Papier mache Pauline

Last week I sold an early 25 inch papier mache doll, the kind with a black painted pate wanting a wig. There are tiny nail or pin sized holes showing how the wig was originally held in place. The doll is happy in a fine collection with a new (old) dress and human hair wig. Some of you might like to see how she looks now, and as I sent her. Collectors consider it correct for this type of doll to be shown either with or without a wig, and they are seen both ways. Note the great wax doll standing along side. This one is a "Mad Alice type" E

An early doll's petticoat

Before modern central heating, many little children wore flannel petticoats in the winter, often with a crocheted wool edge at the hem. The dolls of that time coppied the garments of their little owners. This striped example is from one of my Greiner dolls, and I am sure it was made from a child's petticoat. As onother Greiner girl was in need of garments, I made a petticoat for her which captures much of the charm of an old one. It is still possible to find in yard sales and estate sales, old pillow cases with gorgeous hand knit lace. These circles of lace are perfect to trim a petticoat for a large doll. By making the petticoat to fit the lace I avoided cutting the lace which would have destroyed it. I used modern printed flannel in a great mustard color. I am happy with these results. Now to try my hand at making better shoes for her, as I do not care for the ones in the photo. Edyth

Antique dolls offered

I plan to gradually offer many of my project dolls and some complete dolls on my selling blog, see O'Neill's Antiques blog if you are interested. It has finally become time for some of the dolls to go out into the world to seek their fortune as the fairy tales used to put it. Yes some very nice ones a little at a time. Thanks for looking

Nautical Hooked Rugs

Several of my hooked rug designs are sailing ships, I can remember four at this time. One is pictured here. It is faded but I am glad to have it anyway. It include lines from a favorite poem, "Give me a tall ship and a star to steer her by..." This rug was in our house when it burned and was one of the things saved by the firemen as they worked four hours trying to save the house in vain. Very few textiles ever came out of the mess, but my daughters said bring those tapestries off the walls! This one went to a specialty cleaner the next week and I was so glad to have it back. I have pictured it on a table with a dear old Canada goose decoy, but it really lays beside my bed in its real life. The eagle rug usually lays in the dining room in front of a blue corner cupboard. I feel that worn oriental rugs and Hooked rugs can be compatible if both have a lot of the same reds and blues.

The Eagle rug shown in this post was hooked after our move into town, to replace one lost. This example shows the 1790 Eagle design worked without the noisy border of "lamb's tongues".

I have always wanted to make a rug or a sampler with the beautiful verse sometimes used as a sailors prayer by saying "Bless those that go ..."

Psalm 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, These see the works of the Lord and His wonders of the deep. e