Doll Fashionistas: Beautiful Dolls and Ultra-cool Fashions You Create With Needle and Thread [Paperback]

Ellen Lumpkin Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 2009

Doll Fashionistas! features clear, easy-to-follow instructions with step-by-step photographs and illustrations, in the DVD and the book, to make three versions of a high-fashion doll and over 15 ultra-cool clothing options. Each version of the doll teaches new techniques for sewers of differing skill levels. You will enjoy creating an heirloom quality doll from 100-percent wool felt while learning a lifelong skill. The book includes all patterns necessary for constructing the doll and doll fashions. The stunning doll fashions can be made from fabric scraps and used clothing.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ellen Lumpkin Brown is a doll maker, businesswoman, pattern designer and author, and her original felt dolls are collected by doll enthusiasts all around the country. She is the owner of The Doll Loft, an Internet shop for custom-made dolls, doll making kits and patterns, and doll clothing patterns. Visit www.TheDollLoft.com to see more of Ellen?s work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; Pap/DVD edition (January 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896897125
• ISBN-13: 978-0896897120
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #972,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My professional background includes corporate finance and marketing, economic development and gender equity and urban and rural revitalization in the United States and Southern Africa. What is not included in this list is doll making! In fact, I'm still not sure how doll making came into my life ~ it remains a mystery to me! The best way that I can explain it is to say that sewing dolls must already be inside of my hands!

I have a wonderful husband, Allison and three awesome sons, Nicholas, Aaron and Hampton.

I learn every single day, I hope I share my gifts every day and strive to fill each day with love.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners! All the basics are here!, November 30, 2009

By 

Melissa Durant (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doll Fashionistas: Beautiful Dolls and Ultra-cool Fashions You Create With Needle and Thread (Paperback)

I've been a doll maker for several years now and, even though I usually use my own patterns, I get a kick out of using others. I picked this up at JoAnn's and was excited to get started. First off, the instructions and process are extremely easy. This book would be great for a beginner, but more experienced crafters will also have fun with it. It teaches all the basics of doll-making (construction, needle-sculpting, button-jointing, etc.) with extremely useful and simple illustrations and photos and even has some fun clothing projects as well. I was disappointed in the fact that the dolls are HUGE at around 23 1/2" tall! Judging from the front cover, I was expecting them to be much smaller and more "fashion-dollish" (Hello, Fashionistas??), but you can always reduce the size of the pattern to your liking. My favorite part of the book was the hair-making section. I've always used mohair wigs on my dolls, but this teaches you how to use yarn as hair and make it look great, using a very simple loom. It's one of those things you read that's SO simple and you wonder why you never thought of doing it. That whole section is worth the price of the book to me. LOL I made 4 of these for my daughter and nieces and am saving it for when I teach my daughter to sew! =)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for doll lovers!, January 9, 2009

By 

Paige (PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Doll Fashionistas: Beautiful Dolls and Ultra-cool Fashions You Create With Needle and Thread (Paperback)

I just received Doll Fashionistas. I absolutely love this book. The directions are clear and concise. If you have problems there is a CD included so that you can view technics first hand. I know I will be making a number of these dolls and their neat wardrobes! Well worth the price...kudos to the author...nice job! (Super Fast shipping as always by amazon)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars my review about this book, February 9, 2011

By 

Josefina Buse - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doll Fashionistas: Beautiful Dolls and Ultra-cool Fashions You Create With Needle and Thread (Paperback)

cute dolls. not so cheap to make as the author says. Rayon-wool felt isn't so easy to turn when you have to do the small pieces. Haven't try the 100% wool since it is very expensive for making a doll. Some details are missing, like when you are putting the head pieces together, big circle is definitely bigger than the other two pieces together: book and dvd don't say or explain that. Then my machine got stuck while trying to sew the hair. Opening at the end of the leg not wide enough for diameter of the wooden ball. Giving tips would be very appreciated considering that some people like me may not know anything about doll making but are very excited about making their very first. It will save us a lot of time and headaches. So, i had to take some stitches out in order use the wooden ball which at the end I removed since i didn't consider it was necessary at all.
I will try to find a different doll, a one piece only will be better and much easier.
This ones look amazing but book should've included more tips and more detailed explanation.