See, I love the 18" play and heirloom dolls. ADORE them. I have many, several different makers, all kinds of faces and intended personae, and I love them all. I love American Girl, much as I wish they'd use different face molds for each doll, and was asked a couple weeks ago on #dollchat on Twitter which historical period dolls I liked best. And I had to answer...well, none of them, actually. Both of my AGs are modern--Kanani and My American Girl. My other play dolls are modern, as well.
I have, for a grateful and proud American, an extraordinary interest in Tudor-era English history. I can rattle off Henry VIII's lifestory and marital misadventures like he was a family member--and even then, aside from my kids and Kevin, I don't know any of my relatives as well as I know Henry. Or as well as I know Elizabeth I, one of my early role models (which probably explains the attitude...). I have been known to intellectually wallow in history books about that era. (As to why I didn't study this in college or grad school: I wanted it to stay fun and engaging, not become an obligatory grind. I have two master's degrees, I know from grind.)
My answer, then, to which historical era doll I'd want to see, was: Tudor or Elizabethan England. American Girl couldn't do that and stay true to their vision. Alas and sigh.
A few days later I got a new Twitter follower notice: something called A Girl for All Time was following me, and their avatar looked....like a very young Elizabeth I. I took a look at their profile page, then their web page, and.....
....the top of my head came off. **PHWOOOOOM**
Really, my heart actually did skip a beat. I turned to my husband and said "I'm going to throw a bunch of money at a doll company in the UK right now. Merry Christmas to me!" He replied "Of course. Yep. Sigh."
And then I did. And I got the clothes, too. All of them. I didn't get the books, oddly enough, because I have my own persona in mind for her, and I know Katherine Howard's story front, backwards, and sideways (Katherine is their Matilda character's cousin).
She isn't here yet--she's at the DHL hub in Cincinnati (next state to the left!), only two days after she was dispatched from the UK, and I'm bouncing on my heels. You can certainly bet that I'm going to take a zillion pics when she arrives, and I know Doll Diaries is looking forward to my getting her and reporting in. She may be the only play heirloom doll I have whose style isn't going to change once I get her--I'm going to keep her in period clothes, which will involve my making more complex doll costumes than I've even tried before. She's 16", not 18", and I don't have any measurements on her in advance, so I'm going to have to do some pattern drafting when she arrives, as well. Gotta razor-hone some of the rustier skills in my set.
And guess what? The company is planning for Matilda's descendants! Elizabethan (losing my mind again), Restoration, Georgian...yeah. Yeah, this is going to get very expensive, y'all. I can't wait!
Go visit their website Right NOW: A Girl for All Time
ETA: I just got this email for DHL: "Notification for shipment event group "Out for delivery" for 14 Dec 11." I'm at the OTHER HOUSE!! **SHRIEK**
I have, for a grateful and proud American, an extraordinary interest in Tudor-era English history. I can rattle off Henry VIII's lifestory and marital misadventures like he was a family member--and even then, aside from my kids and Kevin, I don't know any of my relatives as well as I know Henry. Or as well as I know Elizabeth I, one of my early role models (which probably explains the attitude...). I have been known to intellectually wallow in history books about that era. (As to why I didn't study this in college or grad school: I wanted it to stay fun and engaging, not become an obligatory grind. I have two master's degrees, I know from grind.)
My answer, then, to which historical era doll I'd want to see, was: Tudor or Elizabethan England. American Girl couldn't do that and stay true to their vision. Alas and sigh.
A few days later I got a new Twitter follower notice: something called A Girl for All Time was following me, and their avatar looked....like a very young Elizabeth I. I took a look at their profile page, then their web page, and.....
....the top of my head came off. **PHWOOOOOM**
 |
| Look. At. This. Doll. ZOMG. *plotz* |
Really, my heart actually did skip a beat. I turned to my husband and said "I'm going to throw a bunch of money at a doll company in the UK right now. Merry Christmas to me!" He replied "Of course. Yep. Sigh."
And then I did. And I got the clothes, too. All of them. I didn't get the books, oddly enough, because I have my own persona in mind for her, and I know Katherine Howard's story front, backwards, and sideways (Katherine is their Matilda character's cousin).
She isn't here yet--she's at the DHL hub in Cincinnati (next state to the left!), only two days after she was dispatched from the UK, and I'm bouncing on my heels. You can certainly bet that I'm going to take a zillion pics when she arrives, and I know Doll Diaries is looking forward to my getting her and reporting in. She may be the only play heirloom doll I have whose style isn't going to change once I get her--I'm going to keep her in period clothes, which will involve my making more complex doll costumes than I've even tried before. She's 16", not 18", and I don't have any measurements on her in advance, so I'm going to have to do some pattern drafting when she arrives, as well. Gotta razor-hone some of the rustier skills in my set.
And guess what? The company is planning for Matilda's descendants! Elizabethan (losing my mind again), Restoration, Georgian...yeah. Yeah, this is going to get very expensive, y'all. I can't wait!
Go visit their website Right NOW: A Girl for All Time
ETA: I just got this email for DHL: "Notification for shipment event group "Out for delivery" for 14 Dec 11." I'm at the OTHER HOUSE!! **SHRIEK**
She is so gorgeous--I'm looking forward to your review. And at 16" I'm hoping she's more Ellowyne and MSD sized than anything else.
ReplyDeleteSo if this is your "before-Christmas-Christmas-gift," what's your actual Christmas gift? *g*
I don't know if she's going to be Ello/MSD sized--she looks chunkier to me, but we'll see when I get my sweaty greedy hands on her!
ReplyDeleteActual Xmas gift is the doll room, all painted and ready. That will make me absurdly happy!
If she's out for delivery do you want me to stop by the Voelkel house and see if she's there and bring her to you on my way home?
ReplyDeleteYES yes YES! Bring the regular mail too?
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to see photos of her! She's so gorgeous, and I love her clothes.
ReplyDeleteShe's beautiful! What a unique face, and those costumes are tdf.
ReplyDeleteI only wish they would go *back* in time as well as forward--so few truly medieval dolls out there.
Oh, MK, she is so amazing! The clothes are *plush*, I can't get over how gorgeous they are. Medieval, eh? Which time periods? There's lots of possibility to mine there!
ReplyDeleteI love the 14th C. Plague, Chaucer, peasants rebelling, what is not to love?! But the 13th is cool, too, and a friend of mine is publishing a YA this spring about Welsh rebellion in the 12th and I could totally get behind dolls based on those girls.
ReplyDeleteSo early early after the first millenium, eh. Brother Cadfael! Stephen and Mathilda! WAAAALES! I love all that, too.
ReplyDelete