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Romeo and Juliet
“..palm to palm is holy Palmer’s kiss…”

This couple was originally intended for the online competition’s Shakespeare in Love category. When I didn’t get them done in time for the online competition, but DID manage to get them done before we left for the 2007 IFDC, I begged Jim to let me submit them and, when he agreed, I constructed a quick ‘accessory’ which made them sort-of eligible for the “Hysterical Historical” category.

The entry took second place.
The ‘accessory’ was a baby in a cradle, illustrating an alternate ending to the story:
their ruse works and they live happily ever after.
Romeo and Juliet in the “palm to palm is holy Palmer’s kiss” pose.

The photos below were taken right before we left for the convention and they are not as sharp as I would like them to be but I no longer have the dolls so I cannot take new ones. Also, in these photos, Juliet is wearing earrings, which I removed because I thought they made her look too old.

















Their hands, close up, with view of ring on Juliet’s left hand:




Another view of their hands, and the ring on Juliet’s right hand:




Their faces were painted so that they would gaze into each other’s eyes

From the front:




Looking down on them:




Juliet looking at Romeo:




Romeo looking at Juliet:




Juliet’s costume:
The dress is made of an iridescent royal blue satin, fully lined in a very thin white fabric. The bodice, sleeves and front panel are made of silk brocade, embellished with silk appliqués, silk embroidery, microscopic glass beads, and Swarovski crystals. The dress was sewn and embroidered entirely by hand.

Juliet posed as though in prayer






Sleeve front (and front of bodice):




Side of sleeve:




cuff:




elbow:




Juliet is a Fashion Royalty Erin doll. Her face was repainted to match her new clothing (blue eyes, dark brows and lashes, and soft red lips) and her new hair is floor-length lamb’s wool in a combination of dark brown and black. The hair was rooted in at the hairline and glued onto the rest of her head. The hair at the base of the jeweled cap was braided. The braid was wrapped in gold cord and secured with glass beads. Smaller sections of hair were braided and used to create a headband, and ‘ponytail-holder’. The cap is a gold plated finding that was lined in satin and then embellished with the same beads used in the sleeves.


back:




End of braid:




Jeweled cap:




The bodice and front panel are made from a gold silk brocade with blue floral design. Each flower was decorated with 5 Swarovski crystals, 4 sapphire and one ruby, as they might have been in Juliet’s time. The decorations down the front of the panel were created using a piece of silk charmeuse that was printed in an Egyptian pattern. Each leaf of the lotus motifs were cut apart and then reassembled to create a more Italian design. These were then applied to the panel, the bodice and the sleeves. If you look closely, you can see the individual motifs used.


Detail on bottom of front panel:




Back of bodice (and sleeve closure) :




Slip:




Romeo was formerly a Superman Ken. His hose (leggings) is made from a very soft velour-like fabric in gold and blue that match Juliet’s dress. One leg has a dark red band, which pulls in the red in her dress, and this same fabric is used in Romeo’s codpiece. Romeo’s doublet and sleeves are made from the same royal blue satin as Juliet’s dress, embellished with the same cord that edges hers. His cotehardie (tunic) is made from silk brocade and can be worn with the ‘V’ in the front or the back. In the front it would show the tiny lacing at the neck of his doublet.


Romeo front:




Romeo back:




Romeo’s doublet is attached to his hose as it would have been in his day, with a cord threaded through eyelets.

Romeo’s belt and the tie that connects his doublet to his leggings:




Romeo’s knife is gold plated brass (it comes out of its scabbard):




Romeo shoes, made of genuine suede, to match his leggings:




Romeo shoes:




Romeo’s sleeve:




Very blurry pictures of the competition entry with the baby and Montague crest.
This is the only picture I have of the baby’s cradle because I finished it in our room at 4am the night before the competition.

My entry




All the entries in the category




The photo of Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey on which these costumes were based.
My version is not intended to be an exact copy – I merely used the photo as an example of the clothing and hairstyle worn at that time.





Another look at them together:








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OOAKFolk, Inc., and artist Barbara Healy are not affiliated in any way with the original manufacturers of the dolls pictured in this site. No photograph, text or graphic on this site may be copied without written permission from Barbara Healy. Copyright © 2004 OOAKFolk, Inc.

Last Revised: August 7, 2007
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