Introducing The Tudor Dolls

Nell, Meg & Sally Tudor

Another Tudor Doll For My Trunk

 Meet Meg Tudor.

Meg is the doll that was originally owned by my Grandaughter.  If you remember previously There were three dolls that my daughter, granddaughter and I made.  Of the three dolls, Nell was my original doll.  My daughter got Sally and has her in a trunk that she is making clothing and accessories for, and my granddaughter got Meg. 
Several months ago I purchased another Sally on ebay and put her together and made her several dresses.  (Refer back several articles to my new trunk doll) 
My granddaughter and I were talking one day and she told me she no longer had an interest in Meg as she loves the lollapuluzi dolls. The other day she brought Meg and gave her to me.  Meg did not have any clothing except pantaloons.  So I borrowed a dress from Sally and dressed her.  To give her something of her own I crocheted her a shawl as it has been very cold here. 
The three dolls are again united .  Nell is the black haired one, Meg is the red head and Sally is the blonde.  Nell and Meg are 12 inches tall and Sally is 13 inches tall.

I have also acquired Emma, another doll in the series.  I have to put Emma together and make her some clothing.  Emma is 14 inches tall.  Also I am looking for a trunk that will hold all four dolls and their clothing.  Currently Nell and Sally each have a trunk, but neither will hold two dolls and clothing.  I don't know exactly what kind of trunk I am  looking for, but when I find it I will immediately know it. Oh, the thrill of the hunt.....






 

Toni Has A New Coat

It has been so cold outside.  I looked at several of my Toni's and they looked cold.  Sooo.... I got out some fabric and a pattern,  I was initially making the coat for one of my P-90 14 inch Toni's.  When I tried the coat on her, it was way too big, so I reached for a P-91 and it fit perfectly.  I have adapted the pattern to fit my P-90 and will be posting pictures of a P-90 Toni in her new coat.

A Beautiful Gift

I am a member of D.O.L.L.S online doll club.  Each Christmas we exchange gifts.  Being far apart, we have members all over the U.S., it is hard to know the tastes and flavor of each others doll collections.  But somehow we seem to always receive just the right gifts.  This  is what I received this year from a fellow member that resides half the country away.  The package arrived several days before Christmas.  The outer wrappings were all postal.  When I removed all that there was a square package wrapped in red paper with blue ribbons.  I am sorry, but I did not take a picture before I unwrapped my gift as I am like a kid when a present arrives.

The beautiful box containing the gift as you can see was a gift in itself.  Upon opening it, there was a piece of red tissue paper covering the items.  Under the tissue was a beautiful Japanese Kimono outfit complete with shoes and black wig for Bleuette.  Also, enclosed  in the gift was a picture of my club members Bleuette modeling the outfit.  With the outfit were two adorable small sock monkey's and a miniature nutcracker for Bleuette.  

This is my Bleuette, Amelie, modeling her new Japanese Kimono and wig she received for Christmas.  I think she is quite beautiful in it.  Thank you Jeanne.       

WOO HOOO!!! Sally Has Arrived

 I have been searching ebay for Sally at an affordable price. Finally, I won her!

Sally arrived in a box, and in the box, Sally was wrapped in plastic.  Along with her head, hands and legs made of china, was a pattern for her body, pantaloons, and dress.  Also in  the box was a piece of muslin to make her body

In case you do not recognize Sally, She is a sister to Nell, my trunk doll. (See previous article in older posts on Nell and her trunk).

 

Sally's body is cut out from the pattern included in the kit.

Sally is now completely put together.

Body, head, arms & hands, legs & feet
Meet Sally Tudor!, 

The Saga Of Sally Tudor - A New Trunk Doll 1

 

Sally, Her Clothing And Her Trunk
The following is the saga of Sally, my new trunk doll.  Sally is another Tudor doll and is a companion doll to Nell, my other Tudor doll that is also a trunk doll.  To my knowledge there are two more Tudor dolls that I hope to acquire and I want to find a large trunk and put all the dolls and clothing in one trunk.
Meet Sally.

Sally Gets Her Very Own Trunk

I was fortunate enough to find this beautiful wooden box that will be a very nice trunk for Sally.  I had hoped to use one trunk for both Nell and Sally, but have not been able to find one that is both suitable and large enough.  So for now Sally will have her own trunk. 

Sally showing off her new dresses and trunk.  I will be adding to the items in Sally's trunk as time goes by, just as I have added to Nell's.  I love trunk dolls.  Any doll can become a trunk doll.  Just get a doll and a box that is suitable and the right size and start adding articles of clothing and other things you would like your doll to have.  Trunk doll have been in fashion for dolls since the French dolls had them to show off their very beautiful fine silk dresses, delicate unders, purses and hats.  Those dolls and trunks today sell for many thousands of dollars.  My little trunk doll has no great value except the pleasure it has given me to put it together.  And.....I do this for fun.

Making Antique Underwear And Dresses 2

Sally, being an antique reproduction doll needs to have clothing that is appropriate to her period in history.  Representing the late 1800's means she would wear pantaloons instead of panties.  Clothing of this era was made of natural fabrics.  Fabrics such as wool, cotton, linen,  and silk.

Sally's undergarments are being made of 100% cotton muslin, as would most undergarments of that era be made.

Since this set of unders would be for everyday and not dress, I am using unbleached muslin,  the same fabric was also used in the construction of her body.  

I have not used lace or elastic on them.  I used a drawstring at the waist of her pantaloons and a fitted waistband on the half slip.  Both are trimmed at the bottom with a fancy stitch called faggoting.  This is an old time stitch used to trim garments.  Today the common name for faggoting is  feather stitch.  I love this stitch and use it a lot for trim on doll clothing that I make.

Sally's dress is cut out and on the sewing machine

 Children's and especially doll clothing of this era would have been made of smaller pieces of fabrics and scraps as fabric was very precious and not to be wasted and every small piece was used. Doll clothing of this era would have been made from the small scraps of fabric in the sewing basket. This dress for Sally is being made of 100% cotton.  The small plaid print is fabric that came from a man's worn out shirt.  I love to the color combination of the small plaid and the plaid is small enough to be in scale to Sally.  Since I had only a small scrap, I had to use another fabric for the skirt of the dress.   For the skirt to match the plaid of the bodice I used navy trim on the skirt.  Note that on the navy trim on the bottom of the skirt I again used faggoting to enhance the trim.

Sally's dress is cut out and on the sewing machine

 Children's and especially doll clothing of this era would have been made of smaller pieces of fabrics and scraps as fabric was very precious and not to be wasted and every small piece was used. Doll clothing of this era would have been made from the small scraps of fabric in the sewing basket. This dress for Sally is being made of 100% cotton.  The small plaid print is fabric that came from a man's worn out shirt.  I love to the color combination of the small plaid and the plaid is small enough to be in scale to Sally.  Since I had only a small scrap, I had to use another fabric for the skirt of the dress.   For the skirt to match the plaid of the bodice I used navy trim on the skirt.  Note that on the navy trim on the bottom of the skirt I again used faggoting to enhance the trim.

Sally showing off her new dress.

 Every little girl needs a change of clothing and Sally has a second dress.  This one, is made of cotton gingham and trimmed with a single row of rick rack on the bottom of the skirt.   

 Both of Sally's new dresses.

Pirate Chieftan

Little Known Dolls - Pirate Chieftan

Little Known Dolls. Pirate Chieftan is one of the dolls that
is not widely known. This character comes from the 1924 book by
Johnny Grunell, Raggedy Ann and Andy and The Camel With The
wrinkled Knees.
In the book Raggedy Ann & Andy meet up with the camel in the woods
and they all go looking for a nursery doll that is missing and they
come across a group of angry pirates. Pirate Chieftan is their
leader.
Pirate Chieftan is an eighteen-inch felt doll by Volland. He is one
of ten different dolls form the Raggedy Ann & Andy series of
stories. The doll has a large nose, rosy cheeks, black button eyes,
black yarn hair and beard. His hat is yellow felt with a red
stripped lower crown. Small gold buttons and a white collar trim
his pink jacket. He wears purple short pants and a black belt. He
has red and white cloth legs and gold felt boots with a black cloth
buckle. He has a gold dagger tucked in his belt. Hidden under his
hair is a pirate ship silhouette.
An eighteen-inch in played with condition is worth $500.00. In like
new condition he is worth $2,500.00 and mint in box $4,000.00 up. A
nice booty for a scurvy old pirate.