The Tragic Miss Havisham III

I mentioned a while back that I wanted to create another Miss Havisham fairy doll after buying some fragile old textiles from France. 

Fragile is probably an understatement for this ancient silk square! It is full of rips and holes and has some old darns that have even worn through! The lace border however is in good condition and so is probably what is holding the whole thing together! ;-)

There are a couple of really lovely areas too, including the hand worked butterfly motif in one corner - A design I always like to work into my Miss Havisham pieces. 

Cut in half and seamed down the sides, the square was to become the main skirt for the bridal dress. 

Last year a lovely lady sent me this tattered Edwardian silk scrap printed with a female portrait. She had hoped I could put it to some use. I decided to simply stitch it to one side of the skirt and embrace its decayed nature. 

Then to gather together some other trinkets and treasures to use...

Including millinery flowers and leaves, metal brass pieces salvaged from and antique French globe de Marie, mother-of-pearl buttons and silk bows.  

I also took out this old bridal headpiece to use, that I bought with some others from America a few years ago. This one, I believe, has never been worn - it still has its original label. The glue has rotted the net lace over time and it has become incredibly delicate and brittle. I thought I could take small sections of it to use on my doll. (How appropriate that an unworn bridal headpiece be used for Miss Havisham! :)  

I think I may try and re-cover the wire framework to create a new headpiece of some sort. 

After stitching the skirt and adding the embellishments...

Here is my finished doll. 

With so many fragile pieces incorporated into her, I am reluctant to offer her for sale, so she is staying with me...

I'm displaying her under an antique glass dome, where she looks quite convincing as an antique herself. 

I'm loving how she turned out and have reawakened my love for fairy making. I have lots more antique lace, some with wear, which always work well for Miss Havisham dolls, and also the fallen angels that I have made in the past. It will be good to get making again when I have some time. 

Niki x