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Anyone who owns an antique or reproduction doll will at some time
long for such a trousseau. Cindy Hernandez, a modern day couturiere,
is no exception. She chose her French C Series Steiner painted by
artisan Dee Benisek as the lucky doll. The 14-inch body makes the
doll a nice mid-size model for the growing array of clothes. The
doll, named Amelia after Cindy's paternal grandmother, is the proud
owner of each piece of the 1885-87 trousseau, which has been researched
and developed for authenticity and sewing techniques of the time
period.
The Victorian
era has always been of interest to Cindy, so when she began her
business of doll costuming, the antique and quality reproduction
antique dolls were a natural. She attended Ray Vogue Fashion Design
School in Chicago, thus insuring authentic period designs and fabrics
in her costuming and patterns, and years of experience sewing for
designers at a clothing manufacturer have produced exquisite workmanship.
Cindy's creative flair is seen in each trousseau piece. That flair,
combined with her knowledge of fashion history and second-to-none
workmanship have produced several awards for her costumes over the
years.
The party
confection, which is part of the trousseau, won a blue ribbon
and Best of Category in the Doll Costumer's Guild Chicago-area competition.
The same dress, with hat, underclothes, shoes and socks, went on
to win Expert Class First Place in the 1997 national competition
of the Doll Costumer's Guild of America.
With this background, let's take a look at the wonderful trousseau
Cindy is putting together for Amelia.
Since underlinens
form the foundation of an ensemble, Cindy designed two sets--one
for everyday wear and one for special occasions. With the addition
of three different styles of dress and night wear, the basic necessities
in a trousseau are covered.
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