Dolls

I’ve always loved making dolls, but I can’t finish as many projects as I can envision. So I put together project packs, and now my art doll kits come in various sizes and combinations. Each is just a starting point for your creative input! Take the soft, vibrantly hand-dyed cotton or silk fabrics, silk, cotton and rayon ribbons and lace, a clay face and bag of assorted detail beads, feathers, trims, and sequins as a starting point for your creativity and make your own totem, necklace focal point or talisman pillow. Or create a shadow box, a mini shrine, or a guardian bag for your special items.

I dye 100%  kona cotton, cotton jersey and gauze, silk, ribbons and lace bits using Procion MX series Fiber Reactive coldwater dyes. All are thoroughly rinsed and washed and rinsed again using Retayne and Synthropol for dye permanence.

My little faces are available in polymer clay and ceramic in a wide range of sizes and finishes. I create an original sculpt in polymer clay, then make a silicon mold and use it to create a multitude of unique faces using the mold as a starting point.

I also use polymer clay with millefiore “caning” techniques to make faces.

Polymer clay faces can be affixed to cloth using PVA glues (white glues such as Aleene’s Craft glues or Sobo) or by hand-drilling small holes for sewing with a pin vise or hand held drill bit. You can also glue faces to ultrasuede or leather using superglues (cyanoacrylates) and then use small decorations and seed beads around the face as a central focal piece. Faces can be re-baked using your own raw clay to embellish them further.

My ceramic faces are glazed with low fire glazes, with raku finishes, or with hand painted under glaze details and a clear glaze finish.

Premade doll bodies are available in some of my kits or can be purchased in craft stores. I have also drafted simple patterns that can be downloaded, printed and sewn for personal use. Print out at different sizes to make dolls just the size you want.

I like to print the patterns on cardstock. Then I cut them out. I put my fabric right-sides-together and trace the patterns, then sew on the traced line. THEN I cut the sewn fabric pieces out–I find this works much better with small projects.

Click on the pattern image to download the PDF file for personal use.