Casgliadau Arlein

Doll with painted clay (?) head and padded torso and limbs, wearing floral dress and knitted underwear

Torso Front of torso covered in yellow-brown twill fabric (made up of three pieces with seam along waist and down upper centre front); back of torso covered in brown cotton fabric (weave consists of two picks passing over one and under one, followed by two picks which pass over two then under two warps); fabric gathered around neck and held together with metal fastening (metal wire?) at centre back neck

Limbs Arms covered in pink herringbone twill (cotton), legs covered in pink sateen (synthetic warps, cotton wefts); soles of feet are made by a piece of card (underneath fabric cover)

Undergarments Knitted vest and knickers of light blue wool, held up with white elastic band threaded through waist (5 lengths of square diameter rubber bands wrapped and held together by white synthetic braid). Two areas of the knickers have been repaired in the past with patch supports of cotton tabby fabric (fine stripes of blue and white). The knickers are made from plain knitted fabric, but the vest has a pattern of 3 knit stitches alternating with 1 purl, resulting in vertical stripes.

Dress short-sleeved, high-waisted, full-length floral print cotton dress; all stitches made with machine using red thread; 13.5cm long slit at centre back, fastened with two buttons: lower button = cream-painted shank button, upper button = white plastic, both fastened with corresponding stitched loop. 1.3cm wide strip of yellow cotton twill stitched around lower edge, c.2.5cm above hem.

A separate, unfinished piece of black net (silk or synthetic?) was found wrapped up with the doll (size = c. 16 x 30cm)