A Garden of Virtues

Welcome to my world, Fanchon, almost. I spent Easter weekend cleaning, sanding and sueding Fanchon and on Sunday strung her all up with new elastic. I was filled with pride for her. I would never have taken one of my other incredibly expensive dolls apart, nor would I have sudeded them, but Fanchon was not only very cheap, but had special needs and required all of this. I made things up as I went along. I used sewing elastic, which ends up being a little too slack, and I super-glued beige microfiber dust cloth to her sockets as her "suede." I have never even seen a doll sueded, but I really love how she turned out. You can see some of the buff-colored cloth around her joints, but it is positioned neatly, and I am proud to show that I did it. In addition I cleaned almost every little atom of paint from her, except from her face, which I knew better than to touch with anything damp, and her fingers, which were the worst hit and also the most delicate to clean. The residue is ve

I wonder if I will ever do what I would like to do. I have three porcelain maidens, fairer than any doll I have seen, undressed, re-wigged and waiting for their fairy tale garb. One of them is Swanhilde, the Snow White. Another, Katharine, the Cinderella, and the third is Isabeau, the Beauty in the Beast's castle. I have had such fantasies about them and their clothes, but I have not had time to sew anything for them. In the house we might have there is a large building full of rusted junk. I relish the chance to make something of it. Finally I would be able to make my recycled doll house, and all kinds of things. For now the time I might give to dolls is all taken up, and any money I might spend on them profoundly out of the question. When I think of how fortunate I was to find and purchase Fanchon, my only ball-jointed doll, so cheaply, and before a time when I can do no spending at all. I don't know when I will be able to finish repairing her. Work has been so busy, and my e