Ozark Folk Art Doll Artist-Kay Cloud

 In the late 1980's I visited a little shop in Reed's Spring,

Missouri called the Sawdust Doll.  The owner and doll maker
was Kay Cloud.  Her shop was full of the most amazing creations.
 Her dolls and primitive animals were my first introduction into
American folk art dolls.  I visited several times, she was always
so friendly, enthusiastic & informative about her dolls.  I recall
 being so amazed she used no patterns & fondly remember her
sitting at her little treadle machine sewing clothing for her dolls.
As I look back, I know that her work was a great influence on me.
This book by Kay has wonderful patterns for simple sawdust dolls,
with painted and embroidered faces.  A must have!!

Machine Sewing---Yuk!

Resting the needle pushing fingers has really done wonders.  However,

It's become clear to me that sewing dolls completely by hand is now

a thing of the past!  I still want to make dolls and enjoy hand sewing,

so I have compromised.  I've spent a frustrating month working on 8

 small (8 inch) simple Prairie dolls.  Bodies and dresses sewn on the 

machine, with an easy to handle amount of finishing hand sewing.  To 

make a long story short, the last dolly went together without removing 

a single stitch or uttering a single curse word.  They certainly aren't 
my best work, but it's a start.

I came across this sewing advice at

 Cutting Edge Textiles.

Seriously?
My experience with the dreaded machine is
more like this.....

Than this!

I like this version better.
Quilty Pleasures

 HAPPY SEWING!

Hazel Erma Jane Butternut

 As I finished up this dolly, I decided to call her Hazel
 after a long time friend of my mother.  This doll
 reminds me of this good-natured, soft spoken lady. 

When I was a young girl Hazel's elderly 

parents were our neighbors.  Her daddy was
 a kind, easy goin' old fella.  He spent lots of time
 puttering around in his shed or working in the
 garden.  He always had a peppermint in his pocket
to pass through the fence.  Hazel is the spittin'
image of her daddy.

 On the other hand, her mother's personality
leaned a little toward the ill-tempered side.  I
recall being on my very best behavior when I
crossed her path.  Even as a child, it was
easy to see Hazel was partial to her daddy.

 I didn't know Hazel's middle name.
It was time for one of our little chats, so I
decided to call and ask.

 
  She could barely contain her giggling as she told me

the story of how she got 2 middle names.  When Hazel
was born, her mother wanted to name her Erma Jane, but

her daddy was dead set on the name Hazel.

 Apparently, this debate over her naming went on
for some time, with neither her mother nor her daddy
willing to budge.  Poor little newborn needed a name
for her birth certificate, so in the end, they agreed to call
her Hazel Erma Jane.

Hazel's parents have both "passed on"
as the old timers say.  When Hazel was going
through some of her daddy's papers she'd found
in their attic, she came upon an old class photo
she'd never seen before.

On the back written in her daddy's hand was this,
 "I am on the fourth row, second from the left,
sitting by my girlfriend, Hazel."

Hazel is a petite 15 1/2 inches tall.
She and her clothing are hand sewn.

Flannel cape, bonnet & vintage maple basket.

I lined the bonnet with sheer cotton.

Her cape is very plain & simple. I
used a black glass button.

This reproduction flannel is the same

front and back.  I just cut out a simple shape.

Basted the edge all the way around.

I used my peel and stick tape as a guide

to make even button hole stitches with  3

strands of embroidery thread.

Button hole loop closure.

Hazel Erma Jane Butternut,
named after her daddy's ole' girlfriend!

 Thank you Hazel for your delightful little story.
Happy Sewing!

Little Lula Bea Butternut

Lula Bea is the latest dolly in the Ozark Butternut
 clan.  Lula Bea was so small when she was born,  her

Ma & Pa used the hankie drawer from the bedroom 
bureau as her bed.  She even had a special place near 
the fire so she would stay warm.  Although many of the
 elder Butternut's didn't think she'd survive, thrive she did.

 She didn't grow very tall & she's skinny as a
bean pole, but she's always been full of energy &
 mischief.  As a child, she could shimmy up a tree the 
highest & showed no fear when noodlin' at the creek.
She was braver than the bravest Butternut boys.

Lula Bea is 16 inches tall & stuffed 
with cedar shavings. 

Her eyes are the last 2 wooden buttons
 given to me by Cinder.  Simple stitched
 face with rosy cheeks.

Her undies are flannel.  With no fat on 
her bones, she feels the bitter winter cold.

Button loops and matching green 
china pie crust buttons.

 Lula Bea always wears her bonnet when 
she's out in the wind, as she is prone
 to ear aches.  Her quilted button bonnet 
has 2 white china buttons.
 

Lula Bea has a good apron & a 
calico work apron.

 Very pretty cotton reproductions fabrics 
& vintage cotton lace.  To the Butternut
ladies, it's not about matching, it's all 
about lovely prints!
(Plum & 2 shades of red?)

Her waist is about 5 inches around, that's 

what happens when you just wing it.

Lula Bea is hand stitched.

I hope you enjoyed seeing her as

much as I enjoyed making her!

 I've added her to my For Sale page.

 

I'm still working on the other dolly, but

now it's time for a little bit of Christmas

decorating to put me in the mood.

What's noodlin'? Click here. 

Happy Sewing!

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!