This is Florence

 I am making a new outfit for a very old doll, the doll we are calling Florence is about 140 years old. Her first owner was Gertrude Florence, my grandmother's youngest sister. Gertrude Florence Skinner known in the family as Flo, was born 9th February 1881 in Christchurch and was possibly about 4 or 5 when she got her doll.

This is the only photo we have of her as a child. Flo never married and passed her doll on to her niece (my mother) another Florence.

 Florence Mabel Haworth was born 12 December 1908 and when she was about 4 the doll was given to her, we know it was about this time that the first china head was replaced.  The stamp on the back of the head dates the head as between 1912-1915 and was made in Japan, This photo of Florence Mabel with her mother was taken in 1912.

The doll’s story now moves to 1945 when new clothes were being made ready for the doll to be given to the next generation and to my sister Joan. Joan’s memory of what the doll was wearing at this time helped date when she received the doll as she remembers  the doll came with a knitted singlet made by Mrs Dunic who was in the Bluff Maternity Home with Mum when our brother was born December 15th 1945. The doll was wearing a smocked dress a pale green jacket and a green bonnet.

This photo taken in 1946 is of  Joan age 6 with mother (Florence Mabel) and Joan was wearing one of the many smocked dresses mother made. Her doll's dress was probably like this one, a dress made for another doll one of several smocked doll dresses mother made that have survived. The insert photo of Joan suggests the two dresses Joan's and this dolls dress were made of the same fabric.

In the 1970's I was asked to dress Florence as a bride when she was being passed down to the next generation, Joan giving the doll to her daughter Vicki, this dress was made I think with fabric scraps from Joan's wedding dress and had an apron front embroidered with my signature Bullion stitch roses, a bustle back and lace trim. Now 50years late Florence is here with me have a new dress made, and I will continue to share her story over the next few weeks.

The Birthday Party

 The theme for my photo book this year is the Party Book.  I started with a birthday party for Poppy and put the story together using some old photos along with new ones

Poppy sent out invitations to her friends and decided she would wear her favourite dress

There were pretty party hats for everyone and games to play.

and of course Poppy had a birthday cake

Happy Birthday Poppy for January 22nd

The first of the Fabrics

 Do you remember the fabrics I posted recently, 

I went off shopping to look for some pink fabric and got carried away  with the lovely selection available and ended up buying five pieces.  I have made up the first one, here is Rosie showing off her new dress.

I had a great photo opportunity last Saturday, it was guild work day at Mary's home and I had seen on a previous visit the small kowhai tree in her yard had some lovely forked branches that were at eye level, so I took Rosie and Poppy with me. I'm thrilled with the results.

Eve’s Book

 It was Eve’s sixth birthday on the 5th, her gifts the book and doll had been secretly taken back with them after they visited at New Year ready for the occasion. The adventures of Poppy was a book that Eve helped me plan the idea for not realising it would be for her.

Some of the pages, the last story in the book was about Millie visiting with Poppy to get some new dresses before going to her new home.

After Eve read the story she received Millie to be her doll and of course Millie has to be introduced to Hallie the cat.

The new book

 I have two photo books I’m working on, the one started last year is almost finished but is held up waiting for some props to arrive  for the last set of photos. 

Lisa’s Summer holidays is a story I wrote for Eve and have illustrated it using the dolls.

Meanwhile I have planned another book project for this year, I hope to share photos soon of the first part. On the forward planning I need four pink party dress for the dolls so when Jan offered to take me shopping in New Plymouth on Monday it was the perfect opportunity to go to Spotlight and see if I could find some fabric. Spotlight was having a sale which allowed me to be tempted, the result being this collection of small print fabric. 

I have decided how I want to make the pink fabric up but need some lavender, yes I have a big bag of lace but as usual not what I want for the project, meanwhile while I wait for the lace I have ordered to arrive I am making a dress using the green fabric,  I bought a 20cm strip of each fabric , that piece will make two dresses, depending on the style, this time it will be a dress for Rosie and one for Millie at a later date.
 

What' s the time ?

 

Rosie is checking the time with a Dandelion clock.

  

It took lots of camera clicks to get the stages of the dandelion clock and to be able to sort out the best shots. Finn armed with the fire bellows tried to blow the seed heads away, while I clicked the camera hoping to get the one photo with the seeds floating away but we did not manage to get that shot, Still happy with the result.