Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!

This little girl has been in charge of making all the sweet things. And boy does she have some special treats!

Ruby is my original design and is guaranteed one of a kind. I’ve used no patterns or molds to create her or her clothing. Ruby is 32" tall from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Ruby has been made of muslin and stuffed with fiberfill. Her lower torso has been rag-stuffed & bean filled in order to weight her bottom. I’ve hand-painted & sanded Ruby many, many times. She has been treated to a series of paint washes that give her a beautiful, deeply aged patina, giving her the look of a well loved antique. Ruby’s arms are lightly wired allowing her to be gently posed.

Ruby’s facial features (nose & bottom lip) have been needle-sculpted & hand-painted. Her bottom lip pouts. She has sweet pink cheeks, detailed eyebrows, big brown eyes & what else but ruby red lips. Ruby’s fingers have been needle-sculpted. Ruby has been painted with premium acrylic paints. She has been accented & shaded heavily with oil pastels. Viola has been sealed top to bottom with clear, glossy acrylic sealer so that she may be lightly dusted over the years.

Ruby sports tan painted gloves & sweet brown boots. Her gloves & boots have been shaded & accented & highlighted right down to her laces. Ruby also sports red & tan striped socks….perfectly fit for a girl in charge of the canes!

Ruby also wears a brown corduroy vest laced with chocolate ribbon over a white gathered ‘peasant’ blouse made from white muslin. It is gathered at the neck & sleeves. Ruby’s skirt has been made from a truly spectacular Robert Kaufman 100% cotton print. It is truly supple & silky to the touch. These three pieces feature tons of hand-stitching. All exposed hems have been hand-stitched as shown in the photos below. In addition, Ruby’s undershirt & skirt have been dyed in a coffee & lavender bud bath to gently age the appearance of the clothing. They were then hand-washed & pressed with linen water. Ruby’s sweet hat has been made from chocolate corduroy. It is lined with a striped 100% cotton print. It has been cuffed at the opening & pinned to Ruby’s head with corsage pins. She can be displayed without it & features a full head of honey blonde 100% mohair underneath. Ruby’s hair is fashioned into two side braids with cute wisps peeking out in the front. I’ve lightly glued Ruby’s hair to her head for extra stability, then carefully needle-felted it in place.

Ruby’s candy canes are 12" long. They are made front reproduction pillow ticking & a 100% cotton print that matches the lining in Ruby’s hat. The fabric has been treated to a coffee & lavender bud bath then hand-washed before being stuffed with polyfill. Ruby’s bundle is tied with a chartreuse satin ribbon.