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DOLL CLOTHES MONTAGE

DOLL CLOTHES MONTAGE

DOLL CLOTHES MONTAGE

This was my first effort to photograph one of my doll dresses, back when virtually all the Madame Alexander shoes were this flat-footed design and came in, maybe, three colors. I later replaced the rather clunky heart necklace with a purple flower broach, since the dress needed a focal point.

Below are my latest photos of some of the doll clothes I made for Arielle and Emma to play with.

At doll shows I was able to buy vintage fabrics, like the embroidered one I used for the top above—as well as vintage trims like the mini-rickrack on the blouse below.

The pink embroidered voile above is another vintage fabric I found.

TRADITION – Part II

TRADITION – Part II

TRADITION – Part II

Also from A Patchwork Memoir:

Last night, as I sat trimming a doll sleeve with delicate lace, using the finest needle I could find—and only half-listening to the succession of TV programs Ella was watching—I told her how peaceful I felt; it occurred to me that I was carrying on a tradition of women down through the centuries who sewed by oil lamp or candlelight in the evening, which gave me a feeling of continuity and even of community, strange as that may sound.

This morning as I contemplated the pile of fabric swatches I had chosen—with geometric patterns, hearts, and flowers—I had a sudden impulse to examine a paper doll book of Scandinavian folkwear I bought for Arielle a few months back. But I couldn’t find it anywhere and was seething with frustration by the time Ella joined in the search. She finally spotted it on a shelf with my drawing books. When I thumbed through it, there they all were: the geometric patterns, as well as the hearts and flowers. And the next thing I knew I got goose bumps, wondering if my predilections were a kind of ethnic memory, my Swedish grandmother Marie’s legacy to me.

Above is the first dress I made for my new doll, perhaps inspired by those women of old.

Below is a sampling of the clothes I went on to make. In the meantime I discovered I could buy Wendy dolls for a lot less at doll shows. So Ella and I started going to the Nancy Jo Doll & Teddybear Shows, held at the Vallejo County Fairgrounds, where I could also find vintage fabrics, ribbon, and lace, as well as accessories—like shoes and hats to match the outfits I was making. One of my most exciting finds was an extensive collection of mini rickrack, which is no longer made and is the perfect size for my creations. I must have bought two dozen different shades.

As for buying dolls themselves, I now have a collection—and blame Ella for egging me on.

 

I realize the layout above doesn’t show any details, so I’m adding a closeup that does.