I was surfing last night for ideas for *one of* my next stitching projects – you can never have too many, in my opinion – and I came across this amazing pincushion doll with a cross stitched skirt. The chart is by Giulia Punti Antichi, from Italy, although she has stockists in various countries, and the half doll is sold by Helen Copland of Belle Bambole Dolls, in Australia (the actual half doll is called Florence, and is on page seven of her half doll range).
Through the wonders of the internet, in one evening, I managed to discuss with both Giulia and Helen about how I could (a) buy the chart, (b) find a half doll EXACTLY like the one in Giulia’s picture on her website and (c) get the correct thread shades of Waterlilies variegated threads for the stitching, and (d) order the lot. I ended up wondering how I’d ever have managed all that before the invention of the internet. Not just the speed of it, but the possibility of being able to find and buy such a lovely, unusual thing from outside my own country (England).
Helen is now going to arrange to send me a half doll with the colours of the bodice matched to the thread colours I have chosen. The other half dolls she sells are all beautiful, too – well worth a look.
Have a look at Giulia’s other items, too – several other pincushion dolls, lots of sewing etui (my passion at the moment), and other interesting sewing ‘smalls’.
One day, I’ll even post an image on here of MY stitched version of this pincushion doll!
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Janet Granger's Blog 
HI – l love this doll as well and some of her other ones. I would love to see how you assemble this. Did Helen or Giulia inform you where you could get the fabric to make the skirt?
I already had a piece of Dupion silk in my stash that’s exactly the same shade of pink as the doll on the front of the chart pack – I bought it about 15 years ago, and I had been keeping it for ‘something special’! I’m just about to start stitching this design next, so I’ll be blogging about it soon.
Some of the other dolls Giulia does in this range are tempting to make, too – I particularly like the doll with the ‘sampler motifs’ skirt.