Its June! The month of sunshine and strawberries. The month of leisure and outdoor play. June is the time to shake off the cobwebs of winter, open the doors and windows at night and listen to the sounds of summer. I love summer. Oh sure. When its triple-digits from sunrise to sunset, I'm the first to stay indoors in the cool of an air-conditioned home. I certainly have plenty to keep me busy, but when the sunshine is calling, and the day is mild, it's terribly difficult to sit still in my studio working on projects.
Yet, I have several projects lined up for the summer months, but that won't stop me from launching my kayak on the lake every opportunity I get. Being on the water, just me and my little craft, is one of the most pleasant things I do. And where I kayak, on Lake Folsom, I see otter, and eagles, heron and egrets, geese and ducks who've been leading their little ones through the beginnings of lake life. I love it. It's my Zen.
Being out in nature is one of best ways to let my creative thoughts flow. Even so, some projects take a concentrated effort that leave me feeling like I'm starting fresh in the world of creating for dolls. The little folk doll Alice was one of them. It doesn't help that I never do something twice. Each project is for the first time. It's only in the things I've learned from other projects that propel me forward with any sense of practical application. And this was the first time I sewed for a folk doll.
Some of you might recognize this little doll, but others will only know the name Gail Wilson from her Americana and Hitty dolls.
Back in 1974, Gail launched herself into making Early American dolls in an 8" size. They were made from porcelain clay pressed into molds. These little dolls and their kits were a hit everywhere Gail set up a table and always sold out. These dolls are very difficult to find, but my friend Betsy, has been collecting Gail's dolls since the start.
About a week after the Connie Lowe Little Stella came to live with me, three of the little 8" Early American dolls showed up in the mail. Betsy told me that two were for me, and the third she'd like me to dress for her. While not the typical doll I would collect, when presented with a challenge, and especially one as intriguing as this, I spend some time considering what I'm going to do.
I looked on the Gail Wilson Designs website in her Garage Sale section where a few of these old dollies and their accessories were being sold, and still couldn't come up with an idea. I understood the concept, but as to what I would actually do, that she hadn't done, was a mystery. As I played with the little doll with golden rag doll hair cut in bangs, I thought, "Alice". Why not? I asked Betsy if this interested her, and it did.
So what does an Alice folk doll look like. I am no stranger to dressing dolls as Alice, but this would take some real imagination. I do not just sit down and get to work. Most of my work is done in my noodle, and once I see it in there, then I make it.
I actually started out from the bottom up with this one. I loved the gold and white striped stockings I'd made for Eloise and just made a pair for this little girl as a test sample in sizing. Well, I loved them. And they would later turn out to balance the colors on the doll as the gold happens to be the same as her hair.
Next I made her a pair of knickers. Every little folk doll needs knickers. Betsy and I both hate elastic. Elastic does not pass the test of time, so these knickers have a full waistband and hook in back. I edged them in a Swiss cotton lace.
Blue dress. Short sleeves or long? Long was not going to cut it. Maybe on some other Alice doll where classic Alice details would be considered, but not on the little folk doll. I've never minded a doll's anatomy. I was sewing short, puffed sleeves on the wood body Lawton dolls before tackling a little cloth stuffed body.
What shade or hue of blue? What kind of fabric? Bright blue 100% cotton. It was not my first choice as I have trouble with bold colors, but the bright blue looked right. It made her pop! I had to seriously think outside the box on this one.
What kind of pinafore would little folk Alice wear? I went through two other renditions until I decided to try a rounded pinner.
This was it. Anything else would have overwhelmed her stuffed body and petite size.
But it was plain. It sat there tied around little Alice like a canvas awaiting paint.
Here's a photo of her pretty rag doll hair. Which I added the classic black headband to.
I knew the pinner needed a pocket. I was going to put a Drink Me bottle in the pocket, but couldn't find a flattish, rectangular bottle for the job. A flask. Still, what would the pocket be like for a folk Alice? A heart shape! With red embroidery stitching attaching it to the skirt. Yes. What else? It still looked plain.
Then it dawned on me that a Queen of Hearts card might look fun poking out of the pocket. I had to hand make the card since the size needed to be just right.
Check, check. It still looked too plain.
All this time I'd been considering classic Alice trim on the dress. To me, this just wouldn't look right. It had to be different! Then it popped into my mind a couple of days ago that red rickrack might do the trick. So, I hand-sewed the rickrack on both the top and bottom of the pinafore and inserted the ends into the waistband. That seemed to do the trick.
Oh yes, I also made a pair of lambskin leather shoes for her. Those were nuts to make, but she needed shoes and not the soft boots Gail dressed her Early American dolls in. This was Alice.
While I was in the last stages of finishing her costume, I started thinking about the accessory. A White Rabbit. Again. No, no, no! This was a folk doll Alice. What would Gail do? Well? Gail often had her dolls accessorized with little red wagons, teddy bears, little wood toys and especially ones on wheels.
A rabbit on wheels! That's what she needed. I will not reveal my source, but I did not make this rabbit. And he's just perfect. To me, this is what Gail Wilson would have done with an Alice doll. Maybe. Well, I did, in the spirit of Gail Wilson designs.
I added a little pocket watch on a chain around his neck and gave him a longer pull string with a loop on the end in the case Betsy wanted to display Alice pulling the White Rabbit.
I love doing Alice. She's my favorite theme. And hey! The outfit is an original design. I have two more little dolls to dress. The ones shown in the photo above. I know exactly what I'm going to do with them now.
Below is another example of Gail's work with the 8" Early American dolls. Don't you just love those apple cheeks?! Will Gail ever see the Alice? Doubt it. But I would hope she'd enjoy it.
And as summer moves along at its long and leisurely pace, make sure to spend some time in the sun. Even if it's under an umbrella on a lounge chair reading a great book. That's where I'm headed now.
Enjoy!
Melissa
What I wanted to do when designing my version of Sybil, was to keep to the size of the cat, but correct the length of the legs. This of course, made her a taller cat. Several times I tossed the armature and tried again for a smaller size, but the first model was still the best overall, so I finished her on it.
When starting a new needle felt of an animal, I always look for a good skeleton to make my armature from. What's armature? It's a wire frame on which to build the wool. I use pipe cleaners because they are already "furry", and wool adheres to them better. Sometimes two twisted together is necessary for stability.
I do believe this was the hardest animal I've ever made, and I've made some pretty intricate ones. Perhaps in part it was not knowing how well she'd be received, and I grew very fond of this poor, upset kitty as time went along.
