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What to do about all those single socks laying around,when you just know the other one is going to show up Maybe? …One day soon?

Socking It To the ARTS

Lorinda Stevens ~ CSUC: EDCI 622

You start thinking that you can make a doll that is more adorable than those ugly (lovable) things you see at the local market….

Grrrr…

R. Fugate (2009)

J. Chait (2009)

J. Chait (2009)

J. Chait (2009)

That’s what happened to me, anyway.After staring at this bucket of single socksfor two weeks,I started pinching and stitchingand clipping. And thinking about dolls of years ago.

Pinchedwith fingersfrom the inside

Now I have a “mouth” in the middle of this sock.Honestly, I’m not sure what to do with it, but I do know I need legs.And maybe antlers? Horns? Antennae?Arms that come from the head? A four legged creature?The creative play in me as student and teacher has come alive. Time to just start chopping away. Oh dear… here goes……

WOW!!I see something happening!!

So now, a bit of doll history:

The first evidence of a recognizabledoll is an alabaster doll made during theBabylonian era. (Maybe Hammurabi had one!)

Painted wood dolls have beenfound in Egyptian graves and tombs dating back to 2000BC. They are thought to havebeen cherished possessions.

And dolls have been found in the graves of Greek and RomanChildren.

J. Nordquist (2009)

Lots of pinning and reflecting help meremember to sew right sides to right sides,while the whole thing is still inside out.(I only sewed the insides together once!)

Most ancient dolls were made of clay, rags, wood or bone, although materials such as ivoryand wax have been found.

L. Lavoie (2009)

Olympic dollupon which themascot Athenawas based

The ideal doll, back in 600 BC, was one with movable arms and legs, and removable garments.Following the ancients, Europe became the hub of wooden doll making in the 16th and 17th centuries. Less than 30 of these dolls remain (BUMMER!)Germany is known for the peg wooden dolls, made with simple peg joints.

Antique WoodenDutch Peg DollSet of 5 (2009)

Yeah, I’m still working away…hand sewing with a back stitch.

All peg dolls

Hand Stitches (2009)J. Lotz (2009)

StuffedStuffed

NotStuffed

As doll making progressed, (like mine?!) new materials were used, many with the intent to mass produce.

Wax

Cotton

Lynne’s Antique Dolls & Collectables (2009) J. Dyer (2009)

Unlike my ragamuffin, dolls in the late 18th

century were made from papier-mâché, ash,eggshells, pulped wood & then porcelain in the early 19th century. Most dolls were then “adults.”

Mywork space ofcreativethinking and play

During late 1800’s, the most coveted dolls were realistic; the famous French “bebe” looked like a young girl.Rag dolls (OK, YAY! Here I am!) were hand made of linens and cottons, and were well loved for obvious reasons.

I use the handle of awooden spoon to get thesynthetic filler into skinny spots.

Not until after the Civil War did dollmaking become an industry in the U.S. Leather, rubber, and papier-mâché,were most commonly used. Leather

Sock

Celluloid dolls were made in massquantities until they were discovered to be highly flammable.

After WWII, doll makers started usinghard plastics. Dolls “grew” rooted hair (and started to acquire many other “life like” qualities like crying and wetting. Yippee, hunh?)

R. Ripley (2009)

Twine for hair

Two buttons each eye

Barbie, designed by mom Ruth Handler in 1959, was aresponse to baby dolls exclusively on the market. She wore a zebra striped swimsuit and was available in blonde or brunette. 350,000 Barbiedolls were sold during the first year of production.

Barbie’s real name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.Novels written about her, published by Random House,have developed a complete biography for her, includingher hometown, careers, pets, cars, and companions(including Ken.)

Needless to say, Barbie has created controversy. To start, she promotes an unrealistic image of a girl’s body. (Proportionately, studies show that her hips would identifyher as anorexic; she would need to gain 35 pounds.) Her name connotes “shallow.” She is notably dumb(“Math is hard!” she says.) Her wheelchairdoesn’t fit in a playhouse. The list goes on,and lawsuits have followed with abandon.

The original Barbies are now a collector’s item; Her record sale stands at $17,000 at Christies in London.

This year, 2009, Barbie turns 50.

Barbie (2009)

Aword or twoabout thefamous…

Integrating the creation of this doll with other content areas could focus onthe culture of dolls around the world, Native American Indian dolls, Americana handicraftsrecycled art and greening the community, or even in a science study of garbology. The completed dolls could be used in puppet skits, animation or graphic novels,or as a start to research about family histories or stories. A study of those less fortunate around the world or in the community could spark a unit on empathy, giving,and the doll could be a wonderful warm token of caring.A business venture could be considered, and the dolls being a fundraising tool.In this presentation,

I offereda shallow historyof dolls. As always,any unit can veeroff anywhere;other potential learning opportunitiesare endless.

ReferencesAntique Wooden Dutch Peg Doll Set of 5 - eBay (item 280335603719 end time Apr-25-09 16:59:10 PDT). (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280335603719#ebayphotohostingBarbie . (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BarbieChait, J. (n.d.). Inhabitots » Halloween Keepsakes: Cuddly, Lovable, Recycled Monster Dolls . Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.inhabitots.com/2008/10/31/halloween-treats-cuddly-lovable-recycled-monster-dolls/Dyer, J. (n.d.). Bearwood House Dolls. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.bearwoodhouse.co.uk/Fugate, R. (n.d.). Handmade Toys on Etsy - FLOSSY - a OOAK recycled doll by Rochelle Fugate by thegarbagegoose. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5522037Hand Stitches. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.ia470.com/wardrobe/stitches.htmlLavoie, L. (n.d.). IMG_9297 on Flickr . Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/52136161@N00/419482733Lotz, J. D. (n.d.). LOTZ : Wood Dolls From Germany and the Alps. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.lotzdollpages.com/lalps.htmlLynne's Antique Dolls & Collectables. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.btinternet.com/~terry.jennison/Antique-Dolls.htmMurphy, J. (2005). Stupid Sock Creatures: Making Quirky, Lovable Figures from Cast-off Socks. New York: Lark Books.Nordquist, J. (n.d.). A History of Dolls. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://ctdollartists.com/history.htmRipley, R. (n.d.). Dan Ripley's Antique Helper. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from https://antiquehelper.com/item/299510