DOLL MAKING    

• Doll Terms
• Measuring Stuff

DOLL TERMS   (UP)

Artist Product A product made by the person who designed the pattern. This may be used for promotion. 

Artisan Product A product made entirely by one craftsperson other than the person who drafted the design.  The name of  the individual who drafted the pattern is often not 

Artist  &  Company An item produced by the artist and others employed by the artist to do such tasks as cutting,  pinning,  stitching,  assembling,  stuffing. 

Limited Edition  Indicates pre-determined number of  identical products that are identified by showing the number of each item in the edition and the total size of the edition. 

Manufactured An item made in a commercial manufacturing  facility.

Numbered  Items are numbered sequentially in the order in which they are made. 

One-of-a-kind A product made from a pattern with no other one made from that pattern in any fabric or size.  It should be unique in all aspects of its appearance -not just the pattern it was cut from or the fabric. 

Open Edition One item design made with no limit to the total number made. May be artist made item or a manufactured item.

 Original   The design and then the pattern of the item is made by the same person regardless of the number of items then made from that design.

Pattern   Anything shaped or designed to serve as a guide in making a product. The  resulting designs are unlimited and are determined by the materials used and  the creativity of the  maker.

Prototype   The first item or model made and then used as a standard to which others of the edition are made.  Future creations may not look like the first one if the designer decides to create a different look. 

ReIssue   Product that resembles one previously made by a person or a company.

Series  Products of different fabrics, sizes or theme that have originated from one artist. 

Signed by the Artist  Hand signed by the person who created the original design.

MEASURING FOR A SIZE OF DOLL STAND To select the correct stand for your doll... measure the doll from head to toe. This gives you the height of the doll . Most companies sell stands based on this height. Example: A doll stand might be "for dolls 18"-23". If the measurement you came up with was 18", the doll stand that fits dolls from 18" to 23" will be the one for you!

MEASURING FOR DOLLY EYES The eye socket should be measured in millimeters (mm) from corner-to-corner, to measure the diameter needed for a doll's eye.

MEASURING FOR TEDDY BEAR, CAT ,AND ANIMAL EYES It is best to have samples of the various eye sizes available when deciding the eye size you want to use. You may want to change the size from what a pattern calls for to make a New Look to the animal, so these come in handy for this as well. Hold up the samples to your project to see which of them is the most appealing. If you do not have samples, it is also good to use a size chart that some companies carry, or draw the size on paper with a compass, clip it out and place the paper cutouts on the project.

MEASURING FOR A HAT SIZE When checking for a hat size, measure the circumference (around the crown of the head -also known as the forehead area) of the doll. This will be the inside measurement of the doll hat. Most companies list these when they describe their hat sizes. Also account for the hair thickness in your measurement if needed. DO NOT buy a hat based on an outside measurement. This means from brim to brim, and will end up being too small for your doll!! If the hat description does not specify if the size is outside or inside measurement, you should check with the retailer who is selling you the hat for the proper description.  (See picture below for  "Measuring for a hat")

MEASURING FOR SHOES Measure your doll's foot from the heel to the toe. Add 5mm to the length of the bare foot to determine the correct size of shoe.                                                 

MEASURING FOR A WIG Wrap a cloth tape measure around the circumference of your doll's head just behind the ears and across the                              

Measuring For Doll Clothes Most doll clothing manufacturers list the size of doll that their garments  fit, right on the package.  It is sometimes a good idea to take a doll along with you in case this is not so.  This also helps to match color to the doll's  eyes, hair color etc.