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.