prairie dolls

All the little prairie doll needle holders are done! Well actually my mom decided I have to make three more. But the 26 I agreed to make are finished. They are about to be shipped off to all the females in our extended family in Richmond VA and elsewhere.

This little craft project is based on the work of early 20th century artist Kate Greenaway and was originally made by my great aunts and my great grandmother. My mom wanted to share this with all the ladies in the family so they would remember how lovely the older generation was.

We are sending these dolls out with a little note that says, "A gift from the past...." And an explanation of what the doll is for and how it came to be in our family. I don't think they'll make anyone's Christmas but they're kind of interesting.

I enjoyed working with my mom on this project. Her enthusiam made the work fly by. I thought it was a rather grand plan to made so many, and I like grand plans. I really hope receiving one of these dolls will make the younger generation interested in these old Aunts and Great Grandmother. They were such artistic and interesting people.

It doesn't seem like the younger generation is much interested in their elders. But I idolized my great aunts. I wanted to be exactly like my Aunt Olive. She has been such a role model to me as to how to be and how to be an aunt. Part of which is to instill memory about the family into the younger ones so they would know where they came from.