Sneak Peek Of Carolina !

This is a new doll I am working on.
Her name is Carolina and she is a sweet and charming young girl!
She is shy and did not want to be photographed until she was completely dressed ( I am still working on her outfit!). I convinced her I could take a picture of her without showing too much.

Hopefully we can get her done soon!

More of my house

I was asked if I could how a little more of my house , meaning some interior pictures. So I am doing that.  The pictures I am going to show are in the early part of the house that was built in the 1760s. Fortunately , the house survived pretty much intact inside . I think that is because it was a simple little farm house and being owned by farmers , there wasn't money to do much alteration. Also I suspect it had been used as a rental for part of it's history. Things usually got changed when there was money !

The old kitchen

 The first picture is the front room ,which was the old kitchen . You will notice the big fireplace, which had originally had two ovens in the back . Now there is only one. This was the room where most everything took place.

Parlor 

front upstairs bedroom

 The next picture is our little parlor. It is the small room in back of the old kitchen and might have been originally used as a sitting room or small bedroom.











This is the upstairs front bedroom. I think this room might have been an unfinished room, used for storage and also as a bedroom. I think the panelling might have been added later on, although it is also 18th century. Sometimes in these little cottages, the upstairs rooms were not finished off. The little bedroom in the rear of this room, had a small staircase that went down to the back rooms. Not sure exactly how this was, but I can see evidence . The rear room was most definitely used for storage and also maybe had some beds for sleeping youngsters.

buttery or "sink room"

                                                                                 This is the buttery or old sink room. There was at one time a stone sink sitting where I now have a dry sink. There are marks in the floor showing where it was.  
                                         

Cottage at the head of the Cove

House at the head of the cove 

This is our house at the head of Lobster Cove.

It is a small Cape Ann Cottage that was built in the 1760's by a man named Oliver Griffin. He grew up in an even older house somewhere in the back of the property. Oliver was a yeoman or farmer, but probably also did some fishing since the house is so close to the water,which is just across the street. 

 I remember the first time I saw this house ,about 40 years ago ,while my husband and I were driving around Cape Ann ,exploring. I was in love! It was such a sweet little place in a perfect spot ! I never actually thought I would end up living in it. Well it took us another 20 years and three other old houses before it was ours. I had to really convince my husband that it was the place for us. The house had been in the same family since the 1920's and it needed some work. As my husband likes to say "everything was broken"! It was. Ten years later, we are still "fixing" things! But, as my Dad always likes to say, you only get one free year even with a new house. 

                                                                   
   The barn , next to the house is actually two barns connected  together . The smaller one in front is

where my husband has  his  studio. He is a painter in his spare time. The bigger barn in the back has a wonderful apartment in it ,which we rent . When we bought the place , the barn was filled with all kinds of things from previous owners and among them were things which were left over from the days when farmers lived here. I later found a few photos taken in the early 20th century showing pastures and fruit trees in back . So pretty. Now there is a small house and gardens where my neighbors live. Still nice.

The view down Lobster Cove

                                                   
                                                   

Ellie, my first doll

This is Ellie.  She was the first doll I ever made. As you can see, she is pretty straight forward. A simple small pillow shape with two tiny pillow shape arms , some yarn hair and felt for her eyes ,cheeks and mouth. Apparently , I didn't think it was necessary for Ellie to have a nose! At some point in her life , Ellie lost her left eye....oh well. I also am remembering that I slipped using the scissors and accidentally gashed her back , never to be repaired. I can see that I must have used one of my Mother's stockings for stuffing. Ellie is dressed in a simple cotton shift, which is NOT sewn on the sides. I guess that didn't seem necessary either.

My youngest daughter, Ariel was searching through some things in the attic, when she came upon Ellie. She was in love. I gave her Ellie's history and from that moment on Ellie was hers! Who can say what moves us? Ellie had won Ariel's heart.

When I went to get Ellie to take her picture, I had to call my daughter and ask where she was. My daughter made me promise to put her back where I found her , right after I was done taking the picture. I found Ellie in her jewelry box!

I should also mention that Ellie had a mother. She also is made in the same pillow shape with little pillow arms and felt features. I probably used another of my Mother's stockings for her stuffing. She is buried in another box of my childhood things in the attic. Both Ellie and her mother lived in a wonderful cardboard house that I made for them ....long gone. I had many happy hours playing with Ellie in that house, making her do all the crazy adventurous things I couldn't do . Ellie was fond of sneaking out of her bed and jumping around on the cardboard roof!  I think she survived pretty well considering those adventures.

I know all you dollmakers out there can relate to my little Ellie!