whiptips: online cloth dolls resources
Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Questions to whiptips@gmail.com.
Lucette wrote in with this question:
I am intrigued with cloth dolls and would like to try making one or two. So far, I have looked through my local library for books and ideas. Now I would like to ask the creative community if you have good sites or references on line. Thanks
May 17th, 2007 at 10:41 am
This is a great selection of links to free patterns and tips
http://www.clothdollconnection.com/FreePatterns.html
This website also has some great patterns, but they can be a little complicated.
http://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/
May 17th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Simmy has a great tutorial on Waldorf dolls and there are links to others’ photos of their dolls. http://simmy.typepad.com/echoesofadream/2006/10/basic_instructi.html
Have fun!
May 17th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Oh my, my mother-in-law is the cloth doll goddess. She totally knows her stuff. And her stuffing too ; )
She carries some amazingly useful tools on her website. Some pretty obscure, including my personal favorite, The Stuffing Fork. That thing is the ideal tool for stuffing dolls.
She also has some turning tools, flesh-colored fabrics (nothing insipid) and the needles and thread you use for sculpting or attaching eyes or whatnot. She’s written books on how to do cloth doll faces (”Let’s Face It”) and how to do all sorts of doll hair (”Big Fat Hairy Deal”).
If that’s not enough, you can always email her from her blog with questions. Here are her links…
Tools & Instructions:
https://shop.epbdolls.net/splashPage.hg
Elinor Peace Bailey’s Blog:
http://www.epbdolls.typepad.com/
May 17th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Two really good sources are http://www.clothdollconnection.com and http://www.dollstreetdreamers.com. Both are dedicated to primarily cloth doll designers and have links to online classes. I think there are also some free patterns listed on clothdollconnection. Making cloth dolls can become very addictive. You may even decide to join a doll club near you. Have fun! :-)
May 17th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Anatomy of a Doll by Susanna Oroyan is the best book I’ve ever read on the subject. As I recall, it didn’t have any patterns but lots of descriptions of a variety of techniques - enough detail so that you can jump in and start creating right away. It’s also full of fabulous, inspiring photographs. She has another book too - I think it’s called Designing the Doll - that was also very good, but start with Anatomy of a Doll.
May 19th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Weir dolls, http://www.weirdolls.com/ , has the best supplies!