September 2026 Newsletter

 2026 Upcoming meetings

September 19 - Field Trip to Oldenburg

October 17 - Swap Meet

November 21 - Show and Sale

December 19 - Christmas Party

September Birthdays

This month Mary and Kathryn celebrate their birthdays.  You two have a wonderful day! 

Meeting Minutes

Present for the August meeting were Peggy, Ann C., Deb, Andrea, Jude, Julie W., Leslie, Julie G., and Ann C.

Show and Tell

Ann R. told us about her recent presentation for the Doll Circle of Indianapolis about the history of NIADA.

Deb brought some vintage/antique dolls that she purchased at a recent show in Virginia.  They were made from patterns from the 1980's.

Front of Deb's dolls

Back of Deb's dolls

Peggy made a cute little doll she has named "Fifi".  Great job, Peggy!

Peggy's "Fifi"

Peggy's "Fifi"

Andrea shared the fun things she did on her recent trip on a river cruise to France which ended in Paris where she went to a museum of Jacquard looms and to a puppetry museum in Lyon.  We are so happy you got to experience this, Andrea, and thank you for telling us about it.

Business

Andrea reminded us that the club would like to sell dolls made from our pattern books at the November Show and Sale and would like everyone to contribute one doll made from one of those patterns.

Round Robin dolls were exchanged with their new shoes.  The next assignment is to embellish the dolls.

Plans are in the works for the annual November show and sale.  Signups have started for sales tables.  We would like for each member to make a doll from our Pin Doll or Zoo book to sell at the club table.  There will be a table for the current Round Robin dolls and past round robin dolls that have been made. 

An Artists Gathering will also be having a show and sale that day.

Program

Unfortunately, we were not able to have a program for this meeting as our presenter was unable to come, but we plan to have the program another time.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday, September 19, 2026.  We will be going on a field trip to The Golden Turtle Trading Center in Oldenburg, Indiana where we will be "Stitchin' with Kathryn"!  She will show us how to make a spool tassel.

Future Events

November 13-15 Retreat weekend in Danville, IL

November 21, 2026 - Annual Show and Sale and Challenge Doll

Check list for September meeting

Nametag

Money for workshop

sack lunch

Your own sewing kit:

Scissors, thimble

August 2026 Newsletter

  2026 Upcoming meetings

August 15 - Barbara - Hair Styles

September 19 - Field Trip to Oldenburg

October 17 - Swap Meet

November 21 - Show and Sale

December 19 - Christmas Party

August Birthdays

This month Deb and Andrea celebrate their birthdays.  You two have a wonderful day! 

Meeting Minutes

Present for the July meeting were Ann C., Julie G., Mary, Anita, Jude, Deb, Julie W., Andrea, Peggy, and Leslie.

Show and Tell

Deb made a cute bear from an old white chenille bath robe of hers, she made it for a gift.

Deb's Chenille Bear

Julie W.  made a bag charm doll using left over material from the bag for the doll's dress.

Julie W.'s doll bag charm

Peggy brought a cute kitchen witch

Peggy's Kitchen Witch

Business

Andrea reminded us that the club would like to sell dolls made from our pattern books at the November Show and Sale and would like everyone to contribute one doll made from one of those patterns.

Round Robin dolls were exchanged with their new hair styles.  The next assignment is to give the doll some shoes, and we will exchange again at the August meeting. 

Program

Peggy presented a most fantastic program about the history and styles of Puppetry and Marionettes.  Peggy's mother Erica Melchior started a troupe in the 1950's. The marionettes are in their 4th generation with Peggy's daughter Heidi and now Heidi's daughter Nevi continuing on Erica's legacy.  Heidi was a guest at our meeting and shared her knowledge and experiences with our group.  

Peggy has a vast collection of puppets and marionettes from all over the world which she brought to share with us.  She had shadow puppets made from leather and oiled to make them transparent, a Mexican puppet with soles of the shoes carved from rubber from old tires, a fish head Indonesian puppet and water puppets from Vietnam and many others. 

Peggy told us about the Punch and Judy puppets and shows they put on and Peggy and Heidi entertained us with a hysterical presentation! 

  Peggy told us about her "Slightly Haunted Puppet Show" that will be at the Brown County Playhouse in Nashville Indiana on Friday and Saturday October 16 & 17 at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. It will also be in Irvington on Monday and Tuesday October 26 & 27 at 6:30.

Peggy and Heidi with Punch and Judy

Andrea brought in her attempt to make a puppet from a few years ago.  Peggy and Heidi were eager to help her with the problems she had encountered.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the Irvington Branch Library.  Our meeting room is on the right upon entering the library.  Barbara will be presenting a program about hairstyles.

Those who are participating in the Round Robin Dolls will bring their dolls for the next round.

Future Events

November 21, 2026 - Annual Show and Sale and Challenge Doll

Check list for August meeting

Nametag

Show and Tell

Round Robin Doll

July 2026 Newsletter

 2026 Upcoming meetings

July 18 - Peggy- history of marionettes

August 15 - Barbara - Hair Styles

September 19 - Field Trip

October 17 - Swap Meet

November 21 - Show and Sale

December 19 - Christmas Party

July Birthdays

Nita celebrated her birthday this month.  Hope you had a great day, Nita!

Meeting Minutes

Present for the June meeting were Mary, Deb, Julie W, Jude, Andrea, Anita, Ann C., Peggy, Julie G., and Leslie.

Show and Tell

Peggy made a cute pin cushion doll from a pattern in the book "Fanciful Cloth Dolls" by Terese Cato.

Peggy's pin cushion doll

Andrea recently took a class at John C. Campbell Folk School.  She learned about dyeing fabrics and yarns with natural substances.

Andrea's natural dyed yarns

Andrea's natural dyed yarns

She is in the process of making a Scandinavian doll.  She has hand embroidered the face and is using her natural dyed yarns and fabrics for her body, hair, and clothing.

Andrea's Scandinavian doll

Business

Leslie talked about our joint meeting with Doll Circle of Indianapolis in May.  Everyone thought it was a great success.  Next year Indy Art Doll Makers will host.  

Round Robin dolls were exchanged.  The next assignment is to give the doll hair, and we will exchange again at the July meeting. 

Program

Andrea presented the June program on techniques for making successful tiny doll hands.  Turning tiny fingers can be extremely frustrating, but Andrea showed us several tips and tricks to make it work. From stitching, cutting out, to turning and wiring and stuffing and sculpting, she covered it all.  It was an amazing presentation!  Thank you, Andrea, for sharing your techniques to success!

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday, July 18, 2026 at the Irvington Branch Library.  Our meeting room is on the right upon entering the library. Peggy will be presenting a program about the history of marionettes.

Those who are participating in the Round Robin Dolls will bring their dolls for the next round.

Future Events

July 28, 2026 -  Odaca 50th Anniversary Event

November 21, 2026 - Annual Show and Sale and Challenge Doll

Check list for July meeting

Nametag

Show and Tell

Round Robin Doll

June 2026 Newsletter

2026 Upcoming meetings

June 20 - Making hands and fingers

July 18 - Peggy- history of marionettes

August 15 - Barbara - Hair Styles

September 19 - Field Trip

October 17 - Swap Meet

November 21 - Show and Sale

December 19 - Christmas Party

June Birthdays

Martha celebrates her birthday this month.  Hope you had a great day, Martha!

Meeting Minutes

Present at our joint meeting in May from our club were Andrea, Anita, Ann R., Peggy, Ann C., Julie G., Katie, Jude, Julie W., Deb, and Leslie.   Our host was the Doll Circle of Indianapolis with a lovely group of ladies.  Our groups met at the Wheelwright Event Center near Boggstown, Indiana.  The Wheelwright is a 19th-century Italianate home set on 15 acres of Indiana farmland.   Our thanks to Sherri and Matt for allowing us to use their facilities and to tour this amazing house and share their wonderful animals with us including chickens, donkeys, alpacas and dogs.  They both have worked extremely hard to make this Event Center what it is and are continuing to add more to it.

We started with a tasty salad luncheon, then toured the house and visited with the animals including Phyllis Diller the chicken with a white feathered head and the rooster Ray.  Then we all gathered to share stories about our most memorable dolls.  The ladies from Doll Circle of Indianapolis gave us an awesome history of so many different dolls they have collected, and the Indy Art Doll Makers showed their most memorable doll they had made.  Thanks to everyone who attended for sharing dolls that are so special to them.

Show and Tell

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is Saturday, June 20, 2026.  Andrea will be presenting a "hands-on" demo of how to make and turn tiny hands with fingers.  We will meet at the Irvington Branch Library at 10:00 a.m.  Our meeting room is on the right upon entering the library.

Those who are participating in the Round Robin Dolls will bring their clothed doll for the next round which will be the doll's hair.

Future Events

July 28, 2026 -  Odaca 50th Anniversary Event

November 21, 2026 - Annual Show and Sale and Challenge Doll

Check list for May meeting

Nametag

Round Robin Doll

Supplies for hand demo if participating:

One sewn hand, not cut out or turned yet.

Scissors

Favorite turning tools & hemostats

Chenille stems

A long thin needle (2-2.5") & matching thread.