Friday, March 1, 2013

Dolls!

At the celebration of the first day of spring today, their crafts teacher gave us a lesson on Traditional Russian Dolls.  These are not the Matryoshka dolls, but ones that are made by families for their children.

In the past, scraps of fabric or clothing would have never been thrown out.  They would have been saved and made into dolls for different types and traditions.  The smallest, just a few inches long would have been given to babies and tied on a string hung over their crib.




When a child grew older, the dolls would still be small, but more elaborate.  This one was a bunny.

This doll is called a "Helper Doll."  When girls turned 7 years old,  it was tradition for them to learn how to cook.  Families would be very large, and lots of help was needed.  At 7 the girl would receive a doll the height of their largest pot.  Then she would make her first meal of porridge.  The helper doll showed her the proportions - up to her neck would be how much porridge to put in, and then she would fill the pot to the top of the dolls head with water!


This is a comforting doll.  It would be hidden away in a secret place, and only brought out if the child was very sad over something.  Ljudmilla L told me that she had a doll like this when she was a child!

We got to make a doll that was special for traveling!  Here are the proportions of the fabric.

Raisa made one with us too!  The head was made of cotton balls.  


Here is part of the body, before the head scarf and apron were added.
Some of the students and adults with our dolls!

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