Art Journaling & Mixed Media Art
by Aisling D'Art
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…
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…
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…
Q. If someone is new to dollmaking, what’s your best advice? Go for it. Don’t worry about how it is done by others. Experiment first, create your style, then read what others have to advise. Some of the best things I have done I have done not knowing the correct way. I feel there is…
Alice C. W. Dennis makes art dolls with wonderful facial expressions. In this interview on three pages, she shares her insights, inspirations, resources, and recommendations for new dollmakers. dolls by alice c. w. dennis (c)2005 The interview starts here… Q. How do you describe your dolls? I sometimes have difficulty with this. My “creations” are…
Many years ago, I taught at Artfest. It was a golden era, and – for the first few years – I had a wonderful time. At one Artfest, organizer Teesha Moore gave us simple cloth dolls. I think her grandmother had assembled them. When I received mine, I promptly embellished her. Here’s the result. (I…