A Christmas Gift for Dollye...

So now you know how I spend my idle time whilst its blizzarding outside..... I love this little girl, she is so precious to me. I found her a while ago, quite a while ago actually, and she has been more than patient, content to reside in her unmentionables, until I had time to make a quaint little gown that agreed with her

This is how she was when I got her~ poor girl clad in c1890 dress and bonnet~ not at all anything like her original 1820-30 wardrobe would have resembled. She was extremely happy to be free of them! Her replaced skin wig, tho cunning on the 'right' doll, looked, well, unbecoming on her, to put it nicely. Besides being to small it washed out her pretty features...and ghads, whats up with the widow's peak in the front! AKKKK! She spoke to me tho, I could see her for what she is, and once was, a wonderful first quarter 19th c wax over mache precious~ dollys like these are English, she is on her original body~ the feet pointing inward are a distinct feature of these dolls, as are the red kid leather lower arms with individually stitched fingers. Later 1830s you see the slit heads where wigs were rooted, and some with wire sleep eyes~ this one tho, she is an early early girl with very well done painting and those wonderful blue glass eyes

What a change , a change of wardrobe can make, don't you think? She looks absolutely content in her new duds. I hand stitched her an empire waist gown from a coveted bit of antique late 1820 printed cotton I had here~ been saving it forever for just the right something! This style of dress was very common on these little dolls~ it is simple, yet can be made to be quite elegant just by changing the materials of it. This same pattern, but made up say, out of a silk satin, with perhaps an overlay of netting, would be most acceptable, even for dolly's mistress, to attend an evening dinner or soiree. I made her a little poke bonnet from antique crinoline and lace, and yes, cut a little lock of my own hair for her to wear. Tho she does have a painted pate, she really didn't want to be bald.......

Just a whisp of hair~ I love this picture~ you can appreciate the skilled tinting of her cheeks, precious rosebud lips and those wild eyebrows!

Her shoulder plate is actually quite deep, it goes nearly to the red silk ribbon on her dress. She is a rare survivor to remain in such good condition~ her wax is clean and bright, just nearly as it once was when new. These dollys were commonly sold in places like the famed 'SoHo Bazaar' in London, and by peddlers called 'Bagmen'~ which is where the term 'Bagmen Babies' also comes from.

Her red kid leather arms are original, but do show their age. Perfect individually stitched fingers grace her hands~ and from the worm holes, we can see that scraps of other leather gloves were used to stuff hers.

I left her her most likely original pantaloon and stockings, but made her a little pair of shoes out of two fingers from a pair of antique green kid leather gloves~ actually one of a pair tha thad lost its mate long ago~ I have seen shoes made like this of the period, and actually, was quite surprised how easy it was, and how good they look. They are the tips of the ring and middle fingers, just snipped off in their entirety, you will cut a slit in the top that becomes the vamp, and then stitch the 2 sides up center heel in the back and voi~la~ a little shoe that fits dollye perfect.