Tag 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.

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NEW for 2019! Art Cloth Doll Making Courses at Gartmore House

Art Cloth Doll Making is a new course for 2019 here at Gartmore House. Tutor Angela explains more about this fast-growing popular craft and how the 5-night course will pan out:
Hi! I’m excited about my first course next month at Gartmore and would like to introduce you to my art doll family.

When our class starts on Monday morning we will all have a chance to look at books, patterns and other artists’ work together – this is the really exciting bit. I’ll help each of you fine tune your own ideas into a manageable project, so that you have your own art doll by the end of the week.
Each day I will take you through the next step, demonstrating to the group and also individually as required. Don’t be embarrassed if it takes a couple of times before you quite “get it”. I will always be available for questions and will be checking in with everyone throughout the day. I am confident that even beginners can achieve a great result.
The list of techniques covered is long, but many are using skills with which you may already be familiar – drawing round pattern templates, basic sewing machine stitching, stuffing limbs, wiring fingers, ladder stitching openings, sewing button joints, needle sculpting faces, drawing, painting or stitching faces, making a basic doll’s wig, making clothes & shoes.
So it will be quite a busy few days. You may even choose to do “homework” (gasp!) – stuffing is laborious and takes time but can easily be done while chatting or watching TV.
I have used this workshop with 2nd year high school pupils, most of whom had never done any sewing, on machine or by hand. They had fantastic ideas which I helped them realise and they were all delighted with their finished dolls/puppets.
You can even work in pairs on one art doll if you like! Sharing out the tasks to suit. I’ve previously led a group containing 2 pairs of Mum’s & their 9 years olds – each pair making lovely dolls. The youngsters “drove” the sewing machines as if they were racing cars!!
This class is great fun and will provide plenty of laughs as the dolls begin to take on a character and life of their own, telling you how they want their hair and what clothes they want to wear! I’m looking forward to bringing doll making to Gartmore. See you soon!
Angela – Doll Making Course Tutor
Take a look at Angela’s Pinterest page for inspiration
If you’d like to join an Art Cloth Doll Making course at Gartmore House, visit our website or call us on 01877 382991 or email mail@gartmorehouse.com #gartmoreexperience