profile

Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls

Time for a New/Old Project

Published 10 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader,

It's finally spring, which means we're due for weather that beats down my beautiful daffodils. It never fails.

Yesterday I started sewing a new doll. This is exciting and refreshing for me because while working on my Big Project (secret souvenir dolls for 2027) and Christmas creations, all my other doll undertakings were on hold.

But which doll to make? I went through my patterns and picked one. I chose "Averill," a doll I haven't made in a long time (the last one was a OOAK bespoke doll, made in 2021.)

Part of the fun with Averill is selecting the many fabrics that come together to create this modular and pose-able doll.

Averill can have either a cloth face that's sewn to the head, or an alternate polymer clay face that's covered with knit fabric, painted, then sewn to the head. I'll probably make this one with a cloth face.

Naturally I got distracted while going through my stash, pulling out fabrics I know I'll never use (like holiday fabrics I'd intended to use for work scrubs), bagging them for donation somewhere. Yes, you actually can have too much fabric.

Thank goodness my sewing machine is back in working order!

$78.00

Enigma Online Cloth Doll Course

The step-by-step tutorial and supplemental videos will teach you how to make an all-cloth Enigma doll (and clothing) at... Read more
​

*Have you missed any Tips or Tutorials?*

Tip #1: Sewing with Freezer Paper​​​

​​Tip #3: Sewing Stripes​

Tip #4: Realistic Fingernails​

Tip #6: Drafting a Clothing Pattern​

​​Tip #7: Pleater Board Tutorial​

Deanna Hogan​
​www.blueherondolls.com​
deanna@blueherondolls.com

Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls

Doll Artist and Teacher: Preserving the art of making dolls and Artist Member of the Original Doll Artist Council of America (ODACA).

Read more from Deanna Hogan, Blue Heron Dolls
A promotional image for a 4-inch ornament titled "'Tis the Season." The ornament depicts a cute figure wearing a black beret and holding an open book. It has curly, red hair, and is dressed in a knitted sweater and scarf. The background is a blurred Chris

Hello Reader, What a great way to close out 2025! Today I completed my big, secret commission for a UFDC Region 3 luncheon in 2027. I have just finished 40 cloth dolls with their 80 companion dolls! Sadly, I can't share any photos until after the event but I've been prepping the web pages in anticipation. The original agreement was for 35 dolls, which I completed before leaving in mid November for an absolutely wonderful vacation in Australia and New Zealand. I wanted the dolls done before I...

26 days ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader, April: the last time I published a newsletter! I haven't been idle, though. During these past few months I've been working in bulk, getting a start on the second half of the Big Project: souvenir dolls for a UFDC luncheon. While I can't share what the dolls will look like, I will share my progress. I'm not giving anything away by sharing these, but just want to convey how many man-hours (months!) have been devoted to this endeavor. Yesterday I opened another 10 pound bag of...

5 months ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader, I finished a doll yesterday, and it felt good. When I started her I thought she'd be a good one to take to Virginia for this summer's ODACA Day. But as life has a way of getting in the way, I had to make the decision to cancel the trip. My only regret will be missing all my doll friends. So here's "Averill." I'd forgotten how time-consuming she is to make but I didn't feel rushed as I made her, working a little bit on her each day. She has buried bead joints in her elbows,...

9 months ago • 1 min read