The Doll Show and New Friends

Had a blast at the doll show yesterday.

Completely worn out, dehydrated, and almost voiceless.  Funny how a fourteen hour day of too little food & water and too much talking will do that to a body, eh?  But sales were good, I met so many new friends--and got to actually visit rather than just cruise through their booths nodding hello.  Repeat shoppers from the two previous shows have come to look for me, and several have requests for upcoming shows.  Not planning to do custom work, but my little "Smoker" doll sold the night before the show even opened, and one customer said "You must make another one for August."  Cool.

One of the highlights was that I brought home a new friend.  I call her Miss Merriweather, because so far that's all the name I can sense from her.  She'll tell me her first name when we're better acquainted, I guess.  Anyway, she's 25" tall, her wig is badly made of human hair, she's been "helped" all over her neck, back of her head, and the shoulder plate in a couple of places.  The legs, while not new, are a later edition.  Her hands and arms are white kid, in pretty good shape.  Her face still has the original paint, but with a little cracking, scratches and a bit rubbed off her nose.  Her body is very heavy--I have no idea what she's stuffed with, but she's heavier than my Big Girls who have BB's in their butts.

I can't wait to sew for this doll.  She needs a bonnet or hat because while her hair is a lovely red-brown, it's a bit of a mess.  I'm sure there are so many things I could do to restore this doll, but I never owned an antique doll before, let alone restored one.  So for now, she will reside in the carved chair in our living room, with her quite expression and fancy red shoes.

Oh, and one more friend I brought home...he joins the ranks of my Doll Show Rescue Babies.  At least this one doesn't leak sawdust like the last.  Doesn't he look like Radar O'Riley's bear on M*A*S*H?  He smells a little like an attic trunk, and the ghost remains of some lady's perfume.

I feel as if this doll business has been waiting for me to grow up and figure out what I was supposed to do.  So I may as well get to doing it, eh?  :~)

P.S. Mary Jo: one of the dealers tried to buy that bench I bought from your thrift shop.  I didn't sell it.  ;~)