DOLLMAKER GALLERY
MANDY AS SLEEPING BEAUTY
submitted and made by Diane Barsottni; whtrose@sgi.net
When I
decided to make a Sleeping Beauty doll I wanted to make her with her spinning wheel rather
than as a sleeping doll. Every Sleeping Beauty I've seen up to that point was asleep in
one way or another. I wanted something different, and spent a lot of time on the net
looking for a spinning wheel proper for a standing doll. I found Apple Hollow Farms on
line, and told the
Spinning Wheel Lady my plans. This was her reply:
Hi, Diane --
Women of that era pre-dated treadle wheels. What they would have spun on would
either have been a great wheel (also called wool or walking wheels), or on a simple drop
spindle. Spinning would have been done standing up, with a wheel as tall as they, a
sleeping beauty type of wheel. I don't think there's much luck of finding a
half-size one of those! No repros of
small sized ones available either. Now a drop spindle (or handspindle), that's
different. This is actually a small wooden spindle which the spinner would twirl, and the
twirling action would twist the wool or silk into yarn. I have a very small version which
would be appropriate for the period. I could also spin up a bit of yarn so it would
be authentic. Realize this is
not exactly what you had in mind, but the chance of finding a half-size great wheel
is quite impossible.
That is when I decided to make her a sitting doll. I did get the drop spindle from her and
that is what my doll is holding in the picture. I chose Mandy for this reason, and because
of her one-piece head and shoulder plate. With the style of the dress I used, this works
well. The doll is Donna Rubert's Mandy doll. The dress was made from Designer Pattern #4
from Vicki's Original Designs. Her wig is Princess, blonde, size 12-13, from Monique
wigs. The rocker I found in a local antique store.
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