Jean Greenhowe Dolls

The v&a birthday bag is winding up, I've blocked, mattress-stitched, and knitted handles, and once the handles are sewn in all that's left is the lining, which means learning how to use my sewing machine properly I guess.



My new project is a Jean Greenhowe knitted doll. The plan is to make the basic doll, with knitted underwear for modesty, and then to knit a range of dresses inspired by the topsy-turvy doll dress designs, and my favourite period dramas. First up is the green dress Molly Gibson wears in 'wives and daughters'. The dress has been made, and half the pantalets, I need peach and white wool to make the actual doll, and then I'll make a set of accessories to characterise the doll, in Jean Greenhowe style. The current 'molly gibson list' is;

bonnet with ribbon ties
gardening apron
science book
poetry book
(and if I can manage it) map of Africa

Then as an alternative dress I might make the white ball-gown she appears in towards the end of the series, with white flowers for the hair, fan and puffed sleeves. Of course 'molly' will have dark brown hair. My grandmother used to make these dolls all the time for me and my cousins, I have the Cinderella topsy turvy doll, and my sister has the red-riding-hood and old mother Hubbard topsy turvy doll.