I was over at Dixie Redmond Blog http://www.northdixiedesigns.blogspot.com/
1893The Babyland Rag Doll EI Horseman Company began manufacturing these dolls in 1893. They were simple in design and the earliest dolls had hand-painted faces and removable clothing.
I love and in awe of Antique Rag Dolls..Rag Cloth Dolls hold a very strong Love in our hearts,They having been created and recreated many times over the centuries.
I think it is because they were unbreakable and inexpensive .In result they would get more wear and tear from the love the child bestowed upon them. Morecostly toys which would have been handled with more care . Rag Dolls can be traced back 300 B.C.
Over the years, cloth dolls were stuffed with straw, sawdust, leaves, feathers, fabric scraps, left-over thread and yarn, cotton batting, wood-wool, Kapok, foam chips and nylon stockings and more recently Polyester filling.Really any thing yesteryear Mothers could find..
Doll clothing was made from fabric scraps left over from the family sewing basket. The clothes would have reflected the clothes of people during the time the dolls were made, including underwear, petticoats, long dress, pinafore, apron and bonnet. Doll shoes and stockings might have been sewn or painted on. Basic Facial features were embroidered or painted with ink or stained with natural dyes: berries, flowers, leaves, Some dolls might have no face or perhaps given eyes only. There is so much rich history to our beloved Rag Dolls..Hope you have enjoyed a bit of it.. Hugs Sherrie
