Danielle Cloth Doll by Barbara Willis
26″ Tall – Advanced Level
Image Credit Barbara Willis in Her Book Cloth Doll Artistry

.The techniques used to create Danielle are more advanced that those used to make the other dolls presented in this book. Danielle is a seated doll. Her body parts were designed for a permanent seated pose, unlike Jolie, who is flexible at her joints.

Danielle has button-jointed hips and shoulders, wired hands, and a face created by soft-sculpting knit fabric.

Soft sculpting is a technique that takes time and practice to develop. Embrace the learning curve and experiment with several kinds of knit fabric. Keep in mind that we are processed-oriented here. It is the process that provides the challenge sense of accomplishment and ultimate joy.

Choosing the right fabrics for your doll will greatly affect your
results. Knit fabric is essential for Danielle’s face, and for successful soft sculpting of her face. I recommend a two-way stretch cotton Lycra blend; the Lycra offers memory, and the
cotton fi bers offer a nice matte finish The cotton fibers dye beautifully while the Lycra is resistant to color, so the blend offers soft, pleasing results. T-shirt and silk knits also work fi ne if that’s your preference.

Look for knit fabrics with a smooth texture with no obvious
slubs. You can dye white knit fabric ivory with a commercial dye to match ivory fabric for the torso and hands (page 76).

As previously discussed, you might want to dye your knit
fabric to get a precise color. I like working with Rit dye, which
is widely available in the United States and Australia, and Dylon
dye, which is available in the United Kingdom.
Refer to the dyeing instructions on the dye package, keeping
in mind that results will vary depending on the amount of
fabric you are dyeing, its fi ber content, the temperature of the
water, and the length of time you leave the fabric immersed in
the dye bath.
–How to Dye Fabric in a Washing Machine with Rit Dye
The following instructions are for dyeing fabric in a washing
machine with a combination ofnyellow and tan Rit dye powders
to create an ivory color.

1 Prewash, rinse, and spin themknit fabric in your washing
machine. Remove the damp fabric and set it aside. Do
not dry it.
2 Set your washing machine for hot water and a small size load.
3 Add ½ teaspoon (2 g) tan powder dye and ½ (2 g) teaspoon yellow powder dye to the water. Agitate the water to mix the dyes.
4 Test the color by dipping a small strip of fabric into the
dye bath. For a darker color, add more dye. For a lighter
color, add more water.
5 Immerse the damp knit fabric in the dye bath and
leave it in until it is the desired color. Once the fabric is the perfect shade, remove it from the washing machine and set it aside.
6 Spin the colored water out of the washing machine and
refi ll it with hot water.
7 Immerse the dyed fabric in the hot water and set the
washing machine to spin to remove all the excess water.
8 Dry the fabric in the clothes dryer at a hot setting

Woven fabrics are used for the construction of Danielle’s arms, legs,mand torso. I often choose colorful cottons, silks, and even velvets for some parts of the body. Danielle’s upper
arms are made from a beautiful mauve dupioni silk and her is moss-green silk velvet. Silk and velvet can be a bit fussy. Always allow extra seam allowance for dupioni silk.
If you also choose to use silk velvet for the torso, iron on a fusible stabilizer to the backside of the fabric.

Materials

• 1
⁄3 yard (0.3 m) woven fabric for the legs
(I used polka-dot cotton)
• ¼ yard (0.25 m) woven fabric for the upper arms
(I used mauve dupioni silk)
• ¼ yard (0.25 m) woven fabric for the lower torso
(I used moss-green silk velvet)
• ¼ yard (0.25 m) ivory woven cotton fabric for
the hands and upper torso
• ¼ yard (0.25 m) ivory cotton Lycra knit (with two-way
stretch) for the face
• ½ yard (0.5 m) silk organza for the side fl ounces
(I used moss-green silk organza.)
• 1/3 yard (0.3 m) silk dupioni for the pantalets and
upper puff sleeves, wrong side sleeve cuffs (I used lavender
silk dupioni.)
• ¼ yard (0.25 m) silk dupioni for the sleeve cuffs and hat(I used raspberry dupioni.)
• ¼ yard (0.25 m) each of moss-green and bright green
dupioni silk for the knee scallops
• cotton-wrapped polyester threads to match fabrics
• heavy nylon upholstery thread
• bag of fi berfi ll, such as Fairfi eld’s Soft Touch Supreme
• white and light blue or green gel pens
• colored pencils, two lip colors and dark gray
• black, brown, and green Pigma pens, 005 or 01 tip,
such as Sakura Micron Pigma Pens
• powdered, colored eye shadows and blushes
• fl at ½” (1.3 cm), stiff brush for blending powders
• spray art fi xative, such as Krylon
• tacky glue
• clear fabric glue, such as Fabri Tac
• 2 chenille stems • 2 5
⁄8″ (1.6 cm) buttons for shoulder jointing
• Two 1¼” (3.2 cm) buttons for hip jointing
• tan and yellow fabric dye, such as Rit or Dylon (optional)
• hair fi bers
• small black glass beads for eyes
• ribbons, trims, laces, beads, buttons, pompoms,
baubles, and charms
• small pieces of thin leather or Ultrasuede in 2 or 3 colors
for the shoes
• small piece of heavy leather for the soles (old belts work
well here)
• small piece of poster board for inner sole material

TOOLS
• sewing machine
• open-toe appliqué foot
• straight pins
• sharp scissors
• makeup sponge wand applicators
• short liner brush
• measuring tape
• disappearing ink fabric marker (purple fade-away)
• mechanical lead pencil
• 6″ (15.2 cm) metal hem gauge with slide indicator
• straight-nose hemostats
• stuffi ng forks, regular and mini
• 1/8″ (3 mm) brass turning tube and rod
• long darners #7, such as John James, for soft sculpting
the face
• 5″ or 7″ (12.7 or 17.8 cm) doll needle
• steam iron
• spritz bottle with water
• hand sewing needle
• emery board
• screw punch

Danielle is a Permanently Seated Doll with Joints