If you liked my new peg wooden dolls Comfort and Joy, you will love this spotlight on the peg woodens owned by Queen Victoria. This post includes very special photos that were sent to me by Bill Fifer, and he has given me permission to share them. Bill and his wife, Patricia, were both interested in miniatures. In 1992, they attended summer school at the International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA) in Castine, Maine. Bill and Pat were active Guild members, participating in the summer school for fourteen years. Both became Artisan members of the Guild, Pat for her exquisite costuming and Bill for making miniature furniture. Sadly, Pat’s health…
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Comfort and Joy
I love the way dolls can bring comfort and joy by their mere existence. That is why I named my newest twin peg wooden dolls “Comfort” and “Joy.” These dolls are tiny, but their presence is mighty. Comfort and Joy are 6.5” tall peg wooden dolls made from two Gail Wilson kits. I received the kits more than a year ago but set them aside. I could tell this project was going to take some time. Each kit had wooden parts that were laser cut and a resin molded head. There were several pages of instructions along with paper patterns for the clothing. I thought my readers might be curious…
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Celebrating Jane Austen
Fashion is one of the topics I love to talk about on A Tale of Two Hittys, and fashion goes hand in hand with history. For example, the Regency era in England, from 1795-1820, saw a dramatic shift in women’s fashions. It was a rebellion against the overly elaborate and formal costumes of the 18th century. The new look emphasized classic lines and simplicity. Most dresses featured a very high waistline and a long, straight skirt, inspired by classical Greek and Roman clothing. When I think of the Regency era, I also think of the author Jane Austen, born 250 years ago today on December 16, 1775. Her popular novels…
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Hitty’s First Adventure
December is the season of giving, and it’s the perfect time to share my very first Hitty storybook for kids. “Hitty’s First Adventure,” is an adaptation of Chapter One from the book Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field, with updated versions of the illustrations by Dorothy Lathrop. I shortened the story and rewrote it for a fourth-grade reading level. The target age is nine to eleven-year-olds. If you know any kids this age, I encourage you to share this link or give them a printed copy of my story. And of course, younger kids may enjoy having the story read to them. Click here to download the storybook!…
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November Snow
It’s that time of year when golden leaves cover the ground. November brings cooler temperatures and sometimes a gentle dusting of snow. The brilliance of the snow in contrast with the colored leaves can seem almost magical. My Hittys took their dolls on a walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the November snow. Clara is a paper mache doll by Elaine McNally. She also made the tiny tuck comb doll named Sadie. Clara borrowed a velveteen cape from Kitty, but Elaine made the rest of her clothing, including the darling little bonnet. Kelly Sue is a cloth doll made by Sue Sizemore. I dressed her and the little peg wooden…
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Eleanor’s Eyes
Who is Eleanor? She is a 10” tall wooden tuck comb doll that I carved about a year ago. Tuck comb dolls were sold by the thousands in the early nineteenth century in Europe. Most were produced by woodworkers in the Grodnertal region of Germany, where pine trees were plentiful. The wooden dolls had long, graceful limbs and peg jointed bodies. On their heads, many of them had simple golden combs. The short, curly hairstyle was popular during the Regency period in England from 1811-1820. Below is my “inspiration” photo of an antique tuck comb doll from Live Auctioneers. Eleanor’s blank was made by Janet Cordell. In November of 2024,…
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Hitty’s Daguerreotype Photo
Hitty’s Daguerreotype photo is on display in the Stockbridge Library along with her other possessions. But there are actually two different Daguerreotypes: the real one in the library and the illustrated color plate from the book Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. In the real photo, Hitty wears a brown sprigged dress (see “Hitty’s Daguerreotype Dress”) and sits next to a white vase filled with roses. The photo is black and white, but her dress and the roses have been hand-colored. Hitty’s cheeks have just a hint of pink added. Above: Wendi’s reproduction of Hitty’s Daguerreotype with Michael Langton Hitty (left) and Hitty Sis (right). Did you know that Hitty’s photo…
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Perfume Hitty’s Travel Case
Perfume Hitty has a new travel case made by Michael Langton, and she wants to show it off. On the front are the words, “Hitty’s Here!” because Hitty loves to travel to new places and visit friends all over the world. With this travel case, she can feel at home wherever she goes. The hinged case opens to reveal four sections: a bedroom, a closet, a place to hold Perfume Hitty, secured with ribbons, and a dressing table with mirror. The design is very clever, and it’s perfect for traveling. The travel case has a built-in Murphy bed which can fold up when not in use. Perfume Hitty’s closet holds…
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Hitty’s Daguerreotype Dress
When Rachel Field purchased Hitty in “The Antique Shop” in New York City, the doll was wearing a simple tan cotton dress printed with tiny brown sprigs. The dress is sometimes called the Daguerreotype Dress, because Hitty wore it for her Daguerreotype photo (see Hitty’s Daguerreotype Photo). If you want to make your own reproduction of the dress, click on the link below. Special thanks to my pattern testers, Alice Swann and Martha Allen. Click here to download the dress pattern and tutorial! SEWING DIAGRAMS The Daguerreotype Dress pattern combines hand and machine sewing techniques. Below are some diagrams which show the hand-sewing stitches used. The tutorial also uses snaps.…
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The Antique Shop
The Antique Shop on West 8th Street in New York City is where we first met Hitty in the book Hitty: Her First Hundred Years (see “Who is Hitty?”). She was sitting on a piece of paper next to a pewter inkstand, holding an old-fashioned quill pen as she began to write her memoirs. After narrating the entire story of her life, Hitty returned to the Antique Shop, making the shop a convenient bridge between Hitty’s past and the present day. “And so we return to New York and the Antique Shop on Eighth Street again, and I will bring my Memoirs to a close.” But the Antique Shop was…
