Josefina. An American Girl.

doll

Josefina came out in 1997, and I thought she was beautiful. All of the Girls are beautiful of course, but her face really appealed to me.

Fast forward to Pandemic Fun… Seems like I’ve been spending a lot of time reading the ads on Facebook Marketplace. It’s turned up a passle of interesting items, and when J.M. showed up… Well… I didn’t resist.

Lydia’s Yinka Shonibare dress…

doll, sewing

As CoraMaezy and I wait on Lydia’s arrival . . . We’ve been preparing for a Christmas party. And for that party, all of the girls are going to get to wear a dress inspired by Yinka Shonibare MBE.

For Lydia, I wanted to focus on blue prints. But I also wanted to try to use some fabrics designed by Aboriginal artists from Australia. The colors are vibrant and so much fun.

Just waiting for Lydia to arrive!

New friend on her way . . .

doll

Way back last March?, I took part in a Kickstarter for A Girl For All Time, the doll company that produced my CoraMaezy. This time they were asking for pledges from those of us wishing for either Elinor or Lydia, two dolls they’d produced earlier.

I have been wishing for Lydia; I love her coloring and her sweet face. So I went for it. Due to the pandemic, all of the production and shipping deadlines have taken longer than usual, but I’ve heard rumors that she’s on the final legs of her cruise. Matter of fact, dolly moms in Australia have already received her! It’s only a matter of time before that wonderful box arrives on my doorstep. 🙂

Lydia

Yinka Shonibare MBE.

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There’s an artist, from a Nigerian family who lives in England, who makes the most beautiful gowns… They are in a colonial style, but made of traditional African fabric. The juxtaposition of these elements is fascinating, and a fascinating echo of how these “traditional _African_ fabrics” are actually a product of Holland.

I love them. And in homage, to this artist, I’ve been working on dresses for CoraMaezy and her friends. This is the first try, using some “African” fabrics I had in my stash.

CoraMaezy stitching on the hem ruffle.
This pattern by Pemberley Threads, actually presents a design from the 1830s. Made up in Kente cloth.
At first, I was going to use the green as sleeves, but then I changed to use a fabric that had more of the same colors as the hem.
I think CoraMaezy and I were both pleased with the results.

Shiny colors…

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Found these at mom’s. Hoped to use them to do hand embroidery but they are too slick. But aren’t they beautiful? I get sympathetic reverberations of the thrill mom must have had as she collected them . . . My challenge is to find some way to display them. <3