The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
She MAKES DOLLS OF PAPER
AND FINDS SHE CAN'T FILL HALF
HER ORDERS.

How q Girls Effort 20 get PIN Money Has
Developed Into q Thriving industry
Finest Materials Used for tire Dresses
and the Greatest Care Must ne Taken.
"The Teddy bear has not yet devoured
the paper doll baby" said Miss Constance
Nunnse Of Maryland. who In credited by the
various branches OF the Women's Exchange
with making the most beautiful paper dolls
on the market. in spite OF the cra2o for
tho fuzzy little bruins have never received
as many orders for paper dolls.
1T was quite by accident that l became
a paper doll maker by profession. When l
was a girl / used TO make my pin money by
painting and selling water colored sketches
Of the three Confederate flags. As had
never had a lesson In painting or draw ing
in my life you ma guess what crude little
attempts they were. l sold them for a
dollar apiece and sometimes o get
orders for several from the same person,
who wished to give some little memento to
Confederate veterans.
IL remember once that l received through
a friend an order for three copies Of my
flags from a young woman who was visiting
Washington. She asked that / take par
ticular pains with them. as she intended to
give one to the widow Of the President Of
the Confederacy and the other to two old
ladies' who were still devoted TO the lost
cause. When my check came for those
three sketches it was for IS instead Of o..
and a more graceful, encouraging letter l
never expect to read.
-She wrote me that she. too. wasa Southern
girl who earned her own money. She
.ufl 800 - l1- IT, nRoxs. NJ. N xrv,$or md
hoping that l would persevere. pointed
put a way whereby I might earn money
To take art lessons. That way wa paper
dolls sold through the Woman's Exchange.
l didn't do much with my first effort. but
the next winter l accepted In invitation
to visit a friend in a large city Of the middle
West. In the exchange in that city I saw
for the first time a really beautiful paper
doll. II was dressed in white china silk
and had a real straw hat. OF course l
knew at once that it was such dolls that
the young author had in mind
AN through that visit | was studying
faces and costumes and spending my few
pennies for materials. When | returned
home I set TO work and At the END Of the
second week forwarded 10 that Woman's
Exchange half a dozen young lady paper
dolls with their summer outfits Of dresses,
underwear, hats. parasols and fans. They
were ell sold the day they were put on
exhibition and an order came back that
kept mo working hard for a month.
That summer | devoted my time TO
max ing dolls for the autumn and winter
trade. | sent TO Paris and London for the
latest fashion books and | made my doll
trousseaux by them. With the money I
earned on the dolls sold that winter not
only was able to come 10 the city and tax
my first course in an art school, but | was
able to bring my younger sister with me
and ray her exT enses rs a music pupil.
"All our spare moments were devoted
to making paper dolls. While she could
not help me with the painting, she was
particularly delft with her needle. l am
sure some of the most beautiful dolls l
nave ever sent out we're made that winter.
h next year things went 80 well with
IA that we thought ourselves justified in
employing an assistant. l can't say Just
why, but the result was not satisfactory.
We not only had several dolls and their
clothes returned, but received many
letters OF remembrance from the exchanges
that had sold for us, enclosing faultfinding
letters from customers at a distance who
had ordered and paid in advance.
They we're Just such faults as a fash
ionable woman would find with her dress
maker-the clothes didn't fit, the dresses
lacked style and the hats were unbecom-
ing or the colors were not artistically COM
bincd. One woman who sent hers back
said she you'd never think of giving her
little daughter such a trump of a doll. She
felt sure IL would be az good as setting
her an example for untidiness. The worst
Of it was that my sister and l had 70 ac-
knowledge the justice Of il all.
st served as a lesson in patience and not
being 20 eager TO earn money at the ex-
pense OF honest work. We decided to
accept only the orders that We could All
without outside assistance. Since then
we nave never had a doll returned and
very few letters of complaint. Once In a
while where a child objects to some par
ticular dress or hat in her dolls wardrobe
we send her sketches OF our other styles
and make her one in exchange for II. l
make the same requirement that is made
in the best dry goods stores-the article
offered for exchange must not be rumpled
or soiled.
They are paper dolls, just as their name
indicates. but unlike the old fashioned
playthings Of the same name, mine are
dressed. and more carefully h the highest
priced wax doll. This care and daintiness
il absolutely necessary for the success OF
a pretty doll. Only the sheerest, finest
materials can he used Tor the underwear.
The ordinary quality of lace or white muslin
cannot bc used successfully even on dow
ayers or dolls intended for maids and
mattresses. When IL comes to the dress
then the material must suit the condition,
type and age Of the wearer.
'@The largest family Of paper dolls | have
made was eighteen inches tall. That is,
the father aDd grandfather were exactly
that height, and the mot her and grand
mother were only a bit shorter. The two
Young people were designed as bride and
bridegroom. ! fitted them up with a most
elaborate trousseau and l understand
they had a most impressive church wedding.
Then it seems that the little girl mother
realized that she couldn't give them a we'd
ding reception because there vast no
mother and father to be present. Her own
mother solved the problem by suggesting
that the bride and bridegroom remain away
on their wedding trip until ! could furnish
the parents necessary for respectabiity.
although I set To work to make the par
ents almost as soon a. ! received the order.
before they were finished | had not Less
than five letters from the little girl urging
me to hurry, and giving as her reasons the
near approach OF the newly married pair.
While 7 do not approve OF making such
large paper dolls. because l think them
inartistic. that family has given me a great
deal Of pleasure. ] have since. furnished
two children for the young people, a young
- a. "a saN wranrA And Nuuf1a m