Here comes the bride...

Let me introduce you to a very special doll that we have the privilege to show to you.
"Sweet Sue"

Our lovely neighbor Candy, who received this doll when she was 9, let her come and stay with us for a while. We had such fun!
The doll, "Sweet Sue Sophisticate", was manufactured in (around) 1957 by American Character.

She is an all vinyl fashion doll. She's 20" tall, with "sleep" eyes which means they close when she is lying down. The make up and hairstyle are gorgeous! Very feminine and 50's!

I have to say besides those beautiful red lips the nylons with the seams are my favorite part.

Genevieve (aka Miss Olive) had a lovely time taking her 'bridal portraits'. They are quite stunning!

Doesn't she look real?

These shoes are absolutely fabulous!

The veil is ankle length made out of tulle and the cap is satin with little pearls sewn all around the front. There are even little pearl-head pins that pin the veil to the cap!
Her necklace looks like a string of diamonds! Lovely!

The main part of the bodice and over skirt is made out of a creamy white satin. The under-skirt is two tiers of pleated tulle sewn onto satin.
It is very well made! I think the seamstresses who made these would be appalled at the doll clothes that you can buy nowadays. =]
The ruffle around the neckline and the bottom part of the sleeves is made of a very soft kind of sheer tulle or netting (I think). The sleeves almost remind me of a late 1700's style. =]

Thank you so very much Candy for sharing "Sweet Sue" with us!
Very gratefully yours,
Marguerite
(aka Miss Emaline)

Miss Cora Ashling Gallagher

Hello, my name is Cora Ashling Gallagher. I am the daughter of James and Brigid Gallagher. My father was an Irish fisherman who comes from the County of Donegal in Ireland.

Here is my family crest:I love to walk by the seaside singing beautiful Irish airs or sit around the fire playing music with my family. I play the tin whistle as best I can while father plays the bagpipes and my brother Desmond beats his bodrhan. My youngest sister, Caera ("Kee-ra"), is not old enough to play yet she sings along with our music.

I'm so happy to be a part of Miss Emaline's Circle of Fashionable friends and look forward to sharing my wardrobe and stories of my adventures and travels over the years. I've had a great many adventures to tell of! I feel honored to share my story with you.

Underpinnings...

Hello my lovelies! This is one of my favorite subjects! I think there is something so lovely about clean white cotton and pretty things that no one sees but yourself. I'm not sure why I love underpinnings so much, but I absolutely do!

Here is a lovely hidden pocket that Olive made for me last year! Isn't it beautiful?
She embroidered it with flowers and my initial and then sewed it on to a beautiful printed cotton waistband that you can tie on over or under your corset!

This is my 1860's corset that I sewed entirely by hand!
It's made of dupioni silk (leftover scraps from my oldest sister's wedding dress!) and lined with white cotton.

I used a thick satin ribbon for binding the top and bottom.

The free hand embroidery I did with silk thread...

On the back I did little eyelets and laced it with cording.

Here is my pretty petticoat! Rather wrinkly at the time we took the photos but oh well, it gives it the real "lived in" look, right? =]

It is a vintage cotton petticoat with tiny little growth tucks and beautiful lace around the hem!

I didn't get a picture of the bloomers that I made but here they are peeking out from under my chemise... Ruffles are another thing I love!

Here is a random little project I did last summer...
A friend of mine was going to make a friendship quilt and she asked me to make a square for it!
A lovely idea, wouldn't you agree? So I decided to embroider mine...

Acorns are my favorite thing to embroider!

Well, that is all I have for the moment... I would love to hear what you think and see pictures of what you are all making or have already made. =]
ta ta,
Miss Emaline

Christmas presents for my friends....

Ladies, permit me to show you the present that I gave my good friend (who also happens to be my cousin..) Miss Emaline for Christmas.

All wrapped up in gold paper with a lovely silver wired ribbon and a handmade card. It was quite the fashion this Christmas to exchange handmade gifts I must say!

And here it is...

A lovely black and white rose cameo strung on a gorgeous French ribbon.

And here is the lovely Miss Emaline herself wearing the necklace on Christmas morning! What a compliment! Thank you my friend!

Coming attractions:

Miss Mabel's Christmas present! Don't you want to know what's wrapped in this jaunty red and white striped box? I'll give you a hint, the present matches it's wrapping.

What did you give to your best friends this year? Did you give or receive any fashionable handmade gifts?

Love to all you fashionable readers!
Miss Olive Wright

Christmas Joys!

Greetings to you all! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! As some of you may know, just before Christmas I took a little trip and stayed with a friend. I had such a lovely time and came back with three new outfits! (I shall post some pictures of those soon!) Thank you so much Miss Q.!
For now, I'll show you some pictures of our Christmas Tea!

We started with Cranberry Cordial....

And we had delicious Gingerbread cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar...

The centerpiece...

Me (Emaline) and My two cousins with our freshly cut Christmas tree in the background...

A sneak peek at one of my new dresses!

A lovely white tea set belonging to my cousin Olive...

The centerpiece up close - made of glittered berries and set on a sea shell with evergreens and spices!

After the cordial we had Vanilla Peach Apricot Tea. Mmm...
So cozy!

(below) We also had Cinnamon Brittle! Mmm...

(shh... the secret to filling the itty-bitty tea cups! Dip a straw into the tea and put your finger over the top so it stays in. Then place straw over tea cup and move your finger so the tea pours into it! Note: How we created the tiny sprinkling of powdered sugar on the cookies...
Just place a little bit of powdered sugar in a mesh tea ball and tap with your finger to make it fall. It works very well!)

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Please leave a comment (or if you are a member you may do a post!) and tell us how you (or your dolls rather,) spent Christmas!!

...And God bless us all, Everyone!
Love,
Miss Emaline