Twenty years ago, Dorit Schendzielorz saw someone creating little scrunchy faces made out of stretchable fabric. She was so fascinated with the concept that she decided to try to create something similar, using stitching techniques. Schendzielorz spent many hours trying to create something she never had as a child--a doll. When she completed her first doll, all of her skills as an oil painter, seamstress, photographer and hairdresser fell into place. This one doll brought it all together into one creative process. Schendzielorz came up with a very unique technique of "molding" fabric with a needle and then using the stitching to keep the shape in place. Her creations are so incredibly realistic that they are often mistaken as clay dolls; they stand about 18 inches tall.
Each wonderful doll begins with a 3-inch foam ball, a nylon tube, and some polyester filling. She stuffs the foam and filler into the nylon and stitches the bridge and nostrils of the nose, using a 4-inch needle and flesh-colored cotton wrapped nylon thread. Then, she stitches the eyelids and lips. There is no way to explain how she stitches. The stitches she uses are not anything special, but the direction she guides the thread is. It's truly unbelievable to see a realistic face take form before your very eyes, in a matter of minutes. Schendzielorz uses a fabric marker to outline the iris of the eye and paints the color of the iris with the end of the needle. She attaches fur onto the head for hair and paints more color onto the face and lips. You think you've seen it all by this point, and then it gets better. The magic happens with Schendzielorz guides the stitches in such a way that she slowly pulls it tight, drawing wrinkles, dimples, smile lines, etc. into the face of the doll.
For the body, she twists a wire armature out of a 16-gauge wire and wraps the armature with 2-inch strips of fleece to build it up. Then, she sews hands and attaches the hands and head to the finished body. Schendzielorz designs all of the clothing and cuts them out of the desired fabric, sewing them together on the sewing machine. Upon completion, she will dress the doll and bend it into the desired position.
Schendzielorz finds inspiration when she sees an old couple sitting on a bench or an interesting photo. She finds it very gratifying to be asked what her dolls are made of. Her beautiful art dolls are extremely charming and delightful. And it is truly fascinating to see their faces come to life.
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