Doll-A-Day 2019 #33: Miniature Skating Girl

  Well, my shoulders are better. I don't think I even thought about them today. However,it was still quite a day. In the afternoon,as the snow was starting to melt, (even though we were still one degree below freezing),I heard a strange noise coming from the basement. Ken went down to investigate, after I insisted that what we were hearing was not the furnace. It seems the hot water pipe had burst and water was pouring out into the basement. Ken shut the water off on the hot water line, and later went to work. In the evening I was sitting in the living room when I heard a similar strange noise,and a couple of bangs. Investigation found that the hot water pipe had burst too. Once again, water was pouring into the basement. I shut off the hot water line. Luckily I had drawn a couple of big pans of water just before Ken shut off the cold water,because I thought he was shutting off all the water,and I hadn't gone back upstairs to pour them out. At least I could wash my hands. I did discover that you can actually microwave Cream of Wheat. That was good, because I was in a Cream of Wheat mood and Ken had used the pan I use for that when he made his lunch today. Of course, I couldn't wash it, because,well,you know. No water. *Sigh*

  Moving along to the reason you are here. Today's doll is one I made myself.

Please excuse my fingers. I've had a bad habit of ripping them up since I was a kid. I tried to camouflage them. It was hard not to get them in the photo though, because the doll is so small,and can't stand up on her own.

She's this tiny girl. I usually call her Sonia Henie.

Sonia Henie was a ten time world champion, and three time Olympic gold medal winning figure skating star of the early 20th century,from Norway.

Sonia Henie is credited with popularizing white skates and short skirts for female figure skaters.

She was so popular that, for a time, she became a movie star, and for three years in a row,(1937,'38,and '39), she was one of the 10 top box office draws in the country.

Life magazine tracked the rise and fall of the stars' box office popularity in the 1940's. Sonia Henie came in at number 8 in 1937,number 3 in 1938,and number 10 in 1939. After that she disappeared from the top ten list.

I didn't actually model this doll on Sonia Henie,but they're both blonde skaters with a 1930's look.  So I nicknamed her Sonia Henie.

(For an informative article about Sonia Henie you can go HERE.)

Sonia Henie and Tyrone Power in "Thin Ice",1937. I have never seen this movie,or, come to think of it, any Sonia Henie movie. Somehow I channeled that hat tassel though.

She's only a little over 2 1/2 inches tall.

She has a felt covered wire armature,so she's posable. This is her skating pose.

It was cold out when I took the pictures, so I was hurrying and forgot to change her pose.

Her head is wooden,and painted with acrylics and sealed with a non-yellowing glaze.

Her clothes are felt.

She even has a little felt muff.

 

As I said, she has a felt covered wire armature. That means she has felt hands and legs. It looks ok, but it does mean her legs are 'hairy'!

And so are her clothes.

Her 'skates' are painted on. I really should give her laces on her skates.

The blades are staples!

See how hairy her legs are?

I really like this doll. Emma said that this doll is her favourite of the miniature dolls I've made. For both those reasons,'Sonia' is still here with me,instead of being sold on Etsy or at a doll show,like most of the other ones I made.

 

 

  I hope I am running out of bad news to tell you! This is getting to be a pain. (The pain was in my shoulders, but now it's elsewhere, if you know what I mean!) We won't be able to get the pipe situation taken care of until Monday. But I'll see you again tomorrow for another doll.