Pickens County
Hand Sewn Cotton Dolls
As a spin-off of her quilting, Patricia Austin has been creating
dolls for the past twenty years. As someone who despises “waste” and enjoys
sewing and using her hands, Patricia developed this gift as a method for using
the scraps and snippets of her quilts. While raising two daughters as an Air
Force wife and moving around quite a bit, Patricia spent that “wasted” time in
doctor’s offices, waiting for band practice to end, and other places sewing her
dolls. Not only was this a wonderful way to pass the time, but also the sale of
the dolls always provided a little extra income for Patricia.
These creations, fashioned from the quilting scraps and threads
and stuffed with Polyfil, usually take between four and five hours to complete.
Although Patricia has had no special training in doll making, she has sewn
quilts, pillow shams, and pillows for years. Patricia says, “Dolls just seemed
like the next step.”
Presently, Patricia’s dolls are found only at Black
Belt Treasures.