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... and, inside that gift shop, they sell some colorful items. Not that anyone should travel to Fall River, MA solely for the gift shop. Travel to Fall River to see Lizzie Borden's house, take the Lizzie Borden tour, and visit Lizzie Borden's grave -- if that's your kind of thing. When you're done, then stop at the gift shop. The employees are nice.
One of the items inside the shop is shown above: Voodoo Rue. Rue’s a 7" handcrafted burlap doll that -- if you don't care to make the run to Massachusetts -- turns out to be available on Amazon. $30 bucks. 4.4 stars. Not that Renée knew it at the time.
So, Rue found a place in our carry-on and was carried back to North Carolina. Almost as soon as we returned home, Renée got to work. She wanted to create a Voodoo Rue that might have served as Lizzie's very own voodoo doll. When she was done, I asked if I could post about it.
One of the items inside the shop is shown above: Voodoo Rue. Rue’s a 7" handcrafted burlap doll that -- if you don't care to make the run to Massachusetts -- turns out to be available on Amazon. $30 bucks. 4.4 stars. Not that Renée knew it at the time.
So, Rue found a place in our carry-on and was carried back to North Carolina. Almost as soon as we returned home, Renée got to work. She wanted to create a Voodoo Rue that might have served as Lizzie's very own voodoo doll. When she was done, I asked if I could post about it.
"I tried to add in as many details from the murders as I could,” she said, so I asked her to write those down. What follows from here on out is for Lizzie Borden aficionados only.
The Strips of Burlap: The red stitching represents the wounds given to the victims.
The Skull Pins: Abby Borden, the first murder victim, was given 19 blows by her killer. Andrew Borden, who was Abby's husband and Lizzie's father, only received 11. Since there were a number of pins in the box, I decided to make 19 skull pins. I stuck the majority of them into the back of the voodoo doll’s head (reflecting Abby's injuries), and to the left side of the head (reflecting Andrew's injuries). The one over the left eye also reflects a blow inflicted on Andrew.
The Axe: The possible murder weapon. Although Lizzie was right-handed, I put it in the doll’s left hand. I’m left-handed and felt the artist was allowed to fudge things a little.
The Prussic Acid Bottle: The day before the infamous murders, Lizzie tried to buy prussic acid (also known as hydrogen cyanide) from the local drugstore. She stated she needed it to clean a cloak, but I have my doubts. Lacking a doctor’s prescription, she was refused the purchase. Researching vintage prussic acid bottles, I found one that was blue, so I created an old-timey label go on it.
The Photos: Abby and Andrew Borden. Abby’s portrait is on the upper left because she died first on an upper floor. I burned the edges of the photos because, if someone is angry enough to kill somebody with an axe, they’re mad enough to burn their pictures, too.
The Card: Lizzie herself. It came from a box of playing cards we bought in the gift shop.
The Coffin: This was made from the original cardboard box. I used clay to simulate a wooden surface, then lined the interior with linen I “aged” by soaking it in black tea.
To complete the project took about 10 days. Renée had so much fun.
And how is your summer going?
The Strips of Burlap: The red stitching represents the wounds given to the victims.
The Skull Pins: Abby Borden, the first murder victim, was given 19 blows by her killer. Andrew Borden, who was Abby's husband and Lizzie's father, only received 11. Since there were a number of pins in the box, I decided to make 19 skull pins. I stuck the majority of them into the back of the voodoo doll’s head (reflecting Abby's injuries), and to the left side of the head (reflecting Andrew's injuries). The one over the left eye also reflects a blow inflicted on Andrew.
The Axe: The possible murder weapon. Although Lizzie was right-handed, I put it in the doll’s left hand. I’m left-handed and felt the artist was allowed to fudge things a little.
The Prussic Acid Bottle: The day before the infamous murders, Lizzie tried to buy prussic acid (also known as hydrogen cyanide) from the local drugstore. She stated she needed it to clean a cloak, but I have my doubts. Lacking a doctor’s prescription, she was refused the purchase. Researching vintage prussic acid bottles, I found one that was blue, so I created an old-timey label go on it.
The Photos: Abby and Andrew Borden. Abby’s portrait is on the upper left because she died first on an upper floor. I burned the edges of the photos because, if someone is angry enough to kill somebody with an axe, they’re mad enough to burn their pictures, too.
The Card: Lizzie herself. It came from a box of playing cards we bought in the gift shop.
The Coffin: This was made from the original cardboard box. I used clay to simulate a wooden surface, then lined the interior with linen I “aged” by soaking it in black tea.
To complete the project took about 10 days. Renée had so much fun.
And how is your summer going?
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