I See London, I See France

Some of you may recall a giveaway I won a couple years ago from Lucy of Quilting with the Past II. My prize was this charming primitive doll named Little Faithy.


I'm embarrassed  to mention it, but Faithy arrived immodestly dressed, with no undergarments to speak of! Fortunately I had these hand crocheted panties that fit her to a tee.

Does anyone know what these fancy pants were originally intended for? I doubt they were made as doll clothes since there is a crocheted loop at the waistline for hanging. The bloomers are far too small to be used as a hot pad, as so many crocheted oddities were in the 1940’s and 50’s. I thought perhaps they were meant to cover a small sachet pillow for one’s lingerie drawer .

At any rate, I’m happy to finally put them to some use. They’re far too pretty to keep hidden in a drawer. Ironically, the only way of revealing their lacy loveliness is to encourage people to peek under Faithy’s skirt. So much for modesty!

Little Faithy

I've won a blog giveaway! Lucy at Quilting with the Past made a twin to her own doll, Little Faithy, and sent her to me all the way from the Netherlands. Apparently, the pattern for the doll included a poem describing Faithy's origins, so I wrote a poem to thank Lucy for her generous gift.

The Face of Faithy

As Lucy stitched this prairie doll for me,

From bits of cloth stained brown, as if by age,

Her thimbled finger, needle, and fine thread

Shaped more than playthings from an olden day.

A flowered frock of unassuming form,

An apron fashioned out of muslin plain,

The bonnet sewn from madder calico,

Did more than clothe a humble faceless frame.

For with each stitch her expert fingers took,

A bond between two faceless women grew.

A friendship formed from stuffing, cloth and thread,

A seaming of two lives through friendship new.

So, when I look upon this prairie doll,

Imbued with love and generosity,

Instead of visage blank and features plain,

It’s Lucy’s face that gazes back at me!

© Diane Burdin, 2008

Thank you again, Lucy, for drawing my name in your blog raffle. I love Little Faithy and think she'll be happy in my home.