Cloth Doll Artistry: Design and Costuming Techniques for Flat and Fully Sculpted Figures

Nice book with clear patterns. My daughters love all of my creations, so much that they avoid my sewing room and put the dolls in the closets most the time.

This is a very good book for doll makers venturing into the world of creating art dolls. The directions are clear, with many tips, hints, and tricks for improving construction and personalizing your doll. I would have given it 5 stars except for two things. One, the author does take for granted that the reader has at least an intermediate understanding of fabrics, fibers, sewing and sewing terminology, stuffing techniques, and soft sculpting. Second, there is an assumption that the reader has ready access to exotic and hard to find fabrics and trims, and offers little advice on the use of more readily available alternatives. While I do agree that fine fabrics and trims tend to result in more beautiful outcomes, a novice art doll creator may be hesitant to invest heavily in expensive materials. On the whole, anyone following the instructions, who has a solid working knowledge of sewing, will be able to jump right in and successfully create art dolls, so I have no hesitation in giving it a strong recommendation to that audience. If you are looking for a book on making dolls for play, have not previously made a cloth doll, or have had little or no sewing experience, then the projects herein might not suit your purpose or skill level. This book also has much to offer those who like to collect cloth art dolls, as it gives good insight into their design, planning, and creation.

This book was well thought out and planned prior to publishing it. It is very beautifully detailed, very explanatory even for beginners and an interesting read. Mrs. Willis gives her all in this book. She even gives the beginner a facial template to copy and print out on printable iron-on paper, if the beginner or advance doll maker can not draw the faces or even paint them. A cheat sheet so to speak. All three of the doll patterns and examples are done in vintage fabrics in this book but one can choose their own fabric layout for the doll they are making. Patterns for all three dolls are included and even a facial/body print for the flat doll can be used from the book or it can be scanned and copied. I would highly recommend this book for ALL doll makers regardless if you are interested in making one of her dolls or not and for those whom are considering making a doll of this type for the first time is will greatly enrich your beginner skills. It is well worth the price which is low compared to other doll books I have purchase. It is now the best doll making book in my library!

I originally saw this book in a local craft/quilting store. When I went back to buy it, it was out of stock, so I bought it through Amazon instead of waiting. First of all, the book is pretty basic with two dolls, but multiple variations made by a number of fiber artists. The photography is beautiful, the images are inspiring, the patterns and directions are pretty clear. I've been wanting to try dollmaking, and this is giving me a good starting point. I haven't actually made anything yet, however, I'm pretty sure that I can get some good results with the aid of this book. The first doll is a flat doll, much like paper dolls, but executed in fabric with stiff backing, then clothed and decorated three-dimensionally. I've been sewing a long time, so I don't anticipate any problems with this project or any variations. Personally, I think the flat doll might make a great decorative gift for someone who has everything - just theme it to your friends favorite colors and possibly dream image. The second doll is more traditional, with basic techniques for needle sculpting the face and attaching hair. Again, the directions are so clear, I don't anticipate any problems attempting this project either. Looks like a lot of fun, and since the holidays are coming up, what better excuse to try these dolls out?

This book is very unique in that it offers what I call flat doll pattern artistry. Such a great book. I am into art journals so her detailed information on these type of dolls has been valuable. A " how to" that confidently coaches you through. Plenty of room for your own imaginations. This just a part of what this book is about. Whatever you learn from this can be used in many ways for many different projects. Go for it.

This book is absolutely gorgeous! When not in use, it would be lovely as a conversation piece when placed upon a coffee table for all to view. Barbara's passion for color and fabric is evident on evey page of this beautiful book. I am not a seamstress or crafter, however once a year I do attempt a project to bring out the feminine side of my creativity. Barbara's step-by-step instructions on face sculpting with needle and thread are seamless and if followed as presented, you too will create a stunning face for your cloth doll!. Girly hats off to Barbara and a big thank you for sharing your talent with us all.

I was anxiously awaiting the release of this book and I certainly was not disappointed. This book is fantastic. If you like cloth dolls, you will love this book. Patterns are included for the three dolls on the cover (one flat doll and 2 dimensional dolls) and they are beautiful. I hardly know which one to start on. Barbara has included a gallery of doll pictures and they are stunning. Lots of colored pictures and lots of detailed instructions. Very good clothing and embellishment instructions. I hope this is the first of many books from Barbara.

What a gorgeous book this is-- I wanted to frame every page! Anyone would be inspired by the artistry of these dollmakers, who put forth their best works for this book. It makes me want to try them all!! The important thing to know is that she gives you the information you need to reproduce the dolls and leaves you to your own muse for inspiration. My dollars were well-spent for this beautiful book(mine was slightly used and still in perfect shape), and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be creative in this direction.

i am relatively new to doll making and bought this book to add to my collection of similar books. there are plenty of beautiful colour photographs of a variety of dolls to inspire others within its pages. However, due to the scale of the dolls - which is quite a bit smaller than the 18 inch dolls i have been making, i found these much more fiddly to contend with. the clothing necessitates the use of dupioni silk for its fineness and drape qualities and i have found that almost impossible to find in the small quantities needed in the UK. i would recommend the book for its inspirational content alone though.

Brilliant book well documented easy to follow instructions

fabulous inspiration for anybody [artistic or not] who want to make themed dollseasy to follow instructions plus basic patterns which can be adapted simply

Beautiful, quirky and full of inspiration! Really gorgeous, unusual Doll designs.

A very good book, full of hints and tips. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in making cloth dolls.