The first thing I did was to create a new body for her. The one she had was glued all crazy and uneven. It was stuffed with some kind of dark stuffing. It did nothing for her at all. So I made a new muslin body, glued her arms and legs in correctly and set her china shoulder head on straight. So right off she had a new outlook on life.
Then I gave her a name.... Charlotte Hamilton. All dolls should have a name, as Shakespeare said "What's in a name? Would any rose smell so sweet by any other name?" Or something to that extend. You get the picture.
So, now Charlotte is ready for the first piece of her new wardrobe. And here she is in a sweet little chemise of white lawn with the bodice of an embroidered pink flowers. She also wears a nightcap of the same embroidery.
Charlotte stands about 7 inches tall. She will take a bit more fabric and a bit more work for her wardrobe, but wait till you see how nice she looks. Maybe then {like me} you won't think of china head dolls as being cheap, and not worth anything.
I fell in love with this little gal, as I made her clothes, and wouldn't part with her now for anything. No wonder china heads were so popular at one time. To bad so many got broken and trashed. See what you think as she waltzes though your viewing screen in each new design.
One last thing, her clothes are all 1850s styles. The era of Winterhalter portraits and bell shaped full skirts with yards of fabric. It was pretty, feminine, and like no other time frame. See if you agree?
Deirdre
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