Whimsical Wired Characters Class

I taught my very first class, Whimsical Wired Characters, today at The Stitchin' Post in Sisters, Oregon. It was fun to watch as the dolls came together, each personalized in its own special way. (Whimsical Wired Characters are made from treasures in one's own craft/sewing stash, assembled with wire.)

Thanks to all my students for your enthusiasm and patience with this new teacher.

Here are some questions that were asked in class. I will answer as best I can now here, and follow up on any I need to research further in a future blog post.

• What glue should be used to attach fiber hair? I will need to research this one further as it depends on what the fiber hair is being glued to. In most of my dolls, I have attached fiber hair with wire or needle and thread.
• Where does one get old spools? I sometimes get old spools gifted to me, or find them in antique shops or thrift shops, or buy them online in auctions through ebay. There are also online suppliers who sell "wood spools" or "wood bobbins".
• Will old wood clothespins work? Yes! I can imagine them making wonderful doll bodies.

Other hints:

• When decorating wire hair, form the mid-wire twirls around something like a toothpick rather than using pliers. Use pliers to make the loop at the end of the hair wire.

To my students: Please contact me with any questions and hints that arise as you continue to make your whimsical wired characters.

Happy creating! I hope that you all enjoy making these dolls as much as I do.