MY DOLL-MAKING ATELIER / ATELIER DE POUPEES

I am a batik lover and for a long time I had a vision of a mermaid with a blue batik tail. One day I finally made “Mia”

Mon Histoire En ebook

J’adore les tissus en batik et depuis longtemps j’avais envie de creer une sirene dont la queue serait en batik. Un jour je m’y suis enfin mise et voici donc Mia!

Depuis bien d’autres poupees ont suivi…

Mia’s tail measures an extraordinary 58cm (the whole doll measures 83cm), she listens to soothing songs caught inside a sea shell and glitters like salt does in the sun. Mia’s whole body is made of cloth; her face is sculptured and painted; extra long eyelashes make her look at once dreamy yet quite cheeky. For the crown that holds together her blue hair I used a combination of tinsels that I fused together on a very fine metallic fabric mesh that I then embroidered with colorful metallic threads and cottons to add interesting hues.

: Tari of the Waves 82cm

“Tari of the waves” is Mia’s pink sister with purple eye lashes. I created her for my friend (while thinking of her too) Tari who lives in Australia. She has always loved sailing, collecting sea-shells and creating decorative gifts with them, and her favorite color is pink. I absolutely dislike making the same thing twice yet I really wanted to please my friend, so I chose to focus on the challenge of not being able to use shells which would have been rejected by the Australian customs and excises department; instead I used pearls (yes, fake ones).

Although I do sell some of my creations in a local shop, I am more into making dolls to make my friends and family happy. My friend Helen explained to me how she never had any toys to play with when she was little, so I made country dolls for her. I also made Bidayuh dolls for Judy of Kampung Hannah Rais; funky batik cats called Kooch (Kuching is translated “cat”) with an amusing crooked tail typical of our local cats and you may say that Kooch is a Sarwakat; Batik fishes for my four young nephews who love fishing with their grand dad (my brother) and batik hearts because everyone deserves one. For Janice whose suitcase was too full I assembled a miniature French toile de Jouy doll built around a tobacco pipe cleaner, then I used the same technique to make a Bidayuh one carrying a basket made of tree bark and again a Chinese one for Linda.

Ange de Jouy

When I found myself looking at the unattractive black CPU next to my computer I made Mei Mei (remember Taipan?) a bright Hakka doll; it was in October so I placed a moon cake in her hands .

: Mei Mei

When Janice gave me a pattern for an unarguably western Christmas angel I thought it would be great to have a local protector all year round so I changed the dress to black and painted it with red and gold sparkles, added a garland of gold coins around the bottom of the tunic and let her wear a Bidayuh hat on her jet black hair.

Bidayuih Angel

I started my first doll as a challenge to myself : as a student my art teacher always had a tough time deciding between E and F to mark my work; I guess my mark must have depended on whether she was annoyed with my inability or if she felt sorry for me. With such a history, I was convinced that although I would love to make my own dolls, it would be way beyond my capabilities. One fine day at last I figured out the obvious, that I had nothing to lose if I would give it a shot and so I did. I have never stopped since. Very quickly I gave up looking for the rare patterns that sometimes appear in Australian craft magazines; I started creating my own imaginary cross-culture characters. Now I encourage anyone who is interested in craft to dare try their skills and follow their imagination. Really it can’t hurt to try! And if you wish to express your repressed extravagance, and why not, the Lady Gaga in you, then by all means, make dolls!

Irma la Douce

Above, Irma la Douce, my first doll from a pattern found in an Australian magazine. The fabric for her skirt was brought back all the way from Martinique by my dear friend and quilting artist Claude Mougey. In those days (2002) I did not have good fabric pens.

MY GROWING GALLERY

The Borneo Dolls

A) The Bidayuhs

Simbuh March 2009

In Bidayuh Simbuh means “fat”.

En dialecte bidayuh, Simbuh signifie “dodue”

Kumang Gawai Bidayu

Kumang = Princesse

Gawai = Harvest festival -Fete des recoltes

Bidayuh Judy N Nina May 2007

Perita Gawai

B) TREE FAERIES AND BUTTERFLIES

Borneo Tree Faerie

The Borneo Tree Faerie’s wings are made of tree bark.

Kitchen Faery May 2012 – Gone to Amanda’s Kitchen in Kuala Lumpur

Beaded Batik Butterfly

Butterfly Ballerina

C) MORE ETHNIC DOLLS

Brindemauve

Ramsay’s Girl

Ramsay’s Girl’s face is based on one of Ramsay Ong’s painting.

Lola Balanda, Hanging Doll

Lenora Mars

D) KOOCH, The Batik Cat

Kooch in various batik sarongs

Kuching cats aka Kooch all have a broken take (it is genetic) and so do my Kooch!

Miss Sarawak Kooch

This is a Miss Kooch made out of a black & white Sarawak design sarong. She wears a pearl nakelace.

Blue & White Sarawak Batik Design Kooch

Mini Kooch for little children or decoration

May 2012 – Adopted by Amanda

E) ANGELS & CHRISTMAS DOLLS

Boutis Angel

This Boutis angel is 45cm tall (Now gone to Western Australia). I learned Boutis or Provencalembossed embroidery from a most gifted artist who has become a dear friend, Lucie Berrestwho is fiercely involved with the Musee de Provence de Chateau-Gombert, near Marseilles, in in rehabilitating this almost forgotten art.

Starangel

Ange Doremi 2009

The angels collection was encouraged by my friend Ratna who so kindly organised an exhibition of my dolls in her Inspiration shop, Nexis, no.14 grd. floor. lot 2342, Bormill Estate Commercial Center, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce in Kuching. Thanks Ratna, I love you!