Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Grace and Dolly

Last night we watched the episode of The Crown where Charles meets Diana for the first time, and alongside it was the story of Irish oppression resulting in the building of the Irish Republican Army and the demise of Mountbatten.  Ireland is a brilliant gemstone.  It has a history both rich in sorrow as well as magic.  Along with the incredible folklore and mythology it boasts, it is a country full off strong and beautiful people who are warm and friendly.  

As an avid reader, some years ago I picked up a copy of Irish folklore and enjoyed reading the tales that involved much more than leprechauns, pots of gold at the end of rainbows, and fairies.  I've loved Irish music for many years, in the form of artists like Mary McLaughlin, Connie, Dover, and the phenomenal band Clannad.  We tend not to think much about Ireland until March rolls around with St. Patrick's Day popping up around mid month.  I haven't spot of Irish blood in me, but I love this grand island and its  treasures.

St. Patrick's Day commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.  It celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.  Celebrations involve public parades and festivals, the wearing of green attire, shamrocks.  During this time more effort is made to use the Irish language, especially in Ireland, where the week of St. Patrick's Day is Irish Language Week.  Gaelic is a derogatory term, although many people still do not know this.  Irish is the language and the customs.

I happen to be a great fan of Jean Grainger's The Tour series.  In this series, Connor O'Shea is introduced to us as tour bus guide and ends up half owning, and managing Castle Dysert, Ireland's finest resort and hotel - through a stroke of Irish luck.  Jean, herself, was born in Cork, Ireland.  She has been a tour guide of her beloved home country, a teacher, a university lecturer and a playwright.  She began writing fiction at the suggestion of her clients on tours, many of whom were sure all the stories she told them would make for a great book.  And so this month I picked up Book 5 in The Tour series so I could spend some time in Ireland again.  

In her fictional writing, she also teaches us things about her country, such as the provenance of sir names.  For instance, the O in a name like O'Shea means "of", so you'd be of the O'Shea family.  Mc or Mac preceding the name means  "son of".  For names like Sullivan, which would have dropped the O', these are referred to as soup names, meaning they took the soup.  During the famine of the mid-1800's, soup kitchens were set up by the British, and in order to feed yourself, you had to drop the O from your name, making you less Irish.

I love history, and I love learning.  But, I also love celebrating, even in small ways, the countries and cultures that make this world a wonderful place to live.  And, that includes dressing my dolls in shamrock costumes to liven up my doll room.

Last year Diana Vining painted this lively image of Grace and Dolly dressed for celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and naturally, I set my sights on creating it for my dolls.  Would I have dressed Grace without a Dolly Dingle?  Certainly.  But, with the advent of my new Dolly Dingle, sewing this set for the two of them made it all the more fun.

This was one of those costumes you'd look at and think, "Oh, no sweat.  I can do that!".  hmph  It wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.  For one thing, finding a proper green plaid for the skirts was difficult, and I ended up making them out of a woven cotton.  Should I have been able to find a matching wool, the skirts would have been too thick for the small dolls.  The other question when considering fabric, was for their tops/sweaters/blouses, whatever you'd like to call them.

A dove gray jersey may have made a suitable choice, but I had stuck in my mind, "Irish wool", and did have a very fine gray wool in my stash.  

Grace's top was interesting, at best, to design.  I am not a professional pattern maker.  No matter how the outcome may appear, I've paid dearly for it.  My approach is seldom make a pattern, sew it up.  Its more a matter of tailoring and trimming and fitting as I go along.  And, I never do something more than once, so I'm always learning and struggling along.  With this top, the neckline puzzled me, and I considered a zipper up the front, yet I didn't see a zipper pull, so I didn't create it that way.

Pleating this plaid to try and get the most green from it was daunting, too.  It may come as a surprise, but sewing is not fun for me.  Its work.  Its a challenge.  I simply like what I can do with a sewing machine.  Its the results I'm after, and trust me, if I could buy what I'm sewing, I wouldn't hesitate.  I only make things I can't purchase ready made.  

Grace's little hat was the no-brainer.  Were I a knitter, I would have made it thusly, but I do needle felt and it comes in wonderfully handy.  So Grace's little headpiece was needle felted.  It has little silk ribbons topping it and a sparkly shamrock in the center.  

With Dolly's bow, I made this out of green Shantung silk and added another sparkly shamrock.  The shamrocks were earrings, too.  I simply clipped the posts short, then fastened the backs after sticking them through.  Each girl has a black leather belt with a proper gold buckle.

I was lucky to find a piece of 1/8" vintage green rick rack for Dolly's white cotton collar that matched, perfectly, the green in the skirt fabric.

The jewelry was fun to procure.  Love Etsy.  You can find anything there.  Grace's earrings are "human" earrings, and  the shamrock pins, brooches, each of them wear, are flat backed charms I glued tiny magnets to.  Another tiny magnet beneath the blouse holds it in place.  I learned this trick from Integrity.  They make brooches for Poppy Parker this way.

Grace's shoes were something I had to somewhat create.  Facets was out of black pumps for the RTB101 bodies, so I purchased a pair of brown and painted them with fine Arteza and ArtShip Design acrylic markers.  If you're going to paint ready made shoes, use the finest acrylics you can, otherwise you'll have cracks and possible dullness to the shoes.  Less is better.  Topping with Modpodge is a mistake.  A couple of thin layers of quality acrylic paint is enough.  

I added little cotton grosgrain black bows to the heels of the shoes to complete the look.

The fun for me in any project is the chance of discovery.  Learning something new, and discovering news ways of doing things.  Mini a-ha moments.  

However you plan to celebrate the coming of spring, the culture, folklore and beauty of Ireland, don't forget that your dolls enjoy this, too.  Adding a few mini St. Patrick's Day postcards to your display, a ceramic leprechaun (I do have one somewhere!), and sprays of sparkly green shamrocks can lift your spirits as well as your dolls'.  For me, I'm doing it this year with Jean Grainger's book, and seeing two of my favorite girls dressed up in Diana's precious designs.

I hope you'll enjoy the photos below, of Ireland and a special postcard I found last night.  The two illustrations came from a children's book on Irish folklore and mythology.  And, as its always fun to make new friends along the tour, my American Girl, Blaire, is hiking the green hills and taking in the sights of Ireland enjoying her shamrock shaped shortbread cookies.

Love, Melissa    

 

Grace and Dolly Dingle Hit the Tropics

I am always amazed at how much happens between my postings.  Even though each actual day is very much the same, I seem to be able stir up a little fun and activity in between the mundane.  Is my life really mundane?  Probably not, but its a quiet one that begins with tea, hiking the dog, then assorted housework or trips into town like suffering the post office, or grocery shopping.  It is only when all my "work" is done, that I give myself the liberty to play.  Pop off to my studio, read my current book, sit at the computer, which I'm doing right now, and that sort of thing.  But, no matter what is or isn't going on, I remember that each moment is all you have, so try to live it well.  And, that always encompasses learning everything I can about what is currently of interest to me.  

Last posting I put question to mind, How Diana Vining got involved with Rachel Hoffman's Virtual Doll Convention, and came up with Dolly Dingle as the mascot.  After reading my blog and seeing how I brought her Dolly Dingle Money 

First VDC logo by Susan Sirkis

Jingle to life, she wrote to me and answered my question, which only elicited more questions, so I wrote to Rachel, herself.  And, to Marie Scopel, my dear long time friend, who started the Grace Marie Fitzpatrick group on Facebook.  The history I'm about to provide may be recent, but I believe the very novel and entrepreneurial Virtual Doll Convention will  become known as one of the greatest things ever to happen in the doll world.

I'm told that the idea of a VDC was something Susan Sirkis put forth to the UFDC some time ago, and was met with resistance.  The UFDC, being a relatively old

Diana Vining's Sleeping Grace

institution, probably did not see the need for such a contemporary concept, and would no doubt not have the technical expertise it takes to pull it off.  Adding in, that they might feel a VDC would make people like myself, think twice before spending a mini fortune traveling each summer to the event.  In the meantime, Rachel considered the idea on her own, and wonderfully, incredibly!, shot for the stars and reached them.  And with the help of Susan Sirkis!  After the first launch, Susan contacted Rachel and suggested she needed a brand, a logo, and Rachel was over the moon to work with her.  Susan came up with Dolly Dingle as the logo doll, since Dolly was in the public domain.  Above, you'll see the original logo Susan came up with, which was a paper doll she added the paper doll dress to.  Sadly, Susan became very ill, and died shortly after.  She worked on the VDC with Rachel up to the very last, and made certain all her VDC files were passed onto Rachel.  Susan's passing was a great loss to the doll world.  She is missed.

As a newcomer to the VDC, and an enthusiast, as many of us have become, Diana, just for fun, sent Rachel a drawing of her own interpretation of Dolly Dingle.  What Diana would call "fan art", became a job for her for not only was there a need, but her work as an illustrator and graphic artist is out of this world!  Working with Rachel, Diana brings life and a story, the current story of Grace and Dolly, to the VDC.  I say "current", because a new Tonner doll will be introduced in March.  Diana brings effervescent joy and sparkle through her designs and illustrations, and we can't get enough of them.  I have never met two more talented and highly motivated women, who work so well together, and each upbeat, and remarkably humble in their own right.  Subsequently, this is how Dolly Dingle became the VDC's mascot.  Rachel is shooting for the stars and I know she'll fly beyond them!

While, yes, there are other projects I'd like to tackle, I've been slowly accumulating the necessary items to create one of my OOAK dolls from a Maggie Iacono gifted to me at Christmas.  Right now, a wig is on its way from China.  There's no point in even starting unless I have everything I need.  Its like starting to make dinner and in the midst of it, realizing you forgot an ingredient, leaping into the car, driving to the store and store is out of it.  So after I finished dressing my little Dolly Dingle, I laid out my rainbow of lambskin leathers and decided to make Grace a pineapple bag to go along with the tropical themed pajamas, that would be presented in the first Club Grace Subscription Box.  The "Kate Spade" inspired heart crossbody was so much fun to do, I wanted to explore something a bit more challenging.  And, it was.

 

The basic shape is an oval with a slightly more narrow top, but not quite an egg.  I'd been studying a variety of pineapple bags on the Internet and how they were conceived and put together, along with the type of strap or handle they had.

I finally decided on representing the texture through a quilting stitch.  This was troublesome since I had no idea where to begin since I'm not a quilter.  I printed off a young girls' bag that had such stitching and made pinpoints on the oval as start and stop points for the cross stitches.  What I discovered is that they were equally spaced at about 1/8" approximate around the shape.  So what I was looking at was a bit of geometry.  Once I discovered this, it went a bit more smoothly, if only from the light bulb moment of understanding.  It didn't help much being an oval in this regard, but I sewed the lines until I has a satisfactory look.  Took about a day to do this since I was making two.  That's four ovals.  The second would be a gift to Rachel since she'd asked me to make a few to sell, and I appreciatively declined.   

The second one came out much better than the first, so I intended to keep the first one.  This difference was that I decided to lesson the width of the gusset, which gave it a more delicate look.  I mean, if you're giving something away that others are going to see, best to send the very best.  So because the one being kept had a wider gusset, I decided it needed a little wallet on a chain.  Many bags these days come with attached coin or essential bags, and this was what I was after.  Also, because I was signed up for Club Grace, I had printed off the double-sided money, passport and club card.  The club card was printed, signed by me in Grace's name, then miniaturized to fit in the wallet.  Earlier I had suggested to Rachel that a passport was needed if Grace was to travel, and was thrilled to see it happen.  I thought I was done, but I slept on it and realized that the pineapple purse intended for Rachel needed the wallet, too, so another was made.  It was the right thing to do of course, so I filled her little wallet, as I did my own.  The leaves are in two pieces and each side of the purse has its own set.

I know this is a long posting, so grab a cup of tea and stay with me a bit longer.  

In the meantime, two things happened.  One of women on the VDC group had posted her dolls in this adorable Beach House.  I went nuts.  It was the same colors as American Girl Maryellen's Airstream, which I have and love.  So I did some poking around and found that Target sold them for a third of what Ebay sellers were asking, and with free shipping.  Like I really needed another BIG TOY in the house.  But, its so darling and elicits feelings of sun and sand and sea.  Something I miss terribly.  

I dressed Grace up in the polka dot swim dress I made for her during the Summer Fling days (you may recognize it). I took photos of her sorting out her money and passport, adorable sleep mask, which I printed on printer fabric, and door hanger. You can see these at the end of this posting. Just super fun stuff.

A bit later, the first Club Grace Subscription Box arrived.  I'd already seen others post their dolls in the tropical pajama set, which is apparently a mini replica of ones that Rachel owns.  I'd been trying to figure out what to do next for Dolly Dingle and had several ideas circulating in my mind.  A few of them may come to fruition, but one idea stuck.  And, that was to make her complimentary outfits to the ones we'll receive each month through Club Grace.

In a way, that takes the pressure off from making both Grace and Dolly outfits at the same time.  Short cuts?  Who, me?  I had to smile to myself the other day when Marie admitted that sewing for the ultra curvy body that Grace has, posed great challenges for her as well.  I didn't feel so awful after she told me this.  We both enjoy altering existing patterns to create original looks for our dolls, but that body of Grace's takes some real patience when fitting her just right.  

The Subscription box was filled with all kinds of fun extras to accompany the lovely work of Ruby Red Galleria.  I'm still gob smacked that Rachel got them to make these for her!  And, why shouldn't they?  They are now a part of the magic of the VDC, too.  Ten Ping Ho may have had humble beginnings, but this woman wants to rule the doll world and she's getting there FAST.  Well, to me, they've already have conquered it, but I'm a huge fan.  What can I say?

To your left, you'll see a vignette of Grace in her tropical pajamas, along with Dolly in the baby doll nightie I made for her to go with the tropical theme.  Grace is ready for bed with her hair mussed up in clips and her sleep mask on her head,  She holds her travel journal (American Girl), and Dolly, who's been scribbling away on the hotel note pad, has her pen.

The fabric I used for Dolly's nightie was purchased last fall.  I'd bought two tropical mini prints with dressing Grace in mind, but since its the devil to keep up with all the new stuff the VDC presents, the fabric went into the stash.  I finally found an opportunity to use one of them.  This aqua blue fabric has tiny palm trees and flamingos on it.  

I knew I wanted to make her a baby doll nightie and that required puffy bottoms as well as the baby doll dress.  I'm just learning to sew for this doll, and her body is short and slightly chubby.  She also has very slippery limbs so elastic doesn't like to stay put.  And, this outfit is full of my nemesis, elastic.  I try never to use it as it degrades over time, but the nightie called for it.

We have elastic in the waistband and leg bottoms, as well as the arms of the puffed sleeves.  I used the Money Jingle dress pattern as a sloper and altered it in length, then shortened the sleeves.  I also included a gentle ruffle of ocean waves to the hemline.

The most fun though, was concocting the flamingo slippers I knew had to be made for it.  Pineapple bags and flamingo slippers!  What's next?!

I used an elf shoe pattern I had and altered the top with a flamingo neck and head.  These were done in wool felt, and hand sewn with a blanket stitch.  The eyes are pearly sequins with tiny black glass beads.  I attempted to add wool patching for the beak, but adding the colored wool to the sides not only made it thicker, and trickier, but left the center of the beak still flamingo pink.  I could have added feathered wings to the side, but maybe I'll embellish more on the next attempt at something like this.  Sometimes you have to know when to call it quits.  Dolly has very tiny feet, just over 1" long, and sometimes more becomes too much.

Below you'll find a couple more photos of the Beach House.  Grace taking a cat nap before the club party that night, and a miniaturized version of Diana's "Shhh... Dreaming in Progress" door hanger.  I also included a copy of the original Dolly Dingle paper doll page that Susan Sirkis used to create the VDC's first logo.

So, yes, the mundane days do get filled with a certain amount of joy and  creativity.  One never has to look very far for it when Rachel, Diana and the Virtual Doll Convention are right at your fingertips!

The next Virtual Doll Convention is right around the corner.  March 26 - 28th.  Rachel will be introducing a new doll by Robert Tonner, and I know the fun will just keep coming.  Stay safe, and keep playing dolls!

Love,

Melissa

 

Grace's Little Friend, Dolly Dingle

There's a little bit of interesting history when it comes to Dolly Dingle and I.  It was so long ago that you may not remember it.  And, even I forget sometimes since I no longer refer to myself as Missy Mouse, which was the "business" name I used when I used to make and sell my doll accessories and miniature work.  Not that I ever really considered what I did or do, a business, but it gave me a bit of anonymity.  

I was just starting out, and making miniature hand-painted doll trunks with tiny dolls and accessories in them.  Thinking that I might want to try being professional, I was searching for ideas for a logo.  I'd made a couple of tiny porcelain Dolly Dingle trunk sets and had lots of Grace Drayton paper doll images in my work files.  One of the pages was a Christmas page, and featured a little mouse.  As I was also heavily into Becassine at the time, I took the image of the little mouse and dressed her up as Becassine, and she became Missy Mouse.  Today, this is bit embarrassing, considering I never take myself too seriously, but it was a cute  

image.  

Grace Drayton was born Grace Gebbie, in 1878, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Her father, George Gebbie, was an art publisher.  

Grace attended Drexel Institute and the Philadelphia School of Design for Women.  While attending the latter school, she was a student of the American artist and teacher, Robert Henri from 1893 - 1894.  She began her life as a freelance artist in 1895.  From 1905 - 1909, she was a member of the The Plastic Club, an arts organization in Philadelphia, and this is where she created the Campbell Kids for advertisements.  Along with her sister, who was a writer, they produced The Adventures of Dolly Drake and Bobby Blake in Storyland, and The Turr'ble Tales of Kaptain Kiddo.  

After the end of her first marriage to Theodore Wiederseim, she married William Drayton in 1911, and was then known as Grace Drayton.  Grace designed the popular Dolly Dingle paper dolls, which appeared in the women's magazine Pictorial Review.  These darling paper doll pages are collectibles today, but copy images can easily be found filling the pages of Pinterest, and blogs such as this one.  Grace entertained her audience with these adorable paper dolls depicting holidays, every season, and doing fun activities.  She would get a family, and pets, and her cherubic body and face are instantly recognizable and treasured.  

I would daresay that the Campbell Kids and Dolly Dingle, are what Grace Drayton is best known for.

I would love to interview Diana Vining someday and learn how she came to love Dolly Dingle, but I'm too shy to ask, and I believe that she might be a very private person.  But, I'm so glad she does love her, because through her, Dolly Dingle became the mascot for the 

Virtual Doll Convention.  

When I first saw Dolly Dingle featured, I wondered why, or how she became associated with the VDC.  I don't think I'll ever know.  So I'll simply guess that Diana, as a paper doll artist, loved her, too, and so Dolly Dingle became our little darling of the VDC.

After seeing her and Grace together, dressed up in matching outfits, I longed to have a little Dolly Dingle, and make them matching costumes inspired by Diana's work.  It just took me awhile to figure out how to make that happen.  So when I'd tired of Peggy Sue (no, I'm not tired of her, but I don't think I'll be sewing for her any longer), and had done all I could for Grace, to this point, I decided to give Connie Zink a call.  Connie, one of finest doll makers in the U.S., was the artist for my Daisy, Lettie Lane and Polly Pratt.  We'd worked closely on the creation of Polly Pratt years ago, and I asked her if she'd like to do it again with a Dolly Dingle.  She did.  And, the results were tremendous!

She happened to find a mold for the A&M 243 that looked as closely to Diana's doll as could be found.  Lucky, for both of us, that she had the greenware done and sitting on a shelf.  The body is a mold as well, that Connie poured, cleaned, painted and strung, so my Dolly Dingle is a unique little doll.  I set her eyes, then fitted her with a Monique Julie wig, which I sewed up a bit for a shorter look, and then of course, dressed her.  She's nine inches tall, and the perfect sized little companion to the 16.5" Grace.  Interesting, don't you think, that Grace Marie Fitzpatrick and Grace Drayton have the same name, and Dolly Dingle is the VDC darling?  Just another question I would ask Diana about.  

Diana had drawn a darling image of Dolly Dingle called Dolly Dingle Money Jingle, in which she wore a cheery pink cherry colored dress, held a little pleated money purse and wore a bright blue bow in her hair.  I thought, as a first dress, this would be the perfect way to dress and introduce her since spring is right around the corner.   The little dress has a high empire bodice with a gathered drape of dress beneath 

it.  A row of little blue buttons march down a white runner, and her white Peter Pan collar has blue embroidered daisies on it.  

The most difficult thing to make, besides the pattern - three whacks at that! - were her shoes.  I think it had to do with this little body that has wide toes, and a narrow heel.  The shoes fit great until I put them on her feet with socks.  They threatened to slip off constantly.  I fixed that with a stitched heel band down the back and inside, but in the future, I'll redo the pattern and make a higher backed heel.  

I chose green silk to make the coin purse for "Money Jingle".  It does open, and snaps close.  I threaded a chain loop under the flap so she could one, carry it, and two, it would could be a coin purse on its own.  I love this little doll.  I can't wait to make matching out-

fits for her and Grace sometime.  

Speaking of Grace, earlier I'd made a little heart shaped crossbody bag inspired by a Kate Spade for her.  I guess Valentine's Day was on my mind and I just wanted to try making one.  Its made of bright red lambskin and edged in white scalloped leather for a sweet Valentine look. I included a key fob in a heart shape that can be unhooked, or hooked to the purse by a jewelry lobster claw clasp.

Below you'll find our little heroine in brown curls for a Valentine's Day paper doll.  I'm also re-sharing Polly Pratt's second Valentine's Day costume, which I made, what feels like a thousand years ago.  I'd made tiny Valentines to go inside that satchel, too.

And so, February is here.  Its time for us to think on spring and sunny days ahead.  Today is 61 degrees, sunny and blue in the Sierra Foothills.  The nights get cold, but the narcissus is already up and there are even a few daffodils poking their yellow heads up.  I'm not complaining.  It wouldn't do any good if I did.  We have had rain, and quite a bit of it in the past eleven days. I can hope for more, but there's nothing like a temperate, sunny day to lighten one's mood.

Happy Valentine's Day, and enjoy each day as they all pass by so quickly.

Love, Melissa