Saturday, November 23, 2013

A Tailor And Porcelain Dolls
Brand new suits always mean a visit to the tailor for Norm. So one cold morning when Norm visited the tailor, I was prepared to wait out in the car contentedly reading, my all time favorite pastime. But my contentedness was jarred by Norm saying, "You've got to come in and see the tailor's porcelain dolls.  Come on!."  My brain was making adjustments like crazy with the words tailor, sewing, thread, sewing machine,and measuring trying to connect with the words dolls, porcelain, doll clothes, painting, casting, and firing.  Okay, okay, I'll come in to check out this expected horrific menagerie.  Why should I be afraid of in a tailor's shop in Caldwell, Idaho anyway?

My first thought was not  sophisticated or even academic, when, upon entering the shop, my brain registered the mental response of  "Holy cow!  These dolls are unique, gorgeous, and there are so many!  The clothing is stupendous with a wide variety of fashions from Victorian to Bohemian (my favorite by far.)  What's going on here?"  All this happened in nano seconds before my mouth sounded a "Good Morning" to the tailor followed instantly by "Surely you didn't cast all these dolls AND make all the beautiful clothing , did you?"  To which he answered, "Why yes I did and I even give doll making classes here in the evening. Watch for the outside yellow sign in early January 2014!"

The tailor's porcelain doll story began many, many years ago when his daughter was very young and wanted a porcelain doll. When the tailor discovered how costly porcelain dolls were, he decided to take the bull by the horns and learn to make them himself.  Of course, clothing them would be no problem since he was a tailor, for heaven's sake.

Thus, the tailor and porcelain doll maker, similar to  the horseshoeer and horseshoe art sculptor, prove, once again and forever more, that from little things great things can proceed.

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