Cloth toys and soft dolls

By Sapumali GALAGODA

Dolls are loved by all girls and it is one of the first toys she gets which helps her to imitate the role of mother.

By making your own doll and cuddling her gives happiness as well. This is exactly what Sriyani Tennekoon a well-known cloth doll and soft toy designer is introducing - designer cloth and soft toy pattern packs - to Sri Lanka.

Sriyani Tennekoon

Well-known as a crafts instructor for the past 15 years, she loves high quality student work and gives the best to her students.

She is not only a cloth doll and soft toy designer but also a professional quilt artist, water colour artist, canvas painter and also an author. An old girl of Good Shepherd Convent Kotahena and a mother of two children she designs and creates her own craft and dolls with her past experience initiated by her mother with the needle.

"My mother can sew very well, when I was small I used to sit near her and watch how she sews, it started as a hobby and now a career. I searched for books, magazines and paper articles to gather knowledge in making dolls and toys", she said.

"All the toys are made from easy to find fabrics and generally follow basic cuts, sew and stuff sequence of instructions. Each toy is complete with its own theme, pattern,step by step instructions and diagrams for putting it together even with basic knowledge of sewing. Stitching them carefully will endure all the loving attention they're bound to receive." "For materials I use linen, cotton mixed materials but no synthetic stuff".

These pattern packs are ideal for busy housewives who are

unable to devote much time and spend money to attend a class and

follow the total syllabus. Instead of spending time they can select any doll design they like and try out comfortably at their home which is affordable.

"It is a great pleasure to present this valued pattern

packs with my new ideas. I'm totally addicted to the joy of creating unique designs for crafts lovers worldwide. This exquisite designs appeal to a beginner as well as to the more experienced."

Her packs vary in many ways such as the style, height. She has designed a dancing doll themed 'come let's dance'. The doll has supporting elastics to attach the doll to the child's feet enabling her to dance with the doll.

"Making your own doll is a fun and rewarding project and anybody can save money by being creative. I have searched high and low to bring cloth doll lovers a broad and creative line of new doll patterns so that they can enjoy the rewards of creating an original". These toys make great home decors as well.

Each pattern pack will give the stitcher many hours of happiness and satisfaction with her splendid,unique and magnificent designs.

She hopes to expand her pattern packs to pattern sets where the fabric, material and needles are all available in one pack.

Her patterns will be exhibited at a craft fair which will be held in Sydney, Australia.