A Three-Day Class

• For Intermediate to Advanced Skill Level
• Class Size Limited to Twelve Students

Course Description

Students will learn how to smoothly and firmly stuff form and shape into a modified muslin skull. They will learn the technique of how I needle-model a nose. The skull will then be covered with an overlay of cotton- spandex. They will learn how to form and stitch forehead, eye sockets and dimensional eyes. They will learn how to model cheekbones, jaw and chin. Students will have a choice of learning to create a pretty closed smiling mouth or an open smiling mouth. More advanced students will be able to work on two heads while teacher works with less advanced students and may be able to learn both techniques. Beautiful ears will be stuffed and needle modeled and correctly applied to head. Time permitting, face will be colored and shaded with colored pencils, pens and textile medium. Draping the head to create a "skin" wig and wefting mohair or other fibers to wig a doll will be demonstrated.

Note: The finished head will fit many 19 to 24 inch cloth doll body patterns. Since this class is focused on the head and face, no body pattern is provided. However there is a bust and a hat pattern for display purposes. They need not be stitched as homework, because they are not needed in class. If extra time is available at end of third day I would rather teach wigging as described above.

Class Outline

• Day One:
  Students will stuff the skull, needle-model and stitch a nose and add the overlay. Facial features will be measured and drawn onto the overlay prior to modeling and stitching. The nose will be refined and dimensional eyes will be modeled and stitched. The eye sockets will be started. More advanced students may get this far on two or more heads. Students who perform these techniques several times will own them.
• Day Two:
  Eye sockets will be modeled and stitched. Students will learn how to create a beautiful closed mouth. They will learn how to create an open mouth on a second head.
  More advanced students can start on ears.
• Day Three:
  Open mouth will be finished. Ears will be stuffed, needle modeled, and applied to head. Students will learn how to correct faces they are not fully pleased with. Students will be ready to color and shade their faces. They will learn how to drape a head to create a pattern for a custom "skin" wig. Wefting fibers for other types of wigging will also be demonstrated.

Most of these techniques can be demonstrated in a two-day class. However, this makes for a stressful second day and few students are happy with what they have created in only two days. I can make this project in six to eight hours, it takes a class almost three times as long. It has been my experience that happy students take more classes.

Kit Contents

Students cost $15 (a $29 value) payable to instructor in class.

• Patterns and instructions
• Dream-seamer tool
• ½ yard Southern Belle muslin
• Enough cotton-spandex for several overlays
• Airtex Premium polyfil stuffing
• Three special needles
• Use of teacher's supplies
• Additional handouts will be supplied in class
• Use of classroom supplies
• Sewing machine not necessary as homework will be done prior to class

Pattern, fabric, a dream-seamer tool and sewing instructions will be sent to each student one month prior to class. Students will stitch two or three "skulls" and overlays and bring to class.

If a shop books this class I will provide the shop with pattern kits on request so they may be handed to the student upon registration. In this case kit fees will be collected by the shop and added to the teachers fee.

If shop wishes to stock the supplies used in this class I will send only pattern and instructions for the shop to distribute to students as they register for class.

Classroom supplies (Provided by Mimi)

• Textile Medium
• Paint and Brushes, Colored Pencils and pens
• Hemostats in several sizes
• Optivisors
• Mettler Swiss Metrosene Polyester thread
• Nylon drapery thread
• Pins
• Extra needles (free replacement for bent or lost needles)

It would helpful, but not critical, if the classroom provided a whiteboard or blackboard with markers or chalk in two or three colors.

Students bring

• Favorite dollmaking tools
• Pre-stitched skulls and overlays
• Two or three Hemostats - 5 and 6 or 7 inch straight Kellies
• Small bag of Airtex Premium polyfil stuffing
• Stuffing tools
• Paint and small paintbrushes
• Straight pins and small sewing needles
• Air soluble marker, purple, NOT the blue one
• Pencil for note taking
• Colored fabric pencils
• Sakura .01 pens, black, brown, blue
• Long straight pins, thinner are better
• A work light if you need one and an extension cord
• A pillow to make the chair more comfortable

More advanced students are encouraged to stitch more than one head so they can practice these new techniques during waiting time while teacher is working with less advanced students.

If students do not already own everything on this list DO NOT run out to purchase it, I will have some of everything for class use.

Classroom supplies (Provided by Mimi)

• Textile Medium
• Paint and Brushes
• Colored Pencils and pens
• Hemostats in several sizes
• Optivisors
• Mettler Swiss Metrosene Polyester thread
• Nylon drapery thread
• Pins
• Extra needles (free replacement for bent or lost needles)

Copyright © Jim and Gloria Winer.
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