I make cloth dolls with needle-modeled faces. I begin by sculpting the form in clay then draping each body part in cloth to develop a pattern. This pattern is then stitched from the heavy muslin I prefer for my doll skins then stuffed and assembled. It often takes dozens of tests before I am satisfied with the results. This is necessary because fabric stretches and many corrections are necessary before the cloth figure matches the original drawing. I like to work in quarter-life size. Most of the patterns in the historical costume books are one-eighth size and even with my dyslexia I can adapt them so they fit my figures. My figures have changed as my knowledge of anatomy and sculpting improves.

I like the design phase best, Next I love the costuming phase. I love working with gorgeous fabric and trims which I collect in my travels all over the US and Canada to teach dollmaking.

My dolls have won many awards but the one I am most proud of is that one of my earliest dolls was invited to join many NIADA dolls for a special show at the Louve in Paris in the early 1990's.

I was born in New Jersey but grew up in Atlanta and West Palm Beach before returning to live in New York City in 1964 and in the early '80's moved to my present home on the Jersey Shore about 90 minutes south of Manhattan.

I went back to school in mid 1970's in Manhattan. I did not matriculate as I was already "middle aged" and did not want to waste time. Besides, my dyslexia would have great difficulties with the math. Living in Manhattan I was fortunate to take classes for a couple of years at the Academy of Art & Design. And then at New School and my favorite was the several years I spent attending The School for the Visual Arts. When I began to make dolls I discovered NIADA and went to every convention and studied with as many artists as I could afford. To make it even more affordable I invited them to teach here in my studio and they all came. I hosted many NIADA and other famous doll artists classes here for about ten years.

Every artist I studied with helped me to grow as an artist but Bob McKinley, Lisa Lichtenfels and Jodi and Richard Creager influenced me the most.

Since 1985 I have been a member of National Doll & Toy Collectors Club of NYC, the "flagship" club of UFDC. The members of this collector's club have encouraged me in my work and have been collecting my work since my earliest years as a doll artist.

Mimi is a columnist/writer in Soft Dolls & Animals. in the magazine, Soft Dolls & Animals.