Reuben and Melanie explore the Eastern Cape

International travel - that gift and privilege that many of us have been unable to enjoy for 2 years due to the global pandemic. Despite having covid-19 at the beginning of February, a month later, still recovering from its effects, I was fortunate enough to travel to South Africa with my cousin to visit my elderly aunt and see my sister, another cousin and families again. In my hand luggage I carried 4 dolls. Reuben and Melanie, two of our Sasha family, came with all their Shweshwe clothes, though only one outfit each actually got photographed. I had intended dressing them in their Basuto and Xhosa outfits (which I made for the 2017 Sasha Celebration Weekend) while in the Eastern Cape. Joy and Kolisi (two of my Kruselings) came too. But only the Sasha dolls managed to get out and about with me for some photos on a couple of occasions. My energy levels for doll photography was vastly reduced as I recovered from the virus.

While in Cape Town, my cousin and I visited The Waterfront. One of the stalls in the big craft building featured slot together dolls houses made by a local small business. Ikhaya crafts make eco-friendly toys to promote play, I was interested to note that they had two ranges - what looked like a 1:12th scale range (for 7-13cm size dolls) and a Barbie doll size range. The Kruselings are between the two sizes, though possibly some of the Barbie furniture might have suited them, but I didn't have them with me at the time to try them for size. The dolls houses, their furniture and accessories were very well designed and nicely made (laser cut). 

Ikhaya crafts stand at The Waterfront

Ikhaya crafts stand showing some of the dolls house rooms and accessories for sale

Ikhaya crafts outfits for Barbie dolls

Barbie dolls wearing some Ikhaya crafts outfits

My aunt lives in the Eastern Cape Town of Makhanda/Makana (Grahamstown), so after spending two and half days with my sister, cousin and niece in the Karoo at a game reserve (where the warm, dry salty air helped my lungs) then a few days in Cape Town with my sister; my cousin and I flew to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), hired a car and drove to Makhanda to stay for several days. 

Makhanda nestles in the hills of the Eastern Cape

Grahamstown / Makhanda Cathedral in the heart of this Eastern Cape town

It was only on our last day there that I did some doll photography. The previous day I had visited the History Building of the Albany Museum as I had vivid memories of discovering its displays, which had included playthings from the past, as a child. Reuben and Melanie came in my bag as I had hoped to photograph them looking at the displays, but photography in the museum was forbidden, so I spent time reading the information and looking but not taking photos. 

The first room had a fascinating display about the last 200 years of the cultural influences on the area, showing the experiences of the indigenous populations and the European immigrants, including the 1820 settlers. During the apartheid era in the 1980s, when I had last visited the museum, the focus had very much been on upholding the legacy of the 1820 settlers and all they had done to build the town. This newer display was more balanced as it revealed additional perspectives on the evolution of the Eastern Cape meeting of peoples and cultures though it looked tired and some of the labelling was hard to read (it needs refreshing, but funds are limited). 

There was also a gallery about the character and story of Makhanda/Makana the Xhosa prophet (1780-1819), a gallery with some of the artefacts and furniture of local families (but far fewer toys and playthings than I remembered seeing in gallery above that space back in the 1980s), an Art gallery upstairs and a fascinating display about Rev James Arthur Calata (1895-1983) who had done much for musical education (he founded a choir and composed music for it) and was also the first black canon at Grahamstown Cathedral. 

As we were leaving Makhanda, Reuben and Melanie had a brief visit to the Monument, which was built to commemorate the 1820 settlers but is also the venue which hosts the famous National Arts Festival events each year. It contains theatres, an atrium, conference facilities and stands on the hill above Rhodes University and the Botanical Gardens. I remember the Monument when it was very new. 

The Monument above Makhanda

Entrance to the Monument

Inside the Monument:
"Nor wild Romance nor Pride allured me here:
Duty and Destiny with equal voice
Constrained my steps: I had no other choice...
Something for Africa to do or say." (Pringle)

Inside the Monument atrium

Commemorative plaque about Nelson Mandela's visit to the Monument in 1996

A replica of a cow given to Nelson Mandela when he visited the Monument in 1996.

The Monument's position provides fabulous views of the town below and this is what Reuben and Melanie saw.

Reuben and Melanie standing on the steps outside the Monument to gaze at the town below

It was quiet on the hill above Makhanda as Reuben and Melanie looked at the town below

Melanie and Reuben in their Shweshwe outfits on the steps beside the Monument above Makhanda

Reuben and Melanie above Makhanda

Our next destination was an AirBnB house on the banks of the Sunday's River. We arrived to enjoy the sunset on the river and I left the following morning for my flight to Cape Town. Melanie and Reuben explored the cactus garden at the back of the house, which had been dramatically lit in the evening and also looked wonderful in the morning light. I was able to photograph the nearly full moon, with its Southern Hemisphere face (much more symmetrical than its Northern Hemisphere face).

The cactus garden at dusk

Just after sunset on the Sunday's River

The cactus garden at night

Moonrise above the Sunday's River

The Sunday's river after sunrise

"Look Melanie, the river is so wide" said Reuben

"I wish we could go out on a boat" sighed Reuben to Melanie as they gazed at the Sunday's river

Sun rising over the Sunday's river

"Look at this amazing cactus Reuben, it is taller than us" exclaimed Melanie

"I cannot even see the top" said Melanie

"This one is more our height, like a cushion, but I wouldn't want to sit on it" said Reuben to Melanie

The top of the very tall cactus

Bird feeding on the cactus flowers in the morning

I took the doll sized Shakespeare Dream Coat I've been making as my contribution to the Susanna Lewis raffle doll prize for the 2022 Sasha Festival to work on while in South Africa, I did manage to do a bit of the embroidery while in SA though not a lot.

I bought some more Shweshwe fabric from my favourite little shop Mnandi Textiles in Observatory, Cape Town. The colours and patterns are such fun, maybe some of the doll family will gain more shweshwe outfits sometime soon, though only once my contribution for the Dolly Jolly raffle and the Shakespeare Dream Coat are complete.

Sasha Celebration Weekend 2019 - Part 1

This year's Sasha Celebration Weekend (SCW) was a little different from the 4 previous events (which had several different craft workshops) and the culmination of Janet's 5 years of artistic guidance and organisation of the event.  Janet negotiated with the Sasha Morgenthaler heirs for permission to use the patterns for the Sasha course dolls so the attendees of the weekend could make their very own course dolls, in the tradition adopted by Sasha in her studio (she often taught small groups of people to make dolls). It was agreed with the heirs that the dolls made would not be called Sasha dolls - they are not licenced to carry the name, so they are officially called SCW Charity Course dolls (each person making a doll paid for the materials and a donation to a children's charity).

Each person making a complete 20 inch course doll in the space of one weekend was never going to be possible, lots of preparation work had to be done in advance, with the added complication that some people making the dolls did not have much sewing experience beyond some basic hand sewing.  Therefore Janet worked out that the doll bodies had to be machine stitched in advance by some experienced seamstresses, the plaster head moulds had to be cast and dried, then the fabric (sourced overseas) stretched over them and the faces painted.  Theresa cast all 30 head moulds from a mould which had once been cast from an original Sasha clay head mould Kendal had owned. Tricia, Petrana and I sewed the body parts ready for turning and stuffing and Janet stretched the head fabric over the moulds and painted the faces.  Each person making a doll was given various painting styles and eye colours to choose from so each doll face was personalised before we even arrived at the SCW on the Friday afternoon (though one was not painted as the person making the doll is an artist and wanted to paint her own doll).

All the kits were labelled and compiled by Janet and Theresa a month before and handed out in special bags provided by one of the other attendees as we arrived on Friday. We all had to buy and bring microbeads (used for filling teddy bears) for some of the filling and a large quantity of stuffing was donated by someone who wasn't able to attend.

On the Friday evening after dinner, instead of a talk or setting up displays for the next day, those of us making dolls got started on the heads while Laura got the others started on designs for their embroidery they did on Saturday which they did instead of doll making.

In the doll kit was a polystyrene ball which fitted inside the head mould. The fabric had to be fitted over this shape, and stitched in place, with stuffing smoothing the join between the edge of the mould and the back of the head, to complete the head shape.  This was a tricky thing to do, with guidance provided by Janet and Tricia (who had made their dolls as the prototypes before the event).  After making a good start, my daughter and I took our doll head back to our hotel room to finish off after 10pm.  My girl and I made our doll together, she was the expert at smooth, firm stuffing, I did the hand stitching of the fabric and together we succeeded in making a reasonable head shape before we went to bed.

Tricia demonstrating how to shape and stitch the head fabric on Friday night

Janet demonstrating her method for shaping and stitching the head fabric on Friday night

DollMum's daughter busy inserting stuffing around the forehead rim

Lying on her bed while continuing her magic with the head shaping

Stuffing the head

Finishing off the head

The completed head stitching

Head stitching looking like the doll had brain surgery!

On Saturday after breakfast everyone was keen to get started on stuffing the limbs.  Once again Janet and Tricia demonstrated and guided us through the process, there was plenty of chatter and singing (Nellie the Elephant!!!) during the morning as we busily got on with the task of constructing the dolls, with a stop for lunch at 1pm before fitting the heads to the bodies then stuffing the bodies.  

DollMum's daughter turning an arm the right way out and pushing out the thumb

Saturday morning doll making - all deeply engrossed in turning and stuffing limbs

Saturday morning doll making

Saturday morning doll making

The legs and arms were mostly filled with microbeads followed by some stuffing before being stitched along the top to seal them.  Some of us used the remainder of our microbeads in the bottom of the torsos to give some sitting weight, followed by lots of stuffing (though the shoulder plate part of the head had to be inserted into the neck hole early on and the remaining stuffing done via a hole in the side seam.  Some hand stitching was done around the shoulder area to close up the neck hole, securing the head in position.  Then the limbs were stitched to the torso and suddenly the dolls just needed their wigs.  Most of us had made or bought wigs in advance, there wasn't time for wig making on the day. This was an exciting moment - the realisation that the doll was almost complete ready for dressing.

The underside of the head and shoulder mould with Theresa's signature and date

Inserting the shoulder plate into the neck hole of the torso

Limbs all stuffed awaiting the torso

Janet and Jane W discussing doll making

Lunchtime laughter at our table as the first doll (made by a child and her grandmother Pam) is completed and admired

Jocelyn with her completed doll (called Renny) showing the white underwear by Jenny

Jane S with her completed doll

Some people had made outfits in advance, others bought outfits on the day at the sales tables after the doll making was complete.

Our doll was one of two boy dolls made (the other has long hair).  Ours has a synthetic light ginger short haired wig, blue eyes, brown eye brows and freckles - he follows a tradition of making dolls dedicated to a particular person, though isn't a real life portrait doll. This is his story:

While I was growing up in Cape Town, I was known as the craft minded, doll enthusiast of the family, for this reason as a Christmas gift in 1985 I was given a doll making book by one of my two elder brothers "Dolls and how to make them" by Margaret Hutchings - he wrote a Christmas message to me in the frontispiece.  I used the book as a techniques guide and inspiration rather than following any of the projects in it from start to finish, one of the techniques illustrated and described is stretching fabric over a head mould which I never tried myself.  Now, a few months after my brother's death, I have made a doll dedicated to the memory of our shared childhood spent in the sunshine on the beaches and parks of Cape Town.

My brother was fair skinned with straight light ginger hair growing up in a sunny hot climate in the days before sunscreen was widely used (sadly this increased his chances of developing that melanoma).  The doll needed a smooth straight haired wig so I decided a synthetic hair wig was a better option than a wool or mohair wig.

The synthetic hair light ginger wig on our boy's head just after we finished it, alongside the photo of my brother as a child at the beach

Our boy's clothing (which I made before the SCW) is based on a photo of my younger sister, brother and I on Blouberg Beach rocks with Table Mountain in the distance across the bay. We are all barefoot in the photo, however we often wore slip slops (flip flops) on our feet during summer (4 pointed devils thorns and round burr thorns were a curse in the grass of our suburb). 

I wanted our doll to have feet which could wear our childhood footwear, so Janet sent me the foot inserts in advance and I cut the big toe shape with a gap for the slip slop thong and stitched the same shape when I was sewing the feet (for this reason I had kept back one set of body parts when Theresa collected the other machined sets to take on her visit to Janet when they compiled the kits).  Our two Australian Girl dolls Matilda and Belle have spare pairs of slip slops, one pair now belongs to our boy. I stitched lines to indicate his other toes and did the same for his fingers.

The foot inserts with one marked for the toe, along with the Australian Girl doll slip slops

The toe shape cut in the foot insert

The toe shape stitched in the foot before turning right side out

The empty legs and feet wearing the slip slops

The stuffed feet wearing the slip slops

His shirt is made from one of my late father's old office shirts and the boy also has knee length denim shorts. My brother would not have worn the underwear the doll wears (except perhaps in a school play) - Jenny had made traditional combinations for every doll as a gift.  Gillian crocheted multicoloured scarves for every doll too and Florence handed out little necklaces for them.

DollMum's daughter holding our newly completed SCW Charity Course doll with the photo which inspired his clothes

Our boy (photo by DollMum's daughter using her new camera)

As the dolls were completed people added them to the long table below the photo competition photos.  Our boy was one of the last to be completed and didn't want to push into his space (so many girls and only 2 boys)!

Our boy in his bright yellow slip slops just completed in the line up of SCW Charity course dolls

Closer view of our boy among the girls!

The following are my photos taken on Sunday morning before the big group photo outdoors. Each doll is unique, with different eras and designs represented in their clothing and hair styles.

SCW Charity Course Dolls 1

SCW Charity Course Dolls 2

SCW Charity Course Dolls 3

SCW Charity Course Dolls 4

SCW Charity Course Dolls 5

SCW Charity Course Dolls 6

SCW Charity Course Dolls 7

SCW Charity Course Dolls 8

SCW Charity Course Dolls 8 (including 'Teddy' the other boy - Jenny had stitched his knees so he could bend his legs more)

SCW Charity Course Dolls 9

SCW Charity Course Dolls 10

SCW Charity Course Dolls 11

Photos by Alan Hinchcliffe, taken in his photo booth - it seemed appropriate that it was a beach scene backdrop.

Our boy standing up (with the help of a doll stand) at the beach (photo Alan Hinchcliffe)

Our boy with the photo of my brother, my sister and I which inspired his clothes (photo Alan Hinchcliffe)

The big group photo outdoors by Alan Hinchcliffe (not everyone was in it unfortunately, so a few dolls and people not included).

SCW 2019 group photo (minus a few important people and dolls) (photo Alan Hinchcliffe)

I would like to thank Janet for negotiating and co-ordinating the creation of these SCW Charity Course dolls, Theresa, Tricia and Petrana and others for their part in the preparation work and everyone at the SCW this year for their infectious enthusiasm for this project despite the pricked fingers, difficulty getting the thumbs out and late night cranial surgery!  It was a cathartic experience to create a very huggable doll with my younger daughter, in our case in memory of my brother Russell, and I am grateful that everyone at the SCW (and in the wider doll enthusiasts online group) was so supportive and understanding as we stuffed and stitched together. 

I'm not sure what my brother would think of us making a doll in his memory - he would probably laugh, tease and say this was typical of me! One of my most cherished memories of our days together in November last year was of him referring to me calmly knitting socks while he dozed as comforting to him after a morning of pain and stress. So maybe he would be pleased about the doll.