Gail Wilson Designs

A Brief History

Joel Ellis dolls and other similar wooden dolls, collectively called Springfield Woodens, began in Springfield, Vermont, in a factory founded by Joel Ellis in 1858. Ellis made other items, most notably doll carriages, toy carts, some doll furniture and oddly, violin cases. The dolls known as Joel Ellis dolls were only made for one year, 1878, but soon after, a group of men formed a cooperative and made many other variations of the now famous jointed wooden doll using many patents, but primarily all made by Mason and Taylor. With the second group of dolls, the main differences were new composition (various styles) head and more complicated joints. The entire body of dolls is so confusing - it is hard to tell who was responsible for which dolls, that most doll collectors group them all together and call them simply the Springfield Woodens. Only Ellis dolls had the distinctive rock maple wooden head which was then steamed and pressed into molds. This process thus compressed the already hard wood even more and inadvertantly made the heads unable to hold their painted surfaces for more than one season as wood expands and contracts with humidity, thus popping the paint off with the movement. There are virtually no Ellis dolls around today with very good original paint, and even those held by museums have some very old, but nonetheless repaired, paint. The dolls were made with incredible joints and mostly had pewter hands and feet, probably because these could be cast into the shapes, whereas they would be impossible to mass produce by carving. Ellis intended the dolls to be sold undressed so that children could marvel at the joints, but of course children are children and wanted clothing, so Ellis was compelled to hire local women to sew the outfits.I was born and raised in Springfield, Vermont, so it is very appropriate for me to be making these dolls. Since I do not have a factory at my disposal, I have designed a doll that one would know right away is a "Joel Ellis" doll, but one that is able to be produced using simpler methods. My doll has a wooden body with lathe turned arms and legs which are indeed jointed, hands and feet are cast in pewter like the originals and the head, though in the style of an Ellis doll, is my own sculpting and made of sturdy papier mache. The first of my dolls of this type was made in October, 2005. Like Ellis, I find it hard to dress the dolls after all the work on the wood parts, so I include a dress form with my dolls to display her outfit nearby. Each doll is signed and dated. This past year I added a "Mason & Taylor" version, which is to say it has a head more in the general style of M&T dolls with more complicated hair styles and it has the distinctive blue shoes.


NEW IZANNAH WALKER KIT OR PATTERN (13" Doll) - Unlike my other folk style Izannahs whose heads are sewn and stuffed stockinette (click here to open their page and scroll down), I wanted a doll body whose head would provide a canvas for a portrait style painting of her beloved face with corkscrew curls and downcast eyes. For this I wanted flat weave cloth for the whole doll and a separate shoulderplate. This doll is taken from an actual historical example wearing just this same outfit. The period dress with cotton battenburg trim and the printed apron are all part of the kitted supplies. The pattern by itself has instructions for making an apron from other fabric or a pre-printed apron can be ordered below. This is the best pattern I have ever presented. The shape is wonderful and has been long and hard in the making. I am working on (still) a molded cloth face Izannah, but I wanted one that had the charm of simple painting that could be achieved without complicated molds. PATTERN $18 Add to Cart (Aprons sold separately). PATTERN PLUS ALL KITTED SUPPLIES Includes printed apron. (Limited quantities) $42 Add to Cart SEPARATELY AVAILABLE APRONS TO GO WITH PATTERN $16.00 Add to Cart EXTRA IRON-ON FACE/CURLS SETS - 4 sets $1 Add to Cart NEW BONNET PATTERN - I cannot resist bonnets on dolls or dolls with bonnets. This particular one is one of my favorites with its big ruffle taken from an all white one on an antique Izannah Walker doll. $9.50 Add to Cart FINISHED DOLL with Wooden Stand $495 Add to Cart LIMITED EDITION SET - Doll is the same 13" oil painted cloth with a 2-compartment cloth carry case, cloth bound book about the history of IZW dolls and her own 3" tiny painted cloth Izannah. This ltd ed set has different clothing taken from actual historical Izannahs which includes, 2 outfits, cloak and bonnet, 3 piece undies, pocket, emery. $975 Add to Cart If you add this item to cart, only a 10% deposit will be charged to get your order started. Balance will be upon completion and shipment. Estimated delivery time is now late January, 2012.	Click doll image for photo

Would you like to know more about Izannah Walker? Check out these other sites: Dixie Redmond's Izannah Walker Chronicles Historic Izannah Walker Photo Album by Dolls of Yore

	A DOLL FOR DISNEY In early 2001, I was asked to do a doll for the Disney movie, "Tuck Everlasting." The doll originally was to have an important role and my mission was to make three of the same doll - the first was to be worn, but as if in the present time of the movie (1820); the second was to be very tattered and look as if she were 100 years old and the last was to be used in a house fire into which Sissy Spacek, playing the mother, runs to rescue the doll because it is so dear to her. When the movie finally came out in fall of 2002, the doll is only a prop on a shelf, but for me it did not really matter because I considered the challenge so great that when I finished with more success than I felt possible, that became my real reward. The real task for me was not just making a rag doll of the times with the qualifications handed to me (only brown for colors and real hair), but to create one which clearly had the stamp of endearing on her and to take my aging techniques into new territory such that it would be hard to really tell that the doll was not old. Her reception at shows proved I was right, for everyone was drawn to her even when they knew nothing of her connection to a movie. Favorite details are her wispy hair, sweet countenance and her worn shoes. Kit (This is an advanced level kit - you should have done my kits successfully before) $58.00 Add to Cart This kit was going to be discontinued, but remains so popular that it has been brought back with a reduced price of $46. Finished $695 Add to Cart

	KATE GREENAWAY BOY AND GIRL ~ This will make a pair of 10" painted cloth child dolls in a newly worked pattern of a style I am coming to think of as one of the best for a fairly uncomplicated cloth doll with a fully three-dimensional look. Faces are to be outlined with iron-on transfers and hair is a series of templates and brush technique. Painting is a combination of acrylics and fast drying oils. The charm of this pair of dolls comes from their small size, the added interest of a boy and girl pair and of course the wonderful clothing taken entirely from Kate Greenaway illustrations of the late 1800's. This is a doll you will want to make over and over. Pattern $18 Add to Cart Additional Iron-On Faces (10) $1 Add to Cart Finished Set of Kate Greenaways on double stand $595 Add to Cart A limited number of kitted parts (this includes everything you need like my other kits) are available to go with the Pattern above. The fabrics are a blue combination of tiny prints, stripes and solid flannel for the boy. $38 Add to Cart