All Done!

This little felt doll is all done now, with her red felt shoes and a pocket on her jacket for a hanky. I made the hanky from a small scrap of fabric that I've been saving - it has odd little nursery-rhyme characters on it - very cute! Oh..........and a needle-felted ball.

Felt Doll - Update

Here is my experimental felt doll painted and basically dressed (warm jacket because it is winter here in Tasmania!) She's still waiting for her shoes and *s-h-h-h-h-h-* underthings.
To paint on the felt, I found it best to try and flatten the nap of the felt as much as possible. The tiny clover iron (see previous post) does this job really well. I then gessoed the areas that were going to have heavy paint - basically the eyes and lips. It took three coats to get a good, paintable surface. The painting of the features was then quite easy. Blushing and shading was done with dry-brush technique straight onto the felt, but I made sure I tested the colour on a scrap first because it is sudden death........no removing the colour once it is on, and no painting over to cover mistakes!

Experimenting With Felt

I have always been attracted to well-made felt dolls, whether made by dollmakers from the past like Lenci or Steiff or by more contemporary makers like Maggie Iacono and R John Wright. I've made a few in the past with mixed results, but I've had the "doings" sitting around here in my studio to have a real try. I bought some lovely pure wool felt a few years ago and I'd sculpted a head with the idea to cover it with felt. I even had a body pattern drafted to try. Yesterday, on a whim, and with all the constellations in the right place, I got out all the "doings" and put a little felt toddler doll with a chubby body together. Here it is all ready to have the features painted.

This little "Clover" (quilting tool?) iron is great for flattening the nap of the felt before painting - it tends to get a bit fluffed up when you are working with it. The iron also works to smooth the surface of the stuffed parts of the doll. Now I just have to think obout painting the face and adding some hair and clothes. I have already learned a thing or two: One - be very careful with the glue - it seeped through to the surface in a couple of places, but I think I'll be able to disguise it with shading. Two - making the hands with the two middle fingers joined makes it much easier to turn them - felt is tricky to turn. 

Introducing Sue McFadden

I'd like to introduce you to one of my all-time favourite dollmakers, Sue McFadden.

Since I discovered her dolls and her blog several years ago I have been taken with the quiet poise and wonderful craftsmanship of her dolls, most of which are made entirely from wool felt. Sue quietly goes about making her dolls and her other art without too much fuss, but really, these stunning works of doll art deserve much more exposure!

Sue has decided to offer an online class in felt doll-making, which is wonderful news indeed! If you want to find out the details of the class go to Sue's blog and while you are there check out her galleries with lots of lovely finished dolls to drool over!

                Sue kindly allowed me to use some of her photos of her dolls - aren't they fabulous?