ART DOLL ARCHIVE
Dolls made within the past five years.
Each doll is stitched by hand from the very body to the dolls wearing. When sewing her dolls Stephanie does not follow a pattern. The dolls are rather made intuitively and based on a rough idea and feeling. All dolls are one-of-a-kind.
"I find a certain peace of mind when stitching by hand, it can almost be meditating. I often keep the stitches visible reminding me of the handmade and craftmanship. I like the idea of perfection in the unperfect stitch just as it is favoured by certain Japanese mending sewing techniques. Of course there are stitches I truely try to get right, while others I like to be more raw and not that neatly made, I think that keeps an honesty. The materials I use are scraps and pieces from worn out clothings and vintage fabrics. Much of my embroidery yarn was given to me by my Grandma many years ago. She was brilliant at embroidery. At the time when she gave me her embroidery materials she no longer had good eyes. I did not know what to do with the yarn, but I loved it because my Grandma had used it so much and by all the many colors of the threads. Today I am so glad I kept it all as the embroidery yarn is a big part of my handstitched dollies and brooches".
Besides all the dolls you see here Stephanie has also stitched several brooches where many are doll alike just as she has made other little handsewn ornaments ment for wall hanging. These have not been archived - maybe one day.