A fairy tale by your own hands: fabric doll workshop held at the National Centre RUSSIA
On 14 December, visitors to the National Centre RUSSIA were invited to immerse themselves in the world of Russian folk art. The creative event offered guests the opportunity to make a New Year fabric toy with their own hands. Under the guidance of experienced craftsmen, participants learned about the cultural significance of charm dolls while creating them. The doll designs were inspired by characters from the "Book of Fairy Tales" exposition, which opened on 13 December, and the production of "Morozko," premiering on 28 December.
Instructor Viktoria Koroleva shared the secrets of making these toys. According to her, charm dolls are crafted from beads, broadcloth, linen, satin fabrics, and sequins. Lace and many other materials can also be used.
"We place the padding in the centre of the fabric, in a small rectangle, then fold it over, pressing firmly around the head area. We tie a tight knot with thread — you can make a double knot if you like — then wrap the thread several times around the head. After that, we secure the structure with loops and cut the thread. Next, we take a smaller rectangle of fabric and tie it to the doll in the same way — this will be the skirt, giving it fullness. Then we place white fabric over the doll's head and wrap it the same way. Two pieces of fabric remain on the sides, which we shape into arms by tying the fabric at the wrists, securing them and defining the boundaries of the hands," Viktoria Koroleva explained.
The workshop was enjoyed by both adults and children. Mikhail, Alena, and Yustina Pilyugin from Moscow came to the National Centre RUSSIA specifically on their day off to spend time together in a fun and rewarding way.
"We made three beautiful dolls that will decorate our Christmas tree, and we will remember this day and this event with warm feelings. Our dolls were inspired by fairy tales. We drew inspiration from Alyonushka from the tale 'Alyonushka and Her Little Brother Ivanushka.' We really enjoyed the 'Book of Fairy Tales' exposition. We're planning to come back for a guided tour. It's very beautiful, with magnificent scenery. It's fascinating for both adults and children. We look forward to new interesting workshops and will be signing up. We've already been to 'Winter Wizards' and really want to visit 'The Book of Fairy Tales' exposition again, as well as see the 'Morozko' production. Thank you to the National Centre RUSSIA for the New Year spirit," said the Pilyugin family.
Three generations of the Verezemsky family attended the fabric doll workshop: grandfather Sergei, his daughter Alexandra, and two grandchildren, Lev and Fyodor.
"We came to see the 'Book of Fairy Tales' exposition and visited the workshop at the same time. We really liked the concept. Of course, the workshop is wonderful. Children enjoy making things with their hands. Fyodor and I recently read the tale of Vasilisa the Wise. She had a doll that helped her. So when we heard that the National Centre RUSSIA was holding a fabric toy workshop, we decided to come. We thought, 'Oh, we know about this, we just read about it.' The process didn't seem difficult, although for little ones it's tricky to work with fabric, especially for boys. Instructor Viktoria explained everything to us, so it all worked out," grandfather Sergei told the press service of the National Centre RUSSIA.
A series of workshops on creating festive New Year items is being held at the National Centre RUSSIA. Visitors can paint a traditional Russian-style roly-poly toy, decorate a New Year table, and create their own fabric toy inspired by Russian fairy tales. The main goal of the workshops is to strengthen family bonds through shared creativity. The event schedule is available in the "Events" section at russia.ru.
Event photobank
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