Create a Fairy Tale

Imagine walking around an antique store. Not the fancy, everything is shined and polished on glass shelves kind of store but the kind of antique store you really have to look! You have to look behind things to see what is hiding kind of store. These are my favorite type of antique stores. I love the dusty flea market type. This is the store you leave with "a find."

While rummaging at a store I stumbled onto a small basket under a shelf filled with tiny vintage dolls. Some had the original clothing on the doll. Others had hand made crocheted dresses and under garments. The dolls were in need of a bath. They looked like they had traveled much. They appeared as Gypsies. Later I found out they are actually called Travel Dolls.

The faces are so beautiful. They look like old Hollywood. They needed a new home and an Eliza Doolittle make over. I picked seven. When I got home I started with an internet search for cleaning old doll hair. Conditioner was recommended to use. All but one did OK with this. The hair fell off as soon as it got wet.

I went down into my studio found scraps of fabric and open up my sewing machine. I started sewing small dresses and skirts. Later I made some head pieces. I use fabric glue and Velcro to attach the cloths. I picked up a few holiday flowers on clearance. I used the petals of the holiday floral to make wings. The wings are attached with wire.

This was the beginning of The Seven Gypsy Fairies of Garden Harmony.