2 DAY CLOTH DOLL MAKING WORKSHOP. May 12/13th 2026

 

CLOTH DOLL WORKSHOP  TUES/WENS   MAY 12/13th 2026 

With JAN HORROX 

INITIAL DEPOSIT ONLY   £50.00 to secure your place.

TOTAL COST £150.00. BALANCE TO PAY £100.00

TUESDAY  .10am – 5pm. 

WEDNESDAY  10am – 4pm.

To be held at:

The Cliftonville Hotel, 29. Runton Rd, Cromer NR279AS
www.thecliftonville.com

The Cliftonville Hotel is a beautiful Edwardian hotel which has been recently refurbished.  The workshop will be held in the Henry Blogg room which is ground floor with ramp access nearby into the building.

I don't have an accommodation list but AirBNB and Booking.com have many places to stay. Mid week accommodation should be easier and cost less than a weekend.

 A buffet lunch with tea and coffee for both days is included in the price.

Workshop for 5 people.   This allows plenty of space and a separate table for each person.  There is unrestricted parking on all the roads around the hotel.

 JAN HORROX will guide you through all the basic cloth doll making techniques .

We will make the four part sculpted head as shown in JAN’S books, then drawing and colouring the face onto the sculpted head.

 We shall be making a cloth doll from a pattern supplied by Jan at the workshop.  This pattern will include a four part sculpted head with drawn features.  It has a fairly simple body which is shaped, three alternatives of arms with variations of hands, and three alternative styles of leg.  You can choose to make a jointed doll, a seated doll or a straight legged doll.

The patterns we shall use are all for an 16” doll.  If you keep the pattern templates ,which are all interchangeable,  you can use them to make many dolls in the future.

You can make fairies, elves, angels, witches, fairy tale characters or something more personal to you. Maybe a friend or family member portrait.

 If you are a beginner it will be best to stick to a simple construction doll and focus on the head, face and hands – these are the things most people find tricky to begin with.  

We shall include different types of hair and how to attach to the head. 

 If you can bring a picture or have a good idea of what style of doll you want to make, this will help you decide on your fabrics and trims.  I do encourage everyone to arrive with ideas about what they want their doll to look like.  If you are making a first doll best to keep it simple, she can still look stunning when you leave.  I don’t normally do complicated joints in a 2 day workshop because there just isn’t time but I’m hoping to show you some samples so that when you are working on your own you have some idea of what they entail.

 If you have any queries on what you want to do – please do email me and we can discuss it.

 Jan will supply a kit to each person which includes:

 ivory or tea dyed cotton fabric – enough for one doll.

Chenille sticks ( for wiring fingers)

Bag of filling/stuffing ( enough for one doll)This will be polyester stuffing.  If you want to use wool stuffing you will need to bring this with you.

2 x long darning needles for sculpting the face.

 I also bring for use during the workshop, plenty of the following:

 Forceps and chop sticks for stuffing.

Long Doll Needles

Fine pens for drawing in all colours on the face.

Pencil crayons for colouring the faces.

Fine mechanical pencils

Vanishing fineline pens air drying

Quilting and extra strong threads.

Finger Turning tools.

 You will need to bring:

A sewing machine in good order.  Please test before you come if you are not using this frequently and check that it is complete.

It is very helpful to have an open quilting or embroidery foot or a clear foot.  If you imagine machining with a small stitch around small fingers – you need to be able to see exactly what you are doing.  These can be bought on Amazon quite cheaply except for a Bernina, which are more expensive.

Natural polyester thread for machining.

Sharp embroidery scissors and good sewing scissors.

Paper scissors for cutting out the pattern.

Coloured or patterned cotton fabric for the dressing of the doll.  Best to use a good strong cotton fabric – quilting cotton fabric is ideal – for the doll body pieces as the fabric has to take quite a lot of stress when stuffed.  Some synthetics can be difficult to work with but silks can be good for costume skirts etc.

Don’t use anything that frays badly.  Small amounts of fabric are fine – bring things from your stash. Fat quarters are ample and will contribute to a few dolls.

 If you want to use button joints then bring 4 buttons to match your fabric. 14mm – 16mm work well.

 Trims of all kinds may be useful – ribbons, laces, beads etc.

 Hair – you can use more or less anything – but fancy chunky yarns are great, dyed fleece locks and dyed wool tops to use as a base.   Dyed fleece can be found online and also and fibre and quilting fairs.  I sometimes have some to sell.

 If you have your own doll making tools, pens or pencils then bring them.  If you do not already have them I would advise not to buy until afterwards, especially pens as people often buy the wrong kind which do bleed on fabric.

Any watercolour pencils will work if you have them but I do have plenty for all to use.

A buffet sandwich lunch will be provided included in the cost of the workshop.  This will include basic tea and coffee.  

  OUR SCHEDULE WILL BE:

 Tuesday May 12th 2026

Start at 10am - you can arrive from 9.30 am

 We shall start by going over the basics of template sewing which is the method used for cloth doll making.

 Our main task will be to make a four part head, stuff this and sculpt the features.

We shall then draw and colour the face onto this head.

We will also make and finish the body on the first day and start on the limbs.

 Wendnesday May 13th 2026

Start at 10am.

 On the second day we will make the hands first – then go onto arms and legs.  We shall assemble the whole doll together with hair, and costume.

 This is a lot to do in 2 days but I always hope to get everyone to a stage where they can easily finish off at home.  That is why I add the extra time at the end of Saturday.  This year I shall bring some ready made heads which need sculpting and drawing in case you want to try a second head.  I am 

 

PAYMENT and My Refund/Cancellation Policy:

You can book the workshop by paying the 50.00 deposit here on the website as above.  The balance will be due 6 weeks in advance which will be April 1st 2023.   I will invoice you early- mid March for the balance of 100.00.  You can pay online or by phone 07734747529.

Payments of full amount are non-refundable after April 14th  2026 unless I can fill the place.  Deposits are non refundable unless I can relet the place.  

 

If you have any queries please email me on janhorroxx@gmail.com or phone 07734747529