The small textiles made for dolls and children are a large part of my fascination with old dolls. The beautiful Handwork is a joy to examine. I purchased the baby's chemise for this large doll to wear, but she is disappointed that one of her slightly smaller sisters will get to wear it. The top and sleeves are trimmed with tiny points made with a strip of fabric turned back and forth and stitched down. My friend Rachael Kinnison says "
~ the little Van Dyke
points were quite popular thru the first half 19th c and well into the 1860s
even." Rachael's beautiful blog is http://ladysrepositorymuseum.blogspot.com
.
I have pictured the chemise here on the large papier mache head doll it was a bit snug for.
Another charming example of the little points is shown on a tiny apron, just 4 1/2 inches long over all! This is an incredible little apron made with hours of handwork for a tiny doll. Both the large china head doll and the tiny one in her lap are called by Doll collectors "Sophia Smith" for the hair style. e
