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 Hi All:
Well, here we are doing a class together from across the ocean for most of you! Will the wonders of this technological age never cease! 7 or 8 years ago, when I wrote my first class, I had to learn to type! Still don't do it right, but I am fast.
As most of you know, I moved to Germany last July and have been having a great time here, learning about the places, people, FOOD, clothing styles, trains and trams for everyday travel and everything I can cram in without exploding my head.
Now, learning the language just may be the straw that broke the camels back! Das Stroh, das die Kamele zurück gebrochen hat." Translated word by word back to English…"The straw that the camel back broken has. Yep, my head is going to explode! LOL
I have been designing Cloth Dolls forever. I was doing it on the front porch when I was 5 or 6 years old. Anything was fair game for fabric, and many an article of clothing became fodder for my scissors. My 85 year old Mom just informed me of that little known fact. I do remember cutting up clothes, but don't remember them being "good" clothes. LOL
For many years I made cloth dolls for my children, nieces, for sale to friends etc. but started designing for real in the mid 1970s. I would cut the doll and clothing directly from the fabrics, and my partner in my craft store would snatch them up and draw around the pieces…soooo…A pattern was born. She still has some of those patterns, 18" Shirley Temple was one that was originally done that way.
I taught myself to design on paper by designing and cutting out parts from paper towels. It felt more like fabric. It took a bit to graduate to real paper, and to drawing the parts out before cutting them. I still "fix" patterns as I cut the paper pieces out and still cut all clothing directly from the fabrics and have to draw around them, if I am going to make a pattern of them.
Many dozens of patterns and classes and teaching in person later, and just enjoying the cloth doll world which is now so connected by the internet, there is still nothing that excites me more than designing a new cloth doll.
A cloth doll that can be shown nude, because it doesn't have to be covered up to be fun and interesting to look at. Sometimes I hate to dress a new doll, because I love the form of the doll itself.
Bleuette In Cloth is one of those dolls. I love her undressed…but…there are so many clothing patterns for her, she will want them all, and will just have to get dressed!
Happy Dollmaking, Judi
New... Contact Judi directly by email for quick personal help!
jkw1946@yahoo.com
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