Chapter Synopsis

Memoirs of a London Doll
January 19, 2009

Chapter 5: My First Frock and Trousers

With Aunt Sharpshins’ permission, Ellen and Nanny are going to make a new frock and trousers for Maria out of bits of silks, velvets and muslins Ellen has collected. Since it is summer and light early in the morning, they will get up at five, giving them an hour to work on Maria’s outfit before their workday starts downstairs. They figure that if they do this for a week they can easily make the frock and trousers. They did not realize though that they would be so exhausted from their thirteen-hour workdays that they just could not get up at five o’clock. For several mornings they called each other to get up but neither one could. One day, Nanny called Ellen to get up and Ellen rolled right out of bed onto the floor, and she was still on the floor asleep at six o’clock when the other girls marched by to go to work. As a result, Ellen came down with a bad cold and sore throat and was told by the doctor to rest in bed for at least two days; and as she could not be alone, and needed help with medicine, Nanny Bell was chosen to stay with her. This was their big chance to finally make Maria’s outfit. They cut out the pattern from their scraps of material and by day two, Maria’s outfit was complete – a beautiful lemon-colored merino with a sash of violet colored velvet and very full in the skirt. They even made silk stockings and black satin boots.

DISCUSSION:

This was a sweet chapter. I loved the way the two little girls tried to get up early, and neither of them could. I have a hard time believing Ellen got sick from lying on the floor, but as a literary device, ok, I can handle it. As for the physic--it is described as red and yellow. I wonder when the color orange was first used? Maybe red and yellow IS the color orange? Interesting.

The description of how they figured out the size for the outfit is very detailed, and I imagine that is the way ladies would have had their dresses made--by being measured and measured! And when she describes sewing the stockings onto the legs to fit them--??? I wonder what that was.
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I once made a doll’s stockings that way. Wrap jersey knit around leg, pin close to leg, and sew using back stitch and enclosing feet. Cut material close to stitches. ________________________________

I was wondering how it could be done. I couldn't think how! I guess that does make sense, but I bet it was hard!
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The hardest part was getting it off the doll after sewing it.
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I was very surprised that Aunt Sharpshins allowed the girls to make an outfit for Maria. Also, that she allowed Nanny to sit with Ellen when she became sick. That is four hands that are not working in the “shop.” Maybe Aunt Sharpshins has a very small touch of kindness in her, but I doubt it. I am amazed also at the detail of the outfit they made for Maria. I make humble dresses for my Hittys and the girls are sewing a very detailed outfit, plus silk stockings and black satin boots, and all that measuring!! I’m impressed.
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Maybe she did have a bit of kindness in her. It's a wonder they weren't made to sew real clothes in the little tent they made!!

The way the description of the physic read caught my eye--I was trying to figure out what a red and yellow substance would look like--duh! Orange!

Did you know that, originally, oranges were called noranges? It became corrupted into orange--as in, 'have a norange' to 'have an orange'. I have an orange-haired troll here at the AGA whose name is N'orange.
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Hey, my Hittys have a wooden duck whose name is L'Orange! But she's white. Go figure.

I was thinking that the red and yellow of the physic might be trying to describe a substance that is red, but sometimes it sort of shimmers in the light, making it also look yellow, perhaps as with oil and water.
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Let's not be to be quick to criticize Auntie Sharpshins.

One thing I thought about is that it was common for children at that time in that place to go away to school, so sending Ellen off to learn a trade wasn't unusually cruel; and children weren't as indulged as they are in this time at this place.

Auntie could have left Ellen to fend for herself but instead she allowed a second child to be away from work.

I really saw this chapter as quite an adventure. The struggle to try to get up early was a hoot and I love the stolen sheet tent. The slight illness was an inconvenience that they turned into a benefit, which also served to draw the two girls closer together as friends.
There are some good lessons here.

Also, it was the girls who assumed they would be in trouble and pretended to be sleeping.
Obviously, Auntie was concerned enough to check on them when she could.

There must be an element of drama to have a story interesting.
I'd be bored with it if it just said, "When they were finished with their day's work, they took the scraps to make doll clothes."
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So true. I think if we were reading the book at the time it was written, we wouldn't feel so aghast.

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