My Thrift Store Doll

If you treasure old cloth dolls like I do then you're going to love what I found at the thrift store last week! Can you believe I purchased this wonderfully worn yet obviously cherished old doll for a mere $20.00! Be still my heart!!! She smells of an old cedar chest so I believe she has been passed down from generation to generation until finally, no one was left to care for her anymore. I guess that's where I come in because I plan to keep her for many, many years to come!

Her eyes are made from two old pins and her original cotton head is now covered with a newer stockinette type fabric. I'd love to see what her original face looks like but will just have to imagine it because I'm not going to change this sweet girl in any way.

What little hair she has is braided from something like straw, at least that's what it feels like to me. A pretty white ribbon keeps every strand in place just perfectly.

Judging from her dress fabric, I'm guessing she was made sometime in the mid 19th century. I decided that such a special girl should have her very own pinkeep, so I made one from a pattern by primitivebettys. It's obvious to me that some little girl treasured this wonderful doll many, many years ago. My how I wish she could talk!

Sandy

Great Aunt Rosa's Dolls

My Great Aunt Rosa was born in 1899 and sadly passed away when I was only ten. She was a first generation German American and my own grandfather's sister. I never met her but cherish her memory because of the cloth doll she made for me when I was very young. I always remember having the doll so can't tell you exactly when she was made but 1953/54 is probably about right.

I had many dolls as a child but Aunt Rosa's is one of the few that survived my mother's many doll purges (long story but you probably get the idea). I played with her a lot as a child and always remember the story of how Aunt Rosa made dolls like mine for all of the girls in the family. She was made with two dresses to play with, has brown wool hair and a wonderful hand embroidered face. I never named her when I was little but think she should now be called Clara since that was Aunt Rosa's middle name.


Like I mentioned before, Aunt Rosa made dolls for every girl in the family but I never saw any besides mine until my daughter was born. It was then that my cousin presented me with a doll she had in her family as a special gift for my new baby girl. This doll was obviously in much better condition than my Clara so I think she wasn't played with much. In fact, I think she most likely belonged to my Great Aunt Anna, who was Aunt Rosa's sister. She has a pretty dotted swiss dress and lovely hand sewn shoes plus that same endearing face as my Clara. Her dress is sewn on so I think she was mostly meant for display and not actual play. Her name is Anna.

I am so happy that I still have these dolls today and that a part of my Aunt Rosa may still live on thru me and my doll making. I hope she would be proud.

Sandy