From My Little Hole in the Wall: Little Red Riding Hood

Welcome September! The first month of the 'bers. My very favorite time of year. This turn of the calendar evokes memories of the first days of school. A new grade, new teachers, new things to learn and a few new dresses made by my grandmother (that looked nothing like the ones the girls wore, which were store bought). My summers would pass slowly as my mother insisted sending her introverted daughter to things like day camp, girl scouts, a Singer sewing class that was a disaster, and later, summer school just to get me out of the house. Excitement built as I counted off the days to my birthday, then Halloween, and so on. It was only until the bleakness of January sank in that summer became something to look forward to.

I still feel a renewal each September the first. And while logically it has no bearing on anything tangible, it launches a wave of creativity, sentimentality, and a craving for colorful trees, whether they be golden aspens, or darkly green forests

like the one Little Red Riding Hood took off through to deliver a picnic to her beloved grandmother who was ill. This month I've been celebrating the charms, perils and mysteries of my first favorite fairytale. One of the few books that my mother either gave to me, or had simply bought for my older siblings, was The Little Golden Book version of Little Red Riding Hood, copywrite 1948. I was fascinated with the illustrations even before I could read. This apple cheeked little girl tying the cord of her newly sewn red cape is from this book that was illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones. I think perhaps this could have started a lifetime passion for Red and her story.

For years it was believed that the fairytale originated in France in the 17th century, but the story has been told in various renditions for more than 2,600 years. As with most folklore, the tales traveled by trade routes, or migrations of peoples, the storyline changing to suit various cultures and times. Some scholars believe stories such as this were created to help

people navigate difficult times throughout the generations. In the Chinese version, the "wolf" is a tiger. In Iran, Red was a boy, as girls would not be allowed to "roam" alone. The Grimm Brothers book was a selection of fairytales collected from the world over and compiled them into one volume. My mother carried with her to the west, my grandmother's copies of The Red Fairy Book and The Blue Fairy Book. I do not know what happened to these crumbling books - they were crumbling when I first saw them - but, I'll bet my sister might have an idea.

Childhood gone, I was 17 years old when I first laid eyes on Trina Schart-Hymen's version of Snow White, published in 1974. I did not hesitate to purchase a copy, and my mother would much later gift me a copy of Trina's Little Red Riding Hood for Christmas in 1985.

My inspirations and passions for specific icons come and go like the seasons of the year, but Red and Alice always remain, even if they are undercurrents to some novelty that has popped into my head. So for September, and to celebrate the beginning of the 'bers, I've dedicated this month to Little Red Riding Hood. I've been sharing illustrations and dolls I own, along with vintage toys and paper dolls on Facebook. And, after acquiring a Maggie Iacono doll with a hole in the felt of her leg, for a darned good price, I decided to make another Red so I could play this month.

I actually attempted to mend the hole, even though it would be hidden beneath a full skirt and red tights. Now that I had a good pattern for tights, this would allow me to cover the doll's bottom without elaborate undergarments. Not that I won't make them if necessary, but the tights are a wonderful transition for me.

Before I began work on Red, I spent a couple of weeks working on a doll that's to be a Christmas present. This in itself got me back

into the swing of sitting in my studio designing, and working at the sewing machine changing threads often as needed.

I began with red tights. Many of the illustrations I've collected showed Red in red stockings and I loved this. The rest of the outfit would be built around it. The next thing I made was a blouse, as I've come to enjoy working on the layering from the bottom up. A pinstripe blouse in yellow and white would mellow the brightness of the red tights, and I really wanted more muted, subtle colors for the costuming.

Thinking back to how Boneka and later, Lawton Doll Company, created their dresses, I wanted to make as few pieces as possible to avoid excessive bulk around the waist. The skirt is one piece with two layers. There's a ruffled half slip in a tiny print of red flowers and green spray with teeny dots of yellow flowers. The skirt itself is a dark navy with a beautiful print of yellow and dark red flowers, blue forget-me-nots, and green leaves. These two gathered pieces

were sewn into one waistband. I found a pretty jacquard ribbon in beige and red muted tones to decorated the bottom edge of the skirt, picking up the colors in the ruffled underskirt.

The apron is a woven cotton of beige and brown stripes further muting the brightness of the dark navy print. Why was this important to me? Well, I was after a peasant look, or fairytale woodland look. Red's mother would have sewn her outfit from whatever fabrics she had on hand, and most likely remnants from her own clothing. The only fabric I purchased for this costume was the navy floral print, and I bought two, using this one as the favored. It was also used in a border on the apron.

The color spot, the focus for the eye, was in the vest. I've had on hand two large yards of this rose colored, woven plaid for ages. The plaid lines are in dark red, light blue (picking up the forget-me-nots), and beige. Its unbelievably fun to coordinate plaids and florals in similar hues.

The vest has four rose colored thread loops on each side for lacing the tie in front. The tie is caramel colored Super-Suede, which is often used for embroidering into sweaters or needlework projects. I love it for shoe laces, too. Its getting harder to find now as the suppliers aren't sending stock. I was lucky to get two cards when I ordered six! One in black, and one in the caramel brown. Super-Suede is a synthetic lacing, so sturdy.

Finally I was ready to sew the cape. These might seem to be easy to make, but the drape on the doll is everything. Often I will have to make a couple of mock ups to get just the right look. The hood is another matter. It may seem very large in the pattern, but if you intend on the doll wearing the hood up around her head, it must accommodate the wig she's wearing.

Red's cape was made in one of my precious, and very thin velveteens from the U.K. Its a darker red, which is very elegant. I considered lining it in red cotton as I did for the Father Tuck Red I created some years ago, but I wanted something different. Also, I considered how a red lining in a red cape would look around the doll's head. As I went through my fabric stash, I found this maroon print in the lightest lawn imaginable. Its beautiful fabric. It was a risk pairing the two fabrics, but it worked out beautifully. The velveteen has the drape I wanted, and the lawn picks up the colors in the vest. The different "reds" do not seem to clash.

You might be pressed to consider this a very "busy" costume, but personally, I find it blends very well. Like a garden of flowers.

I chose a very curly, dark brunette, human hair wig for Red. And, for the doll? I retouched her eyes with watercolor pencils to give her brown eyes, then blushed her cheeks a bit more.

Earlier on, I made her a pair of black leather Mary Janes. It continues to amaze me how long this doll's feet are. But, she stands beautifully on them.

Finding bread and a bottle of wine was not going to happen, so I bought some Paperclay and sculpted them myself. The bread is fashioned after a German loaf, and the bottle...well, it sits hidden in the basket, so let's not talk about how well it did or didn't come out. Its green. Its a wine bottle. It works. Her basket was hard to find, too. Little baskets used to be plentiful, but nice ones need to be vintage, and no matter what rulers are put next to them, or descriptions in inches given, the actual basket, when it arrives, may not work for the doll. So I'm accumulating a basket stash. Just one of the reason I have so much clutter!

I loved working on this project and for all intents and purposes, I made myself a birthday doll. I'm tempted to make a brighter costume in pinks, with the red cape, for my Lawton 9" Mignonette. She's been in her Bo-Peep costume for a few years now. And, I'm also considering making a full costume set for the Three L's. Louise would be Red, Laura, granny, and Lawrence, the woodsman. How ambitious am I feeling? I think Mignonette will get the costume, however should I create the set for the Three L's, my inspiration for Louise's costume will come from the bookmark of Little Red Cap, that I've included in the illustrations below.

I have so many wonderful illustrations of Little Red Riding Hood in my files. All are favorites or I would not have saved them. But, here, below, are a few I'd like to share. If you love Little Red Riding Hood, look me up on Facebook (Melissa Hoover), and find my Home Page. I'll continue sharing and celebrating Little Red Riding Hood throughout the month.

Oh, one more thought. I should have mentioned this earlier. My version of the story is about the relationship between a girl and her wolf (her dog). There is no "big bad wolf" in my story, only a hungry one that likes picnics. Just a sharing of the love of hiking in the woods, picnics and unlikely friendships.

Love, Melissa