New Dolls: Pioneer Women and Child

The winter has been brutal but it has given me time to complete a project for my sister.   She loves the pioneer era, so she asked me to make a pioneer woman sitting in a rocker with a child at her feet and she wanted a bonnet hanging on her chair.   Since I make dolls, I decided that this doll would be making dolls!  The child has her own doll too.  I made the stuffing tool from a broken needle and molded a paperclay handle for it.  If you look closely you will see a finished doll (no clothes) in her sewing box along with bundles of fabric ready for her to make clothes for her dolls.  She also has a bag of stuffing by her side.   Of course, she needed a rag rug to complete the setting so I crocheted one for her.   Both dolls are all cloth construction but I painted the faces with acrylic paint so that they look like porcelain or clay heads. I  needle sculpted the faces, painted them with gesso and then added an acrylic base.  I took photos of the process so you can see all the details.   Enjoy. 

It looks great on my bookshelf at home

Close up view of dollmaker and child with doll

Notice the doll has a period costume too!!

Heads that are ready for faces

Child's shoes, complete with soles and laces

Mother's, stockings, shoes, and pantaloons

Close up of hair and bonnet

Close up of doll and stuffing tool