Oh gosh! Thanks! I always think I go on too much. Glad you've found them useful. 😄

fearofpaint Thanks! I wish I had more time to do more videos. I try to cover the basics, especially for those folks who are learning by themselves, as I did. Keep working at it - it only gets easier - and you will find what works best for you. Good luck and happy sewing!

I was just about to make a similar comment! I'm loving these videos!

Thank you! I'm glad it is helpful. When I started out, there were few books, no classes and no internet! What a different world we are in today! Best wishes for your stitching adventures.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you mean by "different things." I use either buttons (sometimes covered, sometimes not) or glass beads. The process is similar, but slightly different to making the shoulder or hip joints. Most knee joints require a gusset so that one part of the leg (either upper or lower) wraps around the other. Doll makers have all kinds of ways of doing this, but I just sew two opposing seams on the top of the boot. It is difficult to describe the process in writing. I have a few pictures on my blog, but most show the gusset on the bottom of the thigh. (agosiaarts.blogspot.com/2010/08/basics.html)

Hi Cindy, I use 3 or 4 ply thread. Sometimes it is tricky to tell what you are getting when you order online, but if it is labeled book-binding thread, you will be fine. Do make sure you buy waxed linen thread. The wax is essential to keeping the knots tight. Happy doll-making!

I'm not making videos right now, so I'll try an explanation. I don't add a separate, tiny gusset piece as some artists do. I have a leg pattern (that you see in the video) and I trace it directly onto the fabric. The pattern includes the foot/boot. The leg is sewn, with the stitching right on top of the traced line, leaving the foot and top of the leg (or knee) open. The leg piece is cut out with a 1/4 inch (or so, doesn't have to be perfect) seam allowance all around. To make the gusset, with the wrong sides still facing out, bring the seams together at the top of the leg. You do this by opening up the top (knee) and kindof squeezing the seams together. They don't have to match perfectly. Stitch the top of the leg closed, witha 1/4 inch seam allowance. Turn the leg right side out. The knee area usually is flat (depending on your fabric choice) and you can simply pinch the fabric into 2 triangles that will hold the bottom of the thigh piece on either side. Your buttons or beads go through these little triangles. I stuff the top of the knee area lightly so I can shape the gusset easily. If you stuff too much, you'll never be able to pinch those little triangles. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for the question! I use a two piece leg, so I have a thigh and a lower leg, joined at the knee with a button joint. I often refer to the lower leg as a boot because that's what it resembles - the lower leg and foot are combined. This link (agosiaarts.com/artwork/acorn-woodpecker) to my website shows a doll standing, so you get a better visual of the finished leg. Some dollmakers use a separate foot pattern and create an additional joint at the ankle. A button joint will work, but you have to fiddle with your pattern to get the gusset (that attaches to the ankle) in the right place. You also need to use smaller buttons. Off the top of my head I can't think of an online source that has a good diagram, but Anatomy of a Doll by Susan Oroyan does cover this joint. Check your local library - they can always get the book through interllibrary loan (I was a librarian for 10 years, so I always promote the library!) if they don't have it on the shelves. Short answer to the the ring question is No, not Silpada. The long answer is, I don't know, but I wish I knew where it was from. When I was in grad school in Tempe, AZ, I went to a bead store (Beads Galore, now closed, sad) that imported all kinds of jewelry and beads. I walked in and right next to the door was a bin, three foot square and one deep full of these rings! It was just like in a movie when the actor runs his hands through the treasure chest - hundreds of rings and pendants, all sterling and labradorite. This was before labradorite became popular (decades ago) and silver was cheap, plus the handmade look was not in fashion. I picked out a ring and paid only $20. It's my favorite ring - simple but classy.