Gallery 1 ~ Dolls Created by Dru Esslinger

One of the first dolls I made was Aunt Ruth and she comes in many versions. The large Ruth is 19" tall and has become my signature doll. A drawing of her is on my cards and note paper. She is dressed in the traditional black suit and fur of her time, teddies, and slip, but I spared her the girdle for this trip. Also a 6" doll.

My Aunt Daisy is a favorite for a doll subject. She was one of those dream Aunts that answer all the wants of a little girl. For a little country girl to get to go to the city and ride a trolley and watch the airplanes while eating at the airport are how dreams are made. This is a cloth doll.

This is how I started in more ways than one! This was one of the first dolls I ventured out to make on my own. This is in memory of my grandmother, Minnesota Leeka Benham. A Methodist ministers wife, she was a wonderful seamstress and made everything without a pattern. I still have a doll she made me out of cloth. I am sure the hair is made using something like the felting needles that we use today.

This is a 19" soft sculptured original doll with clothes designed for her age and historical period. Her dainty fingers are gloved for proper tea-time visiting. Her original hat is made of molded straw.

This lady's shoes and pocketbook are made of leather and her undergarments are teddies and slip.

This is a cloth doll which was made for someone who has guided me on the internet. The doll reminds me of the carefree spirit that Molly has as she deals with the many dollmakers each day!

Lois was my mother. My grandmother made and designed all my mother's clothing. Lois had a dress and coat like this as a young lady. She played the violin and when young wanted to be a concert violinist. Arthritis and a family prevented her musical dream. Lois wears a tweed wrap-around dress under her wool-lined coat, and under that, a teddie and slip.

The violin she carries can be removed from the case, so she is always ready to play.

A sculpy doll of a lady in our church. Marjorie is the one person that you can count on to wear a hat. This is also the one lady that you can count on to do any necessary job that needs to be done!

In her flannel nightgown, matching terry robe and fuzzy bunny slippers, this doll is getting ready for bed. Those little chores like face washing and hair setting are all finished and now it's time to brush those teeth! Her tiny false teeth are a show stopper!!

This Hallmark Hall of Fame movie was made close to where I live and I was commissioned to do a doll for Glenn Close.

Wearing a dress of antique fabric with neckline trim this doll is having a day of fun. She is available for sale, but I will have to come up with another carrousel as this one is an antique belonging to my daughter-in-law and I have a feeling she will not part with it. Round and Round was made when I found the wonderful carved wooden horse from a carrousel in an antique store and it just needed a doll to sit on its back.

Rita was made for the Sculpy Challenge and won second place. She is a fun doll to have sitting around the house in her slacks with the embroidered silk jacket and her stylish pillbox hat. She is a working mother and at our house she has a baby in her arms most of the time.

Doug is made of sculpy with a cloth body. Doug is typical of one of the many cowboys of the Flint Hills of Kansas. The black hat is a symbol of the working cowboys. It is time to get the horse so the day will begin!

This is a totally paper doll. The doll herself is made of paper clay. The hair, eyelashes, clothing and accessories are all made of washi paper. She was made following a class at a doll conference.

Stopping in the middle of the forest, Mother Nature is looking over all her newly born creatures. It is fun to look over the setting and find all of the creatures large and small. From the tiny bugs in the leaves to the cat in her arms they have all been apart of her making. She is a 19 inch doll with separate toes as well as fingers. She is a favorite of small children.

Pay day and one of those marathon shopping trips to the grocery store. You arrive home, put away the groceries and your children come in and say, "There is nothing to eat!" Your husband sticks his head in the kitchen door and says, "What’s for dinner?" Your feet say, "Where’s the bed?" Made of cloth.

The Opportunity doll is the doll I donated to We Folk. These are dolls which are donated by faculty, participants and friends of We Folk to help defray the cost of bringing special teachers to future We Folk conferences. The drawing for my doll was won by Kathleen Loose who had been one of my students on Dollstreet.

Aunt Ruth