18" Wooden Pandora Doll....AVAILABLE

Wooden Pandora Doll

Isabella is one of my latest creations; she is 18 inches tall. She has a jointed wooden body and cloth upper arms. She has antique glass eyes, and her wig is made of antique mohair in a lovely reddish-brown color. Her entire body has a wonderful patina that replicates the effect of age on the painted wood.

 I am extremely detail-oriented in the construction of my dolls as well as in the selection of materials and textiles for their clothes and accessories. Each of my dolls is unique and museum quality. Isabella is a lovely creation that has all of these elements. 

Please scroll down to see step-by-step photos on how I have dressed her and all the details of this doll. 

If you are interested in purchasing her, please send your inquiry to: soniakrausedolls@gmail.com

The shift; quilted-dickey petticoat and embroidered petticoat are made of early materials dating from the Victorian and Edwardian Era.

Center: Cotton Shift 

 Left: Head-dress and Stockings

Right: Fichu and cloth pockets

French silk ribbons are tied around her legs, just below the knees, to hold up her cotton stockings. This beautiful diminutive silk ribbon was made for AU BON MARCHE Department Store in Paris, France around 1890.

Her undergarment includes a pair of side-hoops made in the eighteenth-century style. They were made entirely collapsible and created the silhouette popular in the second half of the 18th century, providing a modest width, notably narrower than wide panniers worn for court dresses; and a flat-at-the-front-and-back silhouette. 

 Several years ago, I was lucky to acquire this wonderful early linen, the best natural blue dye color I ever had in my collection of early textiles; it still retains the original glaze, dates from about c.1740.

Dress skirt: It is made of a beautiful, printed cotton fabric from the early 1900's. The skirt has pocket-slits so she can reach to her secret cloth pockets.

Back lacing stays: Stunning 18th century Spitalfields silk brocade with polychrome floral sprays. To help with the lacing of her stays, I have included a tiny bovine- bone needle.

It never stops amazing me the dressmaker's art of that era. The Robe à la française is one of those artifacts that I love to reproduce, but just in smaller scale!

I made her necklace with tiny glass beads that date from the Victorian era.

Her head-dress and fichu are made of a beautiful tambour lace; it is a fine net embroidered with floral garlands and sprigs. It dates from early 1900's, French in origin.

I made a handscreen for Isabella and she loves it! The pale gold-colour of the embroidered Ottoman blends beautifully with the metallic silver trim, both material date from mid 18th century.

And last but not least are her high-heeled shoes in the 18th century style, these are made with the same brocade silk of the stays; they have antique leather soles. The lining is cream polished cotton, dating from the mid 19th century. The colors of this 18th century Spitalfields silk brocade with polychrome floral sprays are stunning and stand out along with her beautiful outfit. I made them inspired by an outstanding example dating from c. 1770-1775. 

Georgiana and her historical clothing.....SOLD

 

Georgiana is a fine hand-carved wooden doll, 17 ¼ inches tall. Her body is made of wood, except for her cloth upper arms. She has antique glass eyes; her wig is made of antique mohair in a lovely dark brown color. She has a wonderful patina that replicates the effect of age on the painted wood. All of her clothing and accessories are made with early materials and textiles, they are removable. Please scroll down to see step-by-step photos on how I have dressed her and all the details of this doll. Georgiana is available for purchasing, if interested please send your inquiry to: soniakrausedolls@gmail.com

SOLD

The shift is considered the most basic garment of the eighteenth- century woman's wardrobe. It plays an essential role because not only does it protect her clothing from the body moisture but also will protect her from the roughness of some elaborate textiles. The gussets will also help with more movement and comfort.

The shift, dickey petticoat, lace petticoat, false ramps, bonnet and stockings are made of antique cotton fabrics and lace dating from the Victorian Era. All of them have a soft, off-white color reminiscent of antique textiles.

Graduated ombre silk ribbons are tied around her legs, just below the knees, to hold up her stockings. This beautiful diminutive ribbon was sold by Au Bon Marche Department Store in Paris, France around 1890.

False rumps: Also called "split rump", not only will protect Georgiana from the roughness of some elements found in elaborate textiles, bu also provides an excellent skirt support and gives an attractive shape to it.

Her cotton petticoat is double layered with a very fine lace at the hem.

Double cloth pockets: late nineteenth-century quilted textile.

Skirt: eighteenth-century embroidery on an oyster cream silk ground. The colors are truly stunning. The side seams of the skirt have pocket slits to access to her secret cloth pockets.

Her chatelaine consists of a hussif (sewing kit) and a pinball pin cushion. The outer portion of the hussif is made with the same quilted cotton of the pockets; the inner portion is lined with fragments of nineteenth-century textiles. 

I made for Georgiana a beautiful pair of stays with detachable sleeves, they have front and back lacing; these are inspired by a wonderful example dating from the mid eighteenth-century. There are not many survivors of these particular stays with detachable sleeves, most of the time they are found with traces of detachable sleeves that sadly no longer exist. The stays made of luxury textiles and detachable sleeves indicate that they were worn to be visible when dressed informally. Her stays are made of blue silk brocade woven with a pattern of meandering flowers; it's fully lined. The origin of this brocade fabric is French dating from around 1780. The detachable sleeves are tied to the stays with dainty silk ribbons.

 To help with the lacing of her stays, I have included a tiny bovine-bone needle.

She is wearing an antique silk flower rosette choker, made in France.

Shoes: Finely handcrafted, eighteenth-century brocade silk adorned with dainty silk ribbons.