Cloth Doll Faces: A Practical Guide to Creating Character and Expression

Leading international doll-maker Ray Slater reveals her secrets to creating vibrant and dynamic faces in cloth. Brimming with ideas and practical advice, this is an invaluable guide for cloth doll-makers everywhere.

The face is the key to bringing life and personality to a cloth doll. Often thought of as being the hardest part of the making process, creating the face is, in fact, relatively easy and enjoyable to do. Just by following a few simple rules a whole world of wonderfully expressive, fun characters can be created. Ray will show you how, taking you from the initial inspiration sources, the design and drawing process, to the final colouring, sewing and embellishment of the head.

Using just three basic face designs - flat, three-dimensional and collaged - you’ll learn how to create a fantastic collection of characters. With tips on how to adjust proportions, hues and positioning of the features, you will learn how to make a whole host of faces with different looks and expressions. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions break down the process of making each kind of face, and there are techniques to help you make your own unique doll. Finally, Ray shares two body patterns in her book to suit all three head types, and body templates are included.