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I am from Queensland Australia. I have been an avid Doll Makers and Designer for many years. I also love m...  (more...)

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Making Art Dolls

 

This lens will help you whether you are new and a learner or a bit more advanced at making cloth dolls.

I remember what it was like when I first started and the thousands of questions I had. I had a real hunger and passion to find out how to make the best cloth dolls.

I am going to help you here with tips on the best books to buy, the best places to find information and shortcuts so you will become a better Art doll maker sooner:-)I want to help you as much as I can with your Art dolls .

If you want to skip ahead you can click

How To Make Your Own Dolls 

How to make Cloth Dolls

When you first start Cloth Doll making its a good idea to give yourself permission to make lots of mistakes. It's like anything you are learning to do, it takes practise and the more time you have to "play" the better dolls you will make.

Luckily there is a huge cloth doll community on the internet so its easy to make friends who will help guide you along the way and you will have great fun as well.

My website click here to go look, has lots of resources for you to use. I have some FREE online classes, where you can see all the photos of step by step lessons. These are the Best learning tools if you are a Visual learner.

As you progress you may decide to pay for some wonderful online doll classes, you will find them at
click here to go look

Most doll designers publish cloth doll patterns. One tip I will give you here is to make sure that the pattern has a rating on it.ie to show if it is suitable for beginners, intermediate or advanced doll makers.

I have downloadable patterns on my site so that you dont have to wait around till you can get to a shop to start:-)

Ok so that should get you started. Check out all the doll websites and have great fun.

If you have questions about your doll making you can email me at di@dyzee.com and I will try to help you. click hereto go look

Elinor Peace Bailey 

Mother Plays With Dolls ... and Finds an Important Key to Unlocking Creativity by Elinor Peace Bailey

Mother Plays With Dolls ... and Finds an Important Key to Unlocking Creativity by Elinor Peace Bailey

One of the most inventive figures in today's fiber more...0 points

Storytelling With Dolls by Elinor Peace Bailey, Noreen Crone-Findlay

Storytelling With Dolls by Elinor Peace Bailey, Noreen Crone-Findlay

Two revered doll makers--Elinor Peace Bailey and N more...0 points

Elinor Peace Bailey: Her Poetry and Drawings

Elinor Peace Bailey: Her Poetry and Drawings

Staplebound Paperback, profusely illustrated by th more...0 points

Questions and Answers For You 

Here are some of the most asked questions that doll makers send into me about cloth doll making. I hope they will help you.

QUESTION: What fabric should I use to make the body of the doll with?

ANSWER: You can buy all sorts of good quality cotton fabric in flesh colours at quilt shops. If you experiment you will find the ones that you like the best. I tried many and finally decided that I liked using plain old Muslin ( Calico in Australia & NZ). I always tea and coffee dye it before using it. The stronger the mix the darker the shade. As an alternative instead of dying the fabric you can brush on the tea and coffee mixture straight onto the doll. Dont forget to dry it completely though.

QUESTION: What sorts of coloured pencils are best for drawing the cloth dolls face?

ANSWER: Prismacolor berol pencilsColored Pencil Gift Sets
are the best by far.They come in hundreds of colours and are especially oily so they work great on fabric. These are available at Hobby Lobby and Quilt shops in Australia & NZ.

QUESTION: What is the best sort of stuffing to use?

ANSWER: I find the best is a good polyester stuffing. I find mine at Spotlight in Australia. We also have wool stuffing available here and in NZ but I find it a bit too heavy and not as easy to use.

I hope you get to work, check my website out so soon you can start cloth doll making yourself.

If you like this lens please rate it by clicking on the right hand 5 stars above.
A
Dick Blick Art Materialshere

And Please, check out my website click here to go look

Dick Blick Art Materials

Cloth Dolls, I Have a Doll in this Book 

Creative Cloth Doll Making: New Approaches for Using Fibers, Beads, Dyes, and Other Exciting Techniques

Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 05/11/2008)
List Price: $24.99

This book is part of a series of 3 cloth doll making books. All three are wonderful and this is probably the best because it is the most general. It reviews making the doll and gives good detail on the formula for placing facial features (there is a book in the series devoted to doll faces but this is enough to get started). The dolls are not all women or even all people, some are characters and are magical. The clothes are colorful, the variety of dolls is large and everything is unusual and fun. There are lots of pictures for inspiration and patterns to do the work. I recommend this book first but I also recommend the entire series (Creative Cloth Doll Faces and Creative Cloth Doll Couture).

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Cloth Doll Books for You 

500 Handmade Dolls: Modern Explorations of the Human Form (500 Series) by Lark Books

500 Handmade Dolls: Modern Explorations of the Human Form (500 Series) by Lark Books

Contemporary and unique, these handmade creations more...0 points

Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

The face is the most important feature of a doll - more...0 points

Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction by Susanna Oroyan

Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction by Susanna Oroyan

An in-depth guide to doll making from concept to & more...0 points

Creative Cloth Doll Beading: Designing and Embellishing with Beads by Patti Medaris Culea, Laura McCabe, Anne Hesse

Creative Cloth Doll Beading: Designing and Embellishing with Beads by Patti Medaris Culea, Laura McCabe, Anne Hesse

<b>An illustrated guide to embellish more...0 points

Creative Cloth Doll Making: New Approaches for Using Fibers, Beads, Dyes, and Other Exciting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

Creative Cloth Doll Making: New Approaches for Using Fibers, Beads, Dyes, and Other Exciting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

Though doll making is one of the oldest forms of a more...0 points

Cloth Doll Patterns 

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Wonderful Art Doll books 

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Art Dolls 

The two together by peregrine blue

The two together

Meeoowww by WHSKR

Meeoowww

Floral confection by WHSKR

Floral confection

Tiki Girl by WHSKR

Tiki Girl

Pirate by WHSKR

Pirate

Kitty by WHSKR

Kitty

Maddy by WHSKR

Maddy

Both samples by WHSKR

Both samples

Lining fabric by WHSKR

Lining fabric

Second sample by WHSKR

Second sample

How Does An Online Cloth Doll Class Operate? 

What are online Classes?

Most Cloth doll online classes are designed to be read on a website.

Usually the doll designer makes the class into lessons or chapters, this way you can make the doll inyour own time instead of having to make it all at once.

I always upload all my Cloth Doll lessons at once so that the fast dollmakers dont have to wait for the slow ones.

My online classes are printable so that if you dont have time to make the doll when you first get the class you can do it months later if you like.

I make sure my classes have step by step instructions and each instruction has at least one photo.

It is the easiest way to make a cloth doll besides being in a real time class with a live teacher. The designer is always available to the students by email and can ask questions.

Once my students have paid for the class, they get sent the URL or website address where they will find the supply list, the actual pattern pieces so they can print them off and the lessons.

Online classes are a fun and very informative process and help you learn the techniques involved in cloth doll making

To have a look at the online classes I am offering right now click hereto go look

Interesting Arty Lenses 

Doll Making 

Aranzi Aronzo Cute Dolls (Let's Make Cute Stuff)

Aranzi Aronzo Cute Dolls (Let's Make Cute Stuff)

This successor to <i>The Cute Book&a more...0 points

Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques by Patti Medaris Culea

The face is the most important feature of a doll - more...0 points

Aranzi Aronzo Fun Dolls (Let's Make Cute Stuff)

Aranzi Aronzo Fun Dolls (Let's Make Cute Stuff)

From the makers of <i>The Cute Book& more...0 points

Knitted Babes: Five Dolls & Their Wardrobes to Knit & Stitch by Clare Garland

Knitted Babes: Five Dolls & Their Wardrobes to Knit & Stitch by Clare Garland

Novice knitters only need to know a few stitches t more...0 points

The Fabulous Book of Paper Dolls (Klutz) by Julie Collings

The Fabulous Book of Paper Dolls (Klutz) by Julie Collings

The Fabulous Book of Paper Dolls from Klutz is the more...0 points

Cloth Dolls On Ebay 

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My Doll Aimee

 

Marlin Meyer: The Making Of A Cloth Portrait Doll Part 1

Part 1 of 3. Video Scrapbook of the process I went through making a Cloth Portrait Art Doll of my former Junior High School Band Director, Marlin Meyer. This was originally going to be a retirement gift and he decided he didn't want it. The doll was displayed at a couple different doll shows and then finally won 2nd place in the 2007 Indiana State Fair in the Character doll division.

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Great Cloth Doll Books on Amazon 

Making Cloth Dolls

Here I have listed the best books from Amazon.com to buy to help you with Making Cloth Dolls in my opinion

Would You Like To Be More Creative????? 

Creativity is actually a state of "being". We are all born creative spirits. As you would know if you have ever observed a child in play, children are extremely creative. What happens then between childhood and adulthood which makes some of us feel we have no creativity and we never did????

I dont think that we are encouraged enough to be different, we are taught to conform, to behave, to not get in a mess or be dirty. We stop experimenting and start to believe it is not good to do those things, which in fact, enhance our creativity. We start to lose touch with it.

What about those who just seem to be able to draw, really draw, not abstracts but real drawings. You know, those kids you envy, the ones you wanted to be like

They practice.

Don't you remember they were always drawing,always.
If you practiced all day every day, you would also be able to draw beautifully.

Doesn't that make sense?? Its like every skill we learn. We learn to ride a bike by practicing, we fall off but we get back on again and again and again.
How often did you practice drawing?For hours? For days?

I know I looked at my pitiful efforts and decided I couldn't draw. I was one of the poor failures who just wasn't given the GIFT
NOT TRUE.

Ok lets get you started on the way to becoming a creative spirit again.

Just to start to convince you that you actually have it in you, I want you to think about every day life. How often have you cooked a meal by intuition. NO recipe, you didn't need it did you? No, because you have practiced cooking in the past and know how to do it.

You CREATE a meal.

OK Have you ever thought about what sort of outfit you would like to wear to a special occasion? Yes I bet. You are creating it in your mind.

You have screaming children who want you to tell them a story. You don't have a book but you Make up a story That is creativity.

See?
You are creative in many many ways all through your life.

Here are three easy steps to become more creative.

1: Find some quiet time to relax EVERY day! No TV, NO radio blaring in the background. Just you and thought
This gives our brains some time to actually bring some creative thoughts to you. You just don't hear this creative part of you when its too noisy.

If you can sit outside by a stream or fountain this will also help you relax. If you have something you would like to create, just muse on it. Think about it in the quiet and you will be AMAZED at what will start happening for you.

2; Let go of Judgement and Fear.
Do not judge anything you do that is creative. Creative endeavours and art are subjective, so what one person likes, another will hate. If you insist on judging your work then only compare it to your own work. That way you can decide if you are getting better and really, your opinion is the only one that matters. Let go of Fear. It is only as we move through the fear that we have a wonderful feeling of achievement and then we gain more and more confidence within us.

3: Play ( practice)
Find time to play! I don't care how you do it, if you want to be more creative you MUST play. Playing is experimentation. Whether you want to make a doll, a piece of art or do some writing or whatever, you need to give yourself permission to play. You are not aiming to complete anything, to make anything or to actually write anything that makes sense. You just spend an hour or however long you have in the quiet with your supplies and just say WHAT IF?
What if I did that, what would happen, do it and see.
You will come to love this special time with yourself and your creativity.
Have fun.
Check out my website for more information. click hereto go look
click hereto go look

Susanna Oroyan  

Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction by Susanna Oroyan

Designing the Doll: From Concept to Construction by Susanna Oroyan

An in-depth guide to doll making from concept to & more...0 points

Finishing the Figure: Doll Costuming, Embellishments, Accessories by Susanna Oroyan

Finishing the Figure: Doll Costuming, Embellishments, Accessories by Susanna Oroyan

8 1/2 x 11 350 color and 300 black-and-white illus more...0 points

Anatomy of a Doll: The Fabric Sculptor's Handbook by Susanna Oroyan

Anatomy of a Doll: The Fabric Sculptor's Handbook by Susanna Oroyan

More than just a dollmaking book, <i&gt more...0 points

Dolls of the Art Deco Era 1910-1940: Collect, Restore, Create and Play by Susanna Oroyan

Dolls of the Art Deco Era 1910-1940: Collect, Restore, Create and Play by Susanna Oroyan

Rediscover old sentimental favorite dolls from the more...0 points

Fantastic Figures: Ideas and Techniques Using the New Clays by Susanna Oroyan

Fantastic Figures: Ideas and Techniques Using the New Clays by Susanna Oroyan

In <i>Anatomy of a Doll</i&am more...0 points

Cloth Doll Magazines 

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Wonderful Cloth Doll Making Links 

Making Cloth Dolls On Dyzee.Com
Here is my website which is a great place for people who love to create and love cloth dolls
Click Here
Pethome is a Free service that provides the opportunity for Pet owners to meet and form a relationship with Pet Minders

Lynne Perrella 

Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions: An Intimate Exploration of the Mixed-Media Work and Collections of 35 Artists by Lynne Perrella

Art Making, Collections, and Obsessions: An Intimate Exploration of the Mixed-Media Work and Collections of 35 Artists by Lynne Perrella

A glimpse into the personal collections and work o more...0 points

Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks: Exploring and Creating Personal Pages by Lynne Perrella

Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks: Exploring and Creating Personal Pages by Lynne Perrella

Creative souls want and need a special place for r more...0 points

Alphabetica: An A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists (Quarry Book) by Lynne Perrella

Alphabetica: An A-Z Creativity Guide for Collage and Book Artists (Quarry Book) by Lynne Perrella

Mixed media techniques have come to forefront agai more...0 points