Folk Art Rag Doll Pattern Book with 20 Patterns for Primitive Home Decor Review

The new book called Folk Art Dolls Primitive Patterns offers the doll maker 20 original patterns for all kinds of dolls. There is a witch, a round black mammy, a man doll and a girl doll. The animals included are cats, a cute chicken and even a horse.

The patterns are already full-sized which is what I like about it. I don't like having to enlarge them on a copier and then having some of the proportions off. I absolutely don't like having to use the grid to enlarge the pattern. I just can't draw and getting the grid paper out is another step between me and the doll making.

The patterns are all hand drawn. The back of the book says, Jennifer hand draws all of her patterns because that captures the heart of the folk art doll. The patterns are neat and laid out in a way that the whole pattern piece will fit on the regular sized paper.

The 1/4 inch seam allowance is already built into the pattern so you don't have to add it. Some patterns are traced on the fabric and sewn on the line and then cut out. Other patterns are to be traced, cut and then sewn with the 1/4 inch allowance. All of the patterns are marked as to which way to do it.

Doll Fingers and Feet

The book has fingers that are separated and also has patterns where the fingers are together and needle sculpted. The toes are the best part of the book. I love the needle sculpted toes, they look great and a fun to make.

I like the round head patterns the best that are in the book. The round heads seem to sell better on eBay and this is what I purchase patterns for. I have been selling dolls for about a year on there and the round heads are the best. Probably because they are more versatile than the flat head.

There are sculpted flat heads in the book too. The nose and lips are raised and the writer tells how to do this. The animals have their own head shapes too, of course.