Two lovely young ladies, currently available for sale. Miss “A” NOW SOLD – Thank you for looking, dressed in antique “double pink” fabrics, with two curls in front of each ear and seven more along the nape of her neck and her dearest friend Miss “B”, wearing a madder brown dress and straw colored crocheted bonnet. Both girls may be purchased directly from my main website Paula Walton’s A Sweet Remembrance. Click here to read all about Miss “A” and click here for Miss “B’s” particulars.
SOLD Miss “A” and her two bunny friends.SOLD Miss “A’s” hand made red leather shoes are trimmed in hand dyed silk ribbons that have been carefully matched to faded antique originals.SOLD She has one charming “make-do” sleeve, that almost, but not quite matches the rest of her dress fabric. Her dress has a “false hem” made from a third antique “double pink” fabric.SOLD Note the details of her white cotton and crochet work bonnet and her hand strung pink bone beads.SOLD Curls!SOLD “May I have this dance?” Sometimes a girl just feels like waltzing…SOLD Miss “B” adores her new straw colored antique crochet work bonnet with it’s silk ribbons and rosettes!SOLD Note the details of her bonnet, real coral beads and lace trimmed chemise.SOLD Miss “B” (on the right) pays a visit to her great grandmother a doll made by Izannah Walker herself! (on the left)SOLD A Side view of her bonnet.SOLD Back view of Miss “B’s” bonnet.
A Note About the Easter Bonnets
SOLD The girls love showing off their new Easter bonnets.
Do you remember turning acorn caps into doll dishes and using handkerchiefs for dolly diapers and shawls when you were a child? My mother used to help me fashion doll clothes out of objects we found around the house. I’m sure that this is a long standing mother and daughter tradition since I occasionally come across antique doll clothing that children have made from little bits of this and that.
I was sitting in my studio, thinking about Easter bonnets, when my eye happened to light on a pile of crocheted doilies… Suddenly I could just see them turning into beautiful, lacy Easter sunbonnets! I loved the idea of recreating one of my childhood traditions and I hope that you are as captivated by the bonnets and the story behind them as I am.
Would You Like to Get to Know Miss “A” & “B” Better?
If you have any questions about Misses “A” or “B”, or would like to see additional photographs, I would be more than happy to accommodate you. Email me at paula@asweetremembrance.com or call me at 860-355-5709. Lay-away is available on terms to meet your budget.
SOLD Possibly Bess, Bountiful, Bettany, or ??? My latest doll reminds me of the charming Izannah Walker doll at the South County Museum in Narragansett, Rhode Island. There is something about the shape of her head and her expression that calls to mind the Rhode Island doll of a century and a half ago…
NOW SOLD – THANK YOU FOR LOOKING For the past few days I’ve been sewing on clothing for this doll, that I’m affectionately calling “B”. I’ve been working on this doll for months, and for almost the entire time I’ve been thinking that she reminds me of a particular Izannah that I had seen somewhere… Yesterday I finally remembered exactly which one of Izannah’s dolls that “B” resembles. To me, she looks like the Izannah Walker doll at the South County Museum in Narragansett, Rhode Island. View the doll owned by the South County Museum here at the Izannah Walker Chronicles.
One of the magical aspects of pressed cloth heads is the way that heads made from the same mold are each unique. I am constantly filled with wonder when my dolls follow the same path that Izannah’s did. It is such a reaffirmation of the way I work to see that 170 years later I can take stockinette, cotton, and paste and turn it into faithful reproductions of Izannah’s dolls. *
SOLD Back of split pantalettes, showing contrasting white cotton waistband and piecing.SOLD Close-up of darning on linen pantalettes.SOLD Close-up of detail on pantalettes, chemise, petticoat and painted boots.
Because the doll has a very time worn appearance and aged paint surfaces, I wanted to use special fabrics that would reflect and enhance the feel of this doll and help tell her story. I used antique natural colored linen for her pantalettes, chemise and petticoat. I added vintage white cotton waistbands to the pantaletts and petticoat because I wanted the color contrast that is often seen in antique wool/cotton baby petticoats. Her pantalettes have been carefully pieced and darned. It took much longer to make them this way, but it helps to preserve the illusion of a much loved family doll that has been well taken care of and preserved to be passed down through succeeding generations.
“B’s” dress is made from an amazing piece of madder brown fabric c.1850 that has never been washed. The color of the dye is so vibrant, with a crisp print and the original sizing intact. The dress has straight short sleeves and is trimmed with narrow velvet bands around the sleeves and skirt. It closes with an antique glass “china” button at the waist and a thin 1/8-th inch cotton tape drawstring at the neck. The dress skirt has been carefully darned and mended in two places and the inside of the waist band has a bit of contrasting fabric pieced in as a “make-do” detail. This is the ideal dress for a collector who loves early primitive cloth dolls and is a serious student of 19th century textiles. I’m strongly suggesting that this dress should not be washed to preserve the pristine documentary condition of the fabric dye and print.
Carefully mended skirt.
Inside of waistband showing “make-do” pieced lining.
We still have some snow on the ground here in Connecticut from Friday’s storm, so today I’m going to make “B” a pair of detachable long sleeves to help keep her warm on chilly spring days.
SOLD Sweet “B” needs her long sleeves to ward off the chill in the air today. She thinks they make her look very “Little Women”ish!SOLD “B’s” cuffs button on the inside of her wrists in the mid-19th century manner .
SOLD Sweet “B” may be purchased on my website A Sweet Remembrance. Please feel free to email or call me if you are interested in purchasing “B” and have any questions about her or would like to see additional photographs. Paula@asweetremembrance.com, 860-355-5709. Lay away is available in terms to fit your budget. All payments, including lay away, may be made through Paypal, or by personal check or money order. You may pay using your credit card through Paypal, even if you do not have a Paypal account. Free Priority Mail shipping, with full insurance and signature confirmation, to any location within the United States. 6.35% sales tax is charged on dolls shipped to a Connecticut address. Exact postage charged on dolls shipped to other countries.
I’ve finally finished Maxine’s doll! The last stitches are in place, her clothes are freshly laundered, and her photographs have been taken and are on the way to Maxine for her approval. I’m really pleased with the way she turned out, I hope Maxine is too! Due to one thing and another she took me 125 hours to complete, which is much longer than the 80 to 100 hours that most of my dolls average. I think that the extra time was worthwhile. I love the look of depth in her paint. It has a wonderful appearance in person that I wish I could capture with my camera, but I’m not that expert of a photographer.
Annalise and Bess are trying on their new under garments, while Maxine’s doll looks on… just waiting for hers to be finished…
Another busy day… Annalise and Bess now have pantalettes, chemises and petticoats. Maxine’s doll is waiting for her arms and legs to dry while I work on her underwear.
Tomorrow Annalise, Bess and I will be picking out their dress fabrics. If you would like more information on my dolls you can read all of the details on my website Paula Walton’s A Sweet Remembrance, or you may call (860-35-5709) or email me (paula@asweetremembrance.com). Annalise will sell for $1300.00 when she is finished… or $1375.00 if you would like to order handmade leather shoes. Bess will be $1250.00.
If you are interested in either Annalise or Bess and would like additional photos, just ask. Lay-away is available, tailored to fit your budget.
It feels like I’m always rushing from one deadline to another. I’ve spent the past few weeks working on several new dolls for a photo deadline. I finished this doll today, just in time to rush her photographs down to the post office before they closed, getting them post marked on the very last possible day!
Actually this doll is one I had been planning to have finished before Early American Life came to our house in December. For some reason people always have the mistaken idea that I have shelves full of dolls, spun cotton ornaments and all of the other things that I make to sell. They imagine that coming here is like going to a secret hidden shop full of treasures, set inside the perfect 18th century New England farmstead… This is so far from reality ! 🙂 I normally don’t have any dolls here at all, unless there are one or two on lay-away. In real life most of my dolls get packed up and shipped just as soon as I get the last stitches finished. Plus doll making is messy, so my studio rarely looks tidy and there is a trail of thread and fabric snippits leading from the studio, across the yard, to the house, and into the parlor, where I sit in the evenings to do hand sewing. So part of my grand plan, when Early American Life asked if they could come photograph our house at Christmas, was to create three or four new dolls and a whole tree full of ornaments. None of them actually got finished 🙂 . By the time the retreat was over and I kept up with orders, then cleaned and painted throughout the house like a mad woman, there was no time left! So I postponed making this doll until my latest deadline instead.
Now that she is finished, she will be keeping me company in my kitchen. I created her for myself, incorporating all of my favorite Izannah details. I even added a third ringlet in front of each ear, like the ones on the lovely antique Izannah that was just up for sale on eBay last week. I doubt that I will ever be able to afford the $22,000.00 opening bid on the eBay doll, but I decided that I can treat myself to one of my own dolls.
My c. 1860 antique Izannah Walker doll in red, on the left, and her newly made offspring c. 2013 dressed in dress made of rare “double violet” mid-19th century fabric, on the right.
Tomorrow is going to be another busy day in my studio, as I move on to more orders and deadlines, but for tonight I am relaxing and enjoying my new Izannah, with nothing more taxing to do than decide upon the perfect name for my newest friend…
A steadfast new friend to share in my kitchen adventures!
Charlcie (SOLD), Savannah(SOLD), Susie Belle (SOLD) and True Blue after the Early American Life photo shoot at our house on Saturday.
12/12/12 NOTE: SUSIE BELLE IS SOLD. Wish her a safe and speedy journey on Santa’s sleigh, as he delivers her to her new home on Christmas Eve.
12/14/12 NOTE: SAVANNAH IS SOLD.
12/22/22 NOTE: CHARLCIE IS SOLD.
I have three new dolls that are available for sale, just in time for Christmas. All of them are featured in the upcoming Winter 2013 issue of Prims magazine. As many of you know, I don’t usually name my dolls, but I did name these three. You can read their story, along with a bit about how they were made and a some of my doll making tips in the magazine, which goes on sale January 1st.
Each of the dolls is fully dressed in clothing made from antique fabrics and lace. If you’ve been dreaming of a doll with her own antique trunk full of dresses sitting under your tree on Christmas morning, that can be arranged 🙂 I have an antique doll trunk for sale, which can be filled with gift certificates for custom made dresses. Charlcie, Savannah, or Susie Belle accompanied by the antique trunk and dress certificates would make a very memorable and touching Christmas gift. I am including a signed copy of Prims along with each doll. There is also a chance that these dolls will be appearing in Early American Life magazine next year. EAL was here on Saturday to shoot photos of our home for their 2013 Christmas issue. At this point I have no idea which photos they will choose to use in the magazine article 🙂
To purchase Charlcie, Savannah(SOLD), or Susie Belle(SOLD) please visit my website asweetremembrance.com. If you would like to add additional clothing, shoes or antique doll trunks to your order you may call me (860-355-5709) or email me (paula@asweetremembrance.com) I would be happy to talk to you at any time about my dolls, answer any questions you may have, or send you additional photos. As always, lay-away is an option on any purchase.
Charlcie, shown on the right, with my original antique Izannah, on the left, that her molds and pattern were taken from.Savannah (SOLD) has a red coral bead necklace and a chemise trimmed in red tatting.*SOLD* Susie Belle has delicate wispy hair and a dress made from an amazing early “cheddar” print cotton fabric.Charlcie, Savannah (SOLD) and Susie Belle (SOLD) are looking forward to adventures in their new homes during 2013.
12/11/12 Update. An article about three of my reproduction Izannah Walker dolls will be in the Winter 2013 issue of Prims. The article about my bears will appear in Prims Spring 2013.
Articles about several of my dolls and bears are going to appear in the upcoming Winter issue of Prims magazine, available on January 1st. I haven’t see the magazine yet, but it looks like it’s going to be a great issue with some really interesting work from a terrific group of artists. Stampington Company’s magazines are beautiful, but a bit pricey, so I thought I’d share this tip with you. If you pre-order the Winter 2013 issue of Prims by November 23rd you can save $2 and get free shipping 🙂
This doll has been sold, thank you for stopping by to see her. Here she is! I just finished her this afternoon. While making this doll I became quite enamored with an Izannah Walker that was very briefly for sale on eBay. This same doll first came to my attention when it was up for auction at the Sandwich Auction House in April. It is similar to an Izannah Walker doll pictured in a daguerrotype owned by Elizabeth Isenburg who writes the Steamboat Arabia blog. I loved the scalloped waves around her face accompanied by two long curls over each of her ears. I really wanted to paint that hair!
More of a “Rose Red” than a “Lady in Red” or a “Red Hot Momma” she has a second skin made from vintage red polished/glazed cotton.She has a long chemise made from fine antique linen.
Her second dress is made from antique red and blue paisley fabric.
Rose Red has bare feet. She comes with a chemise, pantalettes, petticoat, red and cream print dress and second dress made from red and blue paisley. $1450.00 If you would like to add her to your doll family, please visit my website where she can be purchased via my secure automatic check out. Email or call me with questions (paula@asweetremembrance.com, 850-355-5709) or to arrange lay away payments. You can add socks and hand made shoes, sheer white cotton undersleeves, a bonnet, a necklace, or additional dresses to her wardrobe. Please inquire for the cost of any of these custom made accessories.
I have always loved antique dolls that have acquired a myriad collection of possessions throughout their long lives. I have endeavored to give True Blue a good start on a hope chest of her own, one that can be added to for generations to come. She is true blue through and through with a blue second skin made from antique glazed cotton.
Her undergarments consist of a long lace trimmed chemise, pantalettes, and two petticoats trimmed in blue crocheted lace and tatting. In her antique trunk she has four hand made dresses, a tiny antique tintype photograph, a chatelaine to keep all of her sewing essentials close by, a vintage silk flag to wave at the 4th of July parade and a miniature feather tree to help her celebrate Christmas. She also owns two necklaces to wear on Sundays and to parties, as well as two aprons to keep her clean while doing everyday chores. Rounding out her possessions are a signed copy of August 2012 Early American Life and an Early American Life Craftsman Directory recognition tag. Her adoption fee is $2900.
All of her dresses are made from antique fabrics. The first is a wonderful indigo print cotton, with a banded neckline and sleeves and two growth tucks in the skirt. The second is a lively red and blue paisley print, with short straight sleeves, a deep hem and two growth tucks.
Her third dress is a very early Prussian blue and brown cotton paisley that almost, but one quite as sheer as gauze. It has tucked and gathered sleeves and a banded neckline. The fourth dress is True Blue’s wardrobe is a very sheer woven cotton fabric, that is reminiscent of cheese cloth in its open weave, with woven white and blue “dots”. It has a very full bodice, skirt and sleeves, with bands of cotton tape at the sleeves, neckline and waistband.
All of True’s possessions fit neatly into to her fabric covered trunk. The trunk itself is not perfect. It shows signs of having been lovingly played with over the years. I think that it fits very well with the amount of “aging” that True exhibits. I came across this trunk in Brimfield in May. At the time I bought it, the trunk was lined with a modern “country” print wallpaper. I have swapped out the lining for some much older vintage wallpaper that I just happened to have in my stash.
If you’d like to add more items, such as additional underwear, dresses, bonnets, etc. I would be happy to make them for her. Just inquire at paula@asweetremembrance.com for prices.
“True Blue” my reproduction Izannah Walker doll pictured in the August 2012 issue of Early American Life magazine. She is shown here with her antique trunk, one of her three extra dresses, her miniature antique tintype photograph, signed copy of the magazine and her Early American Life tag.
I’m extremely honored to have been juried into Early American Life’s 2012 Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen. This is the 25th and 26th time I have been chosen for the Directory. This year in the categories of Toys and Dolls and Clothing or Accessories.
I know not everyone is familiar with Early American Life and their Directory, so here is a copy of the official press release. The magazine editors wrote such an elegant and informative description of the Directory, there is no way I could explain it better.
National Magazine Honors Area Craftsperson
June 2012 – Paula Walton of New Milford, CT won the highest award as a traditional artisan in this year’s Directory of Traditional American Crafts, and her work is showcased in the 2012 August issue of Early American Life magazine. She ranks top in her field, according to a panel of national experts convened by the magazine. The experts – curators from such prestigious institutions as the American Folk Art Museum, Frontier Culture Museum, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Hancock Shaker Village and Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, the National Trust, Old Sturbridge Village, Southern Highland Craft Guild, Strawberry Banke Museum, and Winterthur Museum as well as antique dealers, independent scholars, and professional instructors – selected the top craftspeople working with traditional tools and techniques for the magazine’s 27th annual Directory of Traditional American Crafts. Walton’s handcraft showed mastery of the art form, heritage techniques, and workmanship, according to the judges.
The Directory of Traditional American Crafts is a special listing that appears in the August 2012 issue of Early American Life, a national magazine focusing on architecture, decorative arts, period style, and social history from colonial times through the mid-19th century. The Directory has been used for nearly three decades by curators at living history museums, owners of traditional homes, and motion picture producers to find artisans to make period-appropriate furnishings and accessories for displays, collections, and use.
“The judges look for authentic design and workmanship, whether the piece is a faithful reproduction or the artisan’s interpretation of period style,” said Tess Rosch, publisher of Early American Life. “Scholarship, as well as use of period tools and techniques, is particularly valued in this competition.”
One goal of the Directory is to help preserve traditional handcrafts, part of our culture that is rapidly being lost in the digital age. Many of these skills were passed down from master to apprentice for hundreds of years, but now few new people choose to learn and master them. “If our traditional arts are lost, we have forgotten a part of who we are as Americans,” Rosch said.
The August 2012 issue of Early American Life, on newsstands June 19th, lists all artisans selected for the Directory as well as contact information for those wanting to own their work. The Directory layout features lush color photos of many of these artworks photographed at Renfrew Museum and Park in Waynesboro, Pennslvania.
“The Directory is a source for collectors and historic museums eager to own fine handcrafted, period-accurate objects and also a means of supporting those who perpetuate the art forms that are such and important part of our nation’s heritage.” Rocsh said. To learn more about Early American Life, for subscription information, or to purchase a copy, visit www.EarlyAmericanLife.com.
Early American Life is a bimonthly magazine with a circulation of 90,000. The magazine was founded in 1970 and is owned by Firelands Media Group LLC, Shaker Heights, Ohio.
A Mad Scramble
I was thrilled when EAL asked if I could send one of my dolls to Pennsylvania to be photographed. Unfortunately, I did not have any unsold dolls available when they asked. The good news was that I did have several dolls that I was working on at the time, so a wild and intense two weeks of painting and sewing ensued! I finished True Blue, just in time to send her Express Mail to the photo shoot. I love this doll!!! I was sorely tempted to clutch her to my breast and declare her “not for sale”… but I have decided that I could have fun spending extra time with her by creating a trunk full of possessions for her to keep in the antique doll’s trunk I found for her in Brimfield, on my May shopping trip. So True Blue is going to be for sale just as soon as I put the finishing touches on her third and fourth dresses and make her chatelaine. If you are interested in learning more about her before I get her final photos and write up posted on my website, you may email me paula@asweetremembrance.com or call 860-355-5709.
In reading through Early American Life editor Jeanmarie Andrews’ August column, I learned something that I hadn’t known before. Jeanmarie states ” It might seem like we pick our favorites to photograph year after year, but we don’t. Instead we rely on antique dealers and collectors, museum curators and directors who know which colors, designs, dimensions, joinery techniques, and finishes harmonize to produce a masterpiece.” The Early American Life Directory has been in existence for 27 years and gone through many changes to reflect the mission of the various publishing companies who have owned the magazine during that time. I’m not quite sure when they changed the method of selecting items for photography, but I will say that it made me even more humbled and thankful that they chose to photograph one of my dolls.
True Blue and a copy of the August 2012 issue of Early American Life that I am putting in her trunk as a remembrance of her journey to Pennsylvania and the time she spent at Renfrew Museum during the EAL photo shoot.
True Blue and her Possessions
I think that I have given True Blue a good start on her hope chest. She is dressed in a chemise, pantalettes, two petticoats and an indigo print dress. In her trunk she has three more dresses, a tiny antique tintype photograph, a chatelaine to keep all of her sewing essentials close by and a flag to wave at the 4th of July parade. She also owns several necklaces to wear on Sundays and to parties, as well as two aprons to keep her clean while doing everyday chores. All of her clothing and keepsakes fit into her antique trunk. Her adoption fee is going to be $2900.
If you’d like to add more items, such as additional underwear, dresses, bonnets, etc. I would be happy to make them for her. Just inquire at paula@asweetremembrance.com for prices.
May You Live in Interesting Times…
I’ll try to get her dresses finished and get her posted for sale sometime next week, but I can’t promise… I’m working around a wedding. One of my sons is getting married on June 30th, so there are only 15 days left on our wedding count down!!! Not a problem unless you happen to be the mother of the groom who is also the head seamstress for the bridal alterations department, the chief baker of the wedding cake, groom’s cake and an entire tower of tiny heart shaped tarts, and art director in charge of wedding decorations 🙂 I also have to figure out how to get the house cleaned before out of town relatives arrive for the wedding and get my drivers license renewed!!! Never a dull moment at our house… but at least there is no time to get bored 🙂
