An Etrenne for Alice Liddell

A New Years (Etrenne) Gift

When I began this blog on the creative process, I was primarily making what I referred to as modern day Etrennes.  Etrennes were New Year's gifts offered in France during the mid to late 1800's.  The craftsmanship of dolls in presentation boxes, games, gowns for French Fashion dolls, and their accessories, were some of the exquisite items offered in the market stalls along the streets of Paris.  And, for this new year, Alice Liddell receives her own Etrenne in the form of her little Morning Glory Parasol.

When I began sewing for her last year, I acquired an antique parasol to re-cover for her trousseau.  Its is just now, in between sewing projects, that I decided to give it a go.  I have re-covered parasols before, but never an antique.  This one's cover was in such a state of disgrace, that I wasn't tempted to keep it "antique".

The illustration.

I pulled out some lovely lilac silk taffeta, and a oordinating "morning glory" silk for the ruched ruffles.  As I carefully observed the original cover, I noticed that the underside was sewn with French seams.  Since I normally don't make them, but knew this would be the best approach for neatness-sake, I decided to photograph the steps I took along the way - just in case you might like to try this the way I did it.

At the beginning of the story The Other Alice, she and Dodgson take a row boat out for a picnic with her sisters Edith and Ina.  "It was perfectly quiet that hot summer day on the river.  There wasn't even the sound of an oar, or the chirp of a bird, or the buzz of a fly.  The boat moved slowly forward."  After much ado about telling a story, Dodgson began, "It was just as warm and sunny as today.  Alice sat on the riverbank with her sister."

A long story to be told.  Alice in the middle with her parasol.

And, while Dodgson tells his story, I'll share how I made her parasol.

Paper towel pattern and mock up.

As with any sewn creation, I began with a pattern.  I measured the triangular sections, of which there were six, one for each rib, and added a 1/4" or so to make the French seams.  Then I made a mock up, just for length and size.  When stitching up to the top where the points meet, there is always a hole that you have to do something with.  With hats, I stitch across in several places, but with the parasol, it would be left open to thread the stem through.

If you've never made a French seam, its not too difficult, but takes a little thought.  You begin by making the seam on the right side of the fabric.  Then you turn the piece over and encase the edges in a folded seam.  The results are tidy and perfect for a parasol whose underside can be seen when open.

I then cut a length of silk on the bias and stitched this to the edge, to fold up over the top.  This encased and neatened the edge.  Since I added two rows of ruched "ribbon", the bias strip would be concealed.



The original cover and new.

Then I cut three long lengths of the "morning glory" silk and ironed them into a non-bias tape.  I folded over the edges to meet in the mid section.  After this, I made gather stitches along the two edges, and began the very tedious process of "ruching" them.  The fraying was extensive, but all these silk strands were trimmed at intervals.  A mess?  You bet.  But worth the effort.  The idea was to keep the trim as light and flexible as possible since the parasol would be closed at times.  In other words, one folded edge instead of two.  With two, it would not have frayed, but would have been too heavy and thick for the delicacy required (especially if you stitched the double fold down). 

The bias edge pinned to the underside.

After stitching all the rows on, I threaded the stem through the center and sewed the rib nips to the end points of the cover.  I love the tiny metal ribs on the antiques.  Once you've successfully re-covered an antique, you'll never give another thought to the chunky, clunky bamboo ones with the Battenburg lace.  When shopping for an antique to re-cover the only important thing to research is the condition of the ribs and mechanism.  If the metal is terribly scratched, I'm sure you could spray paint it over , but I'd be reluctant to since the holes could get gummed up.  A black alcohol marker would take care of the scratches nicely.  A brown alcohol marker was used to tidy up the tip of the wood stem. (Thanks, Jean!)

The bias edge when folded up over the top.

At this stage I had to pay very close attention to how this stem was made.  The original cap was there, but how was I going to affix it to the silk cover and stem?  Then I noticed a small hole that ran through the stem about an inch and a half down from the tip.  There would be a pin or wood splinter peg in this to keep the metal crown secure.  There is another "peg", an original on the underside which keeps the parasol cover and ribs from slipping down.  IF you were going to make a new stem, you would drill these holes as done on the original stem.  Not all parasols are made this way, but as this one was, I'm making note of it.  Study how your parasol was made, very carefully, and then it will become clear, the steps to take in refurbishing it. 

I decided to leave the stem as it was.  There's a bent nail wire that functions as the piece that collapses into the stem when closed, holding the mechanism up when open.  You'll notice that the wood was split to accommodate this wire.  Again, not all parasols were made this way, but I wanted to retain the antique feel of this one for Alice.

Now, since the top peg was missing, I used a technique for making one that I've used in the past for other projects.  I took a metal head straight pin and cut it short with wire cutters.  The pin head act as a stop on one end.  For the other end, to secure the pin, I used a seed bead and a touch of Super Glue to secure it.  That pin isn't going anywhere until I say so.  Should I ever wish to recover the parasol frame again, I would snip the pin off and begin again.  No glue will ever touch the silk cover.

How it looks on the underside with French seams.

If you've ever tried to re-cover those bamboo Battenburg lace ones, you'll understand why I'm detailing this for you.  The bamboo decorative tip is gunked with glue, then affixed to the lace cover.  This a mess and very difficult to disassemble without ruining the tip.  Often times you just have to crunch the tip away with pliers, then make another decorative tip.

Should I not have been attempting to make this parasol as close to the illustration as possible, and retaining the integrity of the antique stem, I would have hand carved a new stem...but, that's another story.  For this one though, I might have drilled a little hole about an inch and a half up from the bottom and added a tassel. 

This is fussy, fiddly work.  Its one of the things I love best to do because I have to think, and ponder long, on how to create it.  I hope the photos help if you've a mind to try it yourself.  This is but one way to re-cover an antique parasol.  Good thing the days are sunny here.  Alice Liddell is bound to get a lot of use out of her new Etrenne.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

The nasty job of ruching.

Two edge rows.

The third and final row.

A very tidy underside.

Assembled

Alice Liddell's Morning Glory Parasol

Alice Illustrated in Arthur Rackham

Alice Illustrated in Arthur Rackham

When January roles around here in California, one can easily be fooled into thinking its the first of spring.  This doesn't mean that we are finished with winter, but the days become mild before winter returns, perhaps weary of belting the east coast.  Maybe.  We've been in a drought for several years, so we only hope Father Frost and Sister Rain return.  Due to the spring-like conditions, I caught a bit of the fever and roses, pink roses, seemed to require a place in my studio. 

In the this third illustrated costume for Alice, I chose the hauntingly beautiful work of Arthur Rackham.   Arthur was born in Lewisham, Kent, England on September 19, 1867.  A kindred spirit no doubt, since Virgos are drawn to those in their sign (my birthday being the 18th).  He began illustrating as a career in 1894.



Arthur Rackham Self Portrait

Arthur Rackham is widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators from the "Golden Age" of British book illustration which encompassed the years from 1900 until the start of the First World War. During that period, there was a strong market for high quality illustrated books which typically were given as Christmas gifts.  The onset of the war in 1914 curtailed the market for such quality books, and the public's taste for fantasy and fairies also declined in the 1920s.



The Inspiration

During his years of illustrating children's books, he illustrated countless stories, and among them was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1907).  While scouring the Pins and Internet for future costumes for Delight, I found Rackham illustrations among my selections such a Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.  I wasn't immediately inspired by his pen and ink watercolors, but as I continued to research his work, I fell completely down his rabbit hole.

I had this lovely Lecien rose fabric on hand and it would prove a nice cloth to bring his Alice's dress to life.  This fabric is a fine cotton that feels like a delicate silk, tightly woven, yet airy with a pretty drape.  When I sat down to make it, I couldn't find the patterns I'd made for the Tenniel and Torrey outfits, so I had to begin again.  It took me a day to remember that I could do this, and its always been the case that although I've made patterns for this and that outfit, I end up with brand new ones all the time since the garments will be different in their details.  So I set to work.

Alice in Roses

I studied each illustration I could find on his Alice, and chose to design the dress two bands that would begin at the waistline in the back, fold over her shoulders, and meet at front forming a V shape.  Wide puffed sleeves with banded wrists, and a rosette of the same fabric where the bands intersect. 

She would have black stockings and Oxfords.  This combination, along with the rose print dress is such a far distinction from Tenniel's original drawing. It has come to mind that illustrators will, or might, appeal to the children they are drawing for, and therefore will create a costume that's indicative of the year the drawings are made. 

The Back

There is not much more to say of the construction of the dress, but I had a wonderful time making the shoes.  The more I delve into cobbling, the better I'm becoming at the craft, and the more fun it is.  Fun being the challenge feels right.  This little shoe is made from one piece of leather, stitched on the top edge then down the front to support the holes the laces go through.  Like Alice Liddell's winter boots, these are my favorite aspect of the outfit.  Where my eyes are drawn to.  They are soft and well fitted.  A jazz dancer's shoe.


Joyful Shoes!

One of the illustrations that appealed to me most, and always has, is that of Alice holding the pig baby.  I was especially taken with the beauty of Arthur Rackham's rendition.  It has a gentleness, a delicacy that touched my heart.  So I popped onto Ebay and immediately (such luck!), found a 3.5" vintage velveteen Steiff.  I bought the little fellow and when he arrived today, I made him a tiny batiste and lace bonnet.  Alice Illustrated would need her little pig baby.  But, my how difficult the little thing is to display in her arms!  These sawdust stuffed animals are completely inflexible!  Maybe someday I'll start making my own little critters with softer bodies and movable limbs.

If there was one thing I wished to replicate in Arthur Rackham's dress, it was the delicate, fragile and feminine nature of how Alice appears in the dress.  I hope I did this. 

One of things I'm working on in between other garments, is storage for all these dresses.  I never thought I'd have this problem when I first began sewing.  I was selling the dresses I was making!  But, now I've come to appreciate my own work and while once in awhile I'll sew for someone if asked, I primarily sew for myself.  Two wardrobe cases are in the works.  One for Alice Illustrated and one for Delight.  And, what of Alice Liddell's?  Her patterns and garments are in a jumbo Ziplock.  I'm sure her wardrobe will require one of those decorator suitcase trunks, and this is how I store Polly, Lettie, Daisy and Katy's garments.

Roses for January.  And, Alice Illustrated is among the pink ones.

Love,
Miss E. Mouse 

Alice and the Pig Baby - Rackham

Alice and the Pig Baby - Mine

To Confer with a Caterpillar

The Upheaval

Another View

Among Friends

"So she set the little creature down, and felt quite relieved to see it trot away into the wood."

Snegurochka: A Russian Fairytale for New Years

Snegurochka

Sit down, get comfortable, and let me tell you a story.  Once upon a time...

"A long time ago in the forests of Russia there lived a peasant by the name of Ivan with his wife, Maria. Although they loved each other very much and had many friends, they were unhappy because they had no children.

They built a child made a snow.

One winter day, they watched the village children build a snowman. "Let's build a snowman, too!," said Ivan. And they proceeded to craft a pretty little maiden out of snow. Struck with their creation, Ivan said, "Little snowmaiden, speak to me." Maria exclaimed, "Yes, come to life so you can romp and play like the other children!" Before their very eyes, Snegurochka became a real girl. "I have come from the land of winter, ice and snow," said the little girl. She ran and hugged them. There was joyous singing, dancing and celebrating in the village that night. All that long Russian winter Snegurochka romped and played with the other children. Everyone loved her. She, Ivan and Maria were very happy.

Then one day, when the first signs of spring appeared, Snegurochka came to Ivan and Maria, and with tear-filled eyes told them that she must go away, up North to the land of snow. They begged her to stay. Upset, Ivan jumped up and shut the door to the hut so the snowmaiden couldn't leave, and Maria hugged her tight. But as she held the little girl, the child melted away. Ivan and Maria wept bitterly.

Sveta as Snegurochka

All spring and summer they were lonely. Summer turned into fall and fall into winter and once again it was cold and icy outside. One night a familiar voice was heard. "Mother! Father! Open the door! The snow has brought me back once more!" Ivan threw open the door and Snegurochka ran into their arms. All that winter she lived with them and played with the other village children. But in the spring she had to go back North, whence she had come. This time Ivan and Maria did not weep, knowing she would return once more when winter appeared on the land. And so it was that the snowmaiden brought warmth and joy to Ivan and Maria during the long, cold, Russian winter for many, many, many years."

With a little bird friend.

This was the very first tale of the Snow Maiden (Snegurochka), that I read.  I was instantly smitten with the tale and longed to learn more about fairytale, and especially find a copy of the book.  I'd recently made friends with Svetlana Isaulova from "way up north".  She'd purchased a couple of Wendy Lawton dolls from me, from dolls I was selling from an estate.  By the time she'd purchased a third doll, we wanted to get to know each other better, and decided to write to one another outside of Ebay.  The first time I wrote to her, I directed her to my website and blog since she was interested in my work.  In her letter back to me, she told me she knew me!  She'd been following my blog for several months.  She told me she was a seamstress, too, and was making a Snow Maiden costume for her doll Henriette.  Snow Maiden?  I had to look her up.  This is when I read the story and begged for more.

Beneath it all.

She told me that there were several versions of the Snow Maiden tale, and one of them was quite different than the child that melts in spring to return in winter.  The other is more of an adult tale of the granddaughter of Grandfather Frost and the Spring Goddess.  The beautiful young woman who came from snow was sought after by many a suitor for her beauty.  But, she could never love them back as her heart was made of snow.  One day she meets a man and falls in love, but when her heart "warms up", she melts away. 

There is also the story of the ancient Slavic pagan goddess Mara.  She is the goddess of Winter and Death, and most likely the predecessor of Snegurochka.  What tales were lost in Christianity, remain alive in the Russian fairytales.  Mara has many other names and can also be known as Marais, the Goddess of Frozen Rivers.

From behind.

I began researching images of Snow Maiden, and found beautiful Russian dolls of her, illustrations from books and greeting cards, paper dolls, lacquer boxes and commemorative plates.  Her image was even on a glasses case!  I knew I had to make my own little Snegurochka.  And so, together, Svetlana and I began to celebrate the New Year through Snow Maiden.  I'd recently acquired another 9" Lawton doll to reincarnate, and Simply Sarah became Sveta, my little Russian child.  Sveta means "light" and this seemed a perfect name for the doll I would dress as Snow Maiden.  While many versions of the winter costume are done in blue with white fur, I'd found this tri-image picture of an extraordinary doll with beads, laces and pearls, all in white, and wanted to make a less embellished outfit, but with similar elegance.  Sveta is only 9".

She learned to spin, sew and knit.

I designed the outfit from images of dressed dolls I had seen, and came up with a white silk gown trimmed in pearls and silver, with a shorter coat and Russian hat.  Sveta received new blue eyes and a golden blonde wig that I braided for her.  She holds a little bird in her hand like the adult Snegurochka would, as she was friends to all the wildlife in the woods.  This is why you see images of her with woodland creatures.

Sveta in the Summer Dress (Sarafan)

But, Sveta's costume did not reflect the Snow Maiden of the precious book in Cyrillic that Svetlana sent to me.  So I made one more costume for her to depict the child in spring.  I made the "summer dress" (Sarafan) as they are referred to in Russian, from a gold and aqua silk, and trimmed it with gold jacquard ribbon (that I made from gold floral spray - same technique I used for Daisy's last year New Year's costume).  A violet ribbon crowns her golden hair.  Although you cannot see, she is wearing mini valenki on her feet.  A gift from Auntie Svetalana.   Valenki are a Russian wool bootie.  Some are simply stunning in design.  I had to look these up, too.

I've had a love affair with all things Russian as a long as I can remember.  I've been learning so very much about Russian culture since becoming friends with Svetlana.  One of the interesting things I've learned about are their Christmas traditions.  For one thing, they do not celebrate Christmas as we know it.  During the October Revolution, Christmas was banned from Russia due its religious content.  It was then that they began to celebrate New Years as we would Christmas.  Around the 1930's, Snegurochka became a part of the seasonal characters along with the existing Grandfather Frost.  She is seen in parades with Grandfather Frost, children get Snow Maiden dolls for the holiday, and adult costumes can be purchased for parties.  She is loved, honored and treasured as much as our own Santa Claus. 

From Behind.

On the 30th or 31rst of December, the Elka, or "Christmas tree" goes up and is decorated.  Gifts are given the same as on our Christmas morning.  But, their New Year celebration begins in mid December.  Children in schools and in day care centers have performances, plays and concerts.  They call them "morning performances" or "fir tree".  Everywhere you go there is Grandfather Frost, Snegurochka and the Elka.

Catching the snow flakes.

So while the little ones in Russia are celebrating the days to New Year, Svetlana and I were sewing Snow Maiden costumes for our dolls.  She chose to dress her 16" Lawton Henriette as the pagan goddess Mara, or Marais, I wrote of earlier.  Because of this, she added "waves of silver" to the costume to represent the frozen river.  Amazing.  The work she did on the trim by wrapping each loop with silver threads or ribbon is awesome.  I've a detailed photo of it below.  She also made by hand, with wire and beads the beautiful crown the doll wears.

Its interesting to me to see how folk costumes are made in a different country.  The Russian soul, the depth of it, and the opulence of art and architecture exist throughout their poetry, their paintings, their fairytale books (Genedy Spirin of note), the ballet...and it simply goes on.  This enchantment seems to be run in their veins, passed down through generations.  As modern a country as Russia may be, the beauty and lore of old is held high and exists with the new side by side.  And, through the beautiful story of Snegurochka, a friendship was wrought.

Svetlana's Marais

Svetlana told me today that she has "Snow Maiden Mania", and I must confess the same.  Sveta will receive new outfits in the future, Ukranian or Russian in style, and Svetlana will guide me with their design.  I do strive for authenticity.

So in this second blog posting for New Year (do read the one prior to this as it was just written today), we celebrate the Russian New Year (Christmas) in Snow Maiden fashion.  If you've never picked up a book on Russian fairytales, you must!  They are fabulous.

Please enjoy the selected photos I posted from the near 150 I saved off for this celebration post.  And, Happy New Year!

Love,
Miss E. Mouse

Intricate work.

From Behind.

A pagan goddess with veil.

Mini Valenki

Russian jacquard from Svetlana's collection.

The ornament she gave me.

The ornament she kept.

Snegurochka and Granfather Frost

A friend of wooland creatures.

The stunning doll that inspired me.

In red like her ornament.

In paper doll form.

Lacquer Box

Fabulous illustration!

Commemorative Plate

A gentle maiden from a storybook.

The Russian Ballet

Sveta wishes you a  Happy New Year