Father Christmas and Eula Mae - A Sawdust Dolly

 Father Christmas is finally finished.

He's just about 18 inches tall, all cloth, stuffed
with wool and hand sewn.  His cloak is wool,
 lined and trimmed with fox fur. 

His staff is made from Missouri walnut and 

decorated with fur and hammered gray bells.

His Nantucket style back pack has

switches for naughty children and

a bottle brush tree.

His pack is filled with lots of toys ready
for delivery.

His 16 inch sledge is hand made from Missouri
cedar, signed and dated by Louis Allen.

Linen robe, leather gloves, braided

 and dyed cotton belt.

 I had so much fun attaching his beard

and hair.  I got a little carried away!

Dolly Parton would be envious!

I had to trim his hair before I could get

his hood over it!!

Embroidered face, Cotswold wool

beard and hair.  I love his rosy cheeks.

His North Pole timepiece and leather

pouch that's filled with stardust.

It actually works.

A pinch of stardust and time stops!

This card is attached to his backpack.

I lined his toy sack too.

 This little bear started out as

a Boyd's Bear, but I gave him

a haircut.

Lots of toys to fill his sack!

A little basket of hand made apples

for good boys and girls!

Father Christmas and his sledge of

toys will be available at Early Work

Mercantile on December 1st. 

A big thank you to Judi Hunziker of

Olde Time Dolls for her helpful tips on

 attaching the wool I used for his hair and beard,

and the use of colored pencils to give him

his rosy cheeks.  You can see her beautiful

dolls and Santa's on her blog.

Olde Time Dolls  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eula Mae Butternut

Eula Mae is 14 and 1/2 inches tall, all cloth,

hand sewn and stuffed with Missouri cedar

shavings.  Her dress is homespun cotton

with a gauged skirt and one antique blue

china button on the front.

She has simple cotton undergarments.

Three decorative antique china buttons

adorn the back. 

She's a petite dolly, a bit lumpy
and has striped socks.

Mildly aged to show that loved
but cared for look.

 

Eula Mae will also be available at Early

Work Mercantile on the 1st of December.

Be sure to stop by and see all the

December offerings!

Poor Tom Turkey!

"O. JOY! BUCKETS OF JOY!

I GAVE THEM THE SLIP!"

"BOYS, I FEEL I'M GOING

TO A CHANGE OF CLIMATE."

"CRANBERRIES!  ME FOR THE

TALL TIMBERS."

"I WONDER WHY THEY ARE

FEEDING ME SO LATELY."

"I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN

SELF-PROTECTION."

"I WONDER IF THEY ARE

LOOKING AT ME IN

ADMIRATION OR

SYMPATHY."

"I'M GOING TRAVELING"

"SOMETHING TELLS ME

TO BEAT IT."

"I'M THE POPULAR BIRDIE,

 ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!

May your stuffing be tasty. May your turkey plump,

 May your potatoes and gravy. Have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious, And your pies take the prize,

 And may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs!

 ~Unknown Author~

Happy

 Thanksgiving! 



A Sledge For Father Christmas

Louis Allen the local woodworker and wagon

 maker, has made a sledge for my Father Christmas

from native Missouri cedar.  It has a light satin finish,

 just to bring out the beautiful grain in the wood. 

It's 16 inches long & 6 inches high.  It's ready

  for a sack filled with toys.  Perhaps a touch

of greenery and a bell or two.

His coat is finished.

Lined with a crinkly fabric.

I like the way it turned out.  I love

the soft fur next to the rougher wool.

I have filled his back pack with greenery

and switches.  I replaced the fake fur on the

nutcracker with rabbit fur.  Time for a face,

 beard, his staff and the final touches.   

 



Veterans Day-Vintage Tuck Postcards

When our perils are past, shall

 our gratitude sleep?

~George Canning~

 

A big thank you

to all our Veterans!

Click below to see the amazing
United States Naval Drill Team.

 U.S. Naval Drill Team



Father Christmas and Dolly In Progress

I am working on a couple of Early

Work Mercantile December offerings.

I wish I could be a more prolific doll maker,

but hand sewing is a slow process, especially

when the weather changes and Arthur

Itis visits me!

I've finished a homespun dress

with antique blue china buttons

and plain cotton undergarments

for this petite prim sawdust dolly. 

 I think she needs a prim little apron

 or tiny waist pocket then she will

be done.

My large workspace has been temporarily

 taken over by a dismantled computer, so I have

 put away the sewing machine (it's rarely

used anyway) and moved to my smaller desk.

 My hubby made a wooden stand for

the stump doll Father Christmas that

seems to be coming along rather slowly!

The body is done, but he still needs a

 face, beard and hair. 

So far, I've sewn a simple linen robe.

The fox trim is pinned in place and

ready to be hand sewn onto his wool

hooded cloak. I've picked a lovely

fabric for the lining.

Dear PETA,

I did not personally go out and murder

 the little fox for his beautiful fur.  Someone

else did that many years ago to make a

fashionable fox collar.  However, I see no

 harm in re-using it to keep Father Christmas

warm during his midnight deliveries. 

 I have toys

 and more toys.

 A little bear.

Bells and baubles.

A leather pouch for stardust.

 A North Pole snowflake timepiece.

That actually works. 

A Nantucket backpack, but I may opt for a wool

sack. The other basket is for oranges

 apples, and switches. Maybe I will have

room for the little tree.  The hubby is making a

 staff from Missouri walnut, I can't wait to see

what he creates.  Perhaps I will make a little dolly!

So much to do and so little time......