Upcoming doll workshops

I have two doll workshops planned for next month.

The first one is the two-session traditional sock doll workshop, in which I teach how to create my anthropomorphic sock dolls. It was a long time since I have conducted this workshop, and I am so glad to hold it again. There are always new and surprising ideas that people bring with them while creating those dolls, like this one, by Sigal Maor.

The second one is new workshop for doll accessories design; I have been thinking and planning this workshop for long time.

The second workshop is a new workshop for doll accessory design; I have been contemplating and planning this workshop for quite a long time. Ever since I first created my dolls, I have been obsessed with all the tiny details, styling, and accessories. For me, those details tell the story of each doll: what it likes and dislikes, what its favorite colors are and what meaning those colors have, what kind of man or woman he or she is, and what kind of person it would have been had it been human.

Contact me for details or for subscribing to my mailing list to receive updates about upcoming workshops.

צרו איתי קשר לקבלת פרטים או להצטרפות לרשימת התפוצה שלי, שבה אני מודיעה על סדנאות חדשות.

Socks and Feet

For a few days she was just sitting there, waiting.

 

Her feet were on my desk, and I had yet to finish the second one.

Meanwhile, I got some news about these two; they have to leave for Chicago tomorrow.

 

I am going to miss this Sock Boy in particular. He has been staying here for over two years, during which time he became a very dear friend of me, a wonderful assistant, and a model at my sock doll workshops.

Take care, dear friend. I hope you are going to have fun in Chicago.

The other sock friends threw a little party for them, before they had to leave for the post office.

 At the same time, she took a nap. It was evident that her foot wouldn't be ready in the next few hours.

Portrait

Here she is: the doll I told you about last week. As you can see, her face has already been painted...

Sadly, I had to part with her this weekend, as she was a custom order, which I have created based on photos of the "real" her.
It was a long and complicated process, and I got the feeling that although it was only a sock doll, I had to be extremely accurate in my work. Maybe this was the reason for my apprehension last week before applying the paint to her face.

A Cat

New cat, the first one to be created in the new apartment.

Mr. Doggie was first to welcome the little kitty. 

This kitty was made by upcycled socks, and he is now listed on my etsy store.

Sock dachshund dog

II didn't tell you last time that Drora has a dachshund; he was too jumpy last time, so I couldn't take a photo of him.When she walked him out this morning, I finally succeeded, so here he is:




He was made using a mixture of children’s socks. I am always so fascinated with all the characters and pattern you can find on those socks, and it is such great fun to work with them, as if the socks themselves tell me which character I should create by using them.
*He is now listed on my etsy doll store.

Drora

One of the sock dolls I told you about last week is finally done. Creating these sock dolls always takes longer than I expected. It is such a complicated process, which includes hours of stitching and unpicking and stitching again.
It is a great relief to see it done.

Now let me introduce you to Drora.
Drora in Hebrew means the female sparrow, and is also an old-fashioned name for girls.
There are some birds on her legs.

Her bag is still empty, but together we are preparing some surprises to put inside... I forgot to mention that for a living, Drora works as a freelance toy designer.
You can also see her on my Etsy doll store .

Mr. Gingo and his Pink Headed Girlfriend

These stuff belong to very special friends of mine;

Mr. Gingo and The pink headed lady.

First Let me introduce you the Lady.

She is tall, creative, and smart, and it is better not to disturb her while she's talking, since she has a lot to say about everything: about this and that, and anything else you can think of, and, more than anything, she talks about those things you would never even dream about.Often, she would begin talking about one thing, and end up with an explanation about something completely different.If you have the patience to listen, you will surely be fascinated with her knowledge and originality

She is very stylish as well.

she wears brown tights, a pink skirt with a cherries print, a white floral top, and a black & white polka dot jacket.She carries a small chic handbag made from upcycled Lurex socks, with a handle crocheted out of Lurex thread as well.

She wears a necklace with green little flowers,

and a light blue bracelet.

There are some tattoos on her legs, and she wears striped pink socks and purple shoes on her feet.

Her partner is Mr. Gingo. He is a cultural theorist, and at the moment he is busy with very interesting research that examines the representation of cartoon characters in everyday life.

Most of his spare time is dedicated to cartoon characters as well, and he is a renowned cartoons merchandise collector.

He wears a green top with turquoise elephants on its front and a rabbit eating carrot on its back,

a beige trench coat,

and pants with a print of Eeyore the donkey holding a yellow balloon,

He carries a brown messenger bag, made from a blend of upcycled socks and crochet details.
On his feet he wears green booties.

They are having much fun together.

This evening they are going out...

* They are both listed on my etsy doll store.

Spare Parts

Sometimes I feel that the work of creating my dolls is a constant process of stitching and unpicking.
This boy was almost done yesterday evening, till I woke up this morning, and find out that I don't like the way he looked like at all.

First I unpicked his mouth,

Then I looked on the stupid ears I stitch only yesterday they looked awful; they weren’t "his" it was obvious, so I cut them out immediately.
I can't point where the problem was exactly, it was something I felt and knew.

The mouth and ears are going to be stored in my special box for dolls spare parts.

Maybe one day they would fit another doll.

Embroidery and sock dolls

I started to embroider the girl's hand; it is only one hand that I have been embroidering, and there is still so much to do.

In the meantime, I wanted to have a bit of fun and started digging in my colorful sock box.

These two popped out,

and took over my desk.

Me in "Textiel Plus"

It was evening a few months ago when I received an e-mail from a Dutch journalist, asking me if I would mind being featured in a Dutch textile magazine. I was so excited when I realized the magazine was Textiel Plus.
While I was staying in the Netherlands two years ago, I happened to browse through a few issues of it. It is a quarterly magazine featuring contemporary textile art and artists. Even though I couldn't read the Dutch text, I was deeply impressed with the magazine, which is so up-to-date, eye-catching, and very professional. Secretly, I wished to be featured in it.
Two weeks ago, I received the winter issue with me and my dolls featured inside. I was so thrilled!!!
Now, finally, I can share it with you. The text was translated by Paul Tieman and edited by Irit Caspi (who has lately been helping me improve the English texts on this blog).
Now here it is:

The Sock Dolls and Sock Animals of Neta Amir

Article by Afke Zwierzina

Neta Amir switched professions from fashion designer to doll maker. She makes her dolls using used socks. With the creation of a face, haircut, clothing, jewelry etc., their character and identity develop. After the dolls are created, Neta lets them take part in installation art and stories.

The word "sock" in Dutch (sok) almost automatically conjures images of foolish or feeble-minded individuals, a sack of marbles, or an unsafe place to keep your money. It can also be associated with the use of knitted socks to make puppets or sock monkeys. The pattern for a sock monkey for babies comes free of charge with brown socks from the American brand Rockford. The mystery of why socks disappear in the washing machine has inspired artist Stef Kreymborg to create a sock monument. And a sock factory sells socks not in pairs, but rather in threes. Yet none of these options for using socks is similar to the way Neta Amir from Tel Aviv uses them.

Bobilina Studio

Neta Amir studied fashion design at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design. While working as a designer in the fashion industry, she missed the feel of handmade items. She decided to choose another creative path in life. Since Neta was a child, she has been busy with pieces of fabric, dolls, and handicraft. During the years in which she attended Shenkar College, her love for dolls did not diminish. One of her first dolls, a red-haired crocheted figure, was named Bobilina, and Neta named the studio she started up in 2005 after this first doll.

Dolls, Objects, and Sock Dolls

Since Neta opened her studio, numerous handmade creations were born, ranging from crocheted and fabric dolls to dogs with warm coats, baby-sized dolls, “hairy” creatures with pensive expressions in their eyes, and touching birds, but also slippers, tea cups, and bowls made of fabric. During the last two years, sock dolls have also been a part of her repertoire, but don't think her work has anything to do with the traditional sock doll or sock monkey, which is unmistakably made from striped or checkered socks, or socks made from goat's wool. In one of her first sock dolls, which is better described as a sock dog, the heel of the sock is recognizable, but Neta has developed such a characteristic method and style, that only avery careful study of the dolls reveals the use of socks.

Inspiration

For her characters and type of dolls, Neta finds many ideas as well as inspiration in her immediate environment. Neta lives in a neighborhood that houses many different kinds of people: factory workers, artists, students, rockers, and immigrants from various countries. The walk to the supermarket offers a lot of inspiration, but, ultimately, her choices are intuitive. “Like when you meet someone whom you'd like to know better and you can become friends with. There has to be a certain atmosphere, a mix of humor and sadness, some humanity. I look for this kind of feeling while making my dolls. It is necessary to love them; they are temporarily living in my home, so I'm careful to which characters I open the front door,” explains Neta.

New Friends

Making the dolls is a process of pure handwork, and is not hasty. When working on the first outline, Neta has only a rough idea. While working, she develops a typical character. With small pieces of fabric, she forms lips, nose, eyes, and eyebrows into a face. Hair is made of wool or fabric. Details are added with acrylic paint or embroidery. Often, these details are added several times before the doll's facial expression is satisfactory. Then come clothing and other accessories, including shoes with laces. This all takes time, and requires concentration, patience, and a perfectionist attitude towards the work. Neta adds or changes details until she is completely satisfied with the outcome, chooses a character and name for the doll, and can now welcome a new friend to Bobilina Studio.

Materials

Neta Amir uses diverse materials for her dolls. In her neighborhood, where many textile companies have been traditionally established, all kinds of fabric scraps can be obtained. There are also shops that offer fabrics, yarns, and notions, sometimes with old stocks of finds and bargains. Friends and family members provide a supply of used fabrics, clothing, and socks. "I don't need to buy what I can reuse," says Neta. "And I love the creases, wear and tear, and faded colors of used fabrics. Those traces of an earlier life are part of my dolls' characters."

Stories in Pictures

Neta Amir does more than create dolls that demonstrate her craftsmanship and originality. During and after the process of creation, she makes up many situations where her people dolls and animal dolls play a role, which she then photographs. This creates a story in pictures, with its own setting – another artistic discipline. “I am curious to know the stories of the characters I create and tell with fabric, socks, needles, and threads. Stories picked up from daily life, and about the moment your imagination takes part in it; the crossover between fiction, illusion, and real life, where you cannot recognize exactly what is real and what is surreal.”

Blog

With her Bobilina Studio, Neta Amir is following her heart. She sells her creations on her online Etsy shop, organizes (sock) doll making workshops for adults, and conducts artistic classes for young children. From all these three directions, she receives enthusiastic and inspiring comments. The developments (in her work) from the last few years, her creative items, and her unique stories can be seen and read on her blog. It is worthwhile to take a closer look at it. Take your time; so many photos and so many stories cannot be summed up in a single article.