Aunt Polly's Doll Emporium

2012-02-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

I'm planning to take my old singer hand crank sewing machine for demonstrations for this fair, I'll be doing some doll making techniques and I'm hoping I'll have a new range of ready to sew doll kits in printed calico...and another huge mammy doll completed...and some historical costumes..and more dolls...I'm going to be busy!

Journal cover...

2012-01-25T00:08:00.001-08:00

Another idea for printer fabric...and a great way to use up those scraps! I printed a victorian fashion plate onto the fabric, then used it as a centrepiece and added scraps in a crazy quilt style for this gorgeous book cover. These could be made to fit any book...this one is A5 size...I'm going to try another, but add vintage lace and trimmings for a truly victorian feel.

More dolls...

2012-01-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

Another bunch of finished dolls...I needed three for orders, so made four...it's a good way of having 'ready mades' for fairs as I don't really notice the extra time when making them in batches.

And I finally have a new supply of raw wool for hair!

Ready for Spring....

2012-01-20T10:58:00.001-08:00

It's so nice to work with bright spring colours when the winter days are so gloomy. Once again I've been using my printer to make the little fabric patches.....more to follow soon...

Great Gift Idea...

2012-01-16T00:48:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with printable fabric and this is one of my first creations..a photo cushion!
I think this would make a great gift for those 'difficult to buy for' people, you just email your chosen photo (jpeg format), then choose your colour scheme for the border (this one was pastel pink/blue) and you can have your very own unique cushion.

Fairs...fairs....fairs

2011-11-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

I've been having great fun at the local craft fairs and even remembered my camera for one of them! I'll be adding a new space for fairs I'm attending, so if you're in the area, pop in for a visit..we'd love to meet you!

All is merry and bright...

2011-11-21T23:27:00.000-08:00

Elephants quilt...as suggested by hubby...very occasionally they do have good ideas! I decided to use bright colours for this one and I'm really pleased with the finished result.

Another day...another raggedy

2011-11-21T23:22:00.000-08:00

After days of really gloomy weather I needed to make something to brighten things up..and what better way than to make a springtime raggedy..and we haven't even got to the winter weather, yet!

A pretty face...

2011-11-21T23:16:00.001-08:00

This little gal has been very much sought after...she's now on her way to her new home in America...and I'm now needing to make another four...I just hope they turn out to be as cute as this one!

More heirloom dolls

2011-11-21T23:12:00.001-08:00

A couple more of the completed heirloom dolls...I'm really pleased with these and they've had lots of interest at the fairs.

Antique Style Heirloom Doll

2011-11-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

I've just completed this new heirloom doll and I'm really pleased with the way she's turned out. I tend to tea stain the dolls after I have assembled them. I use a brush and paint it on, then hang them on the line outside to dry (I sometimes wonder what the neighbours must think!), this gives a less even coverage than if I soaked the fabric before sewing as in some areas the stuffing inside soaks up some of the liquid, but I love the look of the aged patina and it means that all of the stitching has the same aged look too.

My new stand..

2011-11-01T23:45:00.001-07:00

I found this stand in IKEA for £5.99! It's all metal and packs flat so should be fairly easy to transport and it's ideal for displaying all of my hanging ornaments. What a find...and a bargain too!

Preparing for the fairs...

2011-11-01T23:36:00.001-07:00

I have three Christmas fairs coming up over the next few weeks and I didn't want to take just dolls as this limits my selling, so I've also been working on lots of new ideas to take with me. I especially like the way the cupcakes have worked out and they are so easy to make...just felt with rhinestones added for a little sparkle.

Special offer

2011-10-31T01:54:00.001-07:00

Special offer now available in my Etsy shop, buy any two e-patterns and get a third for free!

New faces

2011-10-28T04:56:00.001-07:00

Just finished painting these three antique style dolls I now need to dress them (and some others) ready for the first of my Christmas fairs next week.

I don't seem to have quite so many dolls this time, but I do have loads of christmas goodies...

So busy...

2011-10-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to already be so busy...check my other blog for what's happening in my costume world (making a Dorothy costume today) www.starlightcostumes.blogspot.com
I'm also busy filling up my Etsy Shop www.etsy.com/shop/auntpollysdolls
and if that wasn't enough I will be participating in 2 christmas craft fairs:
Crafty Christmas fair in aid of Forget Me Not charity
Christmas event with a twist
and just to finish me off (it probably will) I have two full cast sets of costumes to design and make for Shining Stars Theatre Schools...think I might be in need of a holiday!

Raggedy cats

2011-09-30T00:36:00.000-07:00

I've just finished a batch of these raggedy cats...they're now available in my ETSY shop!

A hair raising experience?

2011-09-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

Got these three little gals made..only to find I have run out of hair...and the places I used to buy my supplies from have stopped stocking it. So I'm now trying to find new suppliers for raw washed wool in the right colours and textures to complete them...

Ebay Listings

2011-09-20T01:51:00.001-07:00

I was feeling brave so I've just added this gorgeous girl to my EBAY listings...she's one of my favourite makes so far, so it will be hard parting with her!

Dreams coming true...

2011-09-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

After years of dreaming and waiting...I'm finally leaving work to concentrate on a full time business. It's sooo exciting and just a little scary, but it's got to be better doing what I love (even if I'm poor I'll be a lot happier). I'm planning to carry on with dolls and gifts and my costume making will become a very large part of it...my other blog http://starlightcostumes.blogspot.com
will feature the dressmaking part and I'll be continuing with my dolls (and adding my other prim gift stuff) here. So please keep checking back with me, I'll be adding loads of goodies to my ETSY and FOLKSY shops as well as adding a few EBAY bargains too!

They're back...

2011-08-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've been asked so many times for a prim doll, I've started on yet another batch...well, why make one when you can make ten (that's always been my downfall.... there's no wonder I don't have any spare room!

This little gal is the first of my batch...she'll be joining the others in my ETSY shop...

Polite request...

2011-06-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have recently had a couple of rude (or pointless...depends which way you look at it) comments regarding problems with the free download patterns. I have checked the links and they all appear to be fine, but if you do have any problems with downloads, a polite comment or email will be replied to and I can send you the download direct. For those who seem to forget that access to my patterns are a privilege not a right...you will get NOTHING...point made, I think!

If you liked that...

2011-04-04T00:11:00.000-07:00

If you liked the link on my last post, try this one...CLICK HERE...intrigued?

Singing for Success...

2011-04-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this with you, CLICK HERE, have a listen and see what you think...all will be revealed...

Pretty in Pink

2011-02-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

This lovely reproduction china head looks really pretty in her new pink flower print cotton dress. I usually take the simple approach as I find really fancy dresses too overpowering on this style of head. I didn't use a pattern for this one as it's a simple empire line dress with full sleeves and a pintucked skirt for a little extra detail (the pintucks are good for helping the skirt to keep it's shape too).

I've actually managed to finish quite a few dolls now so I'm going to put some on Etsy and Ebay as I've run out of display space...again!

The same...but different....

2011-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

I'm always fascinated by the way different artists approach the same subject...these 3 heads are different sizes of the same style head mould, but have been treated quite differently by the artists. The largest is the most simple, with shiny glazed, pink tinted bisque, the eyes and cheeks look as if the colour has been sponged on. The middle head is white bisque (not quite as shiny as the large one) and nicely painted in the antique German style with pink lines on the eyelids. The smallest head is more detailed in parian style with pink bisque and paler features (my favourite of the three).

FREE PATTERN china head doll body...

2011-01-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Your first 'freebie' of the year!!

This is a very simple body which is ideal for these small china heads...it also fits the small metal 'minerva' heads beautifully, too.

I have stitched across the elbows and knees for this doll as it means I can pose her better, though I haven't shown this in the pattern as it's entirely optional.

To give you a rough size guide, this head measures about 2 1/2 inches across the shoulders and is about 3 inches high, the body makes her total height about 11 1/2 inches.....you can download your FREE PATTERN HERE....enjoy!

Thank you...

2011-01-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you to all you lovely people who have been sending such nice comments, they're very much appreciated (especially when I'm frustratingly busy with non-doll stuff!!).

I'm back....

2011-01-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

I'm back....finally...after a mad few months where Christmas took over (still in the job I was supposed to be leaving....looks like I'll be there a little longer too!) ahh, the joys of working in retail...everything else had to take a back seat, including my costume business dreams...though I haven't given up on them just yet (just feeling a little fickle at the moment!!) so to start the new year I have finally completed the doll body patterns and I have just put the first ones in my Etsy shop as a digital download...I'm feeling quite pleased with myself now!

A bee in my bonnet!

2010-10-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

I made quite a few of these bonnets for the Pudsey fair, thinking how nice they would look on the wooden peg dolls...and sold most of them to teddy bear artists..turned out they looked lovely on the little antique style bears too!

All the fun of the fair...

2010-10-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

I had a lovely day at the recent Pudsey Doll and Teddy Fair, I received lots of lovely comments and had several very interesting conversations. This repro parian doll was probably the most remarked upon, though I found myself unable to part with her and ended up putting a sold sign on her so I could bring her home...think I need a little work on my sales techniques!!

How exciting...

2010-08-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

I have just launched my new blog http://starlightcostumes.blogspot.com/ , where I can concentrate solely on my costume making (while keeping my dolls here, of course). I intend to keep adding to both blogs as I am planning to continue with the doll making as well as launching my costume business...I can see it's going to be a very busy time...

a fashion first....

2010-08-13T12:16:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm a bit rusty, but my first attempt at new designs didn't turn out too bad! I finished these figures in watercolours, (my favoured medium). This is my first commission (though it's a 'freebie' so I can test my new pattern software) for a salsa style evening dress for my daughter...I have already printed the pattern, so it just needs making up!...but I can already feel myself being pulled along the paper doll route....oh,oh...

Folksy...Folksy...Folksy...

2010-07-22T03:28:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered FOLKSY a UK site that runs along the same lines as ETSY (where I have my other online store). You can find all manner of wonderful hand crafted items there, including my new shop!! You can find me at: http://www.folksy.com/shops/AuntPollysdolls
Please pay me a visit when you can.

chasing rainbows...

2010-07-22T03:11:00.000-07:00

Well...after a terrible few weeks where I have found out I'm losing my job in a couple of weeks time...and then got turned down for a university course...I was about ready to just give up!!

But after a good while feeling sorry for myself, I've picked myself up and I'm going to 'bite the bullet' and turn my hobbies into a full time business!!

I'm planning to start a costume design service as well as general dressmaking and, of course, my dolls will be a big part of it too. I used to make dance and stage costumes (like the one in the picture)and spent time doing bridal alterations before the dolls came along so it shouldn't be too difficult to 'start again'....so here's to a new beginning!!

Introducing....

2010-07-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

.....and here she is!! My beautiful ragdoll kitten. You can't really see the pale blue colour of her eyes in photos. We have called her 'Tia', she is a real sweetie!!

The cat's out of the bag....

2010-06-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

I've had to confess to hubby what I'm planning to do with my money from selling the miniatures...I have to say he took it quite well.....although when I said I wanted to buy a rag doll, he just assumed it was a doll. I think he was just a bit surprised when I mentioned that it happened to be a breed of cat!! But, he's got used to the idea (only took a few days of persuading)...which is good really, as I'd already found 'the one' ! She's a beautiful blue point ragdoll kitten...and I'm going to meet her tomorrow...and I'm sooo excited! She won't be ready to come home with me for a few weeks yet, so I'll just have to be patient (not one of my strong points!)...

Don't You Just Hate It When...

2010-06-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

It's happened AGAIN!...Someone (who shall remain nameless) is passing off my goods as her own on Etsy!!! I even gave her the benefit of the doubt by asking her where she found the items and she claimed to have made them herself!! I really don't have a problem with people making and selling my designs so long as they don't try to pass them off as their own, but it's even worse when they are selling my actual products and claiming to have made them....this has happened to me several times and I sometimes wonder why I bother....perhaps I should give up sharing my designs?

Pale and interesting...

2010-06-12T07:35:00.002-07:00

I don't come across many dolls heads made in the UK, but both of these heads are marked 'House of Nisbet fine bone china 1980 made in England' (the House of Nisbet was founded by Peggy Nisbet in 1952, she died in 1995). They are unusual in that their colouring is very pale, (the china is almost white like the original china heads), I think they were probably originally sold in kit form.

'Surprise'!!

2010-06-12T07:25:00.001-07:00

This head was another of my 'impulse' buys. She looks rather surprised with her high eyebrows and round eyes, though at least it looks like a pleasant surprise...she has just the hint of a smile! I'm planning to make her in the style of a French fashion doll complete with full trousseau.

Impulse buys....how guilty are you?

2010-06-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so hands up all those who are guilty of buying on impulse...then wondering why? Yes, I'm just as guilty as everyone else (we've all done that at some point, haven't we?)....you only have to look at this head to see it was a spur of the moment thing!! I can't use any of my usual excuses like...'felt sorry for it'.....or 'couldn't resist it'......it would be more like...'it was cheap, no one else wanted it' or maybe...'oops, look what I bought'!! So I'll have to dig deep to create a character around this one...I'm already thinking along the lines of a drag queen, complete with sparkly dress and big red hair....Then, perhaps at the next fair someone will come along and on impulse.....

Gypsy Caravan...

2010-06-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Well, my miniatures 'cull' is well and truly underway with lots for sale on ebay (and a few in Etsy too)...but this is one miniature (plus the few dozen I've managed to squeeze inside!!) that won't be going anywhere soon. I built it from a kit and it was a true labour of love with all of the rose pattern transfers added individually...it took me quite a while to complete. I may let you have a peek inside it at some point...when it looks like I can't get any more in it....and I'm satisfied that it's 'finished'....in the future...maybe

Parting is such sweet sorrow....

2010-06-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally decided to part with my dolls houses and miniatures collection(which has got a little out of hand), so I started the long (and a little painful) process of sorting them out and deciding which to put on ebay or sell in my etsy shop! It was a difficult decision, but I felt the need to spend more time concentrating on my dolls and less being distracted by so many other projects...I think hubby is secretly delighted...but not for long when he finds out what I'm planning to do with the money!!

New Faces......Freebies

2010-06-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have just added a few new faces to my free doll pattern list, these can be used as alternatives for Gypsy, Joel or Summer....enjoy!

New Body design

2010-05-21T02:14:00.001-07:00

I have actually managed to finish a few bodies at last...now all I need to do is add the heads...and clothes...I may even end up with a finished doll at this rate! This new design I have created is a much more satisfying shape for my repro china heads. I have painted and varnished the lower limbs to compliment the heads but I left the rest in it's natural calico state. For the antique heads I tend to tea stain the calico to take away it's 'new' look, but not so much that it could be mistaken as an original body.

A pretty face...

2010-05-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

This is a bit of a change for me, but I felt so sorry for this little doll I just had to rescue her !!

She was attached to an old baby body (obviously not the correct one for her) and was intact, but in a really grubby state with what looked like quite badly scuffed bisque. After a gentle clean she has turned out to be a little beauty...the scuffs were in the dirt, not the bisque!! She is marked on the back Armand Marseilles 370 6/0 Germany and with no damage to her original teeth and original blue glass sleep eyes (that work perfectly)...I think I found a little treasure!! So my next task is to design her a suitable reproduction body..then she'll need a wig...clothes....shoes.......what have I started!

To glue or not to glue?...that is the question!!

2010-05-20T09:08:00.001-07:00

I'm often asked about attaching doll's heads to bodies and my simple answer is if you can avoid it DON'T GLUE !!

Most china heads have holes for attaching and the simplest way is to run a cotton tape (or ribbon) through the holes, pin the tapes in place on the body and sew. This way the head is secure, but doesn't have to be permanent, particularly for antique heads with reproduction bodies, sewing in place leaves the option to change the body to an antique one should it become available. This particular head (a beautiful Kobberman repro) has three sew holes front and back, though it's more common to find heads with just two holes front and back.

A fantastic find...

2010-05-11T04:14:00.001-07:00

I went to a car boot sale on Sunday and came across this gorgeous doll sized rocking horse! Of course I couldn't possibly have gone home without it...I think it will look lovely on display with a few dolls.

ETSY...ETSY....ETSY

2010-05-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've finally got around to opening an ETSY shop (been meaning to for ages.....). For those of you that don't know about ETSY it's a fabulous online selling group dedicated to handmade and vintage goods...a wonderful place just to browse or find a special gift...so pop along and have a little look! My store can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/auntpollysdolls hope you can come for a visit!

...and here they are in use...

2010-05-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

My home made dress forms showing off a couple of my designs...they work really well and cost a fraction of what I would have paid for ready made ones (though they're not as pretty...)

A simple solution...

2010-05-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

I needed a way to display some of the doll dresses I have made without having a doll in them, or going to the expense of buying small dress forms...and the solution I found was to make some simple body shapes out of some cotton ticking and attach them to some old wooden candlesticks and bobbins I had spare! I just need to make a few more different sizes and I'll have a full set... they're really great for when I'm working on costumes too!

2010-04-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of my smaller dolls, these are both made from painted calico with rowan wool hair. They have both found new homes...and I can't help making more because they are sooo cute...though I really need to complete some china heads...and costumes...some patterns need finishing.....

Queen Anne Cloth Doll

2010-04-25T01:37:00.001-07:00

This is my first 'Queen Anne' design. She is made from calico, then stained and painted with needle felted pure alpaca hair. (She also has the most fabulous painted gold boots with laces!!). Her dress is made from vintage cotton prints in the traditional two layers (bodice top over underskirt) with split front, laced with ribbon and trimmed with vintage lace. Check out my FREE PATTERNS for a Queen Anne face to trace for your dolls.

My favourite doll...

2010-04-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

This little primitive doll is my favourite of all of the cloth dolls I have created. I took her to a doll fair and discovered that I couldn't part with her and ended up telling everone she was on display only and not for sale! She now resides in my old rocking chair...

NEW FREE DOLL PATTERNS

2010-02-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some new FREE DOLL PATTERNS just for you...and to make life a little easier I've added permanent links to the left of the page so you don't have to search for them (though you made need to scroll down the page to find them!!)...the usual rules apply, PLEASE only make one copy for personal use, no distribution of any kind...if you want to sell the finished dolls, please contact me first, thankyou.

A little intrigue...

2010-02-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

This beautiful little parian head was sold to me as an 'unsigned artist's original'. She was very grubby with a large black ink stain on the back, but after a careful clean up I found this makers mark under the ink! I haven't been able to identify it so far, but I'll keep looking...

The smallest china head...

2010-01-31T06:01:00.000-08:00

At just under three inches tall, this is the smallest china head I have come across so far. She is an 1890s German china head glued on to an old (probably 1950s) plastic body. I decided not to try to remove her from the body and worked with what I had instead. She looks rather nice in her tiny hand crocheted dress...

Penny wooden dolls

2010-01-20T02:52:00.001-08:00

These are four circa 1900 'penny wooden' dolls (so called because they were originally sold for a penny usually by street vendors). They were crudely made with simple features and wooden peg joints ( so they're also known as peg dolls) and generally sold without clothes so were dressed by mothers and daughters. The two on the right (back) are in their original clothes and the other two I have redressed myself.

Wooden tuck comb doll

2010-01-20T02:35:00.000-08:00

Among my small collection of wooden dolls is this wonderful old tuck comb doll. She measures 18 inches tall and she has a fairly crudely painted face, but really nicely carved hands and feet with painted red slippers. At some point she had earrings, there are tiny fittings still in her ears. I think she will look lovely once she is redressed.

New Bodies..

2010-01-16T11:57:00.001-08:00

A couple of almost completed doll bodies. The smaller one is tea stained to give more of an aged effect (I have also painted the boots as I prefer them with a boot design akin to the original china legs).

The larger body is for a reproduction parian head, so her lower limbs have been painted (they just need boot details and a coat of varnish to finish).

Blonde china head circa 1885- 1890

2010-01-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

This lovely blonde lowbrow china head dates to about 1885-1890. She is one of the first completed dolls with a new body of tea stained calico and a pretty rose print fabric dress.

I have heard it said that for every 10 black haired china heads there was just one blonde haired china head produced, I don't know how true this is. They don't appear to be as readily available as their darker haired counterparts, but I have been lucky enough to acquire a few of differing sizes.

Reproduction China Head

2010-01-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

This is a beautiful reproduction china head made in 1964. She has all the detailing of the 1890s lowbrow and is very good quality. I have designed her a new calico body (along with using a rather nice pair of vintage white porcelain legs), then dressed her in pretty cotton prints.

Hints and tips...

2010-01-14T00:55:00.001-08:00

A good way to avoid damage to your dolls feet is to use an empty cotton reel, add a circle of felt to each end (this needs to be slightly larger than the cotton reel so that the reel itself does not come into contact with the feet), then thread either ribbon or cotton tape through the centre, making a loop at one end and back through the centre again so that the two free ends are at one side.Place the loop over one leg and with the cotton reel between both ankles, draw up the ribbon and tie around the other leg, this will stop the legs from bashing together.

FREE DOLL PATTERNS

2010-01-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

I thought I might share these doll patterns with you, they have been available on my old blog, but as I will be concentrating my efforts here I thought they should move with me too. They are all my earliest designs from my first steps in doll making. I made these in felt, but you could use other fabrics.

I hope you enjoy them:

The waiting room...

2010-01-11T06:37:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the reproduction heads, all waiting for bodies, many of them need a good clean and some of them are waiting identification (it's always good to know what you're working with), alas some will always remain a mystery as they have no markings at all.

It's always helpful to know the era these heads have been made to represent so that the costuming is authentic. I have the added challenge of 'guess the age', as some of them have child like features, so the body designs will need adjusting.

A little history...

2010-01-01T02:53:00.001-08:00

I have discovered such a lot from delving into my family history, it's always a huge source of inspiration.

I found six generations of dressmakers (not surprising then that I was able to teach myself to sew) as well as shoemakers, cordwainers and weavers.

In this photo are my great grandmother, Annie Newlove (who was one of the dressmakers) and some of her children.

Here's where it all began...

2009-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

This beautiful doll was a gift from my hubby and the first china head in my collection. She is an antique 1900's German Lowbrow with original limbs, but a reproduction body and gown.

Since receiving her, my collection has grown rapidly with an eclectic mix of old and new, all types and styles, and mostly just heads as I like the creativity in making new bodies and clothes.