The Stash

Anyone who works with crafts and fabrics needs certain supplies. A quilt maker usually has a collection of fabrics, patterns, scissors, threads, batting, special tools, and fat quarters for creating one or more quilts. This selection is no where near the extent of items that most cloth doll makers have collected.

The length of time that this passion has been going on will usually determine the size and variety of the STASH. Sometimes a collection will focus on "The Patterns". These cloth doll patterns are readily available at fabric and craft stores; doll shops; magazines; the internet, including auction sites like ebay and free patterns from websites; thrift stores; garage sales and the well meaning "friends". A doll maker's pattern file can include a wide range of sizes and styles of dolls, clothing, and accessories. The patterns are in an wide array of forms including personal drawings, internet prints, commercial pattern company ones in the traditional envelopes, tidy small selections in a plastic sleeve, and many forms of paper items including tissue paper, freezer paper computer paper, and notebook paper copied or sketched. These patterns may or may not be stored in an organized, easy to access form such as a file cabinet, folders or boxes (plastic or cardboard). Some may be in transition from one of the storage styles and pinned to the bulletin board, ironing board or just sitting on the table or sewing table. In any case used or not they are all very important to the Pattern Collector.

If the pattern is the primary passion of the collector, many of them will not even be opened. They are adored, admired and coveted "as is" with the idea that "someday I will make that one".

Some cloth doll artists create their own patterns eliminating the need for a vast collection of other peoples' patterns.

The next most important item is the fabrics; first, the body fabric. Makers of vintage style dolls tend toward the basic cottons and sometimes found or scrounged-from-old-clothing cloth that has the look and feel of long ago which is reflected in the vintage style. Cloth dolls are made in many colors but most often have a "skin" color depending on the ethnicity of the doll. Some fantasy dolls are made in wild and crazy colors to reflect a certain look.

In any case, a cloth doll maker will need a selection of cotton, synthetic and combination fabrics to create the perfect body. If a collector has a variety of patterns in many styles, it will be important to have on hand the proper body fabrics for each one or at least for the one that is being made next.

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