ISSN 2159-4708
Wicked Little Play Things…Tattered Rags
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By Jesse Horn
Surveying the digital landscape it is not difficult to find dolls of all types and tastes. Although there are countless worth mentioning, Jodi Cain, who hand makes each one of her unique creations, is a diamond in the rough.
Born in Illinois in 1966 Jodi and her family moved to Georgia when she was 13 and remained there ever since.
“I have always felt the need to create art,” Jodi began “and I found my niche in clay sculpture about 25 years ago.” Jodi went on to say that she first learned of Art Dolls in 2004.
“I was instantly intrigued with them. Starting out I didn’t have much experience with doll making… other than the alteration and dismemberment I probably caused a few dozen dolls during my childhood, simply because they were unappealing to me.”
When she became a mother in 1991 she stopped working and after her youngest child began school she began looking for something to fill her days.
“My husband suggested I get back into art. I knew I wanted to sell my work online and that my clay work would be too large, too heavy, and too expensive to ship. The dolls were born from my rebellion, my interest in primitive folk art, my dislike of mass produced dolls, my love of gothic style, and my lifelong intrigue with horror and gore.”
Jodi revealed that making dolls is now her full time job, and she has a small studio in her house where she creates them.
“I like to keep this space decorated with creepy imagery as well as loads of fabric and buttons! Most of my sales come from custom ordered dolls, and I usually have several dolls in the works at all times. I like to make them in batches of 6 or so… A day for bodies, a day for faces, a day for clothes, a day for hair, and so on.”
Standing 22 inches tall, Jodi uses a flannel fabric for their bodies and she stiff stuffs them with fiberfill. The dolls that accompany them are 11 inches tall and she indicated that they are all completely hand stitched with vintage button eyes and yarn hair.
“It all starts with the buttons! Where most people would see a couple of buttons as just a pair of buttons, I see them as eyes! I am inspired by everything around me! I have always been a very creative person and don’t think it’s even possible for me to ever run out of ideas! I get annoyed by many things that happen in this world and the anger and sadness that my dolls express is often reflective of such.”
Jodi says that she has made and sold over 1000 dolls.
“They are collected all over the world by people with great taste in dolls,” she laughed.
Of all of her creations Jodi says that her most unique was one requested by a tattoo artist in Louisiana.
“Her instructions were a bride in a pretty white dress with a knife in her bouquet… and she was to look like she just killed her mother in law.” Of her most challenging creation, the doll maker revealed that she had crafted a 4 foot doll as a stage prop for a band in Texas.
“I know it sounds silly to say this but I feel like I know each doll I make on some sort of personal level which makes them all have deep meaning for me.”
As for the future of Tattered Rags, Jodi plans on making dolls as long as her hands will let her.
“I am always open for custom orders! You can either choose a doll from my gallery, request a doll in the likeness of a photo, or have me bring your ideas to life as well. Just send me an email for a price quote at jodi@tatteredrags.net. You can see hundreds of dolls I have made in my gallery on my website www.tatteredrags.net and you can also purchase my dolls on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/TatteredRags.”
Something unknown about Tattered Rags:
I am ridiculously afraid of bugs, I have never dyed my hair, and pink is my favorite color!
Thank You very much for the feature and the kind words about my dolls Jesse!