The Most Important Redhead

This year I noticed that several of the female characters on my children’s book and movie characters tree were redheads (even Madeline seems to be a redhead now). I also realized that the most important redhead was missing and I decided I needed an Anne of Green Gables ornament. I looked to see if there were any available online but then decided to make my own and ordered a package of clothespins instead. None of the ornaments and images of Anne online seemed quite right. Frankly the calico dresses with pinafores said Little House on the Prairie not Anne of Green Gables to me. I thought it was only right to give my Anne ornament the puffed sleeve dress that Matthew had Mrs. Lynde make as a Christmas present for Anne.

Anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent silence. Oh, how pretty it was – a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pin-tucked in the most fashionable way, with a little ruffle of filmy lace at the neck. But the sleeves – they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown silk ribbon.

Quite an elaborate dress to recreate for a clothespin doll but I think I got a lot of the elements using brown grosgrain ribbon, some vintage brown seam binding, and a piece of lace I cut from a slip I never wear.

I decided my Anne needed the slippers Diana’s Aunt Josephine gave her that Christmas too.

Anne opened the box and peeped in. First a card with “For the Anne-girl and Merry Christmas” written on it; and then a pair of the daintiest little kid slippers, with beaded toes and satin bows and glistening buckles.

Again quite a lot of embellishments! I used ribbon to make the shoes and some straight pieces from a vintage hook and eye card to make the buckles which I threaded with ribbon to tie bows at the back. I looked up early 20th century “beaded toe slippers” and after trying a few searches found some images of fancy shoes with beaded flowers on the toes. So I made two white beaded flowers with a silver bead in the center. Then with her “carrot red” embroidery thread braids, Anne was ready to join Madeline, Pippi, and Anna on the tree.

That brunette peeking up is Dorothy from one of many illustrated versions of The Wizard of Oz. I also have the movie version of Dorothy otherwise I’d be tempted to make a Dorothy ornament with one of the 99 clothespins I have left!