Each Mourning Doll is a representation and embodiment of grief and each one is a labor of love. I make Mourning Dolls to give us a way to hold our grief, and to honor it.
Meet Lenore..
"In Lenore's grief, her chest became a wound, which held keening and despair in the place of her heart."
Lenore's under dress is matte black fabric. Her bodice is slim fitting with antique lace accents at her neckline and on her back. The overlay on her skirt is the same antique lace from the 1800's. The lace is intricate and delicate, I've included a detail picture of it. The silhouette it creates is beautiful, giving Lenore a very full skirt. Her earrings are part of a necklace from the 1920's. The faceted black glass beads in her hair are 1800's.
Her hair is so soft, and made of hand dyed sheep wool. She is 24" tall. She has the quote 'My heart is a keening wound' hand written on her torso. She comes with a small black bordered card with her name and quote handwritten by me.
Lenore was made in my home studio. I use cotton muslin and a traditional dye for her body. Her legs are black muslin. Lenore's body is made with a combination of machine and hand stitching. I then hand stuffed and assembled her using a needle and thread.