I have spent a happy day working on the elephant, he was oxford gray to begin with before the fire. I have him painted back to an approximation of that, just a tad darker. On one ear see the little hole where he lost his precious steiff button? He had it when we bought him. I made him a new blanket of my rug wool and a bit of paternayan yarn to chain stitch and briar stitch the trim. I like the way his eyes are mounted, black shoe buttons on a little circle of cream colored felt. Now he will go on top of the doll cabinet, and be out of the gloomy storage room, a happy thing indeed! Edyth

There are still a few burned toys in storage that I plan to try to bring back to presentable toys. One was a medium large Steiff elephant, with the beautiful heavy metal wheels. My boy dolls used to ride him! I had Jack bring him home from our storage area yesterday. The toy has been treated in an ozone chamber two years ago to help with fire smell. All of the retreived dolls were treated with this big commercial ozone machine.
My thought is to hand stitch a covering on him, another skin over the blackened one. He is intact, just scorched dark, even black in some places. His stuffing is excelsior, (wood wool) and is strong. But if I take off his fur he will fall apart. I have considered using velveteen to cover him and make new velveteen ears and tail. Would a very low pile mohair be better, OR?? Jack suggested that I simply paint him, and make a fresh wool blanket. This would preserve his shape best of all and that is what is so charming about him. The original gray color shows on his side where the blanket is moved aside. This elephant used to always like to be under our Christmas tree with other old toys. Christmas is coming! Edyth

The new man at Penny's house!

Earlier this year Penny selected one of my paintings for her home. Jack framed it for her this week. I photographed it in our dining room before she took it home to her wonderful big log two story house!

the new dolly

Wednesday we had such a splendid day, the weather was perfect as we were in line a few minutes after 8 for a 9 o'clock opening, having left home at 5 am. Friends took Tyler to school and back for us. We got home before 4. We could have looked longer but my body would not walk more. It was fun to see all the dealer and collector friends that we have known for 30 years and more. Round Top is like a great party! We did not buy anything today but one large 33 inch doll, a flat top china with an 8 1/2 inch head, perfect and on a good body with nice shoes and a melting but pretty dressing gown over a nice slip and pantalets. She is not a rare doll, but has a beautiful presence. An interesting thing is that she came from a collector in Ok city, a prominent person in UFDC for many years, The dealer I got the doll from promised to send the name of the former owner.
In another booth there was the pair of Georgian woodens, man and woman dolls from the Merrit Museum collection 9000 for the pair and another great wooden doll from the Whyel museum in CA, shown in the book Heart of the Tree which I should buy, the book not the doll!!! There were some nice children's clothes, but nothing that just hit me. I enjoyed the wealth of old Christmas stuff as always. I was looking for a good ark, or a good wooden horse, did not see either one, but in past years there have always been some! Also there was only one good carriage, and usualy we see 4 or 5 of them at that show. It was in a light green paint, not pretty to me. I will buy another good one if it turns up.
Next week I will put up a tiny Christmas tree for the dolls, inside one of the doll cases. The dolls leave their tree up all winter. Not sure where I can fit a larger one this year. Have to work at that . I am in a holiday mood already.
Best, Edyth

Dear Virginia, I miss seeing you but enjoy your letters so I can keep up with you. Mostly I am sewing on doll bodies and doll clothes. I like to have a nice display of the dolls and old toys at Christmas and this year I will be able to again. This week I am mending on a fragment of a beautiful old log cabbin quilt to hang in the back of one of my doll cases.
My doll collector friend JoAnne came by yesterday for the first time in several weeks, she can see I have been working on the dolls and decorating their cases. Breaking one this week really reinforced the need to have more of them behind glass. And of course dusting them is a problem when there are so many out loose running around the house.
There is a hint of fall now. The purple lab lab bean, Mr Jefferson's vine is blooming. Our back yard is small, but I enjoy it hugely! I have a fall wreath on the front door and an arrangement in the dining room and some pumpkins here and there. Barb Carroll and Julie Marie Smith and a few more rug hookers are coming to see us this weekend, I will have pumpkin bread and Choc sheath cake made.
Our Grandson Tyler loves my baking!! We are enjoying him so much. He is studying Lord of the Flies. I had missed that so am learning of it too! I suspect that having him around is going to be like another ticket through life!! Catch the brass ring and go around again!
This morning at 6 am Jack was explaining to me what nano technology is because Tyler is interested in that, and then when Tyler was up we had a discussion of Pele the Brazillian soccer player, and then we told Tyler we want him to pick up a good knowledge of 17th and 18th century American Decorative arts while he is living with us. His friend Josh has a band and the prospect of a drum set looms. All of us love music. Drums??!!!! Our life is a many splendored thing with this bright young person in our home. Now if I can just keep him fed!! My bisquits just evaporate at the table, and milk goes down by the gallon! He is 5'10" and 180 pounds at age 14, and needs lots of fuel! Take care and keep in touch, Best, Edyth

Tasha before the fire

The best one still just breaks my heart, a 24 inch coifure doll with the high three part hair do, that was complete and perfect with original clothing, and everything perfect, brown eyed 1830 doll. In the terrible first 24 hours after the fire, when we were dealing with 50 people and hundreds of decisions, and I was in complete shock, We cut away and threw away the soaking leather body and darkened clothes to give the soaking wet head a chance to dry, which it did although much gesso was lost. We saved 26 sodden warping peeling charred papier mache heads that way. I have all of her parts, terribly darkened but she still looks at me from sad little eyes. I am still thinking what to do about her, I may make a new body and attach her wooden legs and arms and mount the head with out repainting at all, just see how that does, at least it shows what she was, and she is not charred, just smoked. I have left her till almost last of the restorations from the fire, I think to do the least is the way to go.
Does anyione like these wig heads? They are cousins to the papier mache dolls. These two are some I used to have, which I had repainted. I put nice early fabric at the necks. Two more similar ones are in my closet I look forward to having some fun painting and "dressing" them. The Star of Texas Rug Hooking camp is starting next week, Barb and Julie Marie and a few more are in and out of our house a number of times during the week so it will be a happy busy time! No doll work next week!!