I’ve been working on this doll for a while because there are so many pieces to it – first the doll, then her underclothes and then her outerwear. She was made from Make Your Own Southern Belle Cloth Doll and Her Wardrobe. I’m not crazy about the book. The clothes don’t fit very well, mostly because shortcuts were employed. For instance, the difference between the fullness of her skirt and her tiny waist is accomodated via a drawstring, which creates a lot of bunchiness around the waist. That’s why I made the belt which wasn’t part of the pattern.

This photo shows under underclothes – bloomers, a hoop skirt, crinoline, and what the book calls a “bust improver” (kind of like a bra padded with falsies). She also has shoes made of felt. As you can see, she’s bald at this point.

The face is a combination of paint and embroidery. I made her necklace by twining three different cords from my stash together. It matches the trim on her dress very nicely. The flowers were bought. This was my first experience working with curly hair and it was pretty tricky. It’s so tangled together in the package. I didn’t try to make much of a hair style, being happy just to get it stuck on her head at all.

Now that she’s done, I have no idea what I’m going to do with her.