Art Journaling & Mixed Media Art
by Aisling D'Art
Art made with fabric and other media. Quilts, wall hangings, wearables, household decor, and wild art dolls. Tutorials and examples.
“Teal Magic” was the name of the first series of art/assemblage dolls I made, back in 2000. That’s when I met other dollmakers online and joined swaps. That’s my doll, at right. The art doll ingredients The body was a simple wooden block, painted with copper-colored paint. I photocopied a corset and hand colored it,…
Last year, I began making sock dolls. I was inspired by the book Stray Sock Sewing. Here’s how I made my sock dolls for the Wild Art Dolls swap in July 2010. Sock Doll Supplies You will need one sock, some batting or stuffing, Fray-Check, and your basic sewing supplies. (Needle, thread, scissors, and a…
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….
The first rule of cloth doll making is: BREAK THE RULES! Nobody said the skin fabric has to be pink. Or muslin. Or brown. Or whatever. Your doll’s skin can be purple. Or green. Or paisley. Or white lace over silver lame that you’ve fused to muslin. Nobody said that your dolls’ legs and arms…
Not sure how to choose the right cloth doll stuffing? Here’s the punch line: Buy the best doll stuffing (ex: fiberfill, polyfill, batting, cotton wool) that you can afford. The cheap stuff may look the same in the bag. It may even feel the same if you squeeze it. You may think, “I’ll bet this…
Should you preshrink fabrics (or prewash them) before making a cloth doll? Yes… and no. It depends upon what’s important to you. Why not to prewash or preshrink fabrics Fabrics, especially cottons, never look quite so “fresh” after prewashing. The sizing* and surface finish wash off, so the fabric doesn’t look as smooth. In most…
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…
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…
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…
These are free patterns for personal use. If you would like to feature them on your own website, you MUST include my copyright with the patterns. (In other words, be considerate. Please don’t remove my copyright and claim you created the patterns, yourself.) Also, these were designed to print on 8.5″ x 11″ paper. They’re…