Elena Kuznetsova is a master of growth and mime puppets.

The dolls she makes are able to move, gesticulate, express emotion and engage in dialogue.

Elena was born in the Novosibirsk region. She has been sewing toys since childhood. In 1985, she graduated from the Novosibirsk Technical School of Light Industry, specialising in modelling and designing clothes.

Elena was at the origins of the puppet movement, in our country, along with such famous artists as Roman Shustrov and Varvara Skripkina. She is still an active worker and educator. In this master class, the author will show variants of designs of noses for textile dolls.

CUSHION NOSE, or the nose turned upside down

The nose has a hole at the bottom, through which it is turned out, stuffed and sewn onto the base.
Draw the outline of the nose from the mould.

Sew along the line

Trim the seams, cut the corners and make an opening for turning out.

Turn it inside out and stuff it with synthetic fibres

TIGHT, LIGHTWEIGHT NOSE
I very often do exactly this kind of nose.

You can cut out the nose in this way and cover it with fabric.

This is a variant of the nose with a bottom spacer (to fix the sewing line).

I mark a "bottom" line out of 20mm isolone. Cut out the outline with a bar. Use a knife to cut the nose forward at a slant
and cut out the desired shape with scissors.

A pad of synthetic fibre should be made to level the surface.

Sometimes one layer is not enough!

I cover the nose with elastic material

Finished nose

BIG STUFFED NOSE

I really like the big noses on the dolls.
For a theatrical puppet, it's a weather vane showing where the eye is pointing.

The "bottom" of the nose.
In order to sew on the nose neatly, align the sewing line. The hole in the "bottom" is for extra padding. The nose is filled with synthetic material, assembled on a string. Tighten the seams and add the padding. Pin the finished nose into place. Sew from the wrong side to the touch, trying to run the stitching along the very edge. If necessary, smooth out the seam on the front side.

NOSE IS PADDED, FLAT-BOTTOMED

Need stretch fabric: fleece, knitwear, welsoft, coat. It is best to use scraps of synthetic fibre for stuffing small parts. To hold the outline of the nose to be sewn on, make the flat bottom out of foil cardboard.

I use this principle to make two kinds of noses: plain and protruding with stitches

I draw the outline of the nose.

Cut out the bottom for the nose from cardboard

The size of the tight fabric is about twice as big. I collect the fleece on a string. The hole in the "bottom" is to add padding. Cut out a flap of synthetic fibre (two layers) to the shape of the "bottom". ОTighten the blank by placing a padding pad underneath. Use tweezers to add the filling to the hole. Tighten it. That's it, the nose can be sewn on.

The nose is a balloon

One of the easiest ways to make a doll's nose. Main building make it flat so that there are no unnecessary creases. It's best to use a stretchy material, such as fleece.

If the material is very elastic, I make a ball of fleece, which I then cover with the desired fabric. I thread a circle of fabric together. Stuffing and tying. Through the hole, with a pair of tweezers, add the synthetic fibre. Stuff it tightly to give it shape.
I then pull back from the edge and sew a second stitch and thread again.

I look forward to your feedback and questions: https://vk.com/kuzile or in a creative group: https://vk.com/kuzele171.

Good luck with your creativity! Yours Elena Kuznetsova