The Making of an Izzy



Well, I've begun making my new Izannah pattern for my next doll. I've been thinking about it while other life things are happening - on the hour long drive to "camp" and while I should be doing other things. :-) Today I took the first step in the physical realm - going to the copy shop and getting one of the straight on pictures of Izannah blown up 300% so that I can make a 24" Izannah inspired doll. I had a customer ask me if I ever make bigger Izannah Walker style dolls. I hadn't, because I've been making them in the size of the originals that I've seen which were 15 1/2 inches and 17 1/2 inches. But in my reading I see that Izannah made dolls as large as 27 inches in length. So I'm studying all those pictures, comparing how the proportions of the body parts measure against each other, etc.



While I was looking through the pictures I looked again at the picture of the two Izzies above. The one on the left has some repaint. When I saw this picture (and yes, I posed their hands together) I thought, "It looks like the world-wise older sister protecting the little sister." The big sister is the one who has experienced the world of repaint and heaven knows what. She has the surgical tape holding her ankles together. She's been played with, and in the process has been "helped and helped" to stay together. I love that phrase - I read it in an Ebay seller's auction, and wish now I'd recorded who it was. The other Izzy is beautiful, gorgeous, who wouldn't want her? But the older sister has her own charm - the air of a dollie that someone has loved enough to "help and help and help" her. I hear the small Miss Izannah doll went away to Michigan to live...

1 comment:

Sylvia Anderson said...

I love your scientific approach to doll making Dixie, and will be looking forward to seeing your newest design! Please be sure to post some pictures of her along the way...I'm sure she'll be amazing!


"Do not let what you cannot do
keep you from doing what you can do."

John Wooden