Gypsy Challenge Doll

Well my doll is finished and will be getting sent off tomorrow. She turned out great I think. I fashioned her after a vintage post card I found on the net while researching Gypsies. According to my mother, there were Gypsies in our family somewhere along the way. I have no way of finding that out for sure, but I'll go with the idea that there were. My doll is named after my grandmother, Franziska. She came from Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic, many years ago. She had a difficult life as most did in the early 1900's. She fled Czechoslovakia into Austria where she settled and had her family, but again, a hard life. This doll is made with her in mind, but from the point of view of it being a positive thing for her to leave and start anew.

This is the image I used to create Franziska. It is a vintage postcard image from 1906, that I found on the net and for whatever reason, the young girl had an effect on me. Perhaps its the smile.

This is my interpretation of her. I didn't have the off the shoulder blouse and I did take some artistic license by adding some jewelry bits. While the doll body is a design by Mary Tressler, the costuming is designed entirely by me based on the image above, including the shoes. She even has undies and a slip. I have no idea what she actually had on her feet, but my doll is prepared for all weather. The skirt fabric and the gold trims are what I received in the kit from Treasures of the Gypsy and those had to be used along with whatever else you wanted.

I made her basket to include  linens, fruits and flowers, her crystal ball (what Gypsy would be without that). I made a set of Tarot cards because Gypsies will always want to tell you your future and maybe fortunes to. I also made a tambourine as Gypsies love to dance and play music. Her pouch holds her coins and keys.

Like every contest that comes along, this was yet another challenge for me. I love to create and see what happens in the process. Now it's up to Franziska to dazzle the judges and here's hoping. Good luck to everyone who enters this contest.