Just had to try this....

I have been purchasing vintage embroidered linens to use when making my Ragalia rag doll pattern.  I finally made one!  I used one of the test heads for my Style pattern - the one with the purple eyes.  I had fabric picked out before for Chrissy's doll until I found out her favorite color was green!  And that fabric and embroidered linen would not work with the purple eyes so back to the stash where I found this sweet little piece with the embroidered basket and the crocheted edge.  I used some fabrics I had dyed with poke berries for her legs and bloomers.  The dress fabric and the laces on it were all in my stash as was the scrap just big enough for her arms.  The hair was a white slubby stuff I have had for years except the slubs were pink and blue so had to dye it with pink.  Hoped the blue would turn lavendar but not really.  I even used DynaFlow which changes everything!  But in the end, I liked the way it turned out.  I crocheted enough for the hair into a strip, dyed it and then dried and ironed it so it would look curly.  Made the wig pieces a little on the short side, but her hair do works.  realized as I took pics, I still have to give her finger nails and I think I'll give her a basket to carry too.  The buttons on her dress were in a tin given to be by a dear friend, Mrs. Youngman who also happens to be my SIL's Mother.

crocheted strip

The yarn I used and the final product after crocheting, dying, drying and unraveling.

What a difference Hair makes!  Her back view.

Last Pages of my Tribute book

Finally finished the last 4 pages of my cloth book.

The left page is my mother around age 17-18 (1937-8) with her parents.  I believe this was taken in front of their house. The pin is 14k gold with pearls.  No idea how old.  The right side is my parents in 1941 before my Dad went into the service. Probably why they look so glum. The pins were my mothers.

Left is my father taken after he received his Sargeant Stripes in maybe 1942-43.  Have several copies of this pic, none of them have a date.  Also have a newspaper article but no date on that either.  The buttons were in her button box and have an eagle seal on them but they are not original uniform buttons. The other pic is their wedding pic, 10-21-1945.  They would have been married 70 years this October.  The rings aren't her original-those where stolen when their house was burglarized though I think the original wedding ring was left with her.  The pin was from her jewely box and I believe it is very old because I saw it in a few pics from the 40s.

Book Continued

The book is now 2/3rds done!  8 out of 12 pages are completed, just 4 to go!  Here are the latest pages paired as they will be when you go through the book.

The page with my father was revealed last post.  Now I have finished the page of my Mother from her grade school graduation, age 14.  The pin is hers.  Rather old one too.

On the left my father in his uniform, on his way overseas probably for a last visit.  The flag was in my mother's jewelry box.  I want to decorate this with his medals but I can't seem to find them.  the picture on the right is my mother in a bathing suit wearing her ankle bracelet.  The bracelet is draped at the bottom of the pic.  It is engraved with my Father's initials.  The pin watch was hers, it is engraved on the back. Ruth and the year.  Since my Dad was overseas not sure if it was a givt from my Dad and purchased for her or from my Grand Parents.

Last inside pages.  My Mother and the three of us, to the left, just the three of us taken in North Bergen one Easter.  One of my clay house charms.  The bird with the medal is from my Mother's jewelry box.  

Done for the day.  Rest of the pages are pinned in place.  hard part of chosing the laces and trims is done, just have to sew them together but I need a brake!

New Book in Progress

My dear friend Victoria Adams Brown and I went up to Brimfield Mass to attend the Antique/Flea Market for two days last week.  We had a blast shopping for all sorts of things.  I got loads of vintage and antique lace and embroideries - some from the turn of the century!  I brought up some dyed laces and fabrics  and a kit for us to make a fabric book.  I told Vic to bring up some pics.  I wanted to make mine about my parents and use some of my Mother's jewelry.  Needless to day, we didn't do anything on the books while we were there, but once home, we are both working on them.  Here is my front cover, the pics are my parents' HS graduation pics.  The pin is my mothers.  The pearls are also hers from a broken bracelet I think.  The background fabric with the little tucks was from the turn of the century.  The border lace is vintage and from the trip.  The pink lace was a flea market find and given to me by my Aunt Marie who gave me lots of laces she gathered in her travels.  The piece on the bottom is from a length of reembroidered french lace that was gifted to me.

The back cover is a pic of the creator of the book - me!  I am three in this pic and at that age I used to like to take my clothes off and wear my mother's high heels.  I also liked to play with keys.  I censored the pic - don't want to be accused of child porn!  The lovely lace doily was also from this trip.  The piece of the left side I dyed. Don't know how old it is but I have had it for at least 15 years. The corner embellishments are cardstock printed with book pages that I cut on the sizzis machine with a cuttlebug die.  the wings are from a filagree buttterfly.  The pearls again are my Mother's.

The last finished page I have is of my father.  I covered the muslin base with a sheet of music then lace from the 50's that I rusted.  Some of the buttons are from my Mother's button box, the rest are from my pearl button collection.  The lace edging with the buttons between is from that bag of old lace.  The trim around the pic, which is of my Dad when he was about 3 and the ring bearer in his Aunt's wedding, is also vintage.  I dyed the border lace and ribbon.  Would like to add a tie tac of his.

I am doing a page similar in style with my Mother's grade school graduation pic.
The book has 12 pages total.  I have all the pics planned out now just have to get working on them.