Linda Walsh Originals Blog Pages

Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Linda's Review of The Complete Photo Guide To Doll Making by Nancy Hoerner, Barbara Matthiessen, and Rick Petersen


In doing my research on various doll histories I ran across a doll making book entitled "The Complete Photo Guide To Doll Making" by Nancy Hoerner, Barbara Matthiessen, and Rick Petersen. This book contained information on making several of the dolls I was posting about so I thought maybe I should review this as part of my Linda's Review of Doll Making Books series.

According to the books description: This book is a comprehensive how-to book about all aspects of doll making. It serves as a reference and technique guide for making dolls in a wide variety of styles. Full-size patterns are provided as well as artist galleries for inspiration. The organization provides easy access to information with step-by-step directions and color photos. Other doll-making books focus on one particular doll style. Some are purely inspirational, showing dolls made by other artists and crafters. This book provides complete how-to instruction on all types of dolls.

If you are a novice doll maker who wants to be introduced to all the world of doll making has to offer this book is a good beginning as it is filled with all sorts of dolls from simple handmade dolls to a beginner to intermediate cloth art dolls.

The book is filled with over 450 color pictures for the 30 doll project tutorials within the book and also includes lots and lots of tips for making those dolls.

There are seven categories of dolls: Toy Dolls, Nature Dolls, Folk Dolls, Paper Dolls, Book Dolls, Clay Dolls, and Cloth Art Dolls.

Included in the Toy Dolls category are step-by-step instructions for making sock dolls, a pillow doll, a topsy turvy doll, ballerina doll, woolen baby doll, and a modern doll with capri jeans.

Included in the Nature Dolls category are step-by-step instructions for making rock and bark faces, a pin doll out of organic paper, a wonderful twig doll, and a corn husk doll.

Included in the Folk Dolls category are step-by-step instructions for making an adorable spool doll, a spoon doll, clothespin dolls, a yarn doll, hankie dolls, and a garden glove doll.

Included in the Paper Dolls category are instructions for creating various paper faces, information on various methods for painting paper, and instructions for creating moveable paper dolls.  It also contains step-by-step instructions for making a paper and stick doll, a tall paper doll, little paper puppets, and a paper doll chain.

Included in the Book Dolls category are techniques for making book dolls.  It also includes step-by-step instructions for creating a journal doll, a flat doll, and a wonderful fabric journal doll.

Included in the Clay Dolls category are instructions for making doll armatures, techniques for working with clay and sculpting doll heads, tips for painting eyes and eyebrows, techniques for sculpting hands and feet, and how-to's for creating push mold faces.  It also includes step-by-step instructions for creating an adorable garden fairy.

Included in the Cloth Art Dolls category are tips for creating clay faces and hands, and step-by-step instructions for creating art dolls with a clay faces, creating cloth dolls with needle-sculpted faces, and a cloth doll with an encaustic face.

There is an art doll gallery for inspiration, embroidery stitch how-to section, and the pattern pieces needed for the various dolls.

If you want to dip your feet into all the possibilities of doll making this is a great way to do it.

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