Handmade Art Dolls - by Julia

Is less more?

2010-04-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

I decided I wanted to step away from the path I usually walk when making my dolls, namely "more is more". Instead of making a doll with loads of accessories, jewellery and adornments I wanted to make a doll with none of this. No jewellery, animals or extra bits. Now, you might think this would be easier than the dolls I usually make but I can assure you this piece has taken me longer than any other single doll have ever made. I have spent hours just looking at her trying to decide whether she should have skirt or trousers, holding her bag in her hand or not and so on.

It is the small decisions that I love in the process of making art dolls. Since every doll is one of a kind, I usually have an idea of what I want to do but it is the small decisions I make on the way that determine whether the doll will be a success or not. And in the process of making Emily every one of these small decisions grew to large ones. I had to hold back (and that does not come naturally to me..).

Any way, here she is and it is up to you to decide whether "less is more"...

My Gran taught me

2009-09-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

My lovely grandmother turned 96 this week. She gave me my first knitting lesson when I was around four years old and showed me how to hold the crochet needle a couple of years later. My love for embroidery started at her kitchen table and has only grown stronger.

Happy Birthday, Farmor and Thank You!

Turn nothing into something

2009-08-28T00:40:00.000-07:00

I have just finished a much needed clear up in the fabric cupboard. Everything is neatly folded and sorted by the colour (we'll see how long that lasts) and I can't wait to start a project. I often find that the materials themselves are a great source of inspiration the only problem is that I never throw anything away and would need a warehouse to keep all my buttons, trimmings, and bits of fabric. Because I'm a strong believer in reusing things family and friends keep giving me old clothes and bits of broken jewelery to use for the dolls. I think it gives an "authentic" feel to the piece and it also brings me pleasure to turn something useless into art.

An example: Antonia my Autumn Gardener is waring dungarees made from an old pair of jeans which I distressed in some key places to give them a worn feel. Her jumper is made from my husbands jumper (it shrunk in the wash...) and for her gloves I used a tiny piece of a pair of stripy tights. The wooden rake I found in a flea-market in Sweden. She looks just the part for a bit of gardening.

Thanks /Julia

julia@by-julia.com

07846193552