This class took students through aspects of detailed needle modeling and painting a realistic face. They constructed and stuffed a cotton head prior to class with a provided pattern. Later, they received a pattern for a body to go with this head. Students learned how to cover the face with a 2-way stretch mask, how to mark out features and alter them for different effects, then to needle sculpt the features into place, using the space between the 2 skins to add extra stuffing and shape the face. They then learned how to paint faces on a flat surface to better understand light and shade as it reflects on the human skin.

Australian born doll artist, Marilyn Halcomb, has been making dolls ever since she can remember. She used to leave them out for the fairies at night; they would leave a little gift in return. It wasn't until she attended an epb workshop in the early 90's that she realized that she had been making and designing cloth dolls all along. She tested her designs on the market and they were snapped up. Marilyn is adept at all mediums but fabric manipulation is her passion; she is regarded as Australia's Queen of Soft Sculpture. She is an active teacher and has recently expanded to teaching on-line in the USA.