Country Cousins

I finally finished my experiment with these Queen Anne style dolls. I used a pattern by Barbara Schoenoff. I don't usually use someone else's patterns but sometimes I do for learning new techniques since I am a self-taught dollmaker. These will be for my own collection.

The dolls had joints that were "ball-jointed" with round wooden beads and I had never done any like that before. It was rather time consuming and I am not sure whether I would do it again since it didn't add a lot of extra movement and the joints are covered up with clothing anyway but it was fun to learn. I did love doing the costuming for these dolls using lots of my vintage pieces. I dressed them as country cousin/city cousin. One has an elegant attire with heavily embroidered silks and fancy underclothes, velvet purse etc.. Her country cousin wears her best dress which is a little threadbare and coarse linen pantaloons with an old eyelet underskirt. She has a vintage bunch of posies tucked into her waistband.

Even though one cousin has much finery, there is no jealousy between them.

She is called "Kate".

I call her "Miss Hospitality" because she wears her little pineapple choker. Pineapples have long been a symbol for hospitality.