From the Banish Box: Topsy-Turvy Dolls

I began machine sewing when I was in 7th grade, and since then, I have had many projects that... for whatever reason... were never finished.  Some of these projects were cut-outs that I simply lost interest in completing.  Others frustrated me so much that I sentenced them to hard time in the banish box, never to set eyes on again... at least until the following summer.  At first, my banish box was a shoe box, but over time, it grew into its present shape- a black Drona box from Ikea.  Every summer, I open the banish box, vowing that this will be the year that I finish all of these left-over projects.  And every summer ends... and yet the banish box remains.  With a baby on the way, I knew I wouldn't be quite as ambitious as I have been in years passed, but there was one project I was determined to finish... the oldest project in the box... the Topsy-Turvy doll I began sewing when I was 12 years old.

Many historians argue over the origins and purpose of the original Topsy-Turvy dolls.  Most agree the dolls predate the Civil War and have ties to slavery.  They often featured a white doll on one side and a black doll on the other.  In the early 20th century, toy manufacturers began marketing this style of doll as a Topsy-Turvy, named after characters from the popular novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. The white doll represented Little Eva while the black doll represented Topsy.  Through the years, the dolls lost its racial stereotyping, and today these dolls can be found in all shapes and sizes.

In 7th grade, I walked into Piece Goods as a novice sewer.  I understood the basics, and I felt as if I had been ushered into a new world where creativity was only limited by desire.   I browsed the pattern catalogs and selected a pattern that grabbed my attention- Simplicity 8210- a Topsy Turvy doll.  I remember my mom trying to veto the idea, but my heart was set on it.  I carefully selected my fabric from the remnants table- not the best quality fabric, but to an idealistic newbie like me, it might as well have been satin or silk.  My mom made it clear that if I wanted to tackle this project, I would be on my own.  No problem, Mom.  I know what I am doing.

At home, I carefully read the directions and cut out my pieces of fabric.  I even transferred all of the pattern markings onto the fabric, using a black color pencil- something I would regret doing 20 years later.  I sewed the dolls arms, body, and head without any problems.  This was easy! And then I looked at the dress.  The words used in this pattern were different than the ones I was familiar with.  What was a yoke? It looked like the front of the dress... like a bodice... but something was missing.  I was grandma-taught, and I couldn't remember her saying anything about a yoke.  I asked my mom, and she said if I didn't know, then I shouldn't be sewing such a hard pattern.  I was on my own.  In 1992, we had no internet to answer all of our questions, so I did the only thing I could... I just dove in and began sewing.  At first, everything seemed to be going well.  The shoulders lined up, and I could see the beginnings of a pinafore.  But something was wrong with the arm holes.  They didn't match.  Clearly something had gone wrong, but what? I poured over the directions, trying to find my mistake, but found nothing.  I decided to set the pinafore aside and concentrate on the dress.  After sorting the pieces, I realized I didn't have enough.  Something was missing, but what?  Again, I read the cutting layout, determined to figure it out, but I didn't understand the word interfacing.  I spread out my fabric and began cutting what I thought I needed.  The pinking shears trembled in my hands and slipped. I had a cut a whole right in the middle of the piece! At that point, my patience was gone, and I admitted defeat.  This pattern was too hard for me.  I stuffed the doll, the pattern, and fabric pieces into a shoebox and hid it in the back of my closet.  I didn't want to see it again, least I was reminded that I still had many things to learn!

For the next 20 years, I avoided looking at that doll, but I couldn't bare to throw her away either.  So she resided at the bottom of the banish box until this summer when I looked at her with more experienced eyes.  After all, I had improved my sewing technique a lot in 20 years. I was surprised to see that the doll itself was sewn pretty well.  The dress, however, was a mess! I used my seam ripper to try and salvage what I could, but it was a pretty hopeless case.  I decided to cut out new pieces for the dress, and this time, I had no problems sewing it.  My original concept was a Cinderella doll- one side poor and the other side wearing her ball gown.  As I embroidered her face, I kept pricking my finger.  This doll wanted to be Sleeping Beauty, so she had a personality change at the last minute.  The final task was gluing on the hair- something I had never done.  I pulled out my trusty hot melt glue gun, but I didn't like the results.  I decided to sew the hair on the doll, which would take longer to finish... but after 20 years... I was in no rush!

When she was finally finished, I couldn't explain the happiness I felt.  After 20 years, the project was finally finished! My husband then asked a question I hadn't expected- now what? I decided this doll would have a place in the baby's room.  It would serve as my own personal reminder to never give up on a dream... Some dreams may take longer than others to complete. Some are easier to obtain.  But as long as you continue working and trying to improve... as long as you are willing to set a goal and continue working towards it, you can achieve the impossible!