Springy or Feeling Springlike?

When I get a doll even partly made, I start draping fabrics on it.  The painting on the face isn't done yet, but I peek with fabric to see what might "suit" them.  Strange that a doll can be unfinished and have the clothing help decide what they will be.

Esmeralda, the 29 inch doll, I have narrowed down to two options.  She could be Springlike, wearing a modern-colored floral cotton - it goes with either hat or bonnet -  

Or should she be.....   feeling Springlike, deciding to put on her hat, and fancy fichu, over her ordinary dress, and going out?

Maybe she's older, if she's feeling like Spring in spite of her usual mode of dress.

Columbians are Fun!

I am making my second Columbian doll using Gail Wilson's pattern, and got the body stuffed today. 

Gail's Columbian doll pattern is fun to stuff.  The body shape is sweet.  For stuffing I used a chopstick with the end sanded to a rounder tip, and also made a large cuff at the bottom and just used my fingers.  I stuff with bamboo fiber. 

Looking at Forms, and Not Shading

Hat illustrations from the 1890s.

I bought a nice little book, "Hat-Making For Dolls" which encloses behind its upbeat title, very intricate illustrations such as the one above.  These intimidate me, but if I look at the shapes, and am not distracted by all the engraving shading and lines, I can see that the hats are maybe not too awfully hard to make.  So, last night I tried to make a hat for the larger doll I have been working on, whom I am naming Esmeralda.

 I followed the instructions in the Hat-Making for Dolls book, and wrapped the larger floral wire with lightweight wires.  I will have to cover the larger wires with seam binding or ribbon.   I made two vee's, and two single wire wraps, and that seemed to hold.

I put some old cotton net on it, because I want to make it be a pretty "garden hat." 

Here is the hat so far on Esmeralda, who is not all painted yet.

 

I think she's going to like it!   

Flowers and Soil

The soil is warming up, and the seeds are washed of their casings by Spring rains, and the heat is not quite on yet....


I want to see what Spring is bringing!

Forms and Shapes

I made a pattern for the larger doll, and at first she had broader shoulders.  I dropped and narrowed her shoulders a little, and this makes her look a little more relaxed. 

She's going to be just over 29 inches. 

I sculpted her head first.  Her head is a little narrower up top

than the very roundest Izannah Walker baby-head shape.  

But, a round babylike head would be odd at this point.  She just all came together as this figure, after some adjustment of her limb length.  

I hope she will have the unknown-age look which the Izannah Walkers tend to have.

The Lure of Ribbons

I've been reading about early Quakers, and learning that ribbons were garnishments that the early Quakers disapproved of.  Ribbons ties on bonnets were acceptable, but no ribbons elsewhere.

 This doll head is being intoxicated by the ribbons floating around her.

I wonder what it is about ribbons?