You can read the story of the Queen of Hearts and her tray of tarts here.
This doll's body was put together long ago at Beth Lane's home in Tularosa, NM. I am not sure where I got the head and upper torso. Both were in my dolls drawer for a long time.
For some reason, the old nursery rhyme about the Queen of Hearts had been running around in my head ever since Valentines Day.
The doll actually began when I was sorting through my large collection of decorative wide ribbons shortly after that (ribbon looks lighter in picture). I liked the formal look of the design, and was musing about what I could do with it when my eye fell on a sequin heart box that had contained Valentines chocolates. That's when the concept of The Queen of Hearts was born.
The skirt pattern takes up almost the entire width of the ribbon. I cut away the wired edge and used one panel for the front, one for the back, tapering the top so that it fitted low on her hips to avoid bulk because this is a very heavy ribbon.
Because of the heaviness of the fabric, I used lace to make the bodice. Although it doesn't show here, it is form fitted and extends slightly past the waistline.
The trim used at the neckline is the binding from the edge of the ribbon through which the wire was threaded.
I used a basic Princess pattern (similar to a wizard's robe sleeve as well) from Dana Burton of Dolls of Romance for the sleeve. I did not gather the lace, but to suggest a gathered undersleeve I just poked the lace with my pick inside the sleeve where I had added glue.
Initially I had planned to have her standing, but then as my story evolved, I realized it would be simply too much to expect her to stand for a long period of time holding a heavy tart tray!
So, I got out a filigree back chair for her to use. I really had to do some maneuvering to get her into the appropriate seated position because her legs, undergarments and skirt were already firmly in place. That's why her shoes don't show; I would have had to redo those legs otherwise and frankly I just didn't want to.
The Queen's features are painted with Genesis heat set paints.
Her hair was made from red viscose, and the crown is a toe ring that I found at the dollar store. I added the ruby heart and small red jewels.
I decided to keep her jewelry simple, adding only ruby earrings. The heart and small stones were all from my stash; I believe they were intended for nail designs.
I hope you enjoyed the Queen of Hearts. Maybe next year we can actually get to taste one of those tarts if we're lucky!
