Sunday, September 27, 2015

Why Do You Love Primitive?

I often wonder why people love "Primitive"  I have created Primitive for 19 years now and  just keep falling even more in love with them,

There are many, I do mean many definitions on the name "Primitive" Term/ Name/ Meaning.
What I would call "Primitive" to some one else it would be Folk Art, Most times  the two do go hand in hand with a touch of each technique.Which involves several different techniques.

Primitive definitions to me is in the creating it's self, It is in all the  Why, How, What Kind , Is there History or No History, What are you seeing, thinking in your head before you even begin to bring Her/Him  to life ?

#1:Primitive


Re-Creating heirlooms is  very time consuming process, but I love to make things to look as if they were made long ago, I  definitely  use special techniques to create  and to  further give the look of an heirloom  vintage looking pieces
#2: Primitive 

I do lots of history research for the time period for a doll, what was going on right down to what was in style and why YesterYears Mothers , and Grandmothers and  so on created the way they did. Most used what was at hand, That to me is where some of the meaning "Primitive" had it's birth.




 Dolls that were made with love. Doll that were made to be  loved and cherished forever.

 #3: Primitive
 Primitive Cloth Dolls were stuffed with again what was available , Saw dust, Hay, Wool, Shredded pieces of clothing for a few examples, Some even hand sewed Human hair on to their dolls, But I love the kind with yarn, thread, or no hair , Meaning as a true antique doll.



 Cloth dolls that are
authentic, historical  can and are primitive style

 
#4: Primitive



Primitive to me is the "Simplicity" in most of Primitive Cloth Dolls.
 "Simplicity" is the name of this Primitive Cloth I have created, Just a fun another name (Primitive  Rag Doll) for that little girl from YesterYear.





Mothers, and Grandmothers from YesterYear
were not what we would call "Artist's" They created straight from their hearts, using what ever they could find, or had on hand, Primitive Cloth Dolls are not what I would call "Prim N Proper" An eye might be higher or lower, or no face at all, Buttons, hand stitching, Pencil drawn were the most common for Primitive Cloth Dolls.

#5: Primitive
Clothing for Primitive Cloth Dolls, go from ripped, pieces, raw edges, to very "exquisite"
hand stitching.

The above question:

What are you seeing, thinking in your head before you even begin to bring Her/Him  to life ? 
My Answer:

Simplicity was about 3 years old. Hot Summer day in Georgia,
Simplicity had not a care in the world, as she ran bare foot through the growing fields of hay, Blue sky's above her head.
Simplicity had a song in her heart "Oh How Great Thou Art". She was thinking of church that Sunday morning , Simplicity's Mother sang in the church choir .Simplicity watched as her  Mother stepped forward and  stood tall and proud,
 Yet with a tear in her eye , From her heart she sang unto Our Lord:
 "How Great Thou Art"
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
 
 I love each and every doll, I believe whole heartily that my Primitive, or  reminiscent dolls from the past and present is a way of life. I have a great passion for Antiques they are my inspiration.
Creating my dolls is a birth experience with each and every one, In my mind there is always a story , a tad of history , straight from my heart.,With my heart open wide and a watchful eye giving much attention to details

I end this article in hopes you have really enjoyed our journey .
It is my hearts desire as I have said many times  is to 

To save the knowledge and teach this knowledge of  YesterYear to all generations.
Let it never be forgotten.
To gain the recognition they deserve for their works of Art.

 " Preserve  "the Artist's of  YesterYear and Today"
(((Hugs, )))

Sherrie Nordgren 

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Missionary Ragbabies - Beecher Baby Dolls 1893-1910

My daughter Valerie took some actual pictures of  Missionary Ragbabies Cloth Dolls in GA for me, AS of this posting I am looking for the folder which I saved them in SO i would not loose them :)
 I just LOVE Missionary Rag babies

You do not hear very much about them down here in Florida.  I love , Love the history about  the ,
Beecher Baby or Missionary Rag babies dolls were made from 1893 until 1910, dolls  are handmade of cloth stockinette with hand painted facial features by Julia Jones Beecher and the ladies of the Sewing Circle of Congregational Church in Elmira, New York, USA.
 Cloth Beecher Baby dolls are unmarked.
Cloth Doll; Beecher (J), Missionary Ragbaby, Stockinette, Needle ...
A handmade stockinette Missionary Ragbaby, made by Julia Beecher of Elmira, New York, having a needle-sculpted face, painted features and the remains of looped wool hair;




^^ This is my favorite^^

Category : PrimitivesItem Id: 11222
Original/Reproduction: OriginalStyle: Naive, Primitive
Listed By: Dealer or ResellerSize Type/Largest Dimension: Small (Up to 14")
Type: Cloth Stuffed DollRegion of Origin: Unknown
Material: FabricDate of Creation: 1800-1899
  
 Wonderful Late 19th C Early Old Antique Stuffed Cloth Rag Doll Blue Calico Dress
 I would LOVE to try to re-create my own reminiscent  Missionary Rag babie
I know I don't think I could do very well with the mask.
 

Missionary Ragbabies

doll
1893-1910
The pastor's wife of the Park Congregational Church in Elmira, NY, Julia Beecher made her first cloth doll for her niece. When others in her family requested a similar doll, Beecher sought the help of the church's sewing circle. Soon the group engaged in making dolls to support the congregation's missionary work, and according to some sources, to pay off the church's debts. The church made the Missionary Ragbabies from 1893 to 1910. The church ladies used needle sculpting and hand painting to detail the dolls' facial features, fingers, or clenched fists and made the distinctive wigs for the dolls of strains of yarn. Beecher dolls were usually clothed in a baby dress and matching bonnet.
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 20" Early Julia Jones Beecher Black Cloth Doll c1893 Missionary Rag Baby