BeBe Babies and Friends: Colette McKinney of Desert Flower Nursery

I mentioned recently that I want to start featuring other doll artists on my blog to add a little fun and eye candy. The first artist I want to share with you is an artist I have admired for a long time. Her cloth baby dolls are so beautiful and detailed, the mouths she does are my favorite. Not only are her dolls beautiful but she is a generous artist, always willing to give advice and a helping hand. Her name is Colette McKinney and her dolls reside in Desert Flower Nursery until adopted. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Colette has two doll lines; the Baby Buds which are 9/10 inches and the Baby Blooms which are 15-21 inches. Colette was nice enough to answer some of my questions about herself and her dolls:

1. When did you begin making cloth dolls?

I first started to play around with Soft Sculpture in late December of 2011. Just for myself; I'd been a huge fan of Soft Sculpture for many years and wanted to try my hand at it.

2. Have you always made cloth dolls or have you made other types of dolls?

Cloth dolls are the only type I've done so far.

3. How did you learn to sew and make dolls?

When I first started, I only knew how to sew by hand. I didn't have a sewing machine at the time and had no idea how to use one. I did a lot of "Googling" for hints and tips of doll making, and purchased a lot of different patterns to study and practice from. In 2012 I bought my first sewing machine and with the help of the manual, learned to use it. (Just like Colette I learned to sew the same way. I used the manual to show me how to thread the machine, and I read about different stitches, but then I just went for it and learned through trial and error.)

4. Do you have any advice for new doll makers?

Gather as much info as you can, the internet has plenty of resources. Practice, practice, practice. Be patient, don't give up, and never stop learning new techniques. (Colette is so right here. This is my advice to all new doll makers. Any art takes practice and passion. When you turn and stuff something only to find that it isn't what you intended, you just have to patiently start again, or come back the next day. Just don't give up!)

5. Does anyone help you in the creation of your dolls?

No. I make every one of my babies entirely by myself. I have no employees or helpers.

6. Is making dolls just a hobby for you or a serious business?

It's my passion, and I take it very seriously. I'm extremely picky and make every baby as if I were making it for myself. I don't sell anything I wouldn't be proud to have in my own personal collection.

7. Do you belong to any doll clubs/groups/forums?

Yes. Several different groups on Facebook. You can find tons of them just by searching "dolls", "soft sculpture", etc.

8. Where do you sell your dolls? Where can people buy them?

I've sold the majority of my Babies just through Facebook. I'm also on Etsy.

9. Anything else you want to share about your dolls?

More than anything, I adore babies, which is why I make them exclusively. I try my best to capture their beauty and innocence in my dolls. Each one is OOAK (One-Of-A-Kind) and takes anywhere from 1 1/2 weeks to 2 1/2 weeks to complete, depending on clothing and accessories I make as well.