Knickers or not?

 

My Monday Musing this week is knickers or not! I firmly believe that if a doll is in a dress or skirt for propriety's sake the lady needs knickers. Quite often on my stall I notice many if not most ladies when picking up a doll will check up her skirt! For me it is completeness, if your hair is done and you are wearing your best dress you would hopefully have your knickers on.
When I was a little girl my grandma, God Bless her, would crochet endless pairs of knickers for my dolls, so the need began there. I have to say, when a new doll arrives for my collection, those poor souls without knickers I have to make them a pair. I really do take comfort from big pants! xx

New Dolls for Eden Gallery

 

Little Cora and two witch sisters have wandered over to Eden Gallery Newburgh along with new autumn brooches, hoops and key rings.
Working hard to get stock ready for three autumn/winter shows. I have made so many dolls and have not had time to photograph them. But I am sure I will catch up soon.
I will be at Liverpool Alternative Bazaar on the 3rd of November, Lytham Hall on 16th November and Oakfield School in Whalley on the 30th November. Looking forward to them all and if you can pop along and say hello, it will be lovely to see you xx

Finally Frogs!

 

On the work table this Wednesday are frogs, finally. Every time I got ready to make frogs something else happened that needed to be made more urgently. So finally frogs. The two large frogs in my photographs are my own frogs that hang in my sitting room and are called George and Dalipha. I have a lovely collection of frogs that has been growing for many years.
The new frogs are going to be smaller and will be in the new print by Liberty called Rosea both the pink version and the blue.
All three will have moss agate to their hearts with a late summer mixture of chamomile and jasmine flowers to their stuffing.
Embroidering their faces is always a delight, all those wonderful French knots so I am looking forward to a froggy week!

Why the sprouts?

 

This Monday moment has made me smile. I recently added Amelie to the shop and folk have been asking 'Why the sprouts?
If you look behind her head are the aforementioned sprouts. Actually they are heads from the Hollyhock flower stem. I wanted to use all of the flower as I had been growing them all summer and then the wind and rain finished them off! So not sprouts but Hollyhock flower buds!
Amelie is dressed in a vintage Liberty Lawn called Poppy Amelie, which is so rich and deep. Amelie's pink fur picks up the colours also. Her dress is teamed with red Tilda Chambray and black tulle lace. Finished with little leather shoes and a sampler pillow. A real sweetie xx

Anais, A New Rag Maid Doll

 

I am loving making these new head rag maids. Working that little bit larger opens up all kinds of possibilities. I am looking forward to variations on this pattern, maybe a witch or a ghostly Miss Havisham. I have not decided yet.
Anais is dressed in a Liberty Cotton Poplin called Sweet Midnight with lovely pastel sweet peas on a black ground. She is 50 cm tall with long legs and a big bottom to sit nicely. She sports a nifty black beret with a sampler pillow and a little scarf.
Making and attaching a separate head has made all the difference, I now have confidence in the pattern and the neck won't bend.
We are really busy at the moment getting ready for Autumn shows. Lots of new dolls made and more in the making. Looking forward to a very busy Autumn xx

Ottilie, A Remembered Wren

 

Thinking back this Thursday morning I am remembering Ottilie from several years ago who flew all the way to Anne Arbour in the States. Being up early, as usual, it was just coming light and I could hear the wrens in the ivy but could not see them.

I am working on a pattern for a new bird design using the details of the embroidered head on a bird shaped body with patterned cloth. They will hang and will be a little different than the bird dolls. Which I tend only to make for commissions now but I do love making them.

A Tuesday Tip

 

Just a thought or a tip for a Tuesday morning. It works really well if you take the time to colour match your thread to your fabric. Going to the trouble of changing your bobbin so that the seam, hem or edge is colour matched gives a really professional finish.
That is unless you deliberately want a contrast. Jess Brown and Zeleniy Goroshek does this so well. Giving a very modern twist to their dolls.

Odile, A New Style of an Old Pattern

 

Long legged Odile is the first of a remake of an old pattern. Way back in 2014 I first made this style of doll and it was well received. However I always had problems with the neck. The large head on the long, slim neck was a nightmare to stuff and I was never happy it was that secure.

I could stuff and restuff but was never truly happy. I have been asked time and again to repeat the pattern but never felt comfortable with something I was so unsure of.

So back to the drawing board and the Rag Maids or Rhoda Dolls as I called them have been reborn. She now has a four part body pattern with a separate head that is firmly stitched to a solid stuffed neck for strength. Effectively now she has a chin and I must admit to liking the look.

At the beginning of Pook's Studio I had Connie dolls, Rhoda dolls and Millie dolls before they became witches and fairy god mothers but Rhoda dolls as a name stuck with me.

These lovely ladies are my great aunts, Connie, Rhoda and Millie with a photograph of the first Rhoda Dolls back in 2014.

Connie was my best pal when I was a little girl. Born at the turn of the century she was very shy and profoundly deaf with a reputation among my family of a wicked temper. She once would not speak to her nephew, my Uncle Jim, for two years because of a dream!

On the farm where we all lived, I would wander up the lane to their house and she was always ready to play boats in the bath. I invariably fell into the bath at some point and would be returned to my Grandma sopping wet and wearing Aunty Connie's cardigan! Happy days and fond memories

These ladies are tall dolls for me, standing 50cm tall. With long legs and a plump bottom they sit very well and are quite companiable. With a crochet bonnet and a little scarf they have pretty petticoats and big boots.

Odile is dressed in a Liberty tana lawn called Honeysuckle Dance with honeysuckle vines abounding. Teamed with burnt orange shot cotton and a cream tulle her sturdy brown boots finish her outfit. This time they also have organza ribbon and a tiny pillow sampler for verisimilitude. I like the completeness.