Saturday, November 22, 2008

Vintage Perfection

This doll is one of my most prized possessions !! She was a gift from my Mom, along with the curio she is displayed in. Sometime in the late 70's, Mom purchased 3 antique porcelain doll heads. Wigs were found, along with new hands, feet and bodies. She and her friend, Jessie, both wonderfully accomplished seamstresses, proceeded to put these doll pieces together and dress them. One for me, and one each for my brother and sister. Nearly every seam, bead, lace attachment, flowers and bows are hand-stitched. I have found only one little bit of machine stitching on her petticoat. She has pantaloons and a hoop skirt, also, hand-stitched. I cannot imagine the endless hours these two women spent together creating these beautiful dolls. AND, the patience for all of the perfection in the intricate hand-stitching !! Truly, a labor of love ! Some of the satins have yellowed a bit over the years, but she remains as beautiful as ever. I never had the privilege of meeting Jessie. I believe she was one of Mom's favorite people in her world, so, I have named this doll for her. "Jessie" is in the curio at my front entry to greet all who enter my home.

1 comment:

Tammy said...

Jessie IS beautiful, and she's been around a long time, now. I have a Raggedy Ann doll made by Grama's friend. Also, she made a Cabbage Patch doll for Hilery (another thing I need to locate? Yikes! I wonder how many dolls Jessie made.