Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Spinster Sister Aunts-Maggie & Bessie Butternut

Meet Maggie & Bessie, the Butternut spinster sister aunts.
   Although they appear to be quite dour, they truly are 
sweet old dears & favorites of the Butternut
nieces and nephews.
Their dresses have hook & eye closures with
decorative shell buttons.  Their bodies are sewn
on the machine, (saves my hands for the fun stuff!)
 everything else is hand stitched.
(not period sewn)
 Their under sleeves are stitched on. (ouch)
They have brown stockings and shoes with laces.
The large stitches below the neck keeps the stuffing 
in place.  They don't want to become the "bobble 
head" spinsters.
 Aunt Bessie makes the best sorghum molasses cookies
 in all the Ozarks.  She always has a warm plate of the
 delicious goodies when the nieces and nephews come 
to visit.  She's dressed in a reproduction butter yellow
cotton with a small navy print.  Much prettier than
the photo shows.  She's about 18 inches tall.
Her dress has pagoda sleeves and white cotton
under sleeves, drop shoulders & gathered waist,
a common style in the mid 1800's.
Her collar and lace trim are hand crocheted cotton.
  
Plain & simple cotton undergarments.  Nothing too 
frilly for Bessie or Maggie as they are a tad prudish
when it comes to their undies. 
 
Bessie has a stitched face, wool hair braided in a 
small bun & is stuffed with wool roving.
 
Her dress is accented with 4 vintage 
glass navy buttons.
Aunt Maggie's wild blackberry jam has been the blue 
ribbon winner at the Taney county fair for five years
runnin'.  A slice of heaven on home made sourdough 
bread slathered with freshly churned butter.      
Aunt Maggie is dressed is the same style as Bessie.
Her reproduction calico is a gorgeous green with
a tan flower print.  She's about 20 inches tall.
 Aunt Maggie has tan glass button.  Both sets
of buttons are pre WWII, probably not appropriate
for the 1850's but they sure are pretty!
 Both ladies are mildly aged to show love but care.
I'm still working on the small doll.  Struggling 
with a wool cape, that may get abandoned.
Tiny doll, thick wool.  I'm also working on a
simple doll stuffed with cedar shavings.
 I will add the Butternut Spinster Aunts to my
for sale page.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you had a wonderful Turkey Day.
Thank you ladies for welcoming Cinders to blog
 world.  Very kind of you.

Happy Sewing!


10 comments:

  1. Well, I am a tad prudish myself, so you'd know I'd love these "sweet old dears." And, I do! Works of art they are, created by one perfect stitch after another. Beautiful work, Sherri!

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  2. Oh how wonderful they are! I love the character you've given them with long, narrow noses.

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  3. The spinster sisters sound sooo interesting. Love their dresses, you do such good work! And molasses cookies are my favorite.

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  4. Golly, I LOVE the spinsters! (Old maids in my time) This was delightful to read! How can you bear to part with them?

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  5. Very beautiful job on these old maids. They do look like sisters too. Their clothes are just wonderful, I am not sure which one I like the best. It is nice to see such fine work.

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  6. They are *dears*! I'd like to hear how you do that hair style, sometime.

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  7. You put so much pretty detail in your dolls and they are so adorable! I love the lace collars! Just lovely!

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  8. Oh My Goodness! These are amazing dolls!! The clothing is spectacular with all the special details. I love the crochet collars and the trim on the apron. The buttons are lovely too! What can I say? Your work is very special and I love how you made the hair using wool.

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  9. As always your dolls are exceptional! Just love them!

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  10. Do you sell any patterns

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