Looking Both Ways

It is the last day of 2014. I always remember my parents on December 31st. They eloped on New Years Eve. This Christmas was too good. SG was joyous. The family came for breakfast and presents. DH, our daughter and I shared an amazing French/Morroccan dinner at a new local restaurant… Made DH and I afraid. But the other shoe dropping last weekend was a near miss instead of a tragedy, … Continue reading

A Super Holiday

Supergirl is 8 1/2 and she still makes me laugh every day. A gas station near us goes overboard with blow-up Christmas decorations. Last week, when we drove by, I tried to point out a specific blow up character. She just didn’t see it, so I told her it was next to Santa’s camper. She looked for a few seconds, then pronounced, “oh I see it, it’s next to Santa’s … Continue reading

1 Dress, 3 Centuries

Last January, when I started on my journey into 17th century embroidery, a dear friend asked me what it had to do with my other passion, doll collecting and costuming. It was a good question because she challenged me to find a connection. This A. Marque doll in Theriault’s January, 2015 “Cotillion” auction pretty much sums it up. Up until recently, the A. Marque dolls held the record as the most expensive dolls … Continue reading

BLUE Beads

I think I’ve made it obvious that I am obsessed with the color BLUE. I love all its shades (except some shades of teal). So, I am also intrigued by turquoise beads. But this has been a problem. Any collector of antique dolls has seen numerous examples of antique dolls wearing turquoise jewelry or having it in their trousseaux. It is iconic. From the earliest French fashions to bebe’s to … Continue reading

Collecting vs. Hoarding

Yesterday, I avidly followed an animated discussion on Facebook in response to someone’s question about how to start collecting dolls. It morphed quickly into the question of collecting vs. hoarding. I don’t think there is a one of us who can read a list of medical symptoms without mentally checking ourselves. And since hoarding has become such a hot topic in the media, I don’t believe that any collector has … Continue reading

200 Years Old

Last Saturday, after attending SG’s Tae Kwan Do tournament, I went to the Gaithersburg, Eastern National Doll Show. Since it only occurs twice a year now, I couldn’t miss it. I needed a doll shopping fix. Accepting that my fabric and trim stash is overflowing, I passed by all the beautiful antique fabrics with a mere glance. I was there to see dolls and my doll friends, and I did. I … Continue reading

A Christmas Fairy

In the December, 2014 issue of Antique Doll Collector magazine, Margaret Gray Kincaid wrote an article about “Christmas Fairies” with beautiful photos and their charming English history. The story goes that Santa fills the stockings, but the Christmas Fairy brings the tree and toys. So I needed to make a Christmas Fairy myself. Yesterday afternoon, after a trip to the craft store for star stickers and silver wrapped wire, then … Continue reading

Embroidery Update

Thank you to the kind people who responded to my “dilemma” yesterday with comments on my blog, on Facebook and by email. So far the response is all in favor of sticking to just one blog, but talking about everything. I was leaning that way, anyway: “It’s my blog and I’ll write what I want to” (to the tune of “It’s my party”). I have to admit that I spent … Continue reading

A Doll and a Dilemma

I bought a new doll on eBay that is not for flipping, but is just for me. I think he is princely and charming. And it doesn’t hurt that he is dressed in 17th century style. A courtier, perhaps, to accompany my Bru if I ever finish her 17th century fairy masque costume… He’s unmarked, German, 11″ (28cm) tall, with a solid-dome bisque/Parian head, bisque hands and a cloth body. … Continue reading