We all know antique dolls are fragile. We all know that leather can, and will, separate along seam lines. What I learned yesterday is that this can happen even when a seam looks strong and solid. Ergo, Maddie now has a new patch.
I had made her one pair of stockings – brown, antique cotton – very stretchy. She wore them while I worked on the next pair – red, antique cotton – not stretchy. I didn’t pay attention to the size and shape of the brown stocking when I removed it, although as you can see I should have. Side by side it’s easy to see her leg filled out the brown stocking to a size larger than the original pattern.
The red stocking was hard to get on because it was so tight. And when I removed it (okay, when I tugged with more force than is ever recommended for antique doll bodies) her toes separated away from her leg in a horrifying way.
I guess this is all part of the journey. An entire day spent cutting and stitching a beautiful little stocking ends with no new stockings and a doll with a patched foot.
Two steps forward, one step back, and lesson learned.