Porcelain Doll Kits

Not As Simple As It Seems.....

I hope you will forgive me Dear Readers, as I show you my (Very Unsatisfactory) attempts to assemble some porcelain doll kits that I bought at the Sturbridge Fair. To Begin with a couple of weeks ago when my Sister was visiting, I had asked her if there was anything she would like to have for Her Dollhouse, and she said she was thinking she would like a couple of children dolls to live in it. I said that I didn't have any spare child dolls (they happen to all be attached to Families already...!) but that I could probably make her some.... but it might take a while. In the meantime, she decided that a couple of the Tiny Rats I had started (but had thought were a little out of proportion so had not finished) would do instead. So I promised to finish the Tiny Rats for her. That very afternoon at the Fair I found some lovely porcelain child doll kits, and decided I would surprise my Sister with the children after all! It has been Much Too Busy in my life recently with Gardening and Family visits and Life in general... but I finally got started on the doll kits last weekend. I thought it would be a simple matter of building a wire armature gluing it to the porcelain and wrapping the body in cotton batting...... I don't know What I was Thinking!

For starters... the wire I have is probably too stiff for the small dolls.... 

and then I don't have the proper kind of glue...

(What IS the proper glue...?)

But in my impatience I decided to go ahead and try with what I have....

I carefully stitched cloth around the cotton batting to hold it in place...

And Stuffed the ends into the porcelain legs..... 

with tons of tacky glue....

And stuffed the torso onto a cotton wrapped section of wire.... 

And added the arms.... carefully wrapped and stitched and glued.....

For Both the dolls.....

I know they look a little lopsided.....

but they stand up!!!

I was even Really Patient and let the glue dry for an entire day 

before testing the hold.....

Hah! You can see what good That did for me! 

Definitely NOT the right glue!

So I went online and did a little research. 

I have concluded that I will be better off taking them completely apart 

and starting over with a glue called "Zap a Gap"

Any comments are welcome if you know a better glue!

Meanwhile, I decided to complete the Tiny Rats instead....

They just needed leather glued on their arms and legs and tails......

And some clothes, of course!

So I have made a start....

They are "Country Rats".....

so their clothes are going to be Rustic.....

Still a ways to go....

But since that was all I had accomplished in Weeks....

I thought I would share it with you!

As for the Porcelain Doll kits.... 

I am determined to figure this out!

But it is Definitely Not as Simple as it seems!