I will start by saying, this is not an actual tutorial. The process of making a cloth doll is quite involved, but what I want to share here is a book and course review of Creative Cloth Doll Making by Patti Culea. I will share a bit of my process and explain what you will learn in the Creative Cloth Doll Making book and course.
So here is the cloth doll that I made using both the book and course called Creative Cloth Doll Making by Patti Culea.
She was so much fun to make, and I honestly could not have made a doll like this without the information in both the book and the course.
This is not a paid review, nor am I receiving any affiliate remuneration from Patti Culea or Galli Creative for this post, I just wanted to share my opinion and experience. I do share a few Amazon links to her books at the bottom of this post.
I originally found the book at a used book sale when we lived on Bowen Island (we had the best book sales there!) I then ordered the DVD course from Patti Culea as well as a doll pattern (which I don’t show here). The book comes with a selection of three different patterns that you can use just as they are, or combine the pieces to create your own unique doll.
The DVD is now available as a streaming course through Galli Creative. This is a much better way to enjoy the course and I should also mention that the course comes with downloadable content including a supply list and a pattern for the doll called Ilmaria, which I believe is pattern number two in the book.
I decided to make the simplest doll pattern of the three, as I had never done a project like this before. Although… as you can see in this image, I did have an affinity for cloth doll making from a very young age. I made these two dolls when I was just five or six years old!
My mom made the dress and sewed the face of the white doll, but I did everything else myself. I even sewed these on a sewing machine! My mom put the pedal on the lid of the sewing machine so I could reach it!
The book has several photos of cloth dolls made from all three patterns by a variety of artists. Many of them are sculpted, and they are absolutely amazing! There are so many inspiring ideas, but there are no instructions for those different dolls. The instructions in the book include all the basics of sewing the three different doll patterns.
This includes a comprehensive supply list, instructions on how to layout the patterns, to turn the fingers right side out (quite tricky actually), how to stuff the body (including adding wire), and how to assemble the various body parts, some of which are jointed.
There is the option to use fabric paint or dye to create a colorful finish on the body, and this is what I was planning to do (like the image on the front of the book). But in the end, I chickened out and painted the body a skin tone color. I used liquid acrylic paints with a fabric medium to create a thin wash, and I was happy with how this turned out.
The book also includes instructions on how to draw and color the face as well as basic instructions on embellishing and dressing the dolls. If you are proficient with sewing and doing fine work, then the book may be enough for you.
For me, the book didn’t have enough detailed instructions, although it has an abundance of creative inspiration, and that is why I ordered the course on DVD. I’m so glad I did because it made all the difference! There are nearly five hours of video instruction, so there is a lot more information in the course. I actually found having both the book and the course a perfect combination and I still flip through the book getting inspiration from the amazing textile artists who shared their work in the book.
The book doesn’t talk much about how to do hair, but the course does. I decided to make a wig with colorful wool yarn wrapped on wooded skewers. I learned this technique from a YouTube tutorial. And I loved how it turned out!
The book and the course are really about the construction of the doll’s body and face, and neither go into a lot of detail for clothing and embellishments. This is a huge area of possibilities and Patti has another course with Galli Creative called Cloth Doll Inspirations where she goes into more detail about embellishments and how to create costumes.
I haven’t taken this course yet, but I plan to! I discovered that I’m not actually that good at sewing doll clothes, but I did the best I could. I’d like to make a different outfit for my doll, perhaps something with a bit more whimsy.
In the end, she morphed into a dancer of some sort and I had no intention of that! I think the ribbon that I wrapped around her legs as leg warmers was where it all began.
I made a tutu-style skirt and a little bit of jewelry for her. I still have to make the shoes or slippers, but as I might change her entire costume, I haven’t been in a hurry to do that. Also, quite honestly…I ran out of steam! I learned that I actually don’t have a lot of patience for detailed and fine work.
But…there are many amazing people who do! And in addition to the inspiration that is in both the book and the course, there is a Cloth Doll Crafter FB group that has the most talented and gifted cloth doll creators. There is a tonne of experience in this private group (you just have to request to join), and they are so helpful and supportive, especially if you are new to this craft.
If you want to learn more, you can go directly to Patti Culea’s website, or check out her courses with Galli Creative, (she also has one for Cloth Doll Mermaids). I created a vlog as well where I show a bit more of my process in making the doll. You can check that out if you like!
But my final review is this…the book and the course are awesome and I highly recommend them. Patti Culea is a wonderful teacher and she has so much experience with cloth doll making. I think it would be a dream to take a live workshop with her!
Here are some Amazon affiliate links for the books Patti Culea has on Amazon. Some of them are out of print which is why there are some big price variations. You can check out my affiliate policy here.
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