October 2025 Newsletter

2025 Upcoming meetings

October 18 - Challenge Dolls and Show planning    

November 15 - Annual Show and Sale

December 20 - Christmas Party

October Birthdays

Happy Birthday, Barbara!  Have a dolly good day!

Meeting Minutes

Present for the September meeting were Deb, Mary, Julie W., Virginia, Jude, Sue, Ann C., Julie G., and Andrea.  Virginia was our name tag winner!

Show and Tell

Deb completed a felt hand embroidery project she started when Kathryn presented a program about this a few months ago.  Very nice, Deb!  

Deb's felt embroidery project

Mary shared that she sold a painting she had done at a recent Eskenazi Hospital Art Show. We are so happy for you, Mary!

Andrea brought a work in progress, a miniature wood jointed doll she is carving out of bass wood.  Amazing work, Andrea!

Andrea's Miniature carved jointed wooden doll in progress.

Business

The Party Planning committee is thinking up fun things to do at the Christmas Party. We will have a brunch; there will be games and prizes!   An email signup list will be sent out after the November Show and Sale for who is bringing what foods to eat.

 We are gearing up for the annual Show and Sale taking place on Saturday, November 15, 2025.  Ann has signs and will need help "planting" them a week or so before that Saturday.  There are some guidelines for sales tables and that information will be emailed to our members.  Set up for the Show and Sale will be on Friday November 14 from 2-4 p.m.  or can be right before the show starts on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.

For those who wish to exhibit at the SullivanMunce art museum in Zionsville next year, you need to send your artist statement and 5 photos for examples of your work to Andrea as this will be a juried exhibit.

Program

Sue presented a fantastic program on how she makes doll armor.  She brought her prize-winning doll at the Ohio State Fair for an example. After giving some history about armor, she showed us how she made a pattern and then cut the pieces from craft foam. The pieces are then put together and painted and embellished.  An excellent program, Sue, full of information and ideas.  Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

   

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday October 18, 2025, at the Irvington Branch Library at 10:00 a.m.  Our meeting room is on the right upon entering the library.  

10 South Audubon Road

Indianapolis, IN 46219

We will be sharing our entries for this year's challenge at the Show and Sale:  a Character from a book, movie, or play. Final plans for the Show and Sale will be discussed.

Future Events

October 18 - Challenge Dolls due (character from book, movie, or play)

November 15, 2025 - Annual Art Doll Show and Holiday Fair

Check list for October meeting

Nametag

Challenge Doll Entry

Show and Tell

September newsletter

   2025 Upcoming meetings

September 20 - Sue's Doll Armor

October 18 - Challenge Dolls and Show planning    

November 15 - Annual Show and Sale

December 20 - Christmas Party

Meeting Minutes

Present for the August meeting were Mary, Anita, Leslie, Jude, Andrea, Julie W., Peggy, Ann C., and Barbara.

Show and Tell

Barbara completed two fabulous dolls, one a pirate named "Red Geordie Mac" and the other "Drift Away" a beautiful sailor themed lady.  The detail she has put into these dolls are amazing and these pictures do not do them justice.

Barbara's "Red Geordie Mac"

Close up of Red Geordie Mac's face

                                                

Close up of  "Red Geordie Mac's" details

Close up of  "Red Geordie Mac's" details

Barbara's "Drift Away"

Close up of "Drift Away" face

    

Peggy completed a cute pin cushion doll from a pattern by Terese Cato in her book "Fanciful Cloth Dolls".  Great job, Peggy!

Peggy's Pincushion girl

One of Terese Cato's books

Julie W. completed her Prince from Barbara's Beast class earlier this year.

Julie W.'s Prince

Julie W. also brought her two wise women dolls to show the type of faces Amy Felske will teach us in her spring 2026 class she is presenting for us.

Julie W.'s, "Wise Woman Leaf Collector In the Woods" and "Wise Wilma Witch"

Business

In our previous meeting there was discussion of finding venues to display our art dolls.  One of our members suggested the SullivanMunce Cultural Center in Zionsville, IN  which has juried exhibits.  There is an application process that Andrea told us about.  She will collect artists statements from our members and pictures in order to make a group application for us.

Program

Barbara presented a program on how to make beautiful faces.  She brought a few books about drawing faces as references for us.

Barbara's reference books

She also brought an example doll to show us her techniques.

Barbara's example doll

  

Barbara's example doll's face

 Barbara proceeded to give us tips on doing lips, eyes,  shadowing, highlighting, aging and so much more.  This was truly an excellent program.  Thank you Barbara, for sharing your knowledge and giving us so much inspiration!

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday September 20, 2025, at the Irvington Branch Library at 10:00 a.m.  Our meeting room is on the right upon entering the library.  

10 South Audubon Road

Indianapolis, IN 46219

Sue will be presenting the program on making doll armor.

Future Events

October 18 - Challenge Dolls due (character from book, movie, or play)

November 15, 2025 - Annual Art Doll Show and Holiday Fair

Check list for September meeting

Nametag

Show and Tell

July 2025 Newsletter

  2025 Upcoming meetings

August 16 - Barb - face sculpting

September 20 - Andrea - making accessories

October 18 - Challenge Dolls and Show planning    

November 15 - Annual Show and Sale

December 20 - Christmas Party

Meeting Minutes

Present for the July meeting were Joan, Mary, Deb, Jude, Katie, Julie W., Andrea, Sue, Virginia, Anita, Ann C., Peggy, Julie G., and Leslie.  Deb was our nametag winner. It was great to have all of you present!  

Show and Tell

Deb completed her gourd doll from our June meeting and also her challenge doll for the upcoming challenge in November.  Great job on both, Deb!

Deb's "Sandman"

Deb's gourd doll

Julie W. completed her gourd doll and used a gourd seed for her nose.

Julie W.'s gourd doll

Andrea brought her cute gourd doll and a wonderful little quilt she completed.

Andrea's gourd doll

Andrea's sweet quilt

Anita did a fabulous job on her gourd doll

Anita's gourd doll

We all loved Peggy's fantastic alien gourd doll!

Peggy's gourd doll

Sue has been busy rearranging her sewing room and brought patterns and things to give to our members.  Thanks, Sue, for the great stuff!

Leslie brought one of the 1st dolls she made with a wooden apple head.  The doll dressed in pink was created in 1998.  She also brought another apple head doll dressed in pretty vintage Swiss polka dot fabric.  Another doll she brought was a sweet, purchased doll and accompanying book titled "Izzie Frizzie and her Frizzle Frazzle Friends" made by Janie McQuillan.  How fun!

Leslie's apple head doll

Leslie's blue Swiss Polk a Dot apple head doll

Leslie's wonderful Izzie Frizzie purchase

Business

Andrea welcomed new members Peggy and Jean Ann.  So happy to have you join us ladies!

Next year the Irvington Library is scheduled for renovation.  Members decided that we would meet at the Franklin Road Library during the renovation time.

Sue will be contacting Amy Felske regarding next year's workshop planning for March or April.

 A second doll show was suggested for perhaps next year.  Members were asked to explore locations that it could be held.

Program

Katie presented an awesome program on developing your own shoes for your own doll.  She gave us an excellent handout explaining the four basic parts to a shoe:  the upper, the inner sole, the outer sole and the heel.  She explained that you can create almost any shoe with these basic parts.  Bigger shoes are easier to make than small ones and thin materials work better on smaller shoes.  Tiny rubber bands were used in the process which Katie generously shared with us.  And she gave us a handout on making a finger pin cushion that comes in handy when making these little shoes.  So much information and so well presented!  Thank you, Katie, for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!

Katie's finished example

Katie's demo

Fitting muslin for upper shoe pattern

Katie's demo

Finished shoe on doll foot

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday August 16, 2025, at the Irvington Branch Library at 10:00 a.m.  Our meeting room is on the right upon entering the library.  

10 South Audubon Road

Indianapolis, IN 46219

Barbara will be presenting the program on doll faces.

Future Events

October 18 - Challenge Dolls due (character from book, movie, or play)

November 15, 2025 - Annual Art Doll Show and Holiday Fair

Check list for August meeting

Nametag

Show and Tell