Category Archives for "Art Cloth Doll Making"

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Art Cloth Doll Making Workshops – Hello from Tutor Angela Neilson

If you’re keen to use your sewing skills in a different way, then our Art Cloth Doll Making workshops here at Gartmore House may just be your cup of tea!  Here, tutor Angela Neilson explains a bit more about what you can expect to learn from the course, and showcases examples of some of the dolls created by own hand and by her students:
I look forward to welcoming everyone, no matter what the skill level or past experience, to my Art Cloth Doll workshop. Beginners will be surprised at what they can achieve; rest assured that you can make a doll you are delighted with. In addition to the courses I’ve run at Gartmore House, I have facilitated a similar workshop with school-age children with great success.So you don’t have to be an expert with a needle and thread or sewing machine. 

More experienced stitchers can enjoy using their talents in a project unlike any other, making a unique, one of a kind, doll. Making dolls is a great ice breaker if you’re making new friends on the course, and there is always a great deal of hilarity over the creating and handling of dis-articulated “body parts”.

Previous workshop participants have had a great time, and some particularly skilled ladies produced dolls of a standard way beyond my expectations. These examples shown here in this blog (of students work) are outstanding, but don’t be intimidated, something more straightforward can be just as effective.
Although we are making dolls, there is no need to stick with traditions. This is an opportunity to be daring and pursue the ‘artistic’ side of cloth doll making. Recently, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, researching modern portraits by artists such as Picasso and Mondrian, using what I have learned to make less traditional doll faces.
If you have any questions/concerns then I’m happy to help answer them – please just get in touch with the team at Gartmore House who will in turn put you in touch with me. We could even arrange to have a phone chat about what the holiday offers, before you commit. I looking forward to seeing you in May or October 2020.
For further information about tutor Angela’s Art Cloth Doll Making Workshops at Gartmore House or if you’re ready to BOOK NOW, please visit the Course Webpage, or give our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1877 382991.
#gartmore experience | gartmorehouse.com | mail@gartmorehouse.com | +44 (0) 1877 382991

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Art Cloth Doll Making Courses at Gartmore House – hello from Tutor Angela

Tutor Angela runs our Art Cloth Doll Making courses at Gartmore House and explains a bit more about what you can expect from the course:
It is such fun making cloth character dolls. In March the participants in the other craft class at Gartmore House couldn’t understand why there was so much hilarity in our workshop!  All our work was closely scrutinized by a very cute four-footed friend (well-behaved dogs are welcome at the House) – I think he approved, although he liked the home bakes better…
Making a cloth doll is a lot easier than you might think. You do not need expert sewing skills, just the courage to give it a go. Forty 12 year-old school pupils who worked with me in 2018, some of whom couldn’t use scissors far less a sewing machine at the start, all achieved fantastic results with their marionettes/dolls.
The school pupils worked in pairs on one doll. There was only one pair who couldn’t manage to compromise on their design, so they made a half man, half panda!! If you enjoy holidaying with a friend, why not come and create something unique together.
Over the 4 days that the course runs at Gartmore House, I will explain each step in detail with demonstrations, worksheets, samples, diagrams and personal one-to-one support. As this class is an introduction to the craft, we will use a fairly basic pattern to get you started, thus avoiding complex joint construction. However I will still ensure you learn all the skills needed to make a characterful cloth doll – both to finish your doll and create more at home.
Everything you could possibly need and more, is provided for your first foray into doll making. But please feel free to bring with you any inspiring pictures, photos, fabrics, buttons, braids, ribbon, beads etc that you already have and might want to use. Just be aware that the dolls themselves often take on a character of their own, and so your plans might just play second fiddle to those of your creation!

I recently went to a doll making class myself as part of my continuing professional development and “made some mistakes”, shall we say. However I used those mistakes as inspiration. Come and meet “The Jester” and “The Last of the Mole Hecans” and I’ll let you in on their secrets.
Hope to see you at Gartmore House soon for some creative Art Cloth Doll Making fun!
Angela
Tutor – Art Cloth Doll Making 
Visit our course webpage for Art Cloth Doll Making to find out more about dates, prices and a day-by-day itinerary. To book, visit our website, call us on 01877 382991 or email mail@gartmorehouse.com.