Maddie in the Garden
Dear little Maddie! She recently read about Chiffonnette's disastrous adventures in the countryside, and took all the good lessons to heart. She insisted that I make her an appropriate dress for play,...
Outside the Lines
The posts in this category are just what its label says, i.e., every single thing ever written without categorization. If you want to read straight through from the very beginning, go to the last page and work your way through backwards. The most recent posts are always added at the top of the first page.
Chiffonnette Learns a Lesson
In the June, 1864 issue of La Poupée Modèle, Chiffonnette writes to Lily from the countryside, where she's visiting with her friend, Bleuette. You may want to read this translated version to...
A Hybrid Process for Setting in Sleeves
Chemisettes are the "pâtisserie" of the enfantine trousseau. They're delicate and frothy and packed full of details no right-minded person would ever attempt in miniature. Of course, I think we all know...
Something Old, Something New. . .
. . .something borrowed, something blue; and a sixpence in her shoe. This famous wedding day rhyme is said to have started in the mid-1800's, after Queen Victoria broke with the tradition...
A Bit of Math to Light the Way
Not every girl is perfectly proportioned, myself included. Luckily, very few people ever get to see what's going on underneath the layers of clothing we use to camouflage our imperfections. Felicity is...
An 1864 Horticulture Journal
Ladies of the Second Empire took their gardening very seriously, and now your dolls can as well. The photos below will create a tiny horticulture journal, made from a combination of pages...
Maddie Visits Grandmere for Tea
Spring has arrived, and with it all the excitement of planning this year's garden. Maddie has just received the most recent gardening journal and is eager to discuss some new flower hybrids...
Painter to the Queen
If you look closely at the photos of Maddie's first dress, you'll see a wonderful piece of art on her wall. I chose it specially for her because I thought it was...
Seventy-Seven Stitches
The ruffles are done, the hooks and thread loops have been sewn, and the gathering threads for the cartridge pleats have been stitched. There are seventy-seven pleats. Which means there are exactly...
Maddie’s First Dress Completed
The moment of truth has arrived, and the news is not good. The dress gets about a C+, which isn't the most auspicious beginning to a costuming blog but there you have...