Demonstration and Fair...

I really enjoy these sorts of events...I'll be demonstrating doll making techniques with a varied programme (and sale of work) for the three days. I'll even be working on some of my china heads this time!

FREE PATTERN china head doll body...

Your first 'freebie' of the year!!

This is a very simple body which is ideal for these small china heads...it also fits the small metal 'minerva' heads beautifully, too.

I have stitched across the elbows and knees for this doll as it means I can pose her better, though I haven't shown this in the pattern as it's entirely optional.

To give you a rough size guide, this head measures about 2 1/2 inches across the shoulders and is about 3 inches high, the body makes her total height about 11 1/2 inches.....you can download your FREE PATTERN HERE....enjoy!

I'm back....

I'm back....finally...after a mad few months where Christmas took over (still in the job I was supposed to be leaving....looks like I'll be there a little longer too!) ahh, the joys of working in retail...everything else had to take a back seat, including my costume business dreams...though I haven't given up on them just yet (just feeling a little fickle at the moment!!) so to start the new year I have finally completed the doll body patterns and I have just put the first ones in my Etsy shop as a digital download...I'm feeling quite pleased with myself now!

To glue or not to glue?...that is the question!!

I'm often asked about attaching doll's heads to bodies and my simple answer is if you can avoid it DON'T GLUE !!

Most china heads have holes for attaching and the simplest way is to run a cotton tape (or ribbon) through the holes, pin the tapes in place on the body and sew. This way the head is secure, but doesn't have to be permanent, particularly for antique heads with reproduction bodies, sewing in place leaves the option to change the body to an antique one should it become available. This particular head (a beautiful Kobberman repro) has three sew holes front and back, though it's more common to find heads with just two holes front and back.

A little intrigue...

This beautiful little parian head was sold to me as an 'unsigned artist's original'. She was very grubby with a large black ink stain on the back, but after a careful clean up I found this makers mark under the ink! I haven't been able to identify it so far, but I'll keep looking...

The smallest china head...

At just under three inches tall, this is the smallest china head I have come across so far. She is an 1890s German china head glued on to an old (probably 1950s) plastic body. I decided not to try to remove her from the body and worked with what I had instead. She looks rather nice in her tiny hand crocheted dress...

Blonde china head circa 1885- 1890

This lovely blonde lowbrow china head dates to about 1885-1890. She is one of the first completed dolls with a new body of tea stained calico and a pretty rose print fabric dress.

I have heard it said that for every 10 black haired china heads there was just one blonde haired china head produced, I don't know how true this is. They don't appear to be as readily available as their darker haired counterparts, but I have been lucky enough to acquire a few of differing sizes.

Reproduction China Head

This is a beautiful reproduction china head made in 1964. She has all the detailing of the 1890s lowbrow and is very good quality. I have designed her a new calico body (along with using a rather nice pair of vintage white porcelain legs), then dressed her in pretty cotton prints.

Hints and tips...

A good way to avoid damage to your dolls feet is to use an empty cotton reel, add a circle of felt to each end (this needs to be slightly larger than the cotton reel so that the reel itself does not come into contact with the feet), then thread either ribbon or cotton tape through the centre, making a loop at one end and back through the centre again so that the two free ends are at one side.Place the loop over one leg and with the cotton reel between both ankles, draw up the ribbon and tie around the other leg, this will stop the legs from bashing together.

Here's where it all began...

This beautiful doll was a gift from my hubby and the first china head in my collection. She is an antique 1900's German Lowbrow with original limbs, but a reproduction body and gown.

Since receiving her, my collection has grown rapidly with an eclectic mix of old and new, all types and styles, and mostly just heads as I like the creativity in making new bodies and clothes.