My name is Linda Misa.

I am a mother of 3 children, wife to a wonderful, giving man and I am a textile artist – in any given order on any given day! Sounds like an introduction to Textile Artists Anonymous – guilty as charged, and very happy to be so….Anyone else wants to join?

I live in Longford, Tasmania, way down under in Australia on a small rural holding and am lucky enough to have a beautiful studio that looks out across the countryside to the mountains. I can see that I am going to have to tidy up a bit before I show you the space…..but that is the beauty of a studio. Make a mess and then walk out at the end of the day. Tidy up when the job is done – or you have to take a photo LOL!

You would say that I have always been a creative person. I was encouraged as a child to make things and owned my own sewing machine from age 7. My mother is a great sewer and crafts person and always provided inspiration and help when I got in a jam. It is the “doing’ that is the important part, the joy, and the part that makes us get better with each project. The only way to be good at something is to do, to do it again and again. I truly believe that we all can learn the skills we need to create – but it is the passion that we create with that makes it special.

Figure 1: Believe

 For me the journey of doll making started when I had my 3^rd child Isobella.

She was the excuse I needed to prompt me to start – I made my first doll for her 1st birthday in 2001.  She still is a great inspiration for me and her beautiful little face still appears in many of my dolls – subconsciously or not.  From there I joined a local cloth doll group and some on-line groups and started to see that the world of cloth dolls was many and varied. One of the local members was Susie McMahon, yes I know you are all jealous now, and her work was and still is an inspiration to push me on.

Figure 2: Moana

 My whole world opened up when I realised that there were no rules to this art and I were free to design and make whatever I wanted to, using whatever I wanted to use….and the passion ignited.  From there I was hooked…and thanks to you fellow textile lovers/doll makers my journey just keeps getting better all the time. 

 The doll above can be found in Lark 500 Handmade Dolls along with this doll called Mae

Figure 3: Mae

Figure 4: Bella 

Judi asked me about personal style – and do I have it? My children may not always think so LOL! But yes, we all do. Actually it is really hard when you go to a workshop with another designer and you want to paint a face the way they do. When you look down you see you have done it your way. Now that is not to say you haven’t used elements of their techniques – the rest just happens. I hope when people make my patterns or do my classes that they use my information as a starting point to create their own doll from – allowing themselves to inject their own style when trying my techniques.

Figure 5: Tye (this doll's pattern is available in the Pattern Shop)

 In the beginning I was concerned about finding my own style – but it finds you. Nothing is truly totally original but if you design/create with integrity and love of what you are doing then it will shine through. For my part as a designer I want to make dolls that others respond to emotionally – a connection above the initial look. When I do that I know I have really succeeded and in one tiny way I have helped make someone else’s world a better place.

Over the years I have tried many different arts and crafts. Professionally I trained in clothing design/pattern making, beauty therapy and tap dancing (lots of sparkly costumes and lots of practise making up faces) and worked for a high end jewellery designer…but all roads eventually lead to Rome … so you can see that I was destined to be a doll maker! There are so many wonderful art forms out there and each year or two, I will take a small step sideways and join a new class to inject some new ideas into my head and meet other fellow artists. Last year I did pottery, a couple before that I did weaving, a little bit of drawing…though I still manage to end up making dolls with them all which is funny really (not always for the teacher) but does confirm in my head that this is what I want to do. Also I know I could get excited about many other crafts so I try to keep my field of vision narrow (3 kids and life keep me busy enough) – keep on the path and keep getting better at what I enjoy most – textiles and representations of the human form! Again, and forgive me if I am preaching, that is why cloth dolls are so great – you can use any medium or craft with your dolls. You don’t have to leave home to do it and with the internet there is a whole world of opportunity out there.

Figure 6: iheart

Figure 7: Joy  

Figure  8: FOR MY CHILDREN 

Figure 9: Merraeah, My first doll pattern

Figure 10: making sure she flew as high as she could...

Figure 11: Phyllis

Phyllis is my latest, not quite finished doll – still needs some beading and detail work… Love this journey.

Figure 11: Brink

My next on-line class…

To finish off I have to say thank you to all those doll makers and fellow artists out there who support me with sending me their kind emails, buying my patterns and taking my classes (did I say how I love to travel!!!~LOL). It is this connection that continues to inspire me.

 Kind regards,

Linda Misa.
 

www.tact-ilse.blogspot.com

 www.picturetrail.com/linda38