An illustrated guide to embellishing dolls with beads Beading, one of the oldest forms of craft, is also a hot new trend and being used in new applications. Beadwork, which has typically been used in fashion, home decoration, and jewelry, is reaching for new horizons and showing up on quilts, journals, knits, crochet, and fiber arts of all kinds. In this book, author Patti Medaris Culea and beading experts Anne Hesse and Laura McCabe illustrate new ways of using various bead techniques to embellish the cloth doll. Sections include the basics of beadwork, beaded flowers for her hair, bead embroidered faces, starbursts (using crystals to enhance the figure), and wings and things (creating wings, crowns, and shoes with beads). Each chapter presents a different type of beading application in detail, with full instructions. Techniques are highlighted with step-by-step photos. A gallery of interpretations of the same pattern by leading artists is included for further inspiration.

Introduces new, creative techniques for the fiber journaler, scrapbooker, doll maker, beader, and sewer through fairy-inspired projects. This book is the fifth installment on making creative cloth fiber arts from popular art doll designer, fiber artist, and workshop instructor Patti Culea, following Creative Cloth Doll Making, Creative Cloth Doll Faces, Creative Cloth Doll Couture, and Creative Cloth Beaded Dolls. This book builds on the previous four by delving into how to make fun and elaborate-looking projects using the same old materials in a new and unique way. Readers will learn to make flat figures, fabric books, and a fairy-style fan. Culea covers the basics and provides new techniques–such as using Shiva paint sticks and stencils, working with silk rods and waste, and using lace and trims as a frame–while teaching you to how create a flat figure doll, memory journal with embellished cloth pages, and a beautiful fan. Professional tips, ideas for embellishments, cutting-edge techniques, and complete patterns for all the projects are included.

A guide to dollmaking covers the basic techniques, working with embellishments, creating faces, and making the body, and includes three doll patterns with interchangeable parts.

Three leading dolls artists share doll-making techniques, as well as step-by-step instructions to creating beautiful dolls of your own. Patti Culea, elinor peace bailey, and Barbara Willis are three of the leading doll artists and teachers in the country. They are also friends. Each of these artists has her own distinct approach to the design and development of a cloth figure. In this book, each artist’s process will come alive through their choice of fabrics, sketches, simple patterns, and skill-building variations. The book is oriented toward beginning doll makers but offers unique variations and embellishments to please even more experienced doll designers. Two introductory chapters cover basic materials and techniques. Each artist’s chapter includes step-by-step illustrations, instructions, and patterns to make a complete doll, plus variations that create completely new figures. Readers are treated to full color photography and a look inside of each artist’s workspace. A gallery of additional creations by each artist, along with commentary on each work completes the collection. This is a must-have book for any aspiring or experienced doll making.

Building on the success of Jan Horrox's previous book, Introduction to Making Cloth Dolls, Jan's new book focuses on her exquisite fantasy dolls, including beautiful fairies, amazing mermaids, an enigmatic witch and a steampunk doll with attitude. These magical dolls are full of character and are amazingly easy to achieve with the help of this practical book. Step-by-step instructions are provided for all the basic techniques, including how to make the bodies, heads, arms, legs, hands and feet; how to make the hair; and how to needlesculpt and paint the exquisite faces to really bring your character to life. There are instructions for making webbed fingers, delicate fairy wings as well as a mermaid's tail, and there are three easy-to-follow projects to put all your newly acquired skills into practice. Jan encourages the reader to use their imagination and create dolls of their own, and the alternative designs that accompany each project show how easily this can be done simply by changing the faces, colours, fabrics and embellishments used.

Start with a bejeweled goddess made from an easy “napkin” fold. Then try Pamela Hastings’ angelic “Clarity” doll, Arlinka Blair’s “Kuba Spirit” dressed in bold African textiles, and others. “Go beyond what you usually think of as cloth dolls and create a wonderfully imaginative collection of figures.”—Doll Castle News. “A good buy for large public libraries and textile collections.”—Library Journal.

DOLLMAKING: One Artist's Approach by Robert Mckinley reveals in over 200 step-by-step photographs with text fifteen years of the author's expertise in the creation of fine one-of-a-kind artist's dolls. Available for $29.95 unsigned or $35.00 signed (plus $2.00 P&H each), checks should be made payable to Mckinley Books at 107 East Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219.

General how-to instructions follow, emphasizing the actual crafting of two different types of hands and faces, well illustrated with color photographs. Tips, some helpful, some not-so, are scattered throughout in shaded boxes, ranging from a reminder to craft both right and left feet to the steps of sewing the ladder stitch. Then the dolls debut, each with a second variation.