Meet Poppy...

You may remember Christina was told not to get too comfortable in Poppy's bed.  Well, with one thing and another, she did get to enjoy its snuggly loveliness a little longer, as Poppy took a while longer getting here than originally thought.  But she's arrived now and here she is...

Turns out she prefers sitting on the daybed anyway!

Poppy was made from a very old pattern - I reckon about 1977.  

My sister and I bought the pattern and each made a Holly Hobbie doll.  Hers was really perfect, mine a little less so, as I remember! I've used the pattern a few times since - Christina being one of the incarnations, along with another pair that were Christmas presents for my cousins two girls the same Christmas Miss U-t-B got Christina. Not bad for a pattern that cost 40p!

I decided against the button eyes for this new doll and embroidered them instead, as poor Christina does look a trifle surprised - nay, shocked - most of the time.  And I stitched the mouth with a curve and a heart as I always do either that or a curve and a cross (kiss) on dolls I make.

If I made another I'd try to remember to reverse the hands - the way they are in the Simplicity pattern means that the doll ends up with palms facing forwards - I prefer thumbs in towards thighs, thumbs out looks like 'attitude' to me!

In true thrifty fashion, her body and limbs are made from an old heavy cotton pillowcase, so she only cost the price of a pair of girls socks and the £2 something I paid for a ball of mohair for her hair.  I tried to curl this like we did with our original Holly Hobbie dolls - wrap strands round a pencil and steam them over a kettle - but it didn't work, so straight hair it is!

Her dress is not the Holly Hobbie one but a 1930s style dropped waist one with Peter Pan collar and contrasting sleeve bands and attached belt.  It's made from part of an outfit I made for my graduation and I'm pretty sure it was Liberty fabric, though I can't identify it.

She also has a little pair of knickers (French style - ooh-la-la!) made from an old -possibly 1930s - hankie.  But she wasn't up for posing in her undies.

'What sort of a girl do you think I am!'

So there we go - another thing to take to 'Vintage' at the Maltings in a couple of weeks time!  I hope that she and the bed will make a nice centrepiece to attract attention!

All the while I was making her, something was bugging me...Can you spot what it might be?

Hmmm...yes.  

The deeply, deeply unattractive ironing board cover.  

It has been offending my eyes for a good few weeks (since a prettier cover that had been placed over it got inadvertently slashed) and now that it has moved upstairs to my den it was too much to bear!  So today it got covered - no glue this time though!

Ah!  So much better!