Maida Today

Incredible Vintage Wooden 1950's Hitty Doll with Accessories and Tasha Tudor Letters

2024-08-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

Published in 2012 originally.

Yesterday I went to Lucy's Doll House for my "spring trip". I usually try to get down once a season, but my spring trip is my favorite because I get to see what's new in the shop. Sue said she had a special doll to share, and boy did she! Yesterday, when I walked into the back room to see this amazing vintage wooden carved Hitty doll from 1954, my jaw dropped.

Those of you who love the original Hitty will love this grouping of items and the story of how this doll and her accessories came to be made. The lot is filled with so many points of interest, from the doll itself, to the wardrobe, to a hooked rug, the furniture to the scrapbook and letters from Tasha Tudor included in the scrapbook. Her necklace of pearls and coral was made by Shreve's in Boston. I was a little overwhelmed at how to document the group, to be truthful. I want to go back and visit it again, if it's still there.

The scrapbook that came with the doll tells the story of the doll's making as well as the wardrobe and furniture that are with her.

Heather, the little girl for whom the doll was made, had read her mama's Hitty book, and longed for a Hitty of her own. Her parents had a local eagle carver named William "Bill" Montville make Heather a Hitty doll. Here are rough videos I took showing the doll and collection of clothing and furniture. I have a lot to learn about using my iPad for videos! But still, you will enjoy seeing this doll move.

The clothing with this doll is astounding - all made by Alice Wainwright, the maker of Polly Shorrock dolls. Lucy's has a group of Polly Shorreck dolls that were also owned by the little girl Heather.

The clothing was made from the descriptions in the book.

Here is the skirt to Hitty's wedding dress.

What a wedding dress Alice Wainwright made for Hitty!

Below is the typed history of how the furniture was made by Heather's father in his basement workshop, and what each piece was made from.

Here's a video showing the accessories in this grouping. The video makes it looks like Hitty's head is moving. It is not. My camera skills are sadly lacking, and the poor iPad was trying to refocus constantly while I was moving it around. Sorry about that! But still, you get an idea of the collectionof the doll's accessories and the clothing.

In the video I state all the furniture is made from mahogony,

but that is incorrect. The cradle is made from mahogany.

Here are some additional pictures of accessories:

I believe these small letters may be "Sparrow letters"

written by Tasha Tudor from Tasha's dolls to Heather's dolls.

The scrapbook has some pictures of one of Tasha Tudor's dolls.

Small eagle carved by William Montville aka
"Bill" Montville of Marblehead, Massachusetts, who also carved the doll.

There is so much here to delight the viewer in this collection. This special group reflects the creation of a one of a kind group of treasures, a family's imagination and the joys of a simpler time.

Many thanks to Lucy's Doll House for allowing Maida Today

to share this wonderful group of treasures.

A Body Pattern for Antique Papier Mache and China Shoulderhead Dolls

2022-12-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

I designed and sized a body for this head made by Dixie. The pattern offered is suitable for many types of antique shoulder head dolls made of china and papier mache. It may be sized up or down on a copier to fit a particular head. As given, the body makes about a 22 inch doll. If you do not already have a favorite basic body pattern for shoulder heads I hope this will become it. The pattern is available at https://www.etsy.com/listing/1381050145/edyth-oneill-doll-body-pattern-for-china?click_key=e2623e36d1fcb4b83df79374c970880b508712da%3A1381050145&click_sum=d0f5ccf8&ref=shop_home_active_1

There are seven pages in this downloadable pdf document. When printing it from your computer you might like to print pages 1,6 and 7 on photo paper and the other pages on plain. Make several copies of pages 3 and 4 with the pattern shapes and enlarge or reduce these as desired for different dolls. Both a full figured and a more slender torso are given. It is easy to customize the pattern for your own projects. Thanks, Edyth

http://www.dollsformyredcape.blogspot.com/p/patterns-ebooks.html

The Story of the Maggie Bessie Doll

2022-11-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Written by Bradley Justice

Purchase the Maggie Bessie Pattern on Etsy

In the corner of metropolitan Winston Salem, North Carolina is a tiny historic village, named Old Salem. Many years ago, in this village lived two sisters who were avid doll makers. Both were talented seamstresses, both endeared to children and a love of dolls. This is the story of an American doll created in my home state, a North Carolina Cloth doll. Salem was settled in 1766 by Moravians who cam from Pennsylvania as missionaries to the backwoods of North Carolina in 1753. After starting two small villages, they felt the need of a center for their industries. Salem merged with Winston in 1913, the hub of tobacco factories, and is now known as the city of Winston Salem. The older village of Salem has become a tourist attraction, similar to that of Williamsburg, and is called Old Salem Inc. At one time they had a vast Toy Museum, which just recently closed. This museum had well over 20 Maggie Bessie dolls both on exhibit and in their archive.

Margaret Gertrude Pfohl (Maggie), 1877-1965, and Caroline Elizabeth Pfohl (Bessie) 1870-1959, were Moravians in Salem.

The Pfohl sisters were never married but were very active in their community and their church. This is apparent in the many projects that the started to create items for entertaining children. They taught sewing, painted china, and Miss Maggie started the tradition of the first “Putz” or scene, under the community Christmas tree at the Home Moravian Church. This is a tradition that continues to this day. A “Putz” is a German tradition brought by the Moravians to their settlements. Relatives of the Pfohl sisters regale the memories of this tradition, are quick to share stories of visiting their home during the Advent season.

Starting in the early 1890’s, Miss Maggie and Miss Bessie redrafted a pattern belonging to their mother to create some of their first dolls.   This pattern had been utilized by Mrs. Pfohl to make dolls for her children.   Mrs. Pfohl (Margaret Caroline Siewers Pfohl 1838-1929) was herself very artistic and understood the importance of dolls to children. This pattern proved far too simple for their tastes. The dolls purportedly made by Mrs. Pfohl are very rare and differ greatly from those we now call the Maggie Bessie Dolls. They are flatter with a gusset at the top of the head, and the face painting, although well done, is more primitive.   Few of these dolls exist, and it is difficult to say with certainty their provenance. They enlisted a dear friend, Elizabeth (Emma Louisa) Chitty, and she helped the sisters refine their pattern and improve their techniques. She was an instructor of needlework and mathematics at Salem Academy and College with whom Miss Maggie had studied. A doll maker herself, she is the creator of the elusive cloth doll known as “Miss Chitty”. Joining forces to perfect these early dolls became a group effort. The final result was the pattern for a doll that would measure 19 inches.   From that pattern, utilizing similar shapes, they sized down, and worked at creating a manageable standard pattern.   This started a tradition that lasted for over fifty years.

The late Catherine (Catty) White was the first to speak of these dolls to me. When Catty, a well known doll dealer at the time, told me that these were her favorite dolls I became intrigued immediately. She was instrumental in bringing more knowledge of these dolls to all those interested.   Catty worked with an antique dealer who called her each time he found a Maggie Bessie doll. The dolls, apparently simple in construction, are charming and have a wonderful feel of Americana. Catty was generous in sharing her knowledge about them although there were few articles about them and no reference in the Blue Book. In our conversations, Catty referred several times to a friend Elizabeth (Libby) Holder, a Moravian from Winston Salem now living in a retirement Community in my Town of Chapel Hill. It was only a matter of time before our paths as doll collectors crossed and confessed a mutual affection for the Maggie Bessie dolls.

Libby owns three of them, especially made for her by the Pfohl sisters. Libby was a newspaper reporter for the Winston Salem Journal and the Twin City Sentinel in Winston Salem. She was a Bride to be when she interviewed the Pfohl sisters shortly before Christmas 1942 about their doll making for an article.   She tried to order a doll for herself at the time, but after some obvious hesitation, they refused to accept her request, saying they were so filled with Christmas orders they could not do any more. On Christmas morning, however, Libby found a Maggie Bessie doll had been left for her by Santa Claus. A few days latter Miss Maggie called Elizabeth, saying that they doll had been order by her new husband and they were trying to protect his surprise when they turned down her request.   She was told that they would be happy to make her another doll is she wanted one.   After much consultation Libby settled on a boy and girl doll. The Christmas doll is dressed in a style from the early 1800’s. The two later dolls that Libby bought were dressed in styles from the early 1900’s. Named by the sisters, Kate is wearing a pink dress with bonnet. Will, also named by the makers, is wearing blue button on shorts, white shirt, socks and a crocheted bowler style hat.   Both dolls wear inexpensive store bought oil cloth shoes. They told Libby they used these to keep the prices of the dolls affordable for children.

Libby clarified for me several items in the construction and production of the dolls. Each sister did her share of the sewing. Miss Maggie did most of the painting of faces which were primed with white house paint, then sanded with emery before the features were added in oils. The faces are gentle, sweet and very consistent.

For girls, the painted hair is parted in the middle, for boys on the side. Dolls have been found with and without painted ears. The girls have blue eyes, the boys have brown eyes. Each part of the doll is constructed separately and joined together (i.e. the upper arms is separate from the lower arm).

Although I have stated that the dolls are simple, closer inspection of the construction testifies that the pattern is quite complex. Several pattern pieces were used in the head and a series of darts give shape. There is a center seam in the back and on the front a dart creates the chin and forehead. The dolls are tightly stuffed with cotton batting, and a wooden dowel creates the “spine”. Without the spine, the sisters said, the dolls would nod.

There are three documented patterns for three sizes: These are documented as 1 small, 13-14 inches, 2 large, 17-18 inches, and 3 “great big” 20-22 inches. Improvements were made to the pattern whenever needed. The size 1 dolls have 3 pattern pieces for the head. The larges sizes have 5 pattern pieces, though early examples in this size have been found with 3 pattern pieces. This documents their evolution and desire to improve their creations.

Dolls were dressed in simple dresses usually in pink or blue cotton.

Some have been found in gingham and calico prints.

Girls wear a petticoat over one piece undergarments. The dresses vary but the typical style is a short sleeve dress pleated in front with a low belt round the waist. As with Libby’s first doll, she was dressed in an early 1800’s fashion with full skirt, pantalettes, and the traditional Moravian “Haube”, a prayer cap worn by all Moravian women to church. The haube, are sometimes made of a stiff crinoline or lawn fits close to the scalp and have rows of pleated crinoline around the crown and tied under the chin with a ribbon. The color of the ribbon designated the marital status of the person wearing it. Girls under the age of confirmation wore red ribbons, unmarried women wore pink, married women wore blue and widows wore white.

The dolls originally sold for $1.00 each but by 1942 when Libby bought her two dolls, the price was up to $6.50. The sisters had decided early in their career to try to keep prices down so no child would have to go without.

The dolls they created are by far the best known creations, but they also made other playthings as well, sock toys and stocking dolls, organdy bonnets for dolls with hand painted flowers and they were known to have dabbled in doll repair. A Maggie Bessie doll head and arms has been found on a German Kid leather body. The bisque head of this doll met an untimely fate, and was replaced by the sisters with a head of their own creation.

Maggie Bessie dolls were treasured by their owners and have been passed down from generation to generation. Speculation is that there were fewer than 500 of these dolls made, though and early article gives a much lower number. Production of these dolls began in the early 1890’s, the earliest entry in the sisters’ business journal being 1897. This journal, a simple composition book, documents 435 dolls made from 1897 through 1918. It contradicts an early speculation that the sisters only produced 130 dolls. Most of the dolls were made for local people of Salem; the names appearing in this journal are names active in the Moravian community. Records also show that they shipped to Colorado, Texas, New Jersey, Alabama, and Pennsylvania.

After the death of the both sisters, the importance of these dolls was soon discovered. Collectors of both dolls, ephemera of Old Salem, and Americana all compete for Maggie Bessie dolls when they rarely are offered for Sale. What I have discovered was that so many of these dolls were loved to pieces and have since vanished from the face of the earth, but memories still live in the hearts of many, while others are coveted family heirlooms that are passed on to eldest daughters. The dolls that Libby received in 1942 went on to be played with, not only by her daughter, but by her grandchildren as well.

The nostalgia and memories of these special dolls created a demand for similar dolls to be sold in the gift shops of Old Salem where they now offer an inexpensive inspired version of the Maggie Bessie dolls.

The quest for information and history of these dolls became a passion for me and I think I am more passionate now about the history of the sisters, their techniques, and their doll making than I am of the dolls themselves. I have had the pleasure to see well over 100 examples of these dolls and photograph them extensively. Many owners allowed me to undress the dolls to study the clothing, varying construction and painting of each doll. As I began this research I was able to speak to several people that were related to, or had known the Pfohl Sisters and get first hand accounts of their doll making. As time has marched on, sadly, many have now passed away. Libby Holder passed away in October of 2009 reminding me that a history unwritten is lost forever. Sad, but it is very true. I feel privileged that I was able to work with her on my research. Even though Maggie and Bessie have passed on their dolls continue to bring joy to collectors in North Carolina and the world.

About My Pattern

As I said previously I was able to view many examples of these dolls, measuring them, sketching, studying and photographing each one. I share many of (but not all) of my photographs on my Flickr photo site. (Some do not want images of their dolls shared publicly, so I have them for research and when I do programs on the dolls) This is a great way to see variations, facial panting, and details. I spent many hours creating from my sketches and measurements a pattern to make myself a Maggie Bessie doll. My first attempts were marginal at best, as each creation lacked some detail that the originals possessed. In 2007 when I was allowed to see the original patterns, I was able to see many subtle details in the patterns that fixed many of the “issues”.

I redrafted a corrected pattern, and my example is as near to the original as you could possibly get. As I make the dolls on occasion for friends and family, I try to stay as close to original techniques as possible utilizing the same materials, stuffing and techniques, I prefer to be as authentic as possible. I even use a red marking pencil, as the sisters did, when they transferred their pattern to the fabric. Details however minute are important to me. The pattern that I offer for sale is years in the making, much trial and error, and was a total labor in love to preserve the doll making techniques from my home state of North Carolina, and the dolls loved by my dearest friends. I hope that you will enjoy making your doll.

Bradley's Etsy Shop
All content and pictures in this post are copyright 2011 Bradley Justice

Be Inspired by Izannah Walker Doll John Thayer

2022-10-23T10:25:00.005-07:00

Let's be inspired by the wonderful John Thayer!

Let's have a dollmaking challenge!

Target date for finishing February 28, 2023

Some images of John Thayer are here:

https://www.izannahwalkerchronicles.com/2022/08/john-thayer-antique-izannah-walker-boy.html

Some antique photos of 19th century boys are here in a Pinterest board:

https://pin.it/1BayhHO

We will call them "cousin" dolls to give leeway in design and execution. You do not have to make a copy of John Thayer, but your doll should be a boy and include *some* elements found in John Thayer. Feel free to use an Izannah Walker doll pattern OR another antique inspired pattern to make a boy doll that is related. I've already been coming up with a "cousin" name 😉

Izannah Walker Reproduction Dolls

2022-04-10T06:58:00.001-07:00

original Izannah Walker doll, picture by Dixie Redmond

“Will I still be making Izannah Walker inspired dolls?”

NOTE: The answer is YES. This post has been updated to reflect my journey in making Izannah Walker Reproduction Dolls and my establishment of the Hopestill Clan, pressed cloth izannah Walker dolls made from a mold I made of my antique Izannah Walker doll Hope. If you'd like to know more, please visit Northdixie Designs, the blog written by me, Dixie Redmond.

=====================

This question is asked in light of artist Kathy Patterson making a mold of her original Izannah Walker doll and using the mold to make reproduction Izannah Walker dolls.

Yes, I will still be making Izannah Walker inspired dolls, for many reasons. Before I get to all the whys of that I'd like to talk a bit about being inspired and the recent history of artists making Izannah inspired works.

Helen Pringle doll picture courtesy of Deanna Hogan

There is something to be learned from studying Izannah's work, just as painters learn by copying the works of artists who came before them such as Rembrandt or Michelangelo or Monet. In the act of trying to make a creation like those who come before, we learn something. Doll makers who have quoted Izannah Walker in their work include Martha Chase, Helen Pringle, Edyth O'Neill, and Judy Tasch a decade or more ago.

Edyth O'Neill Doll, sculpted by Edyth

Martha Chase doll Martha was inspired by her childhood doll made by Izannah Walker.

picture courtesy of Deanna Hogan

These artists have elements of Izannah's techniques or painting styles in their work. Many of us have more recently made Izannah inspired or Izannah reproduction dolls. I won't try to name all of us who have made Izannah inspired dolls because we are quite a throng. Some really wonderful dolls have come about as a result of trying to understand and emulate Izannah's work.

Judie Tausch dolls, Doll Reader photograph

Methods of approaching an Izannah Walker inspired doll have included making all cloth oil painted dolls, photo face dolls which have a photo print of an Izannah doll on a cloth base, dolls with stiffened masks, dolls made with paperclay, dolls made with paperclay and a stockinette cover, and now using a direct mold of an Izannah Walker doll. All of the attempts have been at the least interesting and at the most marvelous. As artists have made dolls, some have wanted to make a doll which looks exactly like an Izannah doll, and others have been more interested in using Izannah's exact methods. All of the works up till now will fall somewhere on the continuum of being an exact copy of the original to being inspired by the original.

Exact Copy of Original ----------------- Inspired by Original

Making copies of old dolls is nothing new. If the artist is up front and not trying to pass off the work as an antique original, it's quite legitimate in the doll-making world. When I emailed Edyth O'Neill this article for her thoughts she replied,

“Thousands of molds have been taken off old china and bisque dolls and some papier mache's too. When anything becomes really valuable it is a target to reproduce, anything from rocking horses to quilts to pressed glass. Dolls are surely no exception! Reproduction Izannah dolls fill the same need as do the reproduction Bisque A T's or the Reproduction Bru's. Collectors who would love to have an original Izannah Walker doll but feel they cannot afford one, may opt to purchase one of these reproduction ones instead. Emma Clear used to make molds from the old dolls as well as from her own sculpts. Mildred Seeley built a whole business on selling supplies and molds for reproduction dolls. “

Izannah herself used molds and we don't know what the original molds were made from – her own sculpt, another artist's sculpt or perhaps an early antique doll she owned? Elaine McNally commented that using a direct mold of an original Izannah doll is a 3D version of those who have made “photo-face” dolls. While Kathy Patterson's Izannah heads are molded from the original Izannah Walker dolls, she paints the molded heads herself. The end result is a doll that closely resembles the originals. No doubt about it, this does raise the bar for artists trying to make a doll which looks like an Izannah doll. So now I come back to the question of “Will I still be making Izannah Walker inspired dolls?” Of course I will, just as I always have done since beginning doll making. And here are my reasons why:

1. I find pleasure in making an Izannah Walker inspired doll. My purpose in making an Izannah inspired doll isn't only to make a likeness of one, but to think about the character of the doll maker. Izannah Walker is a kind of icon for me, because I see her as woman who achieved a lot of things in an environment that wasn't a level playing field for women. This inspires me.

2. I personally still have something to learn in the making of an Izannah Walker inspired doll. I sculpt my dolls by hand, and part of the challenge for me is to see how closely I can get to the feeling of the original Izannahs in my own sculpt. I've learned a lot through attempting this.

3. I believe there is room for different kinds of art in this world, including different kinds of Izannah Walker inspired dolls. It's like hearing the same song sung by different singers. Many versions can be beautiful.

Fairchildren and the Creative Spirit of Helen Pringle

2022-02-21T05:44:00.001-08:00

This is a repost from a blog post in 2014. Sadly, Helen passed away last year. But I am so glad that I was able to do this email interview.

===========

Not long ago, I (Dixie) was lucky to purchase a Helen Pringle doll to add to my study collection for a while. Most doll groups that focus on making vintage and antique dolls will eventually discuss Helen Pringle’s work. Her creations have the appeal of antique dolls, something many of us try to capture. Helen’s work is highly collectible for those who love cloth dolls.

In studying this doll, I had the chance to ask Helen some questions about the doll Sethany Fairchild (pictured) and her other artistic creations. She graciously answered them.

What inspired you to make antique inspired dolls? How did you decide to sell them?

My mother, aunts and grandmother were seamstresses and my sister and I learned to sew as girls. I remember an apron I made in 4-H, and learning to embroider as a child. Around 1980 I met Elizabeth Patton, a fellow antique collector who moved from Houston to Fort Worth. She was a doll collector of mostly big papier maches and had done repair for a doll shop in Houston. Sitting in a child's chair in Elizabeth’s house was a huge cloth doll in children's clothing - she was mind-boggling. When Elizabeth told me she had made the doll, I could hardly believe it, and asked her if she ever shared her pattern. Not yet, she said. She had devised the pattern from a large doll she had repaired, she told me.

To see more images of Sethany Fairchild, visit this photo album.

Several years later, she sold me her pattern, reserving the right to make her own dolls still, though I don't think she ever did. (In fact, she later had me to make her three, 36" black girl and black boy and 26" white girl.) Soon in the mail came a flat envelope containing odd pieces of grocery sack, which I finally figured out was the pattern, without instructions.

Naturally, I began to tinker with it, and my first efforts at painting were pretty crude, as I am a left-brain person and not at all artistic. I had made stuffed toys for my children, so I didn't have to learn that. I don't remember if Elizabeth had an undercoating, or if she used acrylics or oils, but the Miracle Messy Mixture was my own undercoating for the head, shoulders and arms. (See the recipe for Miracle Messy Mixture here). One of the first dolls I made was a 36" girl for Dolly Johnson (Dolly FairChild) in 1983, and then people began to order them.

This is a chicken or egg question: Did your interest in dolls grow out of your love for antiques or did your love of antique dolls lead you to love antiques?

I was an antique collector long before and not a doll collector. Rug hooking also preceded dolls, as that began in 1978. I was never, and am not to this day, interested in "fine dolls" of bisque, French bebes, etc., though did come to like early small chinas, cloth, wood, and small papier maches. I am in awe of Edyth's stunning collection.

In the course of our email conversation, Helen shared about the doll types she created:

Dolls Series Made by Helen Pringle

FairChildren

FairChildren were made in 36” and 26” sizes. They wore actual children's vintage clothes and shoes, or dresses in documentary prints or old fabric made especially for them. There were boy and girl and black and white versions of these dolls. Helen numbered the larger dolls.

For years Helen included some antique piece with each, jewelry/handbag for the girls, pin/toy for the boys, until it became too expensive. The 36" dolls had one bag of stuffing in the head and 2-1/2 to 3 in the rest of the doll. The head pieces are double-stitched because of the large amount of stuffing needed to obtain the rounded shape. Helen mentions that on special request, she made one baby in these dolls. Helen thinks she may have made up to 90 Fairchildren dolls. Sethany, pictured above, is No. 58.

Maids and Lads of Salem

The Maids and Lads were 21” in height. They were made for a Harvest Festival show at the Essex Museum (now the Peabody-Essex) in Salem, Mass. They were small versions of the big Fairchildren dolls. Their clothing and shoes were new, but in old styles.

Tansy/Tabby - A Two-Faced Friend

Tansy-Tabby was made for a class Helen taught at a Doll Seminar in Utah, measuring 10-12” in height. She was a small project to teach oil painting a doll in an easily portable unit. Helen loves old topsys and has several in her collection of antique textiles. At one time Helen offered a pattern of Tansy/Tabby.

Mary Mason-Dixon, She Has North and South Feet
(See Dixie's previous post

Mary Mason-Dixon dolls measure about 14-15". She was inspired by an antique doll and was also sold as a pattern for other doll makers. Helen says, “I loved the Marys; a friend in Maine asked me to repair her old, old cloth doll, which I did, and then gave me permission to reproduce her. They came in both black and white girls; all the white Marys had red hair, and all the black Marys had black hair.The first one I made had a wig of red mohair, but the rest had painted hair. The Marys had a little verse that went with them, which I typed and printed on fabric on my printer.”

One of a Kind Dolls:

Helen also made one-of-a-kind cloth dolls occasionally - Emily Morgan, The Yellow Rose of Texas, Nizhoni, Navajo girl with moccasins made from old leather gloves and real turquoise jewelry. Nizhoni is the Navajo word for beautiful.

Helen tried her hand at Sculpey and made several dolls of it. She says it was wonderful fun.

For her niece's collection,Helen made a tiny replica of Hitty, just a little bigger than the real Hitty (made of wood) dressing her in a petticoat with her name cross-stitched on the front just like the original Hitty.

Helen made other doll heads/arms/legs from Sculpey and made cloth bodies for them. Helen says, “The better one is Persona (The Pleasant Peasant), seated in a rustic chair with a wooden bowl and spoon in her lap, barefoot and with red hair in an early style. Standing, she would be about 14-15" tall.”

All these one of a kind dolls were finish-painted with oils.

For someone who describes herself as “not at all artistic”, Helen created a large body of three dimensional works, reminiscent of folk dolls of the past. Helen’s dolls are beloved by doll makers and collectors alike. Doll makers inspired by antiques want to emulate the spirit that Helen captured in her work.

Resources for Making Antique Inspired Doll Quilts

2021-10-17T14:32:00.002-07:00

Discovering new worlds is fun. If you'd like to see the other posts about doll quilts here on Maida Today, click here. In this post, I'd like to focus on resources for making antique inspired doll quilts. I love quilts, but making a large sized quilt is beyond my attention span. But making a doll-sized quilt would be just right!

Visit Edyth O'Neill's blog, she's got a lot of doll quilt pictures up right now. The pictures of Martha Rutledge's quilt reminded me of how I came to discover some resources about making doll quilts. I oohed and ahed over a picture Edyth shared via email of a quilt that Martha Rutledge had made. When I mentioned I would like to make a doll quilt, Martha recommended the joining Kathleen Tracy's quilt group.

Hexagon Quilt by Kathy Tracy

Kathleen Tracy has written many books, and leads some groups focused on her work on Facebook. Kathy has written several books about making small quilts, and one book in particular is focused on American Doll Quilts. You can learn a lot about making doll quilts from Kathy's group and books. Also, visit Kathy's website Country Lane Quilts where she has a where she has some free antique inspired doll quilt patterns. Kathy also has a blog here called A Sentimental Quilter.

In addition to Kathy's books and resources, there are some other wonderful blogs and resources. First off, don't forget about antique doll quilts themselves as inspiration. Here are some links to antique doll quilts available for purchase.

Other Books About Making Doll Quilts

In addition to Kathleen Tracy's books, doll quilters have specifically recommended these books to me:

Childhood Treasures: Doll Quilts by and for Children

Great Little Quilts: 45 Antique Crib and Doll-size Quilts with Pattern and Directions

Twenty Little Patchwork Quilts: With Full-Size Templates

There are some great gems published in the past. Amazon has a great list of books to try.

Some Quilt Blogs to Visit

There are a lot of wonderful sites on the web. I picked a few here that are either focused on doll quilts, antique quilts or have great links lists related to our topic. Visit these blogs and then look at the links they have on their blogs. You'll find some great resources!

Barbara Brackman has a great post about the Ghormley collection of doll quilts here.

Dawn, of Collector with a Needle (great name!) has a wonderful post on doll quilts with pictures of a special exhibit of doll beds and quilts at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. The Exhibit, called "Sleep Tight Doll Quilts" showcases a number of new doll quilts. Visit Dawn's blog to see some wonderful doll quilts shown there with links to other sites on doll quilts.

Only Doll Quilts site is of interest for obvious reasons!

Marian Edwards Dreamsweaver has a great blog showcasing some quilts she has made.

Humble Quilts has a lovely post showing some antique doll quilts which inspired new doll quilts made as reproductions.

Study Antique Quilts

Inspiration for color and pattern can be found through studying antiques. Of course, we always sign our work so as to not confuse any collectors.

Stella Rubin Antiques

Old Quilt Company

An Early Wooden Doll at Lucy's Doll House

2018-11-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

I am reposting this for a group of people who are studying Queen Anne dolls. Lucy's Doll House is closed now, sadly.

=========

Even though I originally visited Lucy's Doll House in 2007 because they had an Izannah Walker doll, I try to get there every year to see what they treasures they have in store. And I am never disappointed. Here is a little wooden Queen Anne style doll. She was hand sized. I wish I had gotten a whole body shot! She has what appears to be human hair. This doll is SOLD and not available any more, but I was glad to be able to cross paths with her.

For my doll making friends, I usually try to take pictures from odd angles.

The following video is quite imperfect. but it gives a sense of the size of the doll as well as the legs. Enjoy!

Wonderful Kathe Kruse Dolls

2018-10-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Signature Dolls shared images of these marvelous Kathe Kruse dolls in a group we are both in, and has graciously allowed me to share them here with Maida readers. The dolls shared here are only 14" tall.

I love the story behind Kathe Kruse dolls - that the first doll Kathe made was an answer to her child Maria's wish to have a baby to cuddle. Maria's father looked for a doll like the child wanted but only found cold porcelain dolls. So mama Kathe improvised, as mothers do:

"....the doll should be warm, soft and also a little bit heavy to carry. She took a soft towel, filled it with sand and finally took a potato as a head. The first doll was born! Mimerle instantly fell in love with it, played with it and carried it around all day long. But after a few days the knots got loose, the sand came out and the potato developed a very unpleasing smell..."

via the Kathe Kruse website

This makes me grin. Some of my early dolls have that improvised feel, minus the potato head. You can read the story here. Enjoy the images.

A far cry from a sand filled towel with a potato head.

What marvelous but simple construction!

I like to end with images of the dolls fully clothed.

Such beautiful honest creations!

Thank you to Signature Dolls for sharing them!

MAIDA Dolls Group Shares on Instagram

2018-01-06T06:13:00.005-08:00

MAIDA Dolls Group is sharing on Instagram for Fifteen Days of Dollmaking. If you’d like to join in or follow along, here are the sharing prompts, and you can hashtags #maidadolls and #fifteendaysofdollmaking.

Lou McCulloch Honors Izannah

2017-10-01T04:38:00.002-07:00

Lou McCulloch shared a pressed cloth doll here on MAIDA some years ago. Lou collects dolls and also creates energetic paintings using mixed media. Her figural mixed media paintings reference folk art dolls and story-telling. Take the time see some of her other works here.

A Quilt Celebrates Izannah Walker

2017-09-26T05:42:00.001-07:00

In the MAIDA Dolls Group, people have been sharing their wonderful creations. We had a theme to honor Izannah with doll making but also in other ways. Martha Rutledge, Elaine McNally's mom, made this charming doll quilt using Dixie Redmond's Izannah patent fabric along with a variety of other reproduction fabrics. For the center block, Martha embroidered an Izannah-like doll body. Beautiful!

Celebrating Izannah Walker's 200th Birthday Around the World

2017-09-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

Many doll makers, artists and collectors around the world are marking Izannah Walker's 200th birthday today. As people post on their blogs and share their links with me, I will add them to this post.

Jan Conwell Folk Artist

Susie McMahon Dolls

J. Ann's Doll Loft

Dixie Redmond's Izannah Walker Chronicles

Dixie Redmond - Northdixie Designs

Paula Walton's Izannah Walker Journal

Dolls made by Artis Corwin.

Looking Forward to Honoring Izannah Walker's 200th Birthday

2017-09-23T06:03:00.003-07:00

Monday, September 25th is Izannah Walker's 200th birthday. We can't let that go by without honoring Izannah. 😊 Check back because MAIDA Today will be featuring artist's creations and providing links to other blogs honoring Izannah's 200th birthday.

Making Antique Inspired Doll Accessories: Studying Antique Doll Quilts

2016-07-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

image via Edyth O'Neill

Izannah inspired doll in back and cloth doll front center by Edyth O'Neill

Small Izannah doll by Elaine McNally, blonde doll on right antique.

Edyth's blog has more images of doll quilts, so be sure to visit her!

Edyth O'Neill's pictures jogged one of my early memories: Once when I was young I visited an aunt's house across town. A girl lived two houses down from my aunt's house who had a wonderful wooden doll bed and a doll quilt. I was somewhere between six and eight years old. I've forgotten the girl's name, but I sure can remember that bed and quilt. I wanted it. There was something substantial and heartwarming in that hand-made bed and textile bed covering that the pink plastic Barbie camper couldn't fill. I'm not knocking Barbie, just relating a memory from childhood. Isn't it funny how these memories can stay so sharp and clear? And isn't it interesting how our likes and wants surface so early in life?

image via Edyth O'Neill, antique cradle, Martha Rutledge quilt

Charming small antique quilts made just for dolls are treasured collectibles in their own right. If you enjoy antique doll quilts you will want to visit some heartwarming examples at the following websites:

Stella Rubin Antiques

Old Quilt Company

Laura Fisher Quilts

Old ones are quite pricey, but some lovely ones are made today. Our next post on quilts will focus on making our own antique inspired doll quilts and the books and patterns available.

Above and below are shown a group of doll quilts from Three Texas Collections shared by Edyth, followed by some additional quilts shared by internet friends.

image via Edyth O'Neill

image via Edyth O'Neill
quilt by Edyth, doll by Elaine McNally, rug by Martha Ruteldge

image via Edyth O'Neill

image via Edyth O'Neill
wonderful quilt by Martha Rutledge
dolls by Elaine McNally

Quilt images from other internet friends....

image courtesy Pam Fisher

image courtesy Barb Whitehead
http://quilts-etc.blogspot.com/

Viewing all these makes me want to make a doll quilt! I've been saving pieces from the doll dresses I've made for just that purpose. Our next post on doll quilts will be about resources available for making them.

Edyth's blog has more images of doll quilts, so be sure to visit.

William F. Goodwin Patent Walking Doll

2016-05-22T08:49:00.002-07:00

Someone sent me a link to Linda Walsh's great compilation

on William F. Goodwin Patent Walking Dolls.

Visit Linda's site to learn more!

Mystery Cloth Doll with Swivel Neck

2016-03-08T11:48:00.001-08:00

Recently I bought a large doll in a booth at an antiques mall. The doll is listed as being papier mache, but looking at the construction of the doll it is clear it is made of cloth. I thought I would share images here, in hopes someone may have some information.

The doll has what I think is human hair seen on and is about 26" tall. It has a swivel head, and the head is made of cloth. The doll was wearing clothing which appears to be from the 50's, and boots which are much newer. The seller says it came through a distance cousin of the family, and is probably from the 30's. But of course this is vague information.

If you have any ideas, please comment!

Designing Custom Fabric for Antique Inspired Dolls Using Spoonflower

2016-02-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

If you know how to edit photos in Picnik then you can have a great time creating custom fabric for your dolls. It's pricey, but for certain one of a kind dolls it might be just the ticket. At Spoonflower, you upload an image you'd like to make into a fabric design. Beginning today (Thursday noon, August 26th through Friday) Spoonflower is giving away free swatches.

For this post I used a basic graphic of an 1860's dress to create a design. I changed the color of the image to sepia using a photo editor (Picnik).

Here's the image viewer with the design options on the side, showing the graphic as a single centered design.

Next is the basic repeat,

where the image is lined up vertically and horizontally.

Half-drop shifts every other vertical line

one half of the image down.

Half-brick shifts every other horizontal line

one half of the image right.

Mirror creates vertical mirror images.

Depending on the image you use, these options can create wildly different feels....Here's a couple options using a public domain needle and thread image I saved.

Half-brick

Mirror image

Some of you may own antique fabrics that would be fun to upload. The beauty of that option is that you can KEEP the antique fabric for future reference but have the fun of using the design in your antique inspired creation. Also, Spoonflower allows for you to have printed just the amount of fabric you want - from a yard to hundreds. If you order over 20 yards you get a 20% discount. You also have a choice in the kind of fabric you have your design printed on - quilting cotton, sateen, twill, knit, canvas or lawn. I ordered a sample and the quilting weight cotton is just great for doll clothing - not as thick as some quilting cottons are. Next I'm ordering a sample on upholstery weight twill to see how that works out.

The possibilities with Spoonflower are endless for doll designers and doll makers. If you try this process out, please leave a comment here linking to what you did with your fabric. It's quite fun and possibly addicting. Have fun!

Embellishing Doll Clothing

2016-01-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

A search through Google Books section of public domain books yields a treasure trove of needlework techniques to use in embellishing a plain garment for an antique doll. Trims and braids can be approximated with some embroidery techniques, such as the braid stitch above.

Here are a few books I found with some interesting instruction and graphics. It's best to click on the "contents" at the top of the page and you can browse the book. You can also download them in PDF format for future reference.

And if you would like to do the braid stitch shown above, Stitchschool has done a very nice text and photo tutorial on braid stitch. Have fun! ~ Dixie

An Artist's Journey: Susie McMahon

2016-01-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

In the next few weeks I want to repost some past interviews

with doll artists featured here on MAIDA Today.

Susie is one of my favorite people and artists!

==========================

Visit Susie's blog

How long have you been making dolls? Did you make another kind of art first? How long have you been selling them?

I've been making dolls for as long as I can remember - as I child I was always making things with whatever I could lay my hands on. Mostly I made little people - dolls - and I remember being always encouraged to have busy hands. I had that rare thing in the 1950's - a mother who actually encouraged creative mess! Even at Art School when I was studying Serious Art (note capitals) I made dolls and had "doll ideas". When I was newly graduated, a young mother and exhibiting paintings with a group I was showing dolls. Back then in 1973, they were just dolls: now I realize they were probably something more than that. Anyway, they sold well!

I've always been something of an experimenter - something that was driven by necessity. Tasmania, where I have spent my entire life, has a very small population so things used to be hard to source. I got used to doing pretty much everything for myself. Now with the Internet, it is much easier to share the interest, the knowledge and to source "stuff". The upshot is, that I have tried every conceivable material that could be used for making a doll. Lots of experimentation, lots of failure. lots of learning by doing.

How did you begin selling your work? What was the first doll you made with the intention to sell like? What prompted you to make that doll?

I had my first doll sales in 1964 when I was twelve - I had an order to make a number of large, floppy clown dolls after someone had seen the ones I'd made for my younger brothers and sister. The nineteen shillings and sixpence I got for each one made me feel rich indeed. And being paid for something I love to do. Life doesn't get much better than that at age twelve!

How does inspiration work for you...please describe your creative process...

The creative process I go through when planning a new piece depends on what the piece is - if it is simply a doll in the style of a play doll, I just start making it. But if it is an art doll, it usually requires a bit more planning - at least a sketch and a number of working drawings to plan construction etc. I have quite a collection of sketchbooks dating from Art School to the present that make quite an interesting record of how my creative thought processes have changed and developed. These days, having worked at my craft for so long, I can usually have a piece end up looking pretty much how I conceived it - this wasn't always the case - I used to get very frustrated by the inability to realize a concept how I saw it in my mind. Usually what blocked it was lack of skill in some area. A lifetime of working at it means that I now have the necessary skills to make what I see in my head.

What is your favorite doll that you've made?

It's hard to pick a favourite doll that I've made - for me the actual making process is what is important. Once the doll is made and I am happy with it, I've moved on to something else and I usually have no particular attachment to it. Having said that, I liked this piece that I made last winter. It was on a much larger scale than I usually work, so I was able to really get some expressive nuances into the face, which pleased me.

How has your work changed since you began doll making? How do you see it changing in the future?

Of course my work has changed and evolved. I mean it's been a long journey! If I felt I wasn't evolving as a doll maker, I think I would rapidly lose interest. Doll making is fascinating because there is always some new path to go down; some unopened door with hidden treasures behind it.

Where do you create your dolls?

Some years ago, my husband built me a studio.........well it's for both of us really. He's a writer and photographer so he uses one end and I have the other. It's large, so we don't get in each other's way, except that I like to work to music and he doesn't and I like to have the fire cranked up in winter (the woodstove is in my end). The space is large enough to have classes of up to about ten people. It's light and airy and a pleasure to be in. I also like the fact that it is separate from the house, so I have to leave the house and 'go to work' each morning. So much better that the dining table, which was my previous work space.

Were you a doll person as a child? Do you remember making any dolls as a child? What was your favorite doll as a child? What were your other play interests as a child?

I must have been a 'doll person' as a child - every picture that exists of me (there are not many - I was meant to be a boy after the birth of my older sister) has me with a doll of some kind tucked under my arm. I was always making them and their habitats (see no 1 above). As I child I was given a special doll by a friend of the family - it had been in his family for many years. It had a papier mache head and limbs and a cloth body. I called the doll "Lonny doll" and I lost her in the bush over the back fence where we used to play. I must have been about five and I felt that loss intensely. Sometimes I wonder whether all this doll making I do is somehow an attempt to assuage the dreadful feeling of loss when Lonny doll could not be found.

As a child (pre TV in Tasmania) I used to play lots of imaginitve games with my siblings and with friends. And I was always drawing or making something. I loved school and did well academically.

If you own any antique dolls, why did you purchase those particular dolls? (Pictures, please, of a few particular dolls)

I have a couple of vintage dolls - no antiques. They were given to me. I have bought some dolls made by artists. I have one by Susan Fosnot, one by Maggie Iacono and an Annette Himstead doll.

What are some of your hobbies?

My work is my life's passion, but apart from creating dolls, patterns and related stuff, I play music, I like to garden and I read a lot. I also paint, sew, knit, embroider etc, etc. And I love to cook.

Dollmaking tip?

Never give up!

What keeps you engaged in the creative process?

I think I stay engaged in the doll creating process because there is always some new challenge. One aspect of doll-making that I find particularly engaging is the fact that you get to dabble in a whole lot of different things in the process of making a single doll - it's never boring!

There is a whole lot of stuff swimming around in my brain - like a big soup. It results from everything I've experienced - seen, heard, read etc. This Inspiration Soup just sloshes around and occasionally an idea pops out and demands to be made.

Who are your favorite doll makers?

Inspirational dollmakers............Kaethe Kruse, Izannah Walker, Marion Kaulitz - all in dollmakers heaven. Living dollmakers who inspire? Lisa Lichtenfels, Jo-Ellen Trilling, Scott Radke. There are others, but these come immediately to mind.

What are your favorite types of antique dolls?

Among antique dolls I am most drawn to anything made in cloth. I haven't seen too many of them in real life, but even in pictures they are instantly appealing.............much more appealing to me than a French bebe in bisque with big glass eyes and all the frills and furbelows, for example.

Favorite quote?

Don't know where this comes from, but it is a great quote: "Hardening of the categories leads to art disease."

Each interviewed artist is asked to come up with a question and then answer it. This is Susie's question:

Given ideal circumstances, how many hours a day would you like to be able to devote to your doll-making?

My answer: Probably at least ten. I dislike how everyday things tend to eat into my creativity time. I need a maid!

Visit Susie's blog to see more of her work.

A Gift from Helen Pringle: Tansy-Tabby Topsy Doll

2016-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

Edyth and Helen Pringle have been friends for many years. Helen P. shared instructions and images for making a topsy doll she calls Tansy-Tabby with Edyth to share here with MAIDA readers.

Tansy-Tabby Doll Instructions

By Helen Pringle

I made up this doll to use in classes teaching oil-painted cloth dolls. Most makers chose the traditional one black girl and one white girl, but they could both be the same skin tone, one young/one older, or any variation. Since there has to be a skirt to cover Tabby when Tansy is up, I never could think of a way to do girl/boy. (Kilt, maybe?) Both faces can be on the same side of the doll, or one face each way. Since oils take a long time to dry, I usually had them face the same way so T/T could lie down while drying, and I like to see both faces at once. She could, of course, dry in a doll stand.

Materials:
2/3 yd. calico or documentary print (if doll and skirt are same fabric), plus 18” coordinating fabric for body (if doll and skirt are different fabrics)
1 yd. trim, ½ or ¾” width
Needles, pins, thread, doll stuffing, Liquitex Light Modeling Paste, paints, brushes, sewing machine, scissors, tape measure, fabric glue, iron and board, a good light, etc., etc.

Method:
This pattern has only two pieces, the head/body piece, and the arm. The body pattern has a head on each end, and they share a waistline. Their arms are separate and will be sewn on to the shoulders so that when Tansy is in view and Tabby is covered by the skirt, her arms will fall naturally (thumbs forward), and vice-versa.

1. Cut two head/body pieces from calico or documentary print, adding ¼” seam allowance if not shown.

2. Cut four arm pieces from the same fabric.

3. Right sides together, sew the body pieces together, leaving a small opening on one side seam for stuffing. Stuff firmly and whip the opening closed.

4. Right sides together, sew arm pieces together, leaving top open for stuffing.

5. Stuff each hand lightly, then sew lines separating the fingers. Stuff the rest of the arm not too firm, stopping about an inch from the top. It is simpler to paint while the arms are not attached, so lay them aside until coating.

6. Using the top of the head seam line as your boundary, paint a light coat of Liquitex Light Modeling Paste on the front of each girl’s head, neck and shoulders, and the back of the neck and shoulders, leaving the back of the head in the calico, which will be the back of her cap. (Do not use gesso as the undercoat, as it will crack and mar the paint. The LLMP will provide a base for the paint and will remain flexible if pressed.) You may use more than one coat if you like. It dries fast, so work quickly.

7. Paint all four hands, curving the fingers into a natural shape before the undercoat dries. Let dry several hours or overnight.

8. Paint each girl’s face and hair, shoulders and hands on the undercoated surfaces. If painting with acrylics, let dry several hours. If using oils, let dry several days, until thoroughly dry to the touch. You can use oils over acrylics, but NOT vice-versa. I sometimes painted a coat of acrylic paint in the proper skin tone over the basecoat before painting the features and hair with oils. Because you have to hold the doll(s) to paint them, if using oils it may be good to paint one head and let it dry before painting the second one.

9. Using small lace or trim, cover the paint lines on wrists, necklines, and around the top of the head and the neck in back to outline the “bonnet.” Carefully glue the trim in place, turning under the raw edge at the end.

10. Using the same fabric you cut the doll from, or using a coordinating calico (this gives a good look), cut a skirt as follows:

A. square 24” x 24” for the skirt. Cut with one edge on selvedge, if possible.
B. A rectangle for waistband: Width, 2-1/2” x Length, dolls’ waist measurement, plus 2”.
C. Right sides together, sew the skirt long edges (selvedge) together and press seam open. You now have a 12” x 24” tube. Turn right side out, fold raw edges together and you now have a 12” x 12” tube with two right sides (so both skirts are right side out and there is no hem).
D. Make sure the skirt will be long enough to cover the hidden girl, and it should be a tight fit at the waist so that it won’t slip. Finished length of 10” should be plenty on a 12” T/T, and the waistband should be about 5/8” wide finished on the skirt. Gather the top of the skirt evenly to the length of the dolls’ waistline. Raw edges even, right sides together, centers matched, pin, then baste, the gathered skirt to the waistband. As a guideline, baste in a bright thread just below where you will stitch the two pieces together. Stitch, then fold the waistband up, fold over at what will be the top edge, fold the back seam allowance under and hand sew that edge along the skirt gathers. At the back ends of the waistband, trim off if necessary, and fold ½” cut ends inside the waistband tube and invisibly slip-stitch the ends together on the dolls. I recommend putting the skirt on the very last thing – after all the trim is applied, and after the arms have been attached. One girl will have the waistband, the other girl will have a sash (I like a coordinating ribbon tied in the back).

11. Attaching the arms: Fold the raw edges inside the arm, slightly gather and ease as you whip the top of the arms onto the shoulders. Make sure the thumbs point forward and the arms are the same length and loosely attached enough that they can hang down inside the skirt when that girl is hidden. The arms should be pretty lightweight so they won’t tear the shoulder fabric over time.

12. Tie the ribbon sash around the waist of the girl without the waistband. Secure with several invisible stitches or a few dots of fabric glue.

This was a simple little doll with historical ancestors, quick to make and a good way to learn painting a cloth doll with oils. I have several old Topsys, but none of them as nicely-dressed as Tansy/Tabby turned out to be.

Love,
Helen P.

Antique Doll Apron Designs Are Icing on the Cake

2015-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Edyth's pattern for four doll aprons drafted from civil war era and late 19th century examples are sure to delight both doll collectors and doll makers. Visit Edyth's doll blog to read about these antique aprons and to purchase her pattern. These types of aprons are often found on antique Izannah Walker, papier mache and China dolls.

An Inspiration Tool

2015-03-17T07:10:00.001-07:00

I, Dixie, used to save hundreds (thousands?) of inspiration pictures on my computer. But since the advent of Pinterest, I have pinned what inspires me to a board called "Dolls". For the most part, these are antique dolls, but occasionally a tutorial or modern folk art doll finds a home there. If you love antique dolls or make dolls inspired by antiques, you might find this an inspiration tool as I do. Here is a screenshot of this inspiration board. Click the image to view the board.

http://pinterest.com/dixie_redmond/dolls/

Pinterest is also a great research tool. If you are learning about something, and you do not want the world to know, you can create a secret board, hidden from the public.

The dark side of Pinterest is that if people are only interested in images, once the images are pinned on Pinterest, they fly around freely without people visiting the source page. That has definitely affected readership of this blog as well as the Izannah Walker Chronicles. But, we adapt and overcome. We learn to make the new tools work for us.

So...visit the inspiration board above. You'll find lots of inspiration for making antique inspired dolls.

Let's Party! Celebrating 5 Years

2015-02-27T21:10:00.001-08:00

For over 5 years this site has been celebrating creativity and being inspired by antique dolls. What better way is there to celebrate this milestone than to have a cyber party? So, I got a cake....and candles... Wait. Where are the guests?

Oh, that's right. Here they are! These are some special Iznnah Walker inspired dolls created by lovely doll makers.

L-R, dolls made by Jackie Hendricks, Artis Corwin, Dixie Redmond, Elaine McNally and Martha Bishop.

To celebrate 5 years of inspiration, I decided to learn a new skill, to pour reproduction heads of a German covered wagon china doll in composition. This required me to learn to pour slip in plaster molds, which was a big learning curve! Psssst! As part of the fun I am making 5 of these available to MAIDA Dolls Group members to purchase.

For MAIDA Dolls Group Members to Purchase

Edyth O'Neill joined in with me to mark this day by designing a body pattern for the reproduction head above.

Below you can see one of the heads painted, and placed on a body made by Edyth with Edyth's antique style body pattern. This body pattern fits the reproduction head, but is also appropriate for antique papier mache and china doll heads.

To Purchase Edyth's Body Pattern
$7

GIVEAWAY - (THIS IS AN OLD POST and is over). I am giving away this wonderful sculpting tool made by Gail Wilson.To win this sculpting tool, leave a comment on this blog post. I use this sculpting tool almost exclusively. This tool was a game changer for me with my sculpting. It fits perfectly in my hand, and is way better than the skewers I started out on, or the cheap wooden tools I found locally. It is carved from apple wood. To read more about this tool, you can visit this page on Gail's site and scroll down to Molding Supplies, to Gail's Special Wood Tool.

And last, but not least, please visit Edyth's lovely new blog.

Here, have a piece of cake. :-)

Thanks for coming!

February 28th Cyber Party for MAIDA Today

2015-02-18T07:06:00.002-08:00

Five years is something to celebrate!

The purpose of this blog is to honor the creations of the past and inspire present doll makers by those works. I (Dixie, blog creator) have been thinking about ways to celebrate the five years. I bought this image on Ebay as one way to celebrate.

A physical party is not possible, but a cyber party is! So be sure to join on the 28th of February for our birthday bash. There will be some fun things for "door prizes" and some surprises as well.