A Shawl For Your Doll Using An Antique Doily

Do you have some beautiful doilies that are family keepsakes or are just too beautiful to stay hidden in a box or drawer.   Well lets think a little differently how to use them.  I have many crocheted and embroidered pieces my Grandmother, an excellent needle woman made.  I have used them as rugs for some of my antique dolls to stand on.  placed over the base of a doll stand.  These doilies also make beautiful aprons and head coverings and even hats.  I never cut them as that would destroy them.  Instead fold and hand tack them to the desired shape.  See how easy it is to use a doily to accessorize a doll.

Making a shawl for an antique doll using an old crocheted doily. The shawl is a small crocheted doily that  a dear friend, now deceased gave me several years ago. .  I have included
a picture of the doily.  I simply folded it in half and placed it around my dolls shoulders.
A nice finishing touch and a good use of a sentimental gift from a fellow
doll collecting friend.

Viola!!!  See how beautifully the shawl enhances the doll.  The doily is still in its original condition, and every time I look at my doll, my friend fondly comes to mind.

Bonnet Head Dolls

Large Bonnet Head Doll

As those of you know that follow my blog know I love to gather
information about the dolls in my collection that I love.
Following is some information on Bonnett Head Dolls. 
 All of these dolls are in my doll collection

Bonnet Dolls
Bonnet Dolls are somewhat older than most dolls and are almost
all antique and  are very interesting.
 They are a type of dolls that were made 
with the hat molded on the doll head. There were made of china, wax, 
parian, celluloid, wood, composition, paper mache and straw. They 
usually have painted eyes. 
Many years ago no lady would appear outside her home without a scarf 
or a bonnet covering her head.  These dolls depict that bygone 
era.  Dolls have always represented the fashions of the era they were 
made. Many half or pincushion dolls also fit in this category of 
dolls as they often have a head covering. The bonnet styles can be 
very stylishly beautiful or very whimsical. There is one that I 
love. The doll has a hollyhock flower upside down for her hat. 
Unfirtunately I do not own one.   The 
hats can be a very large style to a small hat or scarf. 
The dolls and half dolls were made in a variety of sizes usually 
sixteen inches tall or less. The larger heads and arms were 
sometimes sold without a body and were to be placed on a cloth body 
and dressed by the owner'€™s Mother. Therefore the clothing styles are 
as varied as the many people that dressed them are. Many examples of 
these dolls although antique can still be found in original clothing at reasonable 
prices, although prices vary by area.


                                                  

          I have several Bonnet Head Dolls that I just love.  They have molded hair

                           and a hat that is also part of the mold.  I have one that is twenty inches tall
                           and is the largest of my Bonnet Head Dolls.  She is made of white porcelain
                           and has painted blue eyes.  She is very old and is considered an anitque.  I have 
                           probably had her in my collection for at least twenty years.  I don;t remembe
                           how I acqired her.  She has a leather body which is a replacement..  She is wearing a 
                                     hankercheif dress that is very pretty.  I have no idea how old the dress is. 

 

                                                       This is a side view of her head

                                             This is a back view of the hat.  The blue bow
                                              is very detailed.

                                             
                                               Notice the blue trim on the lace lining the ruffle
                                               under the front of the bonnet.

Fancy Ruffled Bonnet Head

A .beautiful small Bonnet Head Doll.  She is all porcelain and has painted socks and shoes. 

                    

Her bonnet is very detailed.  There is a pink

ruffle lining the under brim and a blue ruffle

making up the brim of the bonnet.

A side view of the bonnet.  Notice the ruffling 

of the wide brim.

There is a pink bow at the top of the blue ruffle.

Small .Bonnet Head

A small Bonnet Head as most were originally sold.  This head
is made of white porcelain and is very old.  I also have the hands
and I will one day pur her together and dress her,  

Snow Babies Are Also Bonnet Head Dolls

I had to include Snow Babies in my information on Bonnet Head Dolls.  Snow Babies are small figurines that are collected alsong with dolls.  They were originally made in the 1880;s in Germany.  They were primarily made as cake toppers.  The snow babb is small, all porcelain, and is dressed in a
white snow suit that looks as though it is covered in snowflakes.  The face has very delicately painted features.  In a short time after being made in Germany Japan began reproducing them in a much lower quality than the original German made Snow baby.  Snow babies have remained a popular collectable still in modern times.  In recent years Department 52 bagen to produce them in Taiwan and is still making them today.  I have quite a few Snow Babies and I am including some pictures of one of them.