I've been making dolls for about five years, but I've always been interested in cloth, textiles and colour. I prefer to think of my dolls as "soft sculptures", and I use dolls as a medium to explore shape and form.

It is from this perspective that I've developed my particular style of doll making - which involves building the doll around a base of found objects, adding layers of shape, skin, clothing and accessories.

I love character dolls, and tend to create people that live in fairytales, folklore, or myth. I use many different techniques and skills to create my dolls, and I'm continually seeking new methods and ideas to integrate into my little people.

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Frank'n'stitches Part 1
CLASS FULL
One Day Class
Body Building from Spare Parts
(No this is not motor mechanics -
and you won't need VW chassis!)
Wednesday
102

The first class will explore, demonstrate and experiment with ways to construct a doll using "body-parts" from various sources. Building bodies, arms, legs and heads around found objects (which might include - plastic bottles, gourds, tennis balls, unloved or unsuitable bits from other cloth dolls) we will re-create a new character doll. Body sculpting techniques using needle sculpting, batting and applying "shapes" direct to bodies will be taught, as will ways of achieving body posture, shape and strength. Faces will be created using a combination of masking and needle sculpting. This is an exploring and imagining class and is aimed at allowing us to look at objects not normally associated with "cloth dolls" and seeing them instead as potential doll-parts.

Level:
Intermediate - Experienced
Pre-Class Preparation: A loosely/stuffed doll body,
arms, legs and head. (Pattern and instructions will be
provided.) hands and face will be sewn pre-class and
attached later.

Frank'n'stitches Part 2
One Day Class
Beauty is only skin deep
Clothes maketh the man
Thursday
103

This class will explore ways to costume your doll to suggest ethnicity, history, mood and character. Using appropriately scaled and textured materials dolls will be dressed in layers, and short cuts to achieving the right effect will be explored. Basic pattern drafting of sleeves, bodices and pants will be demonstrated, and used to make pattern pieces, which are sewn direct to doll's body. Face painting, sculpting and characterisation will be taught. Accessories, shoes and boots will be taught using materials such as wet-suit material, balsa wood, lycra and leather.

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Pre-class preparation: A good, solid body with legs. Arms not
attached, but fully stuffed. Head ready for needle
sculpting, or fully prepared from Frank'n'stitches part 1.

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