JCCFS: Tell us a bit about your background teaching dollmaking.

CP: I have been teaching cloth dollmaking for about 25 years at lots of locations, including quilt shops, doll clubs, and conferences as well as here at the Folk School, and I’m also a studio artisan, making dolls to sell. My greatest joy is in seeing someone work at making what they imagine. I love to be a part of the transition from “I’m not sure I can” to “I can’t believe I made this!”

JCCFS: Tell us more about what students will be learning in your upcoming class, “Design Your Own Doll!”

CP: This class will take a student through the process of creating a pattern for a very simple form to one with curves in all the right places. Students may choose to make a doll that sits, stands, is flying or hangs on the wall. Human, a fantasy figure, young or old; all are options. Focus will be on costuming and on the accuracy of the body form. A beginning dollmaker can make a figure that requires less technical skill, while a more advanced dollmaker can refine their figure as far as their skills will take them.

JCCFS: What can students expect to leave your class with?

CP: Each student comes with expectations for what they will get out of the week, so I am respectful of the variations possible. Some will be there to learn as many new techniques as they can absorb, others will want to complete a doll. My mission is to help each student stay on the track they set for themselves, knowing that sometimes that changes! And, as a great mentor of mine once said, “You can’t work on body parts without at least some laughter along the way.” There is always laughter!

JCCFS: What is your favorite aspect of the John C. Campbell Folk School?

CP: I mostly love the community that is created within each studio (and sometimes between several studios) as we collaborate to fill needs along the way. I have seen students talk with the wood folks to have beautiful bases created for their dolls. I know of tiny baskets showing up on the Friday display table, being carried by dolls. The only limit is our imagination and willingness to engage with other students. The other thing that cannot be overlooked is the serene area around and between the buildings. When the chaos of the world is just beyond, the campus offers us a place to find some peace and inspiration. I am thankful for that!

JCCFS: Where do you draw inspiration from for your work?

CP: Sometimes the inspiration for a piece comes from a line in a song or a book. Fabrics are often a starting place, and life itself can give me an idea for something I want to express. Just being open to hearing and seeing what is around us is all it takes to being inspired.

JCCFS: What’s one piece you’ve made recently that you’re particularly proud of?

CP: I recently made a piece called “Joy” that came from an inspirational line that comes up when I am loading a game on my phone of all things! The line is “Choose JOY in every moment!” She is a little sprite and is very colorful with a skirt made of strips of fabric, beads and is wired so she can be posed.

JCCFS: What advice would you give to an aspiring craftsperson?

CP: Several things have come to me over the years that I share during class. You must be willing to possibly fail when trying something new. If you only do what you are sure will work out, you will learn nothing. And instead of calling it “wasting time,” call it “investing time.” That way, even if your attempt fails, you will learn what not to do the next time.

JCCFS: Where can folks find more of your work?

CP: At CharliePatricolo.com or on Facebook at Charlie Patricolo – dollmaker