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Introduction To Making Cloth Dolls
Jan Horrox

Search Press
15 September 2010 (2015 reprint)/ ISBN 9781844484584
How-To Books/Sewing

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

 

There are dolls for ornaments as well as the toy variety, and the three dolls in here are definitely in the former category. Learn how to make collectable dolls to display in your home that are sure to be admired by all who see them. Originally published in 2010, this book has been reprinted several times and is well on the way to becoming a Search Press Classic.

Raid your stash to find pretty fabrics, beads, buttons and paints, You are going to need them to dress up your creations. There is also a chance to do plenty of recycling as many of the items used were formerly something else, including bubble wrap and an old sweater. Learn what to use for the body to get the right effect, as well as techniques such as needle sculpting, detailed hands and feet, painting faces, dying cloth and making poseable limbs. Many of the methods are shown first at the front of the book before any of the project, and all have plenty of staged photographs and captions so you can see exactly what to do. The three projects are very detailed, starting with a beginner doll with a flat painted face and mitt hands, and progressing to more advanced features with the next two. These are not the type of dolls that wear modern clothes, but resemble fairies, nymphs or other fantastic characters. They have gaily colored hair and costumes; one has wings made from Angelina Fiber and a tiara, and all are eye catching. Every stage of the process from making up the body to the costume, hair and details are shown through more staged photographs. Each doll is shown finished on a whole page, and there is also a variation for each, as well as all the templates you need. If you want to make toy dolls for children this is not the book to obtain, and you will need some basic sewing skills before tackling any of the projects; having made a toy or two helps. But if you are wanting to make ornamental pieces and branch off into your own creations, then this is a good, user friendly book to get.

If you cannot find a good range of sewing and doll making materials locally try www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.

UK Reviewer: Rachel Hyde's work can be found in Sewing World, Sew Hip, Popular Crafts and other magazines. Her craft blog is Green Thoughts
Reviewed 2015
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