Joy, as with anything else, is a matter of definition.  How do you convey a definition in cloth?  You do it with fabrics, you do it with colors and you do it with positioning.

Joy is defined as " The emotion of delight and happiness, caused by something good or satisfying;  a source of keen pleasure of delight."

I am all for that.   I know in my mind what joy feels like and what joy looks like when it happens to me.  I know joy every time one of my children accomplishes a goal, every time my husband says " I love you" every time one of my grandchildren just looks at me.I know it every time I hear Bach, Mannheim Steamroller, and Pachabel's Cannon in D.  I know what it looks like for me if someone is around to snap a picture when it is happening, then show me later, at least I know it in me.  When I try and translate that joy into a doll, I have to rely on the faces, the positions, and the attitudes of others that I see.Then I can translate that Joy into cloth.

Work sometimes with a picture in front of you.  Don't try and copy the picture, just use it as an indicator of where the needle should move next.

When we smile, our eyes get more narrow, or cheek bones become more prominent, and our mouth becomes thinner.  It is a physical change that comes about with an emotion, that is a natural reaction of our muscles, brought about by our mind's concept of joy.  So make sure the pic is a candid pic...not a posed one.  Our minds know the difference, and our body reacts differently, giving us a different physical appearance.  Check it out sometimes.  Look at a picture of someone taken when they know you are looking, and then check out the picture of someone taken off guard and see the difference. 

This page was last updated on: April 2, 2010