Being a (retired) military wife, little Nona tugged at my heart. I remember when we moved and my daughters felt like they didn't dress like other kids, their hair style was all wrong, and it was scary to make new friends. I wanted to grab Nona and hug her! Has anyone noticed that Happiness and Flower FEEL the same way! They have no home, they don't fit in, their clothes are not the same as the children. Yet, they have that core of "self". They are Japanese and proud to be so.
Maybe my emotions run a bit deeper in this story line than others. I know how difficult it is to live in another country and want to fit in, yet have that sense of pride at being American. It's a difficult balance to be respectful and to be proud and unapologizing at the same time!
----------------
My Hitty Girls have launched themselves right into this book discussion project…and have been discussing kimonos and colours… they have set up a separate page on their blog! http://hittyatrosecottage.blogspot.co.uk/p/book-discussion-miss-flower.html They hope to document each stage and their thoughts as we also work out way through the book.
I love how the author describes the two little Japanese dolls you can just imagine ‘Their eyes were slits of black glass…’ My girls would have loved to reproduced those kimonos as described! I too can empathize with poor Nona, it is so hard having to adjust to another country, home and people as well as different climate (especially when it can be so grey a lot of the time!) You can also just imagine how those two little dolls would have felt with those three big faces looking down at them in wonder.
Lorraine
--------------------
Denise H wrote;
Maybe my emotions run a bit deeper in this story line than others. I know how difficult it is to live in another countryand want to fit in, yet have that sense of pride at being American. It's a difficult balance to be respectful and to be proud and unapologizing at the same time!
Oh I don’t thinks so Denise, I too can relate to this very well…I always feel a sense of confusion as to who I really am and where I fit in…born in England, moved to New Zealand when I was six, so spent really my most formative and growing up years there, and now back in England again, not really knowing just quite where my roots belong, feeling a sense of pride in both countries.
Lorraine
-----------------------
And an interesting article about Japanese dolls: Article
about Japanese Dolls Looking forward
to doll and kimono making, Susan K in ON
--------------------------------
I think this can be a universal feeling. I've lived most of my life in the same county, not just the same country, but still feel as if I don't fit in, merely because I wasn't actually born here, my mom's family is from Hawaii and I am adopted by my dad (who was as local as they come; I still meet cousins I didn't know I had!). Add in a birth father's family that wants to include you but is positively alien to your upbringing, and I can totally sympathize with Nona.
Plus all of us here already sympathize with dolls. Belinda clearly doesn't quite get them the same way as Nona. (She kind of reminds me of the little sister in The Doll People, whose dollhouse is pure chaos and whose dolls are fortunately plastic, while the older and more sensitive sister cares for the porcelain heirloom family.) I too would like to scoop up those little Japanese sweethearts and make them feel at home. We'll see how well we can pull that off over the remaining chapters!
Can't wait to get all this going! To start us off, two cute tiny kokeshi dolls that are also nesting dolls with little mini kokeshis inside arrived in the mail for me, and some weird mix-and-bake candy thing from Japan arrived for Maddy. So we're ready to go all cultural, antique and modern.
Kristen
---------------------
While rereading the chapter, I had some interesting thoughts/observations.
1. Is it a Japanese tradition to wrap packages in colorful string before sending them? I have been doing a lot of Ebay ordering the last few months (rement, Japanese goodies, etc), and several of the packages came done up in pretty string. Not all, but some, and it isn't something I've seen on other out-of-country purchases. If that is some sort of tradition, then it shows that whoever sent the dolls (which we haven't read yet), does care about their heritage. And San Francisco does have a larger Asian population, yes? Plus travelers ... it would be easier to visit Japan or have friends/relatives who did from the West coast than from over on the East side of the US where I am. Anyway, the string caught my attention, especially since one of my packages was also specifically red and white string.
2. How can we make silver bangle bracelets for our Hittys who might be playing Nona's part? That would be a fun accessory, but I haven't done much with wire.
Skimming the reading outline:
1. Is it okay to read ahead (privately) for some of the crafts that are listed earlier than their chapters, like the Star Festival tree, even if we wait to post to the right week?
2. For silk cushions ... would spare ties work for that like they were used in the retreat project? I found some at a thrift store that I haven't dared touch yet (stocking up in case silk tie projects became the new rage here), and some of the patterns might work for the doll house cushions. Or is there some better material I should be using.
I was just thinking that the one thing I was going to miss about chemo was the chance to sit and craft while being tied to a chair ... and now we are using a formula drip to get my nutrition up to speed, so I find myself tied to the sofa for extended times, as of today. What oddly fortuitous timing. Just gotta stack up my Japanese craft supplies!
Kristen
-------------------------
I have finally gotten the little eraser kokeshi dolls, and have several to spare. (I over-ordered on purpose for us! The Girl Scouts had their turn.) For those reading along, if you would like one of these tiny dolls, please send me a private email with your address so I can try to send some out. I already have one name.
I will try to keep up, and if I run low, I will try to let folks know. Not sure how many of us are reading along; might be enough to go round, might not. They are also ordered on ebay, so if you want lots, they are not hard to find. I even saw small sets with little eraser lucky cats, which should stand at the front door of a happy Japanese home according to my kids' research books. I don't have those yet, so if someone orders, let us know how the scale works out!
Kristen
---------------
Susan
Many thanks for those great links :-)
I have been thinking of making a Japanese Hitty doll with wooden head
(possibly
a shoulder head?) and cloth body, as described in the story. Perhaps
the
quickest way now would be to order a shoulder head blank? I did wonder
about
making a papier mache head but as yet have no experience of this so
decided to
go for an area where I do have a little experience. Otherwise perhaps
I'll make
a cloth doll to do for now, 5" tall :-) Like Miss Happiness and Miss
Flower.
I am going to be spending a little time next month with a Japanese
acquaintance
(new wife of an old friend), and also another couple with Japanese wife
so hope
to get expert advice! Meanwhile also have to make an Omiyage to give
thanks for
being invited to stay in c18th farmhouse with them. (and apparently I
have to
wear c18th clothes for some of the time - I will insist they must also
wear
Kimono!)
Kimono this weekend, maybe a Toothpick doll - Star Festival tree ...
spring
version :-) Hitty Lucy will visit a fantastic (for UK ;-) fabrics shop
today
and we hope to acquire kimono fabric :-)
Caro
---------------------------
I
agree with Kristen that the feeling is a universal
feeling. I also feel that Rumer Godden is very good at evoking emotions
in a
light, subtle way in her writing. For me even the first sentence, "They
were two little Japanese dolls, only about five inches high.", is
evocative and emotional. Perhaps this is because it takes me as a
stranger back
both to my own childhood at a fifty year distance, and to my daughter's
at a
twenty year distance? Part of me longs to be both seven again, and 32
again,
those days are a foreign country much longed for, too. As a child I
also felt
"different" - has taken me the remaining fifty years to explore why
that might be, in all its various layers.
And how many of us can empathise with 'Miss Happiness sighed, and said,
"We were not asked." ? On behalf of our own Hittys, children,
selves... I wonder too about the Indian Ayah, how much Nona must have
missed
her as the only mother figure she'd had, and how the Ayah must have
grieved for
Nona.
I'm fascinated in how the black glass is inserted, and then ? the stuff
forming
the eyelids is put on? Does anybody have experience with this technique?
As for my Hittys, I don't yet have enough of them to have a separate
Nona .. My
Hittys will have to double up.
Kristen, could you buy some crinkly wire to make bangles? Many of the
Indian
bangles can be absolutely plain or with minimal etchings - it's the
quantity
that count!
Belinda ... well, she's an entirely different character from Nona, and
quite a
bit less mature ... they do seem poles apart, don't they? RG does point
up very
well the tension and difficulty for Nona and this 'quick off the mark'
and
increasingly jealous but at home in her own space, Belinda. Thank
goodness for
the 'little girl who is clever and kind' - I feel the relief in that
implied
promise :-)
Caro
--------------------------
I too think this is a universal feeling. I was born and raised in a city near where I now live. I often felt out of place. By the time I was a teen I would tell people that I was from Mars.
Pauline
---------------------------------------
It's interesting what parallel lives the dolls and Nona have.
1. They have no power over their lives.
2. They are sent to live in a place very different than their home.
3. They look, dress, and talk (at least Nona does) differently.
4. They are homesick, scared, and lonely.
Nona empathizes with the dolls and draws comfort in helping the dolls to adjust to their new
home by making the decorations for the star festival and plans a house for them thinking of what they need, not forcing them into Belinda's doll house.
At this point in the story, it looks as though there is no one in Nona's life who has the same kind of compassion on her to help her adjust to her new life.
Sharon and the Sweet Home Hittys
----------------------------------
Excellent points, and I love how the author uses the feelings of the dolls to underscore Nona’s feelings and vice-versa.
Paula C.
---------------------
Big ditto. Moving across the country from west to east was like moving to a different planet… ;-) This first chapter got me to wondering, what makes a home feel like a home? Is it small things, big things, or just an accumulation of things? Or will it be in the “doing” of making that Nona will come to feel somewhat home?
Paula C.
------------------------------
I was going through a box and found a clothespin doll dressed in a kimono, which inspired me to look for instructions on making them. Mine is not like the one shown -- she doesn't have a big ball head and her hair is made of some kind of fiber. But I thought this was a cute idea.http://miniatures.about.com/od/dollshousedolls/ss/Dress-A-Clothespin-Doll-In-A-Simplified-Kimono.htm
I'll try to get a picture of my Asian dolls when I am off work Monday and Tuesday. I was wondering if Miss H and Miss F are what are called gofun? I think I've got one of those stashed somewhere.I got my book a few days ago and hope to join in some of the activities.
Holly K.
-----------------------------
I found an interesting blog showing the restoration stages of a lovely Japanese doll:
http://theardentthread.com/2010/07/04/meiji-ningyo-restoration-part-i/
http://theardentthread.com/?s=Ningyo
I found this too: (the doll photos are amazing)
http://www.antiquejapanesedolls.com/sosaku_ningyo.html
Alan Scott Pate is owner of Alan Scott Pate Antique Japanese Dolls based in St Ignatius, MT. ‘’He is a noted authority on antique Japanese dolls and the author of: ‘Ningyo: The Art of the Japanese Doll (Tuttle, 2005),
Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo (Tuttle, 2007), and Maneki Neko: Japan’s Beckoning Cats, from Talisman to Pop Icon (Mingei International Museum, 2011).’He received his MA from Harvard University in 1990. Visit www.antiquejapanesedolls.com for more information about Japanese Dolls and upcoming publications and Alan Pate’s show and exhibition schedule.
And did you see this when I posted it earlier?
Susan K in ON
------------------------------
Lorraine, the washi ningyo doll is a bit bigger than Hitty size…it looks MUCH easier than a toothpick doll….. and also easier than a clothespin doll.The clothespin is 4 inches tall, and there is still a neck and head above the clothespin…I printed off a photo with the clothespin measuring 4 inches tall, the neck extends about ½ inch,and the styrofoam ball is at least 1 ½ inches.My guess is that her dolls are about 6 ½ inches tall .
Susan K in ON
----------------------
Hello,
This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has
been
uploaded to the Files area of the hittygirls group.
File : /Origami Doll/doll directions.pdf
Uploaded by : slbrush@sbcglobal.net <slbrush@sbcglobal.net>
Description : Here are the directions on how to make a paper origami
doll.
You can access this file at the URL:
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/hittygirls/files/Origami%20Doll/doll%20directions.pdf
Regards, slbrush@sbcglobal.net <slbrush@sbcglobal.net>
----------------------------------
I
have posted a picture of my two 4" Japanese
dolls. Sitting on the arm chair is a teeny 1 1/4" baby Japanese
doll. In the background are 2 beautifully embroidered pictures
that I was
fortuate to be able to buy. Their kimonos are really
pretty.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hittygirls/photos/albums/876669719/lightbox/1942452137
You will notice 2 origami paper dolls in the picture, too. These
dolls
are so simple to make. It would be very easy to reduce their
sizes and
make them for Hitties. I have included a file for the orgami
dolls.
Enjoy Leonarda
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/hittygirls/files
--------------------------------
Some of you may enjoy reading "Little Oh" by Laura Kraus Melmed as a companion to "Miss Happiness and Miss Flower". It is a charming story, beautifully illustrated, about a little origami doll and her adventures.
http://www.origami-resource-center.com/little-oh.html
Jane
----------------------------
I found a set of Japanese Printie Room Vignettes, for those who might prefer that to building a Japanese house:
http://shikisha.net/fig/chambre/top.htm
All of the Japanese characters in the grid at the bottom of the page are clickable links to pdf files.
Susan K in ON
------------------
Paula,
I will show the book to my Japanese friend on Thursday and see if she
knows
anything about it, I am really hoping she is interested in dolls!
Restoring a Gofun Meiji Ningyo doll
Susan, I really enjoyed this story about the little boy doll - he's so
cute! I
felt his expression did change and was a little less charming, but I'm
sure she
will enjoy him - but probably from the safety of a cabinet! I prefer
dolls that
can be dressed, tho it is wonderful to see dolls in very elaborate
dress done
well. I'm not so keen on the touristy type that have a bit of mis-cut
lace here
and there glued on with non authentic fabrics!
The Alan Pate site is really wonderful, thanks so much! So much to see,
learn,
admire... the exquisite craftspersonship!
Has anybody seen the dolls of Atae Juki? (or Juki Atae) They are simply
beautiful, atmospheric modern Japanese art dolls. Do google! or
Pinterest! In
fact there is a wealth of Japanese dolls on Pinterest.
I think our Miss Happiness and Miss Flower might be small scale
Itchimatsu
dolls. They represent children, these days in many formats, and are
'play'
dolls - rather than 'display' dolls. I'm sure Miss H & Miss F were
play
dolls.
Caro
---------------------------
On to the book: Nona, Miss Happiness, and Miss Flower experienced their big moves. I loved the detail of the box being tied with string. I felt sad and a great deal of empathy with Miss Flower who said declared "I feel strange and cold" and with Nona. who also felt strange and cold in the new place where it was always winter. As a child, an only child, I moved to a neighborhood where all the other children had lived their entire lives with sisters and brothers and each other, and who were all two years younger than me. I was a tall, thin child, taller by far than any of the others, and they called me names like string bean and soda straw. They said I talked funny (my mother taught me to speak only clear, proper English, and did not teach me how to socialize). so I grew up feeling left out and alone. Nona must have felt like that. And Miss Flower. Fortunately, Miss Flower had Miss Happiness to counter balance the negativity, and who lived up to her name, always looking on the bright side. Nona needs someone like Miss Happiness.
I'd lost my original copy of this book, and had to invest in another one, but I'm glad I did. And I'm glad to be back with HittyGirls, too. Happy
------------------------
In this half of the first chapter Miss Happiness and Miss Flower arrive in England. there is a contrast in the personalities of Nona and Belinda. Nona is patient and careful. Belinda is impatient and careless. When Belinda takes the dolls and dumps them in her messy doll house. Nona gets angry.Poor Miss Flower is so distressed when Belinda shoves her other dolls aside that she falls over. It is now that Nona remembers some things about Japanesse people she has seen in a book. The dolls begin wishing hard ,so hard that even Belinda hears them. Nona gets the idea to build the house with encouragement from Tom and Anne.
I think Tom And Anne really want to include Nona in the family but little Belinda is a bit jealous . Pauline