Janet Wees

Remember those porcelain dolls with bright eyes , ringlets , and faces that looked like peaches and cream ? Those rosy cheeks and fancy fashions from the past ? Remember being told “ Don ’ t touch !” because they were so fragile and only for looking at , not playing ? In the early 1800s porcelain dolls were made for playing , so what happened ? Perhaps ‘ Barbie ’ was invented by someone who wanted to actually play with the beautifully crafted dolls that were usually shut away behind glass display cases .

Dorothy is a woman who began making porcelain dolls almost thirty years ago . She always liked dolls when she was young , and she was creative with crocheting , knitting , and painting . Growing up in Saskatchewan in the ’ 60s she saw a doll display of Henry VIII ’ s wives at a University of Saskatchewan Home Economics clothing class . With a United Kingdom background , she wanted to dress dolls like royalty but felt she needed more than plastic dolls to do the costumes justice . So , twenty years later , after taking classes from other doll makers , she began to make her own dolls in her basement workshop . It was an expensive venture , but she used a small inheritance to fuel her dream . It allowed her to stay in touch with her creativity .

Making a porcelain doll is complicated and time-consuming , and requires finesse . It begins with already-poured greenware for the body and the head , although you can also buy molds and pour your own greenware .

The body and head get cleaned , shaped , and polished . Eye holes are cut , then the greenware is fired for about nine hours at very high temperatures . Once out of the kiln , body and head are cleaned again , and eyelashes , brows , blush , and lips are painted on the face , and there is another firing to set the paint .

The eyes are glued in and body parts are put together with heavy cord elastic . A wig follows , made of mohair , usually with ringlets that are spiralled around straws while damp and left to dry overnight . A half ball of styrofoam is put on the doll ’ s head . Mohair is brushed and sewed to a cloth cap put over the ball and the head . The wig is then sewed or glued onto the doll ’ s head . Those who don ’ t want to make wigs can buy synthetic wigs for more modern dolls .

Dorothy used antique fabrics to clothe her dolls . Silk was from her grandmother ’ s dress from the early 1900s ; lace came from old collars . She handmade underwear to replicate the cotton , silk ,

Top Left : Replica of Queen Elizabeth I modelled after a photo . Dorothy made the doll and the clothing . The design is old , but the fabric is modern .

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