(You can read her story here.)
Armah Dilla is an example of the character coming to life after I wrote her story.
She is the owner of The Texas Tourist Trap, a souvenir shop located just across the line from Southern New Mexico as you first enter Texas coming toward El Paso. You can visit her shop and buy something Texas to take home with you here.
Probably the hardest thing was working with those jeans.
Her boots I purchased at a doll show in either El Paso or Las Cruces; not sure which. The lady who sold them has had a table at both shows in different years. I haven't been to a doll show since Beth Lane passed away, so I don't know if she still has them for sale.
She had some marvelous shoes, but they are a bit large for regular porcelain doll legs. I just wish now I had gotten one of every type, but at the time I wasn't thinking of making my own armatures.
For my purposes here, however, they were perfect, since Armah's jeans come down over the tops.
Her shirt is made from a bit of leftover gingham from the first Luck of the Draw packet that I used for Mother Goose's shawl.
I made her vest from a pair of leather gloves that I wore practically every winter throughout my teaching career. I managed to work it so that I could use the stitching from the top of the gloves.
I am not sure where I got that hat. I've had it, and two brown ones, for a long time. I added the red leather band and the star trim.
Armah's hair is viscose, also from my stash. I am not sure where I got it, but it came in a tightly curled coil that I manipulated considerably to get Armah's looser curly hair.
She was fun to do, and a tribute to lots of interesting Texas women I have known.
Now that I think about it, I believe she is my first blue-eyed doll!
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