Fabric Art

In 2000, I met other dollmakers online, and participated in art doll swaps. What is an art swap? A “art swap” is when artists make several pieces of art – usually identical or nearly alike, though each design is unique, and individually crafted with love. Then, each artist sends the required number of items (the … Continue reading "Teal Magic Art Doll – From a 2000 Art Swap"

A sock doll swap is an exchange of dolls made from socks. In this 2010 Wild Art Dolls exchange, the dolls had to be made from socks and three of them had to fit inside a flat-rate Priority Mail envelope. Three of us participated. Here are some of the dolls: My dolls were almost identical. … Continue reading "Sock Doll Swap – Jul 2010"

Homemade dolls’ faces are easy to make, even with little or no sculpting skills. Whether you want to make a doll’s face, a doll’s head, or a mask for a doll, you can make it yourself in under an hour. Sculpting skills are not necessary. Here’s what you need: An existing doll that’s the right … Continue reading "Dolls’ Faces – Easy Homemade Molds"

This is the second page of a two-part interview with British dollmaker Ambermoggie. Q. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could take just a few supplies with you, what would you need to make dolls? A. If I were stranded on an island the items I’d need would be wool, wire, a … Continue reading "Ambermoggie — doll artist interview — part two"

Aisling’s notes: Sukie–also known as Ambermoggie–has been a friend of mine for several years, and I’ve admired her dolls and figures for even longer. I was delighted when she agreed to an interview, because I know how busy she is. One of these days, I hope to visit her studio in England. Q. Your dolls … Continue reading "Ambermoggie – doll artist interview – part one"

This is a 2005 interview with Italian doll artist Stefania Morgante. This is a very informative interview, and you may want to print it out to read offline. Q. What kinds of dolls do you make? A. Italian…? I don’t know; Italians tell me that I make American dolls and the Americans say that I … Continue reading "Stefania Morgante – doll artist – interview"

Do you have a collectible Barbie® doll with “green ear”? Here’s how to remove most of it safely. I haven’t found any product that removes ALL “green ear” and does it safely. Also, I wrote this article years ago, so there may be better products for this kind of project. My Barbie / Green Ear … Continue reading "How to Remove ‘Green Ear’ from Barbie Dolls"

Barbie® brings out the worst in me, sometimes. This is a good example. She’s not quite Toy Story, but she certainly is strange. I started with a new Barbie doll, bought at a store, specifically for this art project. First, I replaced her torso with a cloth body, and reinforced the (cloth) neck to hold … Continue reading "Voodoo Barbie – An Altered Art Doll"

Altered dolls usually (but not always) start with ready-made, store-bought dolls. They may be modified or even deconstructed to make a different art doll or mixed-media figure. These can include anything from themed, customized BarbieTM dolls, to Raggedy Ann gone wild, to McD’s doll toys that are made into jewelry or chess pieces. However, that … Continue reading "Altered Dolls"

This is one of a series of pin dolls that I  made by hand. First, I create my doll collages digitally, using antique photos and illustrations. When I’m pleased with the design and colors, I print each doll onto iron-on transfer paper. Next, I apply each doll design to cotton, usually unbleached muslin, raw silk, … Continue reading "Annie Faerie Dolls"

This is another project started in the mid-1990s and not completed.  Clearly, even good projects are sometimes put aside. Basically, I was going to make myself a bunch of great wearable art pinafores. Note: In the States, a pinafore is called a jumper. I grew up calling them pinafores, because… well, that’s what my family … Continue reading "Rust and Teal Pieced Bodice"

I’ve always loved the color purple.  Almost every shade of purple delights me. This is an original one-of-a-kind jacket that I created around 1992, using a Vogue designer jacket pattern. The fabrics are all 100% cottons. On half of the front, I have hand-beaded with glass bugle and seed beads. I’ve also painted it with … Continue reading "Purple Fabric Art Jacket 1"