A rope doll , a sweet reminder on the past.

Again, sitting here with my tea, yes I love tea, I was looking for something wooden or hand painted to contrast to yesterday's doll. But I found this, and that was it. It is a piece that demands attention in a gentle way. I also appreciated the description of using what was available to create something beautiful and necessary. Giving a gift to your children when times are difficult can apply to more than the 1800s. It also reminded me of the wonderful stories my great grandfather would tell about his homesteading days in Minnesota and Iowa. And for those of us on farms or in a rural area, it makes what we do with baling twine and fencing wire, for repairs and such, seem that much more valid. It is true that almost anything can be fixed with baling twine, fencing wire and/or duct tape. lol

This doll is in the Artfire shop belonging to Americana Creations.

The description: "When times were tough, and there was nothing in the budget for birthdays, Christmas, or those "special" times... enterprising parents would come up with ideas like this...a cute little doll...made of just plain hemp rope."

"Turn of the century life was hard, and little items like this made it bearable for the little ones. These are based on some small dolls my grandmother had in her home. "

This simple but meaningful doll can be found at: http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=ViewListing&product_id=217338

A handmade gift of love is something that will always be remembered and treasured--- often for more than one generation.

Americana Creations is in Wyoming. Greetings from a former Montanan. It was a wonderful place to grow up. Winters were spent on skis and spring, summer and autumn were spent riding my incredible Welsh Mountain Pony, Ruby, my best friend.