Keisha's Topsy Turvy Doll

Keisha has finished her doll!

Isn't she beautiful!

I just love her adorable nose!

I forgot to ask if this doll has a name, so I'll update this post if I find out.

Keisha contacted me in June 2008 - she goes to school in the UK and contacted me through my Etsy shop ennadoolf.etsy.com. I sell Topsy Turvy dolls in my Etsy shop and Keisha wanted to make her doll as a school project as part of her textiles coursework. We talked about the history of Topsy Turvy dolls and how it is believed that they were first created, and how such a doll may help to teach diversity.

From this website:
The Topsy-Turvy design dates back to before the American Civil War, when many of these dolls were actually mixed race – white on one side, black on the other. Often they featured a well-turned mistress of the house, backed by a raggedly dressed black servant. [...] Interestingly, after the Civil War, the design of the doll shifted somewhat and the dual identity became that of a white child and its black mammy caretaker, indicating that some conceptual difference had taken place in the minds of its creators.

Congratulations, Keisha - a beautiful doll!!