A Dream Come True

For most of my life I have always loved Victorian style gowns, and best of these is the Gibson Girl styles. Add to that a Kestner Gibson Girl doll and I am in heaven. Of course I couldn't afford one so it has taken me a long time to finally find a nice one let alone make some arrangements to purchase her.
At last I paid for this dream and she was shipped to me. Unfortunately, her body while original would not stand up to being handled and so I had to find someone to make her a new leather body with porcelain hands to match her height.
  So here she is, a 19" Kestner Gibson Girl porcelain head with sleep eyes. The wig is only there until I get her new one {which I will have to style}, made from mohair. Her original wig and clothes are tucked away safely in storage, along with her sawdust filled leather body.

     This is Victoria Isabelle Antoinette.

A grand name for a grand lady. I am in the process of starting her wardrobe. This is her nightgown. Most of the patterns I will have to design and create, as well as a lot of the styles she will be wearing.
So check back often and see what Victoria is wearing now. I plan on making her lots of clothes.

This is Catch-up night

These are pictures of some gown I've made lately but just never gotten the time to post pictures.

A New V&A back room Gown

This has been a lot of work to recreate this gown. It was one of the most detailed gowns I saw in the back room at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
  I have completed the more elaborate bodice, and am working on the second one, and will add pictures of it when I have completed it.

  So for your viewing pleasure here is my long awaited creation
Now for the detail…..

A copy of the scanned pages from The Nineteenth-century Fashion In Detail Book, from the V&A museum.

It took hours of hand sewing to create the scolloped ruffles. And I had to stop and think and rethink before going on with each step and each piece, working it out in my mind, in order to recreate this gown in this smaller scale. I am happy with what I created. But glad it's done {except for finishing the second bodice}. It's never easy to recreate something, but being in the back room and seeing some of the gowns really helped. I have many pictures of this gown layer per layer, opened and closed. I couldn't have done it otherwise.
I hope you enjoy what I have created to share with you.

A New Story

For some time now I have been creating small hardback books {8"x8"} with a storyline, pictures, etc. I write the story, create the setting, design and create the costumes for my dolls, then take pictures of them in the settings and have them printed. It's a lot of work, but with my commercial art background it was a very natural thing to move onto, once I started to create setting to pose the dolls in, so I could display their new costumes, and gowns.
  As one person once said to me all that work deserves a great picture. So I started to create my little books. I have five now and am working on the next one. Ellowyne and Prudence have decided to go camping. A spring outing after after a long winter.
  First they had to find a tent. And here it is.

Ready to go. BUT..... that led to "I have nothing to wear" and you know the rest of the story. I am busy creating a wardrobe for both of them, suitable for a camping trip, as they have neither one ever gone on such an outing. It should prove interesting to say the least.
  So, as usual, one thing leads to another, and a new book is in the making.
  "I hope there's no skunks out there". {The faint voice of Ellowyne}
"Skunks?" {a screech from Prudence}

Lavender Day

This French Fashion gown is my creation. It took many hours for all of the hand sewing. Starting from scratch I drew the pattern, selected the fine cotton batiste, changeable color taffeta fabric and lace then set out to see how long it would take me to do all the hand sewing that was to be the simple trim.

  Now that it's done I am sharing it with you to see what you think. Pretty much most of the trimming is fabric. The bonnet is a hand sewn straw I created to match the gown. I hope you like it.

The black Mourning Gibson Gown

Well here is something else I have been trying to get done. Finished at last. Enjoy.....

And now in miniature

Here is the black umbrella I got recently that I added fringe around the edge. It turned out great.