Designing has been my life’s work. I am a graduate of Pratt Institute, with a B.F.A in fashion design. The last 25 years of my life, before retirement were spent designing women’s clothes for a company by the name of Ashanti in New York City.

Years before getting back into clothes design, I was a jewelry designer, and adjunct professor teaching silversmithing at the College of New Rochelle in Westchester, New York.

Many of my clothing designs and jewelry designs have been published in Vogue, Glamour and Essence magazines.

After retirement I started building and designing miniature doll houses. My contemporary doll house was published in “Dollhouse Miniature magazine” in May, of  2006.

Next came doll making. I began making dolls in 2004 after seeing a doll exhibit and joining a doll club. In my first year of doll making, I completed 50 dolls and started teaching doll making classes.

Doll making is such a natural progression for me in my field of design. I love fashion in all aspects, clothes, jewelry, lingerie, and shoes.

I now spend my days designing one of a kind dolls. Some of my dolls have been published in some of the doll magazines.

 

DIVINE DIVA DOLLS

My dolls are made of 100% Kona cotton unless otherwise stated. Kona cotton is a tightly woven fabric that works great for cloth dolls that need to be stuffed firmly. All of my dolls are my own designs and one of a kind. I make and design all aspects of my dolls looks. I like to make at least two to three heads at a time so that I can select the right personality for the doll I’m preparing. The faces are sculpted and colored they inspire the total look of the doll. After the body pattern is stitched up the doll is stuffed and sculpted to the desired look. I usually stuff hard enough so that my Divas can stand on their own two feet. The body pieces are hand sewn together. All clothes are designed for each individual doll, as well as their shoes, jewelry and their hair styles.

BARBARA McCAINE