– String together into a banner to hang across mirrors, windows or mantles.

– Hang individually from cupboard doors or chandeliers. (8.5 inch size)

– Make into a mobile. (8.5 inch size)

– Stuff with lavender and use as drawer and closet sachets for your finest linens and clothing. (either size will work, but I suggest the 8.5 inch size for drawers)

– Fill with cedar shavings and place among your doll and bear collection to repel moths.

– Party favors for your doll club meetings and events.

– Make into a special doll’s doll for your favorite plaything. (8.5 inch size for Izannah Walker doll’s doll, 14.5 inch for larger doll’s doll)

– Baby toys.

– Add a squeaker inside to make a fun dog toy or fill with catnip for your kitten to play with. (8.5 inch size for cats toy)

– Applique’ onto quilt blocks, pincushions, curtains, aprons, pockets, baby bibs and clothing, tote bags, t-shirts and more. (both 8.5 and 14.5 inch sizes depending upon your project)

– Use applique, quilting and trapunto to make unique cloth wall art to place in an antique frame. (both sizes)

– Make fabric “paper dolls” with card stock, or adhesive magnetic backings, and create a wardrobe of flat dresses for them. (both sizes )

-Use your imagination! I’m sure you can come up with even more fun ideas!

Photos of all the possible sewing methods and a full list of project ideas are going to take me awhile to do.

I’ve also had a request for an optional head gusset, which I have not yet had time to draft and test, but it is also on my to do list.

Read more about my original 8.5 inch size Cut & Stitch Doll Panels here https://izannahwalker.com/2014/11/10/new-new-new-introducing-my-izannah-walker-doll-making-kits-tiny-cut-and-stitch-printed-cloth-dolls/

Find directions for making dresses for 8.5 inch Flat Izzys here.

You may order the original 8.5 inch Cut & Stitch Doll Panels here.https://asweetremembrance.com/category/cut-stitch-fabric-doll-panels/

On the 12th Day of Christmas…
Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Celebrations · Holidays · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Saint Nicholas Day · Studio News · thank you · Videos

On the 12th Day of Christmas…

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On this twelfth day of Christmas I am looking back at some of my favorite Christmas moments during the past 39 years of A Sweet Remembrance, from St. Nicholas Eve right through to the last bite of Twelfth Night Cake. Thank you all for enthusiastically welcoming my hand made creations into your home and lives. You have made owning my own business and being a working artist a joy!

Each year brings it’s own share of obstacles, and difficulties because that is simply the way life is, but it also brings so many amazing moments… I am very much looking forward to a year that is filled with more! More dolls, more days working in my studio, more spun cotton figures, making more tiny dresses, more gardening, more time to paint, more days full of everyday things on my remnants of an 18th century farm, more family, more baking, more creating, more everything! I hope you are looking forward to more too ❤

All of the little cloth girls, spun cotton characters, mohair animals, bears and I wish you a wonderful 2025 filled with peace, love, joy & all good things!

A Sweet Treat for New Years Eve
antique dolls · Antique Izannah Walker Dolls

A Sweet Treat for New Years Eve

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As a Little Halloween Treat Here Are All of the Sneak Peeks for my Upcoming Doll Release on November 1st, 2024 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Celebrations · Doll for Sale · Holidays · Izannah Walker Reproduction Doll · Studio News · Where to Shop

As a Little Halloween Treat Here Are All of the Sneak Peeks for my Upcoming Doll Release on November 1st, 2024 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time

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Thank you for dropping by to see the complete sneak peeks of the two dolls that I will be offering for sale tomorrow night, November 1st at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, 7 p.m. Central, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, and 5:00 p.m. Pacific.

https://youtube.com/shorts/W57fMZj9_EU?feature=sharehttps://youtube.com/shorts/W57fMZj9_EU?feature=share

All of the little cloth girls and I would also like to wish you a very merry All Hallows Eve! Happy Halloween!

I hope that you will all come back tomorrow evening to meet the newest of my Izannah Walker little sisters!

Isabeau & Sarah Alice’s Kitchen Notes and Tips
Antique Izannah Walker Dolls · Celebrations · Izannah Walker birthday · Recipes · Studio News

Isabeau & Sarah Alice’s Kitchen Notes and Tips

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Tea party ideas, tips and more…

Isabeau and Sarah Alice always insist on fresh from the garden berries, especially for special occasions ❤

Isabeau spread homemade violet jelly in between the glazed layers of vanilla bean and bergamot flavored yellow cake. Violet jelly??? Why is it green? The doll’s homemade violet jelly is green because they don’t add the lemon juice that most violet jelly recipes call for. The lemon juice causes and lovely chemical reaction between the steeped violet flowers and the acid in the lemon juice which turns the color from pale green to lavender. All of the little cloth sisters have most discerning taste buds and feel that the lemon juice overpowers the lovely delicate taste of the violets, so they choose to omit the lemon juice and have spring green jelly instead.

It’s always fun to use fresh herbs and flowers to decorate a special cake. This year the girls chose fresh sprigs of thyme, autumn pansies, and catnip.

The tiny three tiered cakes are a nod back to the 2nd Izannah Walker birthday celebration here at http://www.izannahwalker.com in 2011. The original cake shown above in the far left image was decorated with borage flowers, so using herbs & flowers is one of our long running traditions.

If you are suddenly curious about what type of cake Isabeau baked for the 2011 birthday cake it was a very old receipt (yes, so old that it was called a receipt rather than a recipe) for Pound Cake.

 Pound Cake

Beat one Cup of Butter to a Cream, slowly beat in one and one third Cups of Sugar.  Add one Teaspoonful of Mace and beat in five whole Eggs, adding them one at a time.  Sift in two Cups of Flour, turn at once into a greased and floured Pan or Mould and bake slowly for one Hour.*

*Isabeau baked her cakes in a 300 degree oven, 30 minutes for the doll size cakes and two hours for the larger people size version.

All of this looking back at the 2011 birthday cake has convinced Sarah Alice that now you are going to be dying of curiosity and want to know the receipt/recipe for the very 1st birthday dessert that the dolls baked in 2010. P.S. Please pretend that you are, even if you aren’t, just to make her happy.

 Birth-day Pudding

Butter a deep dish, and lay in slices of bread and butter, wet with milk, and upon these sliced tart apples, sweetened and spiced.   Then lay on another layer of bread and butter and apples, and continue thus till the dish is filled.  Let the top layer be bread and butter, and dip it in milk, turning the buttered side down.  Any other kind of fruit will answer as well.  Put a plate on the top, and bake two hours, then take it off and bake another hour.

This receipt (aka recipe) is from Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt-Book by Catherine E. Beecher.  Catherine Esther Beecher was born in 1800 in East Hampton, Long Island.  She founded the Hartford Female Seminary in 1823 as well as other schools for young women in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.  She wrote A Treatise on Domestic Economy (1841) and Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt-Book (1846).

Notes:

After buttering my dishes I dusted them with sugar, before layering in the bread and butter.

I cut the crusts off my bread, as the pudding was for a special occasion, but you certainly don’t have to.  I saved the crusts as a treat for the wild birds in my yard.  You may also save them to make  stuffings, bread crumbs, or croutons.

I chose cinnamon, mace and nutmeg as my spices.

I baked my doll sized pudding in a custard cup, which would also be nice if you want to bake yours in individual portions.

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees and baked my puddings for 15 minutes, then I reduced the oven temperature to 250 degrees and continued baking for the remaining 2 hours and 45 minutes.  I removed my doll size pudding from the oven after 30 minutes of total baking time.  Your baking time is going to depend a lot on the size of your dishes and the thickness of your pudding, so check your oven fairly frequently.  It’s also a good idea to put a cookie sheet under your dish, because my pudding bubbled over as it was baking.

“What are those little green crumbs that are showing up everywhere in the photos?” The green cake crumbs are supposed to represent moss, and were made by adding green food coloring to just enough cake batter to fill a single cupcake in a cupcake pan. After the cupcake baked and cooled Sarah Alice crumbled it to bits! Which she laughingly admits is one of her favorite baking chores.

shhhh… Both Sarah Alice and Isabeau sometimes help me post stories from here at the doll’s house on Facebook and Instagram. Afterwards they have been known to do a little late night scrolling for baking ideas… They found the idea for cake crumb moss from mustloveherbs . (and obviously the internet is their most well guarded secret tip!)