Pin Cushion Dolls

I found these two ladies, wrapped in plastic bags, hiding in a box full of hem tape, thread, and remnants. They are "half dolls", popular during the last 2 centuries and maybe even earlier. The porcelain bodies are dressed in 18th century fashion, powdered wigs and revealing bodices. The ladies are dressed in taffeta that was once a cherry colour and now brown, stained and faded. What you can almost see is that the skirt of the forward doll is no longer intact in the back. Knowing my Mom, she probably found them in an antique "quick sale" bin, bought them out of sympathy, and intended to repair them - someday. Mom rescued poor and ailing dolls, repairing them if she could, occasionally providing hair replacement therapy, and always making them new clothes. She never got to these two, so I have begun the task. Taking them apart was a dusty, dirty job. I found so many "lost" needles in them (thankfully not in my fingertips!), they filled up my own needle sharpener. The bodies are post WW2 Japanese made porcelain, and they were filled with something softer and denser than cotton batting - in fact, one filler felt like silk! I cleaned them up and added an architectural feature (my secret) to keep them from getting tipsy again, and repacked the original filler into a sleeve of netting to hold it firm. I still have to make the skirts. I started to tat some lace for the skirt decoration but one of my old cats decided to do some tatting of her own with my work - it just didn't meet my standards. When they are finished I will post them in a before and after view.

Pin Cushion

If you sew, you have a pin cushion. My Mom had lots of pin cushions, which is why she often couldn't find a favorite set of pins. Most people that I know who indulge in sewing can't understand how she could have a "favorite" set of pins. I learned that pins, like any other tool, can serve very different purposes. Some pins won't go through stretch or fleece fabrics without a fight; some pins get lost in fake fur because they don't have large enough or colourful enough "heads" to be seen; some pins leave nasty marks on delicate fabrics, etc. So, different pin cushions were supplied to do different jobs.

This was a favorite pin cushion of hers (because she liked mouse dolls and made lots of mouse dolls). I think if you look at the pins you can guess what fabric she used this set for. I think you can also see that it got lots of use and is kind of beat up. One or two of the cushions I've found so far have literally dissolved from age and use.

A Story

My mother past away one week after her 96th birthday. She left behind a legacy of skills with needle and thread, garden shovel and green fingers. She also left behind a frightening collection of "stuff" that, one year later, I'm still trying to sort out. In the couple of years prior to her death, she had recurring illnesses that required bed rest, breathing machines, and visiting nurses. In her little room, the walls were lined with boxes of fabric and doll parts that she had been collecting forever. Her closet was totally unusable for all the "stuff" that filled it. I began talking her into letting some of the stuff go, because she wasn't going to use it anymore and the dust it held wasn't helping her to stay well. I can't describe the looks she gave me every time I took something away but if you have a teenager at home, chances are you have been given the same look when you tried to remove the toddler toys from his/her room. Eventually, the room was accessible without climbing over boxes; I know she never forgave me for that. Now, I am slowly sorting through things: old photos, seventy years of sewing notions, laces, fabric, doll parts galore, and for some unknown reason she kept jar after jar of old screws and nails ( I could build a house with what I've found so far!). This has been a daunting task; I don't want to throw her things away, so I try to find people who will make use of many of the items. It is especially difficult when I know, and can tell you, the stories about all the odds and ends in her collection. In this blog, I'm going to share some of her legacy with you through the things I find and the skills I have because of the passion she nurtured within me for creating. Who knows, you might find some inspiration here for yourself.