Paula Walton’s doll-making notes
The dolls and I have been busily snipping paper to make a few special love tokens for Valentine’s Day! Most were inspired by hand drawn 19th century paper dolls. I’ve always found little pencil or ink drawn antique paper dolls to be quite endearing ❤ Tiny cut out drawings, made to amuse a child, treasured and saved… precious bits of ephemera.
Visit my Valentine Pop-Up Shop Open Saturday, Februray 8th at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time at https://asweetremembrance.com/2020/02/08/valentine-pop-up-shop/ .
Red! ❤ Such a wonderful color and such a challenge for me to find when I am searching for antique fabrics! I’ve had a small quantity of floral striped red fabric stashed away for several years. I had been planning to make dresses from it for my antique Izannah Walker dolls… When I was contemplating Valentine’s Day and trying to think of something a tiny bit special to mark the day, I decided instead that I should use that fabric for a very tiny little Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Dress Shop!
Zanna and Isabeau offered to be today’s models. ❤ I had just enough fabric to make three dresses, these two matching long sleeved dresses, with a single growth tuck in each skirt, and a third make-do dress with short sleeves and a “false hem” of coordinating off-white and red fabric.
1. & 2. – ONE DRESS IS SOLD – ONE AVAILABLE The two matching long sleeved dresses are finished and available for sale. They have 7 inch long skirts, so they are perfect if you’d like a shorter skirt for an 18 – 19 inch doll dressed as a younger child, or if you have slightly smaller doll made from my Anna mold. These dresses are too large for any of my Izzybelles. $225.00 each, which includes free shipping to any US address. There is no sales tax unless you are a Connecticut resident (6.35%). Please email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com if you wish to purchase dresses 1 and/or 2. Sold on a first come basis. Payment by Paypal, credit card, personal check, or lay-away.
3. – Dress three is not quite done… today has been a wild winter’s day. My best made plans were torn asunder by icy weather and a dead car battery, so I have been ferrying my near and dear ones back and forth to schools for most of the day. ❤ I’ll post the third dress just as soon as I put in the final stitches, so please check back! Dress 3 will be the same as dresses 1 & 2, except it will have short gathered and banded sleeves, no growth tuck and a “false hem” with a different off-white and red print antique fabric used for the hem on the inside of the skirt. It will also be priced at $225.00.
❤ More Valentines on Paula Walton’s A Sweet Remembrance Facebook & Paula Walton’s 18th Century Home Journal
Thank you for coming! We hope you had fun.
– Newly made Izannah Walker reproduction dolls may be custom ordered, please see my website Paula Walton’s A Sweet Remembrance for details.
– The recipe for Mace Shortbread cookies is available by clicking here.
– Violet tea may be purchased from Simpson and Vail.
– Directions for the two love tokens shown, plus one more are posted on my Izannah Walker Class Member Site. If you would like to buy or read more about the class click here.
– True Blue is busy making a Valentine for Kathy.
– Savannah is slaving away on a very special heartfelt letter to Charlotte.
– Ruthie is on her way back home to Brooklyn after visiting for a “spa day” to have the damage caused by the post office repaired. She says that she is ever so much better now and that she feels beautiful again. Plus she loves her new warm flannel petticoat and can’t wait to show it off to Paula C.!
– I’m getting ready to go on a double date with my husband and our very dearest friends Joy and John…
Thank you for stopping by Valentine!
XOXO Hugs and Kisses,
Paula
Today is baking day. The air is filled with the scents of mace and nutmeg. My kitchen is humming with activity as we prepare for our Valentine’s Day tea party!
Mace Shortbread
3 cups flour
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups butter
1/2 tsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
*Proof yeast in warm water for 5 minutes. Measure flour, powdered sugar, mace and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Add slightly softened butter and mix until all of the butter is worked into the dry ingredients. Pour proofed yeast/water into bowl and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Cover bowl with a clean dry cloth and set in a warm place for 1 hour, then chill for 30 minutes.
Roll dough out on a well floured surface to a scant 1/4 inch thickness and cut out with heart shaped cookie cutters. Emboss the cookies by stamping them with new, washed rubber stamps that have been dusted with flour.
If desired, lightly brush ground nutmeg into the stamped designs before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes, until just starting to very lightly brown at the edges. Cool completely before removing from cookie sheets.
* 18th century shortbread receipts call for the addition of barm (yeast). I followed this tradition when I developed this recipe. I love mace and decided to add it, along with nutmeg to the cookies (both spices are part of the seeds of the nutmeg tree).
You are cordially invited to join us tomorrow for tea. We hope that you can come!
