Students will be required to purchase either a pattern or part-kit for each workshop and a detailed requirements list and photo will be sent prior to each workshop.
I teach for fabric store owners, quilting and craft groups and small informal groups as necessary. If you can gather a minimum of six friends together, then we can organise a class or two! Obviously the more people you can gather together the cheaper it will be per person. Talk to me and I am sure we can come to a suitable arrangement. All workshops other than the 'Getting Ahead" class will require each student to bring along a sewing machine. Please ensure that it has been serviced and you are familiar with it's running. I am mechanically challenged and cannot hold up the class whilst trying to fix or even re-thread an unfamiliar machine.
Some of my designs are set aside as 'workshop-only' patterns and techniques. This means that the pattern is not commercially available anywhere except to those students attending my workshop. A technique I like to share with my students in these workshops is stretching a lycra skin over a stuffed body and head, needlesculpting it and adding stuffing or implants between the layers to create an exciting and different look. It is an interesting technique and is surprisingly simple and very useful for adapting to other doll patterns.
My workshops are guaranteed to be fun and stress-free. I pride myself on being a caring and patient teacher and I constantly get a thrill watching each student work with one of my designs.
The following are some of the workshop-only designs I am offerring...
FLYNN: Flynn has been one of my most popular workshops. He is a seated elf made from panne velvet with a flesh coloured lycra skin. His face, hands and toes are needlesculpted. His head uses stuffing implants to create wonderful cheeks and a perfect nose. I spend at least three hours working with you on the face. Lace pieces are dyed and stitched to his body and students will have an opportunity to embellish him after the workshop. His ears are wired and all of the body parts are simply constructed and the doll is achievable by even quite inexperienced dollmakers. All I ask is that you understand how to sew on a straight line with your machine. Leave the rest up to me!!
In the workshop I present some variations you may like to try. A kit fee is applicable.
MONIQUE: A showgirl with attitude!! This doll has the most wonderful breasts...too good to cover, but I certainly won't take offense if you choose to do so! She stands approximately 15" tall in her handmade strappy shoes and fish net stockings. She has a needlesculpted face using my lycra-skin technique and implants and has feather boa for hair. Her fingers are wired and using my method, soooo easy to turn! The doll is stuffed very firmly and I will show you an effective way to attach the body parts so they will remain in their position. A kit fee is applicable.
DIAMOND LIL: Using the 'Bruce' pattern I show you how to adapt it to make the statuesque Diamond Lil. She features a sculpted body with wonderful breasts, and rounded bottom, fishnet covered legs, wired fingers and a sculpted face using my lycra-skin technique and stuffing inserts. Bring along a bag of glitz and you will take home a fun character!
LEURA: My commercial pattern features a doll who's skin is made from cotton. And while she is rather wonderful, in this workshop I will show you how to take the pattern one step (or more) further by covering the doll in a lycra skin and making wonderful realistic breasts that are too good to cover up. The workshop also covers the making of a removable mohair wig that can be set and styled.
Always a fun workshop with great results.
GETTING AHEAD: This is a one day needlesculpting class designed for all skill levels. During the day students will complete three heads using three different techniques.
1. A cotton head featuring 3 dimensional eyes and eyelids and simple colouring
2. A poly-cotton head with a lycra skin and stuffing implants. Much more detail in the face painting and sculpting
3. A lycra-only head with handmade eyelashes and an interesting needlesculpting technique.
Students will be expected to purchase a kit containing everything they will need to complete the three heads except stuffing. A sewing machine will not be required for this workshop.
Your group may prefer to choose three different heads to complete in the class. I am very adaptable!