Page 48 - 2010 - AOUT
P. 48
a child, what were your favourite toys?
As a child my favourite toys were always my dolls. One year at about age 7 or 8, I was given a doll with real
hair (not just painted) for Christmas. It was a very special gift and no doll ever had her hair combed and styled
as often as that doll did. I named her "Annabelle Clarabelle". I apparently lacked some name combination
talents. I kept that doll and sewed for her for a very long time. I think I continued to enjoy her until I was
about 12 years old. Whenever I moved I took her with me because she carried so many wonderful childhood
memories for me. I owned her until about 9 years ago when we moved, and the movers lost her.
Another favourite activity was sewing clothes for my dolls. I was allowed to use my mother's sewing machine
but preferred to sew when she was out. I was given permission to do so after I promised to not sew my
fingers. Surprisingly I was able to keep that promise. My mother kept a "rag bag" which held out‐grown
clothes, left over fabrics etc. I would raid it often for my dolls. One day I did so in order to make a skirt (from
the legs of a pair of my father's old pants) and a blouse (from a bleached flour sack) for my younger sister. We
were both pretty young so had no idea how really awful they must have been. For example, I did not know
how to add a zipper to the skirt so it was held closed with pins. We both thought they were beautiful! My
sister begged to be able to wear them to school the next day. I can still remember my mother's
comment: "oh, honey.. everyone will think we're so poor." I had no idea what she could possibly have meant
by that comment. (How could a really pretty outfit make people think we were poor??)
What attracted you to miniatures
Artisans In Miniature 48 in the first place?
When I married and had daughters I could
once again justify the purchase of dolls (for
them, of course)....then after seeing a
dollhouse picture in a Lady's magazine, my
addiction moved to a smaller scale. But first
I made a dollhouse, with furniture. Later I
had to add people. At that point I did not
yet know about miniature shops, or
magazines. But someone had shown me
some polymer clay that she had
purchased. So my first dolls were made
from polymer clay. I quickly decided that I
wanted them to be made from porcelain but
had no idea how that would be done. Not
knowing where to go for advice, I chose a
Ceramic shop that had a "doll making" sign
in its window. They taught classes for
making big dolls. By now, however, I was
determined that my dolls would be sized fit
into a dollhouse.
As a child my favourite toys were always my dolls. One year at about age 7 or 8, I was given a doll with real
hair (not just painted) for Christmas. It was a very special gift and no doll ever had her hair combed and styled
as often as that doll did. I named her "Annabelle Clarabelle". I apparently lacked some name combination
talents. I kept that doll and sewed for her for a very long time. I think I continued to enjoy her until I was
about 12 years old. Whenever I moved I took her with me because she carried so many wonderful childhood
memories for me. I owned her until about 9 years ago when we moved, and the movers lost her.
Another favourite activity was sewing clothes for my dolls. I was allowed to use my mother's sewing machine
but preferred to sew when she was out. I was given permission to do so after I promised to not sew my
fingers. Surprisingly I was able to keep that promise. My mother kept a "rag bag" which held out‐grown
clothes, left over fabrics etc. I would raid it often for my dolls. One day I did so in order to make a skirt (from
the legs of a pair of my father's old pants) and a blouse (from a bleached flour sack) for my younger sister. We
were both pretty young so had no idea how really awful they must have been. For example, I did not know
how to add a zipper to the skirt so it was held closed with pins. We both thought they were beautiful! My
sister begged to be able to wear them to school the next day. I can still remember my mother's
comment: "oh, honey.. everyone will think we're so poor." I had no idea what she could possibly have meant
by that comment. (How could a really pretty outfit make people think we were poor??)
What attracted you to miniatures
Artisans In Miniature 48 in the first place?
When I married and had daughters I could
once again justify the purchase of dolls (for
them, of course)....then after seeing a
dollhouse picture in a Lady's magazine, my
addiction moved to a smaller scale. But first
I made a dollhouse, with furniture. Later I
had to add people. At that point I did not
yet know about miniature shops, or
magazines. But someone had shown me
some polymer clay that she had
purchased. So my first dolls were made
from polymer clay. I quickly decided that I
wanted them to be made from porcelain but
had no idea how that would be done. Not
knowing where to go for advice, I chose a
Ceramic shop that had a "doll making" sign
in its window. They taught classes for
making big dolls. By now, however, I was
determined that my dolls would be sized fit
into a dollhouse.
