Friday 10 May 2013

Craft Crush - Polly Pincushion



One of the things I love about being a Crafter and Maker is the lovely people I get to meet.  Last year I signed up for a screen printing refresher course (I had loads of ideas in my head for Paisley Pedlar stuff - most of them are still there!) I met the very delightful Kate Halls, creator of the adorable Polly Pincushion dolls (www.pollypincusion.wordpress.com).

 
 Waiting Wendy - a Polly Pincushion character figure

Kate started creating these fabulous little characters after in her words “fiddling about with bits of wire”.  Early Polly’s had wooden stick bodies, but these have been replaced by soft and pliable wire based figures.


Beryl and her Book


Each ‘Polly’ has a different personality which develops as the creation process evolves.  Sometimes it could be a scrap of fabric that Kate decides she wants to use which suggests what the figure will be, sometimes it develops from a suggestion that she make one “holding a tea cup”.  The faces are always made and painted first before a wire body is added, followed by clothing and finally the hair is put on last.


Sam the Fisherman


So why are they called Polly’s?  “Well” says Kate, “the first dolls were always holding a small pin cushion, and my partner Sean came up with the name Polly Pincushion.”  Although they don’t always hold pincushions anymore, the name Polly Pincushion seems to have stuck and somehow it kind of suits….

Gertrude and her daffodil


Kate makes her Polly’s to commission, but you can find out more and follow her blog at www.pollypincushion.wordpress.com.

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