My name is Emily Warner.  I am an antique doll collector, but I don’t have a tremendous number of dolls. Some of them are pictured above.  There used to be more, but many were sold or traded to acquire the few I now own. Let’s talk about refining a collection vs. acquiring more dolls.

I have studied Victorian era (19th century) dolls and their costumes and accessories. What do you look for when choosing antique dolls?

Some of my dolls are collectors, too. They need many things, i.e., fans, purses, gloves, furniture, etc. Do you have needy dolls?

I make hand-sewn doll costumes, wigs and shoes. There are some hand-sewing tricks I’ve learned along the way. Are antique fabrics absolutely necessary when costuming antique dolls?

I sometimes make-over and redress unloved (or over-loved) dolls and sell them on eBay. A friend of mine calls this “flipping” dolls (like flipping houses). How do you spot a diamond in the rough?

I am in the process of learning more embroidery techniques, including 17th century blackwork, gold work and stump work. I’ll share this scary adventure with you and welcome your observations. What does this have to do with 19th century dolls?

I am trying to teach my 7-3/4 year old granddaughter, aka Supergirl, to sew. She and I love fairies. She does not love to sit still and sew.

These are some of the journeys I’ll be sharing with you in my blog. Along the way, I’ve learned some things I’d like to share. If you are interested in learning more about hand sewing and embroidery, doll collecting and costuming, doll cleaning and minor repair, resources for both information and inspiration, and a bit of fairy magic, please subscribe by e-mail or follow me on Facebook. I’m still learning, too, and would love to hear from you with your questions, comments, and ideas. I’ll also be sharing some of my inspirations on Pinterest. Please share your inspirations with me.