Just as us humanoid folks, dollys do in fact have 2 different sized feet........I don't know why, but I always start dressing dolly from the feet up.....normally its socks first, then the shoes, but I made Grete's shoes first before her socks....I am still pondering on what kind she will get.
Anyways, I have this little dolly shoe here, its an early antique one, the style worn in the 1830-50 era in both children and dollys! I drafted a pattern from it and then tweaked the upper vamp a little for Grete's thick foot. I am fairly happy with how they turned out, other than my middle finger that I sew with is nearly raw from stitching thru leather.
I made them from 2 kinds antique kid leather, they are lined with a period appropriate print onthe upper, with cloth footbeds.....BUT, as you can see, dolly 's right foot(left in the top picture), is a bit more high on the top of the foot than her other one, and gosh darn it, she has swollen ankles poor thing!
I can remember my Great Grandma Randall, in her 80s when I was little, boy shewould get horrible swollen ankles! I always took off & on her shoes for her, and I was amazed at how big a persons ankles could get! Its only fitting a dollye over twice that age, would have swollen ankles too!
So she may get another pair of shoes, a bit more roomy than this pair, a little later~ but these will do for now. It actually was the 'fashion' to have small feet in the early to mid 19thcentury....women were always squeezing their feet into wee teensy shoes. Being leather, I think these will stretch out a bit over time to be just fine. I'm certainly glad I don't have to make shoes for my children!
You need to use a leather needle. Look for them in the packets of assorted needles. The ones for leather have a triangle shape for one half inch on the on the end.
ReplyDeleteThankyou for visiting! Yes~ I have tried to find leather needles, but they are all TOOOOOO big. The only ones I have been able to find are the packs with the assortments in them, and even the small ones look like they aer big enough to stitch a ship sail, not a wee little shoe.
ReplyDeleterachael
Hi sweetie
ReplyDeleteLove the shoes
and the love you
put into those dollies
Deena
These are precious! Thanks for sharing, I love your blog. Edyth
ReplyDeleteYour blog is wonderful and thank you so much for sharing !!
ReplyDeleteAngie
Oh, lucky Grete, new shoes! I bet its been a while for her! You did a great job on the reproduction pair!~
ReplyDeleteRachael, when you talked about dressing your dolls from the feet up, I thought about how I read a magazine from the last page first. Your poor finger. I know that feeling. When I used to work on samplers like a mad woman, I was much younger and had a lot more patience then, but I do remember having one finger that hurt and looked like it had tons of holes in the tip from pushing that needle. Ouch! You did a great job on the shoes.
ReplyDeleteCarole