Now, collectors, crafters and others wanting to access free goodies and information related to dolls can find quick, direct leads to the Internet's infinite possibilities in this tell-all guide. Hundreds of Web sites are identified that offer free doll patterns, articles, news about museums, clubs, supplies and more. 150 illustrations.

Includes patterns for dolls and costumes of 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

"In Still Lovers, Elena Dorfman explores the complex relationships between life-sized, synthetic sex dolls and their owners. For many, the idea of the sex doll conjures images of the kitschy inflatable, but these expensive, highly realistic dolls, which owners customize to the smallest detail, are far from silly, and they' perform more than a sexual role for their owners. What started for Dorfman in 1999 as a playful curiosity - a project about "men having sex with 125 pounds of perfectly formed synthetic female" - rapidly became a serious exploration of the emotional and psychological ties between the owners and their dolls. Her candid wonderment and nonjudgmental approach present a fascinating glimpse into the personalities that owners invest in their dolls and the zest with which they attire them. The dolls become sculptural beauties, sex kittens, companions, and family members. One woman owns several dolls that represent different aspects of her personality and sexuality; another owner, a military officer, dreams of marrying his "Azra." A suburban owner drinks coffee on the couch as "Taffy" lounges nearby in her crotchless negligee. A family goes about their morning routine with "Valentine" at the kitchen table. Dorfman's deft treatment of the subject and neutral color palate keep the images firmly grounded in a documentary tradition that depicts the subjects outside of the visual schema associated with fantasy. The result is that we as viewers - though we know the dolls to be passive and inanimate - begin to believe in the owners' vision of and love for their dolls. Dorfman's images confront the concept of the ideal woman and her place in the home, and they challenge our notions of love while they show the imagination's powerful function in achieving and sustaining it."--BOOK JACKET.

"... Provides a unique window into the lives of the women who collect and love these dolls"--P. [4] of cover.

Can a ship carrying Friendship Dolls to Japan be Lexie’s ticket to see her fun-loving mother again? A heartwarming historical novel inspired by a little-known true event. It’s 1926, and the one thing eleven-year-old Lexie Lewis wants more than anything is to leave Portland, Oregon, where she has been staying with her strict grandparents, and rejoin her mother, a carefree singer in San Francisco’s speakeasies. But Mama’s new husband doesn’t think a little girl should live with parents who work all night and sleep all day. Meanwhile, Lexie’s class has been raising money to ship a doll to the children of Japan in a friendship exchange, and when Lexie learns that the girl who writes the best letter to accompany the doll will be sent to the farewell ceremony in San Francisco, she knows she just has to be the winner. But what if a jealous classmate and Lexie’s own small lies to her grandmother manage to derail her plans? Inspired by a project organized by teacher-missionary Sidney Gulick, in which U.S. children sent more than 12,000 Friendship Dolls to Japan in hopes of avoiding a future war, Shirley Parenteau’s engaging story has sure appeal for young readers who enjoy historical fiction, and for doll lovers of all ages.

Includes pieces crafted from diverse materials and techniques (including forging, casting, forming, and stone setting).

Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo, is a wealth of information for Japanese art collectors, Asian doll collectors and doll enthusiasts of all levels and interests. Full of beautiful photographs, the book details 18 kinds of widely collected, obtainable and affordable, antique and vintage dolls and figurines (ningyo). Author Alan Scott Pate--the leading American expert on Japanese dolls--writes in illuminating detail about the traditions of each type of doll and shares practical tips on how to collect this amazing Japanese art form. Included in this guide to Japanese ningyo are: Festival dolls: hina-ningyo, musha-ningyo, tableau dolls Display dolls: saga-ningyo, gosho-ningyo, isho-ningyo, iki-ningyo Wood dolls: kamo-ningyo, nara-ningyo, kokeshi-ningyo Clay dolls: fushimi-ningyo, hakata-ningyo Mechanical dolls: karakuri-ningyo, kobe-ningyo Theatrical dolls: bunraku-ningyo, takeda-ningyo Play dolls: ichimatsu-ningyo, keue saiko