Dolls Unearthed!!!

I have been searching thru the towers of unopened bins in my garage (from our move 3(!) years ago).
Yesterday, I managed to empty 15 bins- and my back is killing me today!!!

But, I did find some of what I was looking for - some of my art dolls.

About 16 years ago, when I was starting to quilt, I frequented the Quilt Patch, in Fairfax, Va, and was a member of Quilters Unlimited. There, I ran into a woman named Andrea Perkins. She was a quilter and doll maker, and really got me interested.She started a doll club, and I joined. I made a few challenge dolls that traveled with the Hoffman Fabric Challenge. A few of my early dolls were just pitiful, in comparison to the talent I saw in the doll club.
But, I got better at it as time went on, then other interests in new pursuits came along,and dollmaking went by the wayside.

I am becoming interested again,altho I have a long way to go. There are a few more dolls inside my brain, clamoring to get out!! I don't think I will ever, in my lifetime, attain the title "doll artist", but it is certainly fun trying!!
I am rediscovering doll makers I had admired in the past, Bill Nelson of NC for one, and finding new ones, Anna Zueva of St. Petersburg, Russia, for another. They can both be found on FB.

Here are two of the original art dolls that came to life circa 1994. As hard as it is to part with them, I think they will be on Etsy, with a couple of their "friends" in the next couple of days.

YULI is my absolute favorite! He is totally original, a woodland resident, who is reclining/chillaxin' on a tree stump in the forest. He is leaning back in mid conversation with someone we cannot see!Or, maybe he is singing, while passing the time.... His attire is all vintage- dark mink hat with curly wool hair peeking out, blonde mink with leather strap wrapped around his vintage cotton/linen peasant blouse. He wears a tiny key on a leather cord around his neck- the key to a secret known only to him!He has a hoop earring on one ear, vintage velvet pants, feathers he picked up while walking thru the forest. There is coiled braided leather on the ground, beginnings of a whip he was working on.

The other is a cloth doll, titled Appalachian Dreamin'. Esther's wavy grey/brown wool hair is tied back with twine, she seems lost in thought, leaning on her broom. She is set on a base of old barn wood (still has an old nail in it!)The tiny egg basket has actual finch eggs in it(homegrown!) - the basket was made in Africa. Esther must have been in a quilt show- the name tag is still on the base- I'll be taking that off. I also have a tiny moonshine jug, that I might include with the piece, haven't decided yet!!!

I am still searching for Luigi- he was my first attempt at a from scratch polymer doll. I was inspired by the doll in the movie "On Golden Pond", which I believe was created by Bill Nelson. Now, Luigi can't hold a candle, to that doll, but I love him anyway, with all his faults, 'cause he was my first!!! Another day, some more bins, and Luigi will turn up!!!