Topsy Turvy Doll

One day, working at the job in a gallery, a woman stopped in to look around. We started talking and I told her I made dolls. She asked if I repaired them and I said that I used to. She told me she had her grandmother's doll and it's head was coming off. That there was a tear in it and her two year old granddaughter got a hold of it and well, you know what happened. I told her to bring it in and let me take a look at it and I wasn't going to guarantee anything. A week later, she brought the poor thing in. It was a beautiful doll, well loved. This woman was in her 50s and the doll belonged to her grandmother. Lots of loving going on.

This is the other end of the doll. You can see the discoloration and dirt in the dress.

This is the poor baby. Little granddaughter did quite a number on an already weakened head. I told the lady that I would do what I could but she wouldn't be able to go onto Antique Roadshow with it. She said she knew that and it was okay. She said that it's only worth something to her and she just wanted the head back on.

Her she is with her head back on. I had to make a surgical collar for her. As you can see more deterioration on her cheek. She was very fragile and I had a little darning to do. It's held up well for as old as it is. I marveled at the detail of the hand sewing that was done to put this little beauty together in the first place. The ladder stitching was impeccable. I haven't made one of these in a long time and now I want to dash off a few.  

Isn't she just the cutest thing? I love her embroidered face. I'm glad I got her head back on but she's going to have to have a proper place on a high shelf, away from little fingers. She can't stand much more harsh treatment. I almost cried as I was trying to get her back together because of the condition the fabric is in. But I sucked it up. The lady just wanted her head on.

And now it is.