Susan

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     Hopefully anyone who has read Terry Pratchett's wonderful "Discworld" books will recognize Susan Sto Helit. Susan's original paint was removed, her mouth was closed, and her hair was given a black streak and curled.

     Susan is Death's granddaughter, and although she would usually prefer to ignore that aspect of her life, at times she just can't. In fact, during the book Soul Music she even had to take over for him for a while. The doll is wearing my version of her outfit then. This first picture is of the underdress. I tried to dress Susan in an early 1800s style. It was hard for me to decide what Susan should wear. For a female Death, the first thing that comes to mind is something goth, but that doesn't suit Susan's character at all. In fact, she specifically states in the book that (and I'm messing this quotation up) she can't stand the type of girls who "pretend to be consumptive, dress like vampires, but are really vegetarians." So no gothic look for Susan Death.

     I eventually decided to put her in an Empire-style dress because that style arose in France after the revolution, based on Greek or Roman style pictures of "lady Justice" and so forth in loose flowing white -- quite a change from the tight bodices in years past (see, my design history class did prove useful!). I thought that fit in nicely with Death's quotation from an earlier book "there's no justice, there's just us." Actually I think Mort said it, but oh well. It's difficult to see in the picture (of course she has to wear all black), but there is lace around the waistline of the overdress and beaded trim above.

     A cloak and scythe complete Susan's outfit (although she's on display right now without the cloak -- it hides too much of the rest of her clothes, and of her hair).

     The scythe blade is made from steel that I cut and sharpened, and the handle is from a conveniently - shaped branch that I stripped the bark from and sanded. We have an old scythe out in the barn so I did some "research," and really, the way Death traditionally holds his, over head like Susan's doing in the picture, is most inconvenient. But ah well.

     Susan was a (late) Christmas present for my sister Margaret.