Paper doll bonanza

 Welcome!

Antique paper dolls

After finishing a blog on a paper doll party, and then one on aprons, I find I have quite a few paper dolls that I wasn’t able to share.

Let’s have fun with them today!

All of the paper dolls I am sharing today are vintage/antique and have no copyright restrictions, as far as I can tell.

My suggestion is download, print, and have fun! Don’t share and say they are yours.

Don’t sell them.

I found a ton of paper dolls on Pinterest similar to the one above. I have run them through a program I have that enhances and sharpens images. It mostly works wonders, although sometimes it tweaks the paper dolls’ faces a little weirdly.

When you cut this one out, be sure to add in the tabs she will need for her clothes to stay on.

These next ones feature aprons in at least one of the costumes -

I love the peasant costume with this one!

The above paper doll looks like it is showing costumes from different regions of the same country.

This next one is an antique French set-

remember to add on tabs before cutting.

Some of these next ones have really tiny tabs. I would extend them to make them bigger, so the costume doesn’t fall off the doll.

Did you notice something about those last 4 sets? They all have an ethnic costume included! I wish I could tell you the nationalities, but I don’t know them.

Do you?

Many of these sets have paper dolls without any kind of stand. Check out the one above for a great stand you can add on. Here is another idea for making stands for your dolls.

ikatbag.com

I would suggest printing out a copy of just the doll part. That way there is room for you to draw a base similar to this one:

WikiHow

Next you have a couple of choices.

Here is a very simple stand to glue on the back. You can also notch your pieces and make a stand with your strip base:

By Cory Jensen

Donna Grimm posted this on Facebook.

Here are a few more paper dolls:

I hope you have noticed these paper dolls have a mix of regular clothes, and fairytale land costumes; or national costumes. 

When cutting out the paper doll, glue it onto some cereal box cardboard, or similar weight cardboard. After cutting out, the glued doll is sturdy and ready to support clothes.

This doll has another kind of stand.

Be sure to use heavy cardstock or cardboard to make this style work.

Can’t figure out any of those? Want a different stand? Then use binder clips!

Leanne Organize & Decorate

You can also use a simple paper clip,

or a couple clothespins!

ai_kuko, Pinterest

Lulu, Pinterest

I hope you have enjoyed all these paper dolls!
Cutting out and playing with paper dolls is a great fine motor activity.

Being creative and coming up with storylines stimulates your brain.

Playing with paper dolls is a healthy activity!

‘Til next time,

inkspired

Apron Strings

 Welcome!

1911 song sheet cover

I have good memories of my Grandma McDowell cooking in our kitchen, always wearing an apron.

When I was older she gave me one of her aprons to wear. I always put it on when I was baking something.

Later, when I had a kitchen of my own, I kept that apron in my cupboard, ready to pull out whenever I needed it.

Somehow it kept my Grandma, mixing and baking, next to me.

Stitchthrutime.com

She taught me how to measure flour in a straight edge cup, carefully scraping the excess off with the flat end of the spoon. 

I was to always be careful to return any unused flour to the bag.

There was no waste in her kitchen.

Pinterest

Liquids went into the glass measuring cup. To measure properly I had to bend down to eye level with the countertop, checking the liquid level.

Bobby’s Girl, Pinterest

I was to never use a dry ingredients cup to measure liquid.

Good cooks just didn’t do that.

My mother made a couple of half aprons for me as Christmas presents. My favorite was a yellow gingham apron decorated with chicken scratch embroidery.

I kept it hanging on the kitchen wall for years. Not to be used that much though.

Half aprons are not for messy cooks!

‘Chicken scratch’ embroidery, Pinterest

Chicken Scratch gingham embroidery

J Orr, Pinterest 

No, for real cooking you need the full coverage apron! At least I did.

Those fancy half aprons were for looks only, not for doughy hands.

Pinterest

Calloocallay

A popular newspaper/magazine paper doll, showing off her fancy ‘company’ aprons:

Katy Keene, drawn by Bill Woggan; Found on Pinterest

My favorite apron is called a cobbler apron. It provides full front coverage and over the shoulder, and usually has a pocket also.

1920’s ad for apron patterns

This harkens back to when aprons were part of tradesmen uniforms. So a cobbler’s apron would have been typical for a shoemaker to wear. You need that front pocket to hold tools while you worked.

Aprons I have sewn Board, Pinterest

Tradesmen were called ‘apron men’!

Aprons were used to protect the clothing underneath, and to readily identify what trade the person worked.

An antique advertisement for a trades apron 

Aprons have been depicted since Medieval paintings from the 1300’s.

A laundress, illuminated manuscript c.1432

There started out with 4 basic types of aprons:

Pinafore- features a waist apron with a bib pinned to shoulders, later straps were added

Bungalow- woman’s at home style, evolved into a ‘lounger’ or ‘patio dress’ and worn alone

Clerical- a short cassock above the knee, worn by religious leaders

Half- from the waist down only

An example of a ‘bungalow’ type apron.

In the 1500’s women did take over the apron and started adding lace and embroidery to use as a fashion statement.

Antique paper doll with aprons

In the 1800’s aprons came to identify the position you held in a household, in a strictly layered society.

Please note all rights belong to Marna Jean Davis. You may purchase this apron pattern from her shop on Etsy.

Plain white, but still modish, aprons were worn by housemaids.

Antique apron pattern

A housewife would wear aprons made from silk and satin with beautiful embroidered motifs, lace and ribbons.

Fancy Apron examples, with paper dolls

Over time an apron became the symbol of motherhood.

Songs were written about ‘dear, old mom’ and her apron strings:

1891 song sheet cover

Later, greeting cards for Mothers became popular featuring aprons:

The bungalow and clerical style aprons are not really in use anymore.

Vintage paper doll with 2 half aprons

In the 1940-1950’s waist aprons became popular (also called half-aprons) as fashion accessories.

Wearing an apron was a symbol of domesticity - a professional housewife.

1946 pattern

Vintage half apron, Etsy

In the 1960’s the feminist movement caused aprons to fall out of favor in North America, although they remained popular elsewhere.

Carolyn Stich, Pinterest

In the mid 2000’s there was a surge of popularity for retro arts such as needlework, small farming, sewing and culinary arts.

The apron is back!

Aprons I have Sewn, Pinterest

 Only now it has a modern twist.

Aprons are now worn by both men and women. (Thank you Food Channel).

The butcher apron is the most popular unisex style:

MagicLinen

An apron, no matter what basic style you choose, is a perfect canvas for creative embellishments.

Retro embroidery designs are so sweet!

Oregon Patchworks Inc.

KyleLynn Preston

Vintage embroidery patterns

 

Vintage embroidery pattern

Karen Simons, Pinterest

ANPTmag, Pinterest

I think Grandma McDowell would approve. Aprons had always been an essential part of her kitchen, being used as a towel, a pot holder or an egg basket. I think she would enjoy teaching the modern-day girl the ‘right’ way to cook..

…and of course that would include an apron.

Stitchthrutime, Pinterest

‘Til next time,

inkspired