My mother's bisque doll
Today I make dolls; I love to make dolls and I’m not sure why. Before I started to make dolls, I played with dolls, then I collected dolls and then I bought dolls for my daughters and every now and then I’d buy a doll for myself. Most of the dolls I’ve collected were my mothers. She treasured her dolls and when she gave them to me they were in mint condition. I played with them alot and now they are very used.
embroidery detail
antique Shirly Temple doll in her original dress
antique Russian doll
Sally Ann doll
sleeping baby from the 60's
antique doll dress pattern
My grandma Burch used to make dolls for me and my sister and I’ve kept all of them. This is Raggedy Ann, she’s 30-some years old!
My grandmother made my Raggedy Ann doll
Raggedy Ann and Andy rag dolls
This is Andy, Raggedy Ann’s friend. Raggedy Ann and Andy are characters from the Series of books by Johny Gruelle. These dolls are well known by American children.
My grandma Burch had a good sence of humor; she used to make funny things sometimes, like this Dammit Doll.
Damn-it doll
The tag that comes with the doll reads:
When you think you want to climb the wall or stand right up and shout,
Here’s a little Dammit Doll you cannot be without.
Just grab it firmly by the legs and find a place to slam it.
Then as you whack it’s stuffings out, yell DAMMIT…. DAMMIT…..DAMMIT…..
I remember one of the first dolls I made myself, she was made from a gourd that I picked from our garden. Her body was a gourd, and her arms and legs were toothpicks and my mother made a summer dress for her. I have a photo of myself as a skinny little girl of 7 or 8 years old and my doll in front of our house in Greenfield, Indiana.
rubber flea market friends
little plastic guy
praying doll
This was my doll from the 1970′s. She recited a bedtime prayer when you pulled her string. My mother taught it to me and we used to recite it every night before bed, on our knees.
I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee lord my soul to keep. If I should die, before I wake, I pray thee lord my soul to take. Amen
Indian string doll
We bought this tiny doll in India for something like a penny. She’s about 3″ tall and she’s made of wire and thread. How simple and cute.
Nighty-night
Immediatly following the Purim season for us, we started to prepare for a fashion show for children, showcasing some of our best costumes.
Emili as Marie Antoinette
This is Emili as Marie Antoinette, one of our most popular costumes for girls. The dress is made from embroidered taffeta and embellished with cream lace and gold trim. The dress utilizes an un derskirt and it is cinched in the back for a maximum fit. I made the wig from wool; the base is felted and I made wool curls to put all over the wig. We recieved a special request for a Napoleon Bonaparte costume, that we feel stands up to our Marie Antoinette in beauty and historical accuracy.
Marie Antoinette wool wig
Tal as napoleon Bonaparte
This is the epaulette, something many “military guys” wear when they’re dressed up; this was the most important part of the costume for Tal.
Napoleon's epauletteNapoleon collar detail
Emili and Tal at the fasion show
I wanted to make a knight in shining armour because I’d never seen a costume like this before made in fabric and I think the ensemble is interesting.
suit of armor
an historically inspired "Juliet" dress
"Juliet" dress
Juliet rose head wreath
Elli the flower fairy
flower fairy
Stephan the elf
Elli the pirate
The pirate and the elf chatting
the fashion show models
Burch and daughters store sign
Well, here goes… My name is Laura Burch; my husand Doron Levitas and I have three daughters: Lili, Elli and Emili. I opened a store, it’s a children’s gallery; we design and sew everything in the store. I gave it the name Burch and daughters as a feminist twist to the more traditional naming of businesses such as Smith and sons. My daughters are young, so they don’t actually work at the store yet, but they are my inspiration, models and test subjects for everything we make. I’ve never owned a store before and I don’t consider myself business-minded, I’m an artist. My husband Doron has been guiding me, he is a business man; I’m learning.
Marie Antoinette gown in my store window on a rainy day
The interesting thing and the most challenging aspect of my store is that it is in Tel Aviv, Israel. I’m a girl from the Heartland, living in the Holyland! Serving this culture and my Israeli customers isn’t the same as if my store was in my town, Chicago, Illinois. My tastes and that of many Israeli’s are very different; I have a very conservative style, their’s is much more flamboyant. Many people come into the store and ask me from where do we import. They think that my creations are from England or France, they don’t realize that everything is handmade in the store (upstairs in our studio). But never the less, everyone seems to love the store. They walk in and tell me it seem magical, like they’re in another time and place and they feel that my creation is a fairyland for children.
costumes by Burch and daughters handmade baby clothes by Burch and daughters
It really all started after we moved here about 9 years ago. I was a graphic designer and illustrator in Chicago and opening a store was never a goal of mine. I came to this strange land, the big city really, but there was nothing to buy here. Everything was made in China or India, cheap, plastic, poor quality and ugly. I started making the girls clothes, toys and gifts for birthday parties they attended. Now, I never really wanted to move here, so I used to sit around in my own little world and make things, many things. I made cute teddy bears, rag dolls, costumes, ornaments, fabric books, stuffed animals, bags….The things started to fill up the house. Doron said to me we’ll have to open a store just to have somewhere to put this stuff, and that’s what we did.
Mama bear and Papa bear
camels for sale
the outside of the store
P.S. We closed my beloved store in July 2010 ; I now sell my toys, doll, puppets and costume accessories on-line in my website store: Laleebu. Please come and visit me at my site www.lauraleeburch.com , my store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraleeburch?view_type=galleryor on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauraleeburch.studio
