Tucked inside chests and stored on shelves in spare bedrooms, Raggedy Ann and Cabbage Patch dolls have more sophisticated brothers and sisters displayed on living room mantles.
Kevin Nortz / The Herald
Whimsical, intricate, detailed, fanciful and totally delightful cloth dolls are the rage with members of the Dollirious! Doll Club in Marysville.
The creations are works of art, member Beth Duncan said.
“These aren’t dollies,” Duncan said. “These are made for adults by adults.”
And they aren’t for sale. I visited club headquarters where artists learn how to fashion imaginative figures from wire, cloth and gewgaws.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Duncan’s collector doll named Cara. It’s a cloth doll, mounted on a pedestal, with a mesh wire skirt. Attached around the mesh are memories of Duncan’s life, including pictures of her family, a miniature sewing machine and her grandmother’s jewelry.
Cara wears a hat decorated with a teensy pop-open broach. Pictures inside show Duncan’s husband and daughter. Cara’s gown is an elegant frock. None of the cloth doll artists buys ready-made clothing at toy stores. Heaven forbid. Each garment is a custom production.
How do they sew on sleeves, no bigger around than a nickel?
Cara’s hands are shaped with hidden wire and one carries a tiny purse adorned with a bit of fluff.
Duncan’s creations become treasured members of her family, she said and are displayed around her home. In 2003, Lady Rosamond the Lion Tamer received first place and best of class in her category at the 10th annual Antelope Valley Dolls, Bears and Miniatures show in Lancaster, Calif.
“That was a huge show,” Duncan said. “She competed against some ‘big guns.’ “
The circus doll wears a brilliant red jacket, trimmed at the wrist with gold brocade cuffs. She carries a miniature whip and wears black gloves.
No detail is left unattended.
Members of the Dollirious! Doll Club meet monthly to share their enthusiasm for their art, show their latest projects and learn new techniques. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at The Quilting Place, 1515 Third St., Marysville.
“We have about 15 regular members, with skills ranging from just beginning to women who design and market their own patterns,” Duncan said. “Our primary focus is making art dolls from cloth, and we have a wonderful time in the process.”
Club activities include attending or hosting a yearly Northwest Cloth Dollmaker’s Luncheon. There are many magazines enthusiasts can subscribe to, out of town classes that make for fun weekend trips and competitions.
Go by the Quilting Place window and take a peek at some of the works of art called Auntie Dolls. The “Red Aunts/Black Aunts” pattern was designed by member Mary Burt. They have the most wonderful faces, from prunes to princesses, representing a favorite older relative.
Each is one of a kind with a hilarious expression.
“Much as a sculptor begins with a block of clay, a cloth doll artist begins with an assortment of fabrics,” Duncan said. “What form will emerge? Will it be a fairy, troll, diva or pirate?”
Cloth art doll faces are painstakingly needle-sculpted and painted. Apparel is elaborately embellished with beads, trims and embroidery. On road trips, the artist stops at fabric stores and craft shops that might carry miniatures or bric-a-brac.
“You do the crow thing,” Duncan said. “You pick up shiny things as you go along.”
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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