A new doll design for the summer, Queen Maud is a meadow fairy queen. With a meadow print dress from Acufactum, silk ribbon and a flower wand. Her medieval style dress is trimmed with crystal and glass beads as is her mad hair. Tiny wings in a complimentary peacock blue spot sit well with her shot cotton underskirts and her pillow. Lots of beads and ribbon make up the trim.
I just loved making them! They were inspired by the Duchess, Gertrude Groan. One of my favourite books, Gertrude is my favourite character.
The illustration is Mervyn Peake's own vision of Gertrude and couple that with the BBC version played by Celia Imrie and you can see how they influenced my choices.
Gertrude is a pretty unpleasant woman, self serving and lost in her own world - a truly dreadful mother but I find her compelling. When Gormenghast is threatened she rises to the challenge. Most of the characters in the trilogy are truly awful, real grotesque but the women most of all. Maybe I will have to make an Irma Prunesquallor doll too!
So far three little queens grace my shop. Maud, the Meadow Queen, Matilda, the Strawberry Queen and Martha, the Winter Queen.
I have been making brooches and hoops this week ready for my winter shows but although it is great to have a change I am itching to get back to my dolls.
There is a witch on the cutting table with a mohair mouse and an embroidered mouse in the wings. All based on the vintage Liberty print called Lola Weisselberg!
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