Horse Crazy Handcrafted Cloth Doll

Ah, the traycloth. There really isn't a place for these gorgeous things nowadays, unless you're having a special high tea, and as a tea-stained traycloth this one was doubly redundant. Not to mention beautifully embroidered with imagery rather personal to its creator - no generic floral sprays or foliage here. This one is embroidered with a young lady with curly golden locks feeding an apple to a horse. I've honestly never seen the like. Lovingly hand worked by or for someone with a passion for the equestrian, this interesting find was no longer able to live its best life due to staining, tears, and the general lack of use we have for traycloths in our daily lives now, and I love creating figures from old embroideries. The final effect is a bit unexpected somehow - like they're covered in body art - and they take on a sort of depth of personality.

With her strong colours, flowers and vines, and the lingering impressions of the horse and young lady on her arms, this one is strange yet wonderful.

This 35cm cloth doll has been handcrafted from:
- a vintage embroidered linen traycloth
- some remnant linen
- a salvaged scrap of pale gold pincord
- some fabric offcuts
- stuffed with polyester fibrefill

Her face is detailed with freehand embroidery. Her dress is my own four-way convertible design, made from a remnant of tan plaid, a piece of leftover vintage print cotton, and some little snap fasteners I found in my nana's sewing chest. She can wear her dress with the plaid or the lovely print outwards, with a crossover front and a V neck, or with a round neck and a crossover back.

Aside from the snap fasteners she has no tiny parts, and although she looks delicate she is quite robust so she would be quite suitable as a new friend for a child over 4 years or a grown-up of any age.