Ms Harrington & Miss Gale - Work In Progress

At the moment I have 3 dolls I'm working on slowly to make sure they are just right. Ms Red Harrington (Left), Miss Dorothy Gale, and my own elaborate version of Elizabeth I.

While I wait patiently for the next pieces of beautiful wire work to come from Linda in Florida my Beth looks down at me from her safe perch on my bookshelf. So as I can't keep my hands off the needles and thread I have another long term project going on with Red here.

So far she looks pretty well dressed, but I want to recreate all of the details that are included on the fabulous original costume as worn by the ever lovely Helena Bonham-Carter (who's looking rather glam in the new Christmas Marks & Spencer add:). On top of her layers of underwear I've made her gown from a red silk with a black paisley pattern woven into it. It's very light, but looks much heavier, and was perfect to create the layers of ruffles at the hem.

 

Her cuffs have a wide lace ruffle on the underdress or shift, with a wide purple silk frill trimming the gown sleeve with a charcoal grey fringe. I searched for a trimming so tiny but of course when I want things like that they just can't be found. So I used a silk thread and hand knotted the fringe, and used the same thread to plat a tiny rope like trim to finish off the edge. I added the same purple ruffle around her collar and added more of the plat trim to finish that too. She still needs a tiny black lace trimming added to her gown, a shawl, reticule, hat and maybe a parasol before she's finally done.

 

There is another doll that I can't believe I've never made. I love the Wizard of Oz with the magical Judy Garland. It's such a wonderful film, especially when you remember it was one of the very first films in colour. Just imagine what it must have been like to sit in the cinema and watch the ordinary black and white big screen transform into bright full colour as Dorothy find herself in Oz. I'm just trying to figure out why it's taken me so long to make my own Dorothy gale.

 

I'm still working to trim Dorothy's blue gingham dress with white lace and ribbon. And she'll need a few more things before she's finished too. like Toto her little dog and a basket over her arm that I'll line with a  flowery fabric. Next I'm planning to make her her own set of paper dolls of her friends the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man with their own little accessories. And she make even get a book made for her to store them in. I'm not too sure yet, but I'm really enjoying making her :)

 

Take care xxx