Lily Auguste was created in 1867. I have decided. Since she’s a grand 29”, exhibition-size fashion doll on a luxury wooden body, I want to believe that she was created for the 1867 International Exposition in Paris. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I have collected books and magazine annuals (or archives) from that year for costume inspiration. So far, I have collected three annuals (bound compilations of … Continue reading
I’ve finished the 11-tuck skirt of Lily Auguste’s first dress. The tucks are not perfect. Looking back at my inspiration, a dress made by school girls for Rose Percy, I think they were driven to perfection by their instructors, used a very precise sewing machine or they were robots. I am not a robot. I am human and I can live with my wonky tucks. Whilst hand sewing 660 inches … Continue reading
The sewing machine for home use was first created around 1850. It was quickly adopted by home sewers. So it is not unusual to find machine-sewn clothing on antique dolls made after the mid-19th century, whether professionally made or home sewn. I was surprised to learn that even the trousseau of Rose Percy contains machine-sewn items. Learning this was a revelation to me. Her wardrobe was sewn by students in … Continue reading
Progress is slow, but Lily Auguste will finally get new clothes. Her first outfit will be in the enfantine style. In other words, dressed as a young teen/pre-teen. Before LA arrived, I pored over many of my doll books searching for inspiration. My criteria for choosing costumes for my dolls starts with finding a dress that appeals to me aesthetically and is from approximately the same time period as the … Continue reading
Lily Auguste now has her first set of underwear. If you expect fast-paced sewing, I will disappoint you. I’ve had her since early December and finally finished her simple undies in early April. Four months. I sew quickly, but don’t sit and sew very often. LA stays home when we travel to the mountains, so planning, pattern making and her fittings have to wait until we get home. DH, our … Continue reading
Are you familiar with the acronym STEM? It’s very trendy because it is very important. Ask any teacher or student. You can tell your kids, grandkids or any kid you know that you use STEM to costume antique dolls: Science – We study how things were made in the past and experiment with how to recreate them. We use chemistry to dye new fabrics, and to clean and preserve … Continue reading
Did you say lee-lee oh-goosed out loud? That’s my phonetic interpretation of Lily Auguste’s name with a French accent. As promised, today I’m going to share more photos and information about Mademoiselle Lily Auguste. NOTE: If you click on the photos, you can zoom in on the images. I just fixed this on my blog and will hopefully find the time to go back and fix it in previous posts. … Continue reading
I’m back. I think. For now. I will renew the contract for this blog. It’s been a while since I’ve posted regularly. Lots of things have changed in my life, but after purchasing Lily Auguste my doll sewing mojo is back and I feel like sharing. The Virtual Doll Convention was a treat and added to my motivation. But first a bit about some of the changes. In January last … Continue reading
This is my new doll. I took some photos with my phone so I could show her to you. I’ll take better photos and share more details about her soon. My blog is read by “doll people” and some friends and family who just read it anyway. The non-doll people often ask me why I choose a particular doll, especially when it’s an expensive one. I’d like to explain why … Continue reading
