Delphine Completed

This has been such an enjoyable project because I have been under no pressure to get it completed in between quite a few summer visitors and social occasions. Sometimes deadlines are the enemy of enjoyment!

"Delphine" (not sure if this is really her name, but it will do for now) is complete and I'm quite happy with the outcome. Just to remind you, I made her to wear the antique baby shoes given to me for my birthday a year and a half ago by my sister Linda. I wanted her to be a bit special, so I painted her head with oil paints - there is just that little added something using oils instead of acrylics. 

"Delphine" is a 22" (56 cms) jointed cloth doll with a sculpted cloth-covered head. I made her wig from lincoln sheep fleece. 

She is wearing the combinations and smocked dress that I posted about previously and I have added commercial cotton baby socks, a petticoat which I trimmed with a crochet edging, a winter coat with stitched detail edging and hand-knitted mittens, scarf and beret. She's dressed for mid-winter, even though it is high summer here right now! A little shoulder-bag with an embroidered hankie inside completes her. 

Harriet

When I recently made a doll in celebration of the 200th birthday of Izannah Walker, I became entranced with this style of doll all over again! It's been quite a few years since I've made any dolls like this, so it was lovely to become immersed in the process again. I jumped right in and immediately started a second doll in the same style: Harriet.
Izannah walker dolls typically have a "second skin" that fits over the actual body - I decided to give that technique a try with this doll. It took a few tries, but I eventually got the shaping right (I needed to make some tucks to accommodate her rather full derriere!)

So here is my dear sweet Harriet - she has a blue print cotton dress, silk shoes and a knitted cotton apron. Still to come, a cape with a hood and some pretty underthings.