You are invited to come meet my three latest reproduction Izannah Walker dolls on Monday evening, April 11th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, when they will be offered for sale. As always the dolls will be sold on a first come basis to the first person who asks to purchase the doll via email. I go by the time stamp when your email arrives in my gmail inbox.
Monday’s offerings will include two versions of Isabeau, one time worn and well loved ~ with the original paint surface of my antique Isabeau, the other a more pristine version of Isabeau which represents her as she was in her youth. I very rarely make the more perfect Isabeaus, so if you have been longing for one this may be your chance. The third doll I will be selling is something new! A tiny black version of Izzybelle, which is something new that I haven’t ever made before!
I hope you will be able to join me here on Monday to meet the new little cloth girls and wish them well as they look for their new homes ❤
At long last I am almost finished with the six little cloth dolls that I began in early December! It has been a very long winter, filled with many very cold days, when paint simply could not dry, and innumerable winter chores… Now that Spring has begun to appear I have been stitching away on a mountain of small garments and the dolls are getting anxious to head out into the world. Three of them will be heading to their long promised homes and the other three are looking forward to finding brand new homes of their very own too!
The next time I write dear diary I hope to be able to give you all the particulars of the doll’s wardrobes and their travel plans. Until then…
I remain your most faithful correspondent.
Sneak Peeks!
In the near future I will be posting three new dolls for sale! I don’t have an exact date yet, as I am still sewing the last of their clothing and doing all of the little finishing touches that are so very necessary. I have been sick for the past week and have finally resorted to setting up two sewing machines just a few feet from my bed so that I can alternate napping and sewing… which is actually more or less working. So slowly but surely these sweet dolls are coming to life. I’m just not entirely certain quite what day they will be finished, as it is hard to estimate how many naps I am going to require between now and then!
Three of the dolls I am making are among the last of the custom ordered dolls, so they are already sold. The three that I will be listing for sale are are two versions of Isabeau, one time worn and well loved ~ with the original paint surface of my antique Isabeau, the other a more pristine version of Isabeau which represents her as she was in her youth. I very rarely make the more perfect Isabeaus, so if you have been longing for one this may be your chance. The third doll I will be selling is something new! A tiny black version of Izzybelle, which is something that I haven’t ever made before.
The little cloth girls were very busy today. In a flurry of Christmas spirit they went up to the attic of their very tall house, unpacked all of their Christmas decorations, and carried them down to the parlor! A great deal of extremely animated conversation was shouted back and forth throughout the doll’s house. Christmas is definitely on it’s way!
… and where was the dollmaker you ask, while all of this frenzied activity was taking place in the doll’s house? I was very quietly and contentedly working away in a corner of the studio, creating new dolls especially for the holidays! Making dolls for Christmas always brings it’s own special kind of magic. There is an element of the time tested tradition of creating handmade presents for loved ones, the hope of making someone’s Christmas dreams come true, and the fun of getting to be a part of “Santa’s Workshop”.
I hope you will be able to come back and visit here at my Izannah Walker Journal this month, to follow along with all of our Christmas preparations, celebrations, and joys! Wishing you all a beautiful, love filled December ❤
BOTH DOLLS HAVE BEEN SOLD, Thank you so much for coming to meet them ❤
Welcome to the final evening of my 2021 Izannah Walker 204th Birthday Celebration ❤ Tonight I would like to introduce you to my latest reproduction Izannah Walker dolls. I am offering twoonedolls that I have always called “Early Izannah”. Today I decided that it is high time these wonderful large, early style 22.5 inch dolls made have a proper name! From now on I will be referring to the dolls made from this mold as “Charlotte” or “Lottie” ❤ As there are two of them available for sale at the moment one shall be Charlotte and the other Lottie.
Both of the dolls tonight are dressed in chemises, pantalettes, petticoats, and dresses made from mid-nineteenth century brown and tan gingham, brown stockings and red leather shoes. They are 22.5 inch tall reproductions of a pre-1855 Izannah Walker doll. These amazing dolls have bare feet, three ringlet curls in front of each ear and nine at the nape of their necks. Their paint surface and modeling are true to the original doll from which their mold was made.
SOLDCharlotte has a tucked petticoat trimmed in hand knit lace and an antique off white linen second-skin.
SOLDLottie has a hemstitched linen petticoat and her second skin is make from antique russet colored glazed cotton.
*Did you know that the term gingham came into use in the 17th century and originally referred to woven stripe fabric, but came to refer to the familiar woven check sometime later. When you’re dealing with a fabric that’s over five hundred years old… naturally some things do get lost in translation. “Gingham” comes from the Malayan word genggang, or “striped.” The way we identify gingham, as being a contrasting-check, was not the way in which the fabric was originally known. True gingham is distinguished primarily for being a “dyed in the yarn” fabric, meaning the yarn is dyed before it is woven. Secondly, gingham is marked by having the colored yarns (the warp) going against the uncolored yarns (the weft), to create a lightweight texture on both faces, meaning it’s essentially reversible. The name originated in the southeast Asian countries where gingham is said to have been born. The fabric balance between colored, and neutral yarns was seen as being perfect for striped shirts. As the fabric made its journey into the Western world, it retained its name, but lost its once signifying stripes.
Charlotte – $2150.00 SOLD
Sweet Charlotte is slightly more refined than her sister, with lace on her petticoat and a less worn paint surface.
All of my dolls are sold on a “first come” basis. Email me at p.walton.asweetremembrance@gmail.com to purchase. Paypal, credit cards, checks or money orders accepted for payment. Free priority mail shipping & full insurance to any U.S address. International orders ~ exact postage + $10 handling fee to help off set the extra time required for international shipping ~ check with me to make sure your international address is one I ship to. No shipping to Russia. No handling fee for Canada.
Lottie – $2150.00SOLD
Dear Lottie is a bit more demure and time worn than her sister. She has a slightly more pronounced folk art look that is quite dear to my heart. ❤
All of my dolls are sold on a “first come” basis. Email me at p.walton.asweetremembrance@gmail.com to purchase. Paypal, credit cards, checks or money orders accepted for payment. Free priority mail shipping & full insurance to any U.S address. International orders ~ exact postage + $10 handling fee to help off set the extra time required for international shipping ~ check with me to make sure your international address is one I ship to. No shipping to Russia. No handling fee for Canada.
Extra Dresses – If you are purchasing either Charlotte or Lottie and would like to have them to be fitted for an extra dress before they travel to you, I have an amazing unwashed mid-19th century fabric that would suit them perfectly! A plainly styled extra dress from this fabric, made to fit, would be $315 for their 22.5 inch size. ❤
mid-19th century cotton fabric printed with russet and brown roses.
Thank you so much for coming to our annual Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration for 2021! We hope that you enjoyed it just as much as the dolls and I have!
If you enjoyed meeting both Charlotte and Lottie, then you will undoubtedly wish to come back soon to see photos of their sister (yes they are triplets!) before she emigrates to Canada ❤ ❤ ❤
These four new little sisters are looking for loving homes ❤
ALL NOW SOLD THANK YOU!!! Tonight I am happy to introduce you to Sarah Alice’s little sisters! All four of the dolls were made using my own handmade mold of my original antique Izannah Walker doll, Sarah Alice. The girls are just over 18 inches tall, they have painted boots with scalloped tops, “forget me not” blue second skin body coverings, and come dressed in a chemise, pantalettes, petticoat and double pink printed antique cotton dress.
The dolls are all being sold on a “first come” basis. The first time stamped email to paula@asweetremembrance.com that asks to purchase the doll gets her. You are also very welcome to ask questions, but asking a question will not hold a doll, only a firm purchase request will.
Each doll is $1295.00, which includes free insured USPS Priority Mail shipping to any U.S. address. Shipping to other countries will be charged at the exact postage rate. I no long ship to Russia. Payment via Paypal Invoice, credit card (call with number) or check. Lay-away of up to six months is available with equal monthly payments. Dolls will ship from the studio 5-7 days after your payment is received.
I think that about covers all the boring bits, so now let’s get back to photos! ❤
Sarah Alice A – $1295.00 SOLD
Sarah Alice B – $1295.00 SOLD
Sarah Alice C – $1295.00 SOLD
Sarah Alice D – $1295.00 SOLD
*** You may click on any of the smaller images to enlarge them ***
Thank you all so very much for stopping by to meet all the new little cloth dolls ❤ We are so glad you could join us for my tenth annual Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration!!! Happy 203rd Birthday Izannah Walker! Wishing you sweet dreams ❤
Once upon a time, in January 2009 to be exact, I started a blog about my dolls… fast forward to September 2010, when on a spur of the moment whim I decided that it would be fun to write a post about Izannah Walker’s 193rd birthday. That was the very beginning of what has now become an annual tradition here on my Izannah Walker Journal! I hope you enjoy this look back at all the parties that the dolls and I have thrown to celebrate the anniversary of Izannah’s birthday on September 25th, 1817.
… and let’s not forget the year I hosted a doll making retreat here at the studio, just after Izannah’s birthday, which continued the party as we made new dolls and wonderful new friends!
In just a short while our 2020 party will commence, as we wish Izannah a very happy 203rd birthday!
While you wait for the party to start at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time this afternoon you may want to explore some of these previous birthday posts:
Links to Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration Posts
Tilly J. Lamb and I are both spending our days making dolls in preparation for our annual Izannah Walker Birthday Celebration on September 25th & 26th, 2020
I haven’t sent out a newsletter in quite some time… the one overwhelming thing I most want to say is that I hope you, your families and loved ones are safe and healthy. This has been such a very sad and difficult year for our world.
I debated with myself about whether or not to write my annual Autumn Newsletter, but in the midst of such very unsettled and stressful times I find that I need a few happy, fanciful things to think about. Tiny bright spots that make life feel a bit more normal and remind me of better days. So I decided to go ahead and write, hoping that you might feel the same and be interested in a bit of studio news and upcoming events.
The dolls and I are busy making plans to celebrate Izannah Walker’s 203rd birthday on September 25th. I started writing my Izannah Walker Journal ~ Paula Walton’s Doll-Making Notes blog in January, 2009. The little Izzy’s and I have been celebrating the anniversary of Izannah Walker’s birth on my blog for ten years! Since my first birthday post on September 25th, 2010!
I’m getting a rather late start on preparations this year. I have to admit that since March I have been feeling much too antsy to make dolls… I have needed to do more physical, less detailed work. To be up and moving all the time rather than sitting… I have been throwing myself into taking care of my little remnant of an 18th century farm. My life is going through a lot of changes at the moment and one of the things I am exploring is the feasibility of farming on a very small scale, so I have been growing a few experimental crops and trying out new plants. I’m not at all sure that farming is in my future, but it has made for an interesting, busy, exhausting spring and summer. I have also been concentrating on taking care of my family and making things for them. I have made masks, masks, and more masks. Not nearly as many as some people I know, who have been donating them on a large scale, but I have still made a fair number ~ about 75 so far, with more requested and on my to do list. My concentration on family has included making toys with my granddaughter and sewing clothes for her first year of school.
Now, just finally, I am feeling as if I can return to making dolls, creating spun cotton fancies, and all the other art and handwork that I love. Apparently I am not alone in this, as I have recently been seeing comments and posts from other artists and craftspeople remarking that they too have not been able to work on their art and creations for months…
I am very, very honored to once again have been selected by Early American Life as one of their top traditional craftsmen in 2020. This marks the 41st time I have been juried into their prestigious Directory of Traditional Craftpersons. One of my dolls was featured in their August 2020 issue.
Reminder
Both the Spun Cotton Ornament Class and Izannah Walker Doll Making Class member help sites have moved to private facebook groups. If you are a member of either class and would like an invitation to the group please email me. You must be a member of facebook to use the private facebook group.
In Closing Thank you all for your interest in my work for all these years. I have enjoyed getting to talk or correspond with so many of you! Knowing you has enriched my life. I hope that I have been able to add just a bit of fun, whimsy and knowledge to yours!
I’d like to leave you with this recipe for Birth-day Pudding. It is the recipe that the dolls and I baked for our first Izannah Walker Birthday Party in 2010, and what we will be making again to celebrate this year. It is very easy and quite delicious! You don’t even have to be a doll lover to enjoy it ~ lol!
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.
Izannah Walker Journal 
