(dolls ©Kayta Barrows, images ©Matt Rollefson, 2003)

Hi there.  I'm Kayta Barrows.  The dolls are letting me have a page of my own.

I've been dabbling in cloth dolls, cloth marionettes, and cloth hand puppets for several years now.  And making costumes for myself for more years than that.  But with dolls you can be more extravagant that you can be for yourself, since dolls don't require as much fabric.  And they can be any size, shape, or proportion, unlike one's own body.  So nowadays I seem to be making more dolls and doll costumes, and fewer full-size costumes.

Now that I've gone professional with the doll making, there are many directions to go, and many ideas to realize.  I will put up new pages when I get new dolls asking for them.  You can come visit us online, or maybe invite one of the dolls to come live with you.  (Prices on request, commissions welcome.)

Contact me, and the dolls, at Kayta@FunStuft.Com

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Doll makers often walk into shops with concepts half-formed in their heads, and this can generate some unusual requests to the staff.  The following two shops have become my favorite doll-part sources.  Not only do they have really great selections of what I want, the staff members of both stores are creative, well informed, and patient with me.  This means that even if I didn't know exactly what I wanted when I walked in, I know I will have it when I walk out, however long that takes.  In addition, both shops are that dangerous kind of place that give one ideas, and I usually walk out having bought more than I thought I was going to.

Carolea's Kniche, in Sunnyvale, California ( www.caroleasknitche.com ) is a quilt store, but it is my favorite place to get doll fabric.  They consistently have more batik fabric than I see anywhere else, and they always have lots of tiny plaids.  Their selection of fat quarters never fails to amaze me.  And their staff members are so patient with me as I wander around looking for just the right stuff.  Many doll ideas have come to me as I wandered around in this shop, and I think I bought my first doll pattern here, when I was still using other peoples' patterns.  I no longer live in Sunnyvale, but I go to Carolea's whenever I can.

Needle In A Haystack, in Alameda, California ( www.needlestack.com ) is an embroidery and needlepoint shop, but it's my favorite doll-hair and embellishing-fiber place.  It seems like they carry everything DMC makes, and they have a really good selection of Anchor and other brands of embroidery thread.  They also have two or three kinds of hand dyed threads, in cotton or silk, and some wonderful textured stuff.  Sometimes I find thread there, then have to go home and make a doll just to use it.  And the staff members there are truly amazing at color matching, if I already have my fabric.  I try to visit Needle In A Haystack whenever I find myself in Alameda.