We're moving!

I'm moving, so the Gammage sisters are also moving. But they are also getting a new house. I don't have much space in my new house, and Gammage House had grown so big that it really needed its own table to see all the parts. I bought this kit a while ago for a friend , who didn't really like it. It fits in a smaller space believe or not , even though it is 1:12. Remember that we decided that the Gammage parian dolls are really 1:16, and I've been increasingly unhappy with how the 1:16 furniture fits in the half scale house. I'm moving the 8th, so construction will have to wait until mid August.

This is the kit I'll be adapting. It looks like a couple of the other houses from this company, but it is set up like an antique store. Of course , i will turn it into a residence, with the pis office still in the basement, and Althea's workspace on the other. I'll have to see how the rest of the rooms pan out.

Decision- Male or Female?

The seller had listed this doll on Ruby Lane as " Man or Woman" when I bought it on Ruby Lane. I took it with me on the trip , and came more and more to the conclusion that it is a male in woman's clothing . I am very close to undressing and redressing as a male, but am held back by a little niggling desire to keep the doll original.

It doesn't help that that I really need a male as Laura's fiancé.

Okay, the decision is made, because when I pulled down the dress to examine the doll , I found that it seems to be a newer head added to an older body! So soon you will meet Cedric , from Council Bluffs , Iowa.

I'm going to very carefully take the dress off, as I have another doll I would like to put it on. Why do I always cringe when I pull out the huge pins that people have used to hold on the doll's clothing?

I hope you don't disagree with my decision!

A Power Break

No , this is not in the same category as a Power nap! Our power has been off for a week due to wind storms. I brought along some of the little dolls, but have gotten little done. Meantime, for the Quarter Connection Trash to Treasure challenge, I discovered a new way of making the quarter inch scale dolls . What is the saying? Something like need is the mother of invention. With the T2T challenge, you can only use the things they give you, so you have to get really creative with what you've got.

Rosa Margarita sent a link to a tutorial on dollmaking ( thank you!) , and then a tutorial for wire people showed up on Quarter Connection the day after I asked. I learned that people often dress the dolls, even larger dolls, as they put then together. So these little guys may well lose their arms for a while! A couple of them have lost their heads, and I have also learned the the dolls without wires don't survive. I'm going to try a liquid sculpy/ bonding material to put them back together.

I'm having trouble giving them any character , as they are so small that it is hard to carve. I may go back to hardwood for their heads, because I felt that I can control features more. I will finish these guys!

I am doing a bit better about keeping them small enough to be in scale. I'll link to a tutorial that helps next post.

This picture is just to show you the difference in size - the big doll is 1:12 .

Note to Self- Get Over It!

I've learned a few things about making 1/4 inch scale dolls with polymer clay in the last couple of days. First, don't get too attached to them , because they are dropping like flies! I'm not sure where that saying comes from- flies surely don't drop? I've now taken to naming a group of dolls - like the " Doreens" and the "Ruths" because maybe one Doreen or Ruth will survive the whole process.

Also, don't use green or red wire as an armature. You probably don't even have green or red wire, but It shows through the clay. Blue or purple probably show through as well. Yes, I am making fun of myself.


Has anyone seen a tutorial for making dolls this small?

Dollmaking and Guilt

I guess I only have experiences with other doll makers online. I've come across a few people who make dolls in my city, but they have always had different interests than I.

My experience is that once a doll has been started , even if it is just at the armature stage, it a doll. We don't throw dolls away.

I have dolls I've repainted 4 or 5 times, have carved again, buried in more clay or otherwise altered. Working in quarter inch scale, I'm limited to carving and sanding, because painting or adding clay adds inches and feet.

Which means that this little guy, even though more unfinished than finished , is a doll, and has his own character -
(and I guess is male, since that is how I am referring to him) . He is way too big for quarter inch scale.

I made this little lady , Vesta, while inspired by a family picture. She is the only doll I've made that looks similar to my original vision . Most dolls seem to choose their own gender and size and character. If you try to do more than influence those decisions, it seems to end up in the creation of a spiritless plaything. An interesting note on Vesta- a close friend who only tolerates my dollmaking , and knows that I often repaint them, saw her and made me promise that I would not rework or repaint her, because she had, "Something about her." This from a woman who literally never owned a doll in her life.

If you think I'm being weird , and personifying dolls because I make them , think about all the people who hate dolls or are disconcerted by " Little eyes looking at me." I once had a friend stay on my living room couch, where the china cupboard was filled with china and bisque dolls, probably all 100 years or older. When I went to check on her in the morning, she had turned all 23 dolls in the display case so that they faced the wall on the other side of the room instead of looking toward her. The dolls seemed to have kept her from sleeping. She said she couldn't turn them toward the back of the cabinet because then they couldn't see out.

Not just doll makers or people who love them think dolls have their own character!

One of the Gammage Sisters Will Just Have to Turn Into a

Dollmaker!

I'm trying my hand at making quarter inch scale dolls. Many of which have turned into half scale dolls's dolls! At this size, they just keep turning into giants, so rather than throwing them out, one of the Gammages is just going to have to be a dollmaker. I'll have to think about who.

Just armatures right now. Every little speck of clay adds approximately a half foot if they are in quarter inch scale!

Family History

Am I the only one you know who has 7 family trees on Ancestry.com ? One for my own family, one for my kid's other family, two for friend's families that I got interested in, one each for two doll makers, one for my historic home, and one for my antique dollhouse.

Obviously I really enjoy searching for facts and family.

My grandmother, Minnie Florence Evans was born in Illinois in 1887. As far as I know, she lived on a farm all of her life- but am I remembering only what I knew as a child? It didn't occur to me until recently that the period I am playing with , setting the Gammage house in, is close to the date of my Grandmother's birth. Think about the changes she saw in her life! In terms of popular house styles, that means she could have seen Victorian, Arts and Crafts, bungalows, modern, contemporary....and many more.

Persis was born in 1870. If she lived to be 94, like my grandmother, she would have been alive until I was in high school.

This dollhouse making definitely is about more than playing!

Have You Discovered Scribd?

Yes, I spelled that right. I confess, I have been tempted into the world of modern or contemporary dollhouses. I'm still learning, but I came across the plans for a Woman's Day dollhouse which is modern, on Scrbd. You can download plans and print- I bought a one day pass for $5.00 and of course think I have to sit here and download forever and ever even though I easily could have paid $5.00 for that one plan.

So far I have found those plans (under the name of Jean Reynolds in case you are having trouble finding them (thank you Jean!) I've also found a bunch of toy making books from 1918 era . I have to say my favorite is "Organizing Your Laundry Room Closet". How many of you actually have a laundry room closet anymore- or a laundry room? I'm still getting to know the site, but you might be able to find them in my collections under Jennifer Berkeley- dollhouse folder .

Oh, and also this is where you access all the free AIM (Artists in Miniature) back issues.

Have fun! 

The Dollhouse Distractions. And Why Can't I Call My New Canon so I Can Find It?

Think about it- it always worked with my Iphone.

I've had a new camera, which is delightfully small and takes great close ups , for two weeks, but haven't uploaded a picture yet. Primarily because I take a picture, put the camera down , can't find it for a few days......l I think I'm going to mount it on a tripod and leave it there!

Right now, I'm thinking you should think of this blog as dollhouse distractions instead of the Gammage House. At the end of the school year there are so many ends to tie up, that all that is left over at the end of day is the distractible! I work for 3 school districts , and today was the last day for the first to go.

So I'm puttering, and regrouping , and working on my application for a doctoral program!

Is There Such a Thing as Minis Block?

Do ever feel completely stuck on your work ? As though you can't think of anything or can't make anything work? What do you think blocks you? What got you through it?

I know I've been more productive because I've gone back and forth between two houses, one half scale and one quarter inch scale. I frequently think that if I would just focus on one house, I could actually finish one.

Then I realize that skipping back and forth makes more sense for me. My block is either getting to a step I need to learn to do, or especially having trouble making a decision. Another thing that gets me stuck is doing a really disappointing job on a piece.

I am far from being able to give advice, but I do find that on other crafts, if I decide to put something away because I am frustrated, I might as well throw it away! So working actively on more than one project is probably my best bet. Blogging helps too, because it gives me the , "I need to have something to show for myself! " push.

This my quarter inch house, which I am building completely from scratch.This picture first got me stuck because all of the work looked so bad - and I had worked for months. But then I made one statement in my blog, which was, "They have a lot of plywood at Michael's , and gave myself permission to consider the first cut a pattern since finishing the surfaces badly was most of the issue. I'm working from the inside out this time, and I am able to think about how I will finish each surface before I cut it, which makes an amazing difference. In a kit, they have often thought this out for you, or you able to see the work of others on the house. But since I decided to do such a thorough job of bashing Gammage House, it has been a lot like starting from scratch.

Welcome and Inspiration

I've got to get back to welcoming followers! I identified with Kate, whose profile says that her dollhouse is in pieces , and that she is looking for inspiration to get her started again. That's where Gammage House stood, and even though it is very much still in progress, it has come a long way. It really helped me to pick a story and a place and a year. I love messing around with research and I've spent way too much time looking at websites about Providence, and 1885. But it keeps me going, even though I confess to being a little obsessive about sticking to 1885 .

Welcome Kate!

The Aviary

This weekend , one of our friends was married. The rehearsal dinner was held in the Aviary, in one of the local parks. A victorian structure, it was a delightful place for a wedding dinner.

I started looking for something similar in Providence, and came up with an outdoor aviary which was part of a zoo that was created in 1873. I have to say that it should no longer surprise me that people in 1885 weren't colonial, but I still continue to be caught off guard by details like zoos!

This is the only picture I could find of the Providence Aviary. I guess the Gammages will have to come to Virginia!

Thanks to All Who Participated in the Giveaway.

What a lovely bunch of people, who commented to congratulate the winner, and thanked me for participating.

Some day, I hope soon, I will answer a comment in Spanish. I drive a lot for work, so I downloaded an MPG to learn Spanish in the car. Frustrating, because it teaches all about airports, and numbers. What I need is Spanish for dollhouse bloggers!

Drama - Clothes Again

We thought the commotion that ensued when Althea insisted on wearing her flowered dress over an old pair of trousers was disturbing. She found the filthy pants in the shipmaster's quarters that are now going to be her workshop.

But when Julia found out that , instead of asking the dressmaker to make the agreed upon good dress , Althea had conspired with their usually trusty seamstress to make an outfit of her own design, the tension was almost unbearable.

Inspired by a portrait of a woman in a kimono, and the bloomers that had long gone out of fashion, the suit allowed Althea to work in her workshop without danger of catching a skirt, or even worse, a crinoline, in one of her creations.

Once the tirade paused, Althea fled to her favorite spot outside her workshop. Solitude was usually rejuvenating, but a combination of anger and self criticism brought a swirl of emotion.

Persis joined her not much later. " I don't understand". Julia doesn't wear long skirts herself! "

"If you could just add a skirt , you could wear an apron." suggested Persis. One consultation with the dressmaker resulted in an skirt that met both Julia and Althea's needs. The crisis is over!

Not too tight and not too fancy, Althea can still remove the pink skirt, leaving the original ensemble to be worn for woodworking and her handyman type puttering around the house.

Woodworking lessons for Persis soon!

The Winner of the Giveaway!

Is Maria Ireland!  Maria, please send your address to me at fddlj@aol.com and I will get the kits off to you as soon as possible!

And I wish I had 21 things to give away ! 

A Follower's Dilemna- Who Can Help?

Oh, I do hope I don't embarrass her terribly, but in her giveaway comment, Lucy Q, one of the blog's followers, said she had a 1920's dollhouse still in the box that was given to her by a friend, and was looking for inspiration to get started. She thought maybe winning the giveaway would do the trick.

Why do I keep remembering this, and SO want her to get that house out and get started? Yes, I'm a mentor by nature, and am always looking for a way to help someone meet their own goals. But I know too, that we all have little procrastinations in our lives , and sometimes need a kick in the pants to get started!

A dollhouse though seems to be a relatively reasonable thing to procrastinate on- unless you feel guilty or sad about it.

I bought a good friend a dollhouse kit two Christmas's ago. The real point was to have something to work on together, and I picked the house without consulting with her. We only have room for one house with my huge antique dollhouse in the living room.

I knew she wasn't terribly motivated , but couldn't figure out why until she confessed a year and a half later that she didn't get excited about the Antique Shop kit I bought her. So once I get Gammage House completely constructed, the plan is to shop for a house together, although she fancies building one from scratch.

Some of the things I am using in Gammage House are things that I have had, and have been meaning to use for years and years, What got me started- finding the little dolls, having an idea that they needed a home, then coming up with a story based on my genealogical research.

I have a fantasy that each of us would send Lucie a little gift for her dollhouse. Something to get her started, from the period of her choice.

Or sometimes a gift is a word of advice, some help , a story about your own house and getting started. Who can help?

One More Day to the Giveaway!

Make sure that you have followed the blog , and also commented,so you can be entered in the Giveaway! Drawing will be tomorrow at 6:30 PM my time.

See the Tutorial for Making Your Own Fabric to Scale

I have added a page (see the top of the blog) on how to make your own scale fabric. I was having trouble finding fabric both the right weight, and with a small enough print to make a dress for Althea, so worked on making my own fabric. There are three different weight fabrics represented. Check it out by clicking above, or by following this link. http://halfscaledollhousegammagehouse.blogspot.com/p/scale-historic-fabric.html

Althea's New Clothes

Now for a new challenge- making clothing for Althea . I made Persis a dress which I am basically happy with, but I have something in mind for Althea's dress that may be a little different .


I don't know if you remember, but as the sisters were getting ready for the family portrait, they had quite a spat, because Althea insisted on wearing her bloomers in the picture! We often use the word bloomers to mean underwear, but bloomers were actually outer clothing , and were named after Amelia Bloomer. Bloomers were trousers gathered at the ankle.

For more information on dress reform and bloomers, see
Dress Reform

Sensible dress for a woman physician at a time of huge skirts.

Less than attractive, but functional.

Poor Althea

I got the bottoms of Althea's legs made, and was excited to put them back on so that I can finish dressing her. Unfortunately , the fabric of her body is too fragile to sew them on. I really , really don't want to put a whole new body on her. You can see why people advertising dolls say "Her clothes are sewn on and I didn't want to remove them"!

I' m going to try adding some fabric stabilizer. If that doesn't work, i'll put new fabric over the top like a second skin. I want to experiment with putting a wire armature on the outside of the body so that she can be posed , so the body needs to be strong.

Interesting - see how her head is attached to the body. She doesn't have holes in her shoulder plate. I'm not sure what is going on with that- i will have to check to see if the twin doll has holes. Doll people say interesting things, don't they!